Robert popped a painkiller in his mouth and shut his eyes as he felt a painful itch behind them. He cupped his forehead to calm the raging headache and concentrated on taking deep breaths. Anxious. He was anxious, and he had never felt this anxious…and disturbed. He was truly disturbed and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Work at the hotel was piling up and he was having a hard time keeping track of everything. The irony was in the fact that a year ago, that was all he had wanted – lots of work and growth in the business plan, but now with the business booming, he wished he only had the energy to deal with it all. On top of that, ten days ago Bates had announced his wedding, which was taking place in a couple of weeks. In normal circumstances, he'd be over the moon at the news. After all, his dear friend had had a long hard time finding the right person. He was married once – soon after he got married to Valarie. His then-wife, Vera was a nasty woman, and she had made Bates miserable. So much that he had become an alcoholic and would have phases of complete blackouts. It was a difficult time for him, and Robert hated seeing him like that. He deserved someone better, someone who loved him unconditionally and years later he found that in Anna – despite the big age difference. He had truly found a soulmate in Anna and despite the initial skepticism at the odd pairing, everyone was soon convinced that they were truly meant to be. And now, finally, they were getting married and Robert wished that he could be truly happy for them. He was, he really was but his personal issues hampered his happiness for his best friend. He was full of anxiety, confusion, sadness, and felt panic. Constant panic. With each passing day, his anxiety grew and his muscles became more tensed. Usually, when he was tensed, he would struggle to sleep, but this time it was different, this time not only did he found impossible to sleep, but he would wake up with jerks and his heart beating out of his chest. His head would hurt all day and it was as if a mental clock kept ticking and banging at his head – a reminder that with each passing day, he was getting closer to losing her.
Ten days ago, Cora had told him that she was planning on leaving. It took him a while to process the news. When she told him, he had heard it, but couldn't quite digest it. It felt like someone pulled the ground from beneath him. Of course, he had known that it was a possibility after they had kissed each other in a drunken state but never quite contemplated what would it be like if it actually happened. Now it had and he was not taking it well. Not at all.
Cora kept saying how it wouldn't affect the work and that she would manage it all before she leaves, and it had angered him. How was she okay with it? He sighed. Deep down he knew she wasn't okay and was putting on a brave face to have that conversation but he couldn't stop feeling angry, and desperate. At the situation, at his feelings, and how the events unfolded. Just the idea of cutting all connection with her scared him. It really scared him. Cora had been right, they rarely really saw one another – in fact, they never did after that kiss. Not really. But he still saw her, if that made any sense. She was there, in front of his eyes and that was enough…enough to get him through it all. And now she wanted to leave, forever. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. He sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. He heard the clock tick in his head again – only a few more days. The thought made him sick. He had been wanting to talk to her ever since, and convince her otherwise but couldn't quite think of the words and on top of that, she kept avoiding him. He saw her less and less and every time he thought of approaching her, it was as if she could sense it and then disappear from his view. It was too much for him. It hurt him.
His office phone rang and he grimaced at the sound. He had told Mrs Hughes he didn't want to take any calls. He let it ring three times hoping the caller would hang up. They didn't. He sighed and picked up the receiver.
"Hello" he said, trying to control his anger.
"Robert, why aren't you picking up your mobile?" the person on the other end shouted.
He sighed and closed his eyes again. Valarie.
"It's on silent" he said flatly. He had put his phone on silent for the past hour, not having the energy to take any calls.
"Why?!" asked Valarie.
He sighed again "I am busy" he replied.
"You don't have any meetings, I asked Mrs Hughes" she said.
Robert rolled his eyes, immediately regretting it as the pain throbbed behind them at the movement. "I have other work to do, Valarie. What do you want?" he asked, losing patience.
"I need the BMW right away" she said.
Robert sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose again, the headache throbbing shamelessly behind his temples "I left the Bentley at home for you" he whispered.
"Yes, but I need the BMW. Right away" she replied.
"Why can't you just use the Bentley? I'll need the car in a while" he said.
"Because I don't want to go in that car, Robert, stop annoying me. You've wasted so much of my time already by not picking up my calls. You have 30 minutes. Send the car" she said as she hung up the phone.
"Valarie, Val-" he said as he heard the phone beep indicating that he had been hung up on.
He slammed the receiver back in its handle and covered his face with his hands. He needed a time out. He was exhausted. He had to relax but he couldn't. How could he? When the very person who had shown him a new side to happiness was leaving him. He heard a knock on his door and clenched his fist. He could hear his heart beat in his ears and he took a few deep breaths to prepare himself to deal with real life.
"Come in" he said reluctantly as Mrs Hughes entered his room.
"I am sorry about the call, but Mrs Crawley was most insistent so I let it through," she said with a sad smile.
Robert smiled at her softly and shook his head "No problem" he breathed out and felt the tension in his shoulders.
Mrs Hughes opened her mouth to say something but then brought her eyebrows together and slowly walked towards his desk.
"Would you like some tea, sir?" she asked.
Yes. Yes, tea was a good idea.
"Thank you, Mrs Hughes" he said as Mrs Hughes boiled water in the kettle set up on one of his side tables.
He could feel her staring at him from his peripheral vision. He tried to smile at her but felt physically incapable of sitting upright.
Mrs Hughes passed him a cup of piping hot tea and he sighed as he took a sip.
"Thank you, Mrs Hughes. I needed this" he said.
She nodded politely and smiled at him.
"Are you quite alright, Sir?"
He wanted to laugh at this point. It was insane the number of times he was asked this question daily. He tried so hard to remain neutral in front of everyone but failed every time. He softly shook his head and took another sip of tea to repeat the phrase that had become his staple response for everyone.
"I'm fine. Just tired with all the work" he said.
Mrs Hughes reluctantly nodded and moved closer to neatly arrange the stack of papers on his desk.
"You must be looking forward to the wedding" she said changing the topic.
He smiled and softly nodded "I am. Are you?" he asked.
Mrs Hughes gave a toothy smile and nodded "Very much. I was just with Anna and the preparation are all in full flow"
Robert nodded at her "You must let me know if you need anything" he added.
Mrs Hughes nodded softly.
Robert took another sip and then suddenly remembered what he had been ordered to do a few minutes ago. "Oh, Mrs Hughes, could be please ask John to send the BMW to my house right away. Mrs Crawley need it urgently"
Mrs Hughes nodded "I'll just tell him" she said as she made her way to the door when Bates made an appearance.
"Good morning, Mrs Hughes" said Bates giddily.
Robert smiled at his chirpy mood. He could use some of that.
"Good morning, Mr Bates" she said as she took her leave.
Bates walked towards his desk and he smiled "How's the groom doing?"
Bates sighed and shook his head "Overworked and confused at the moment" he replied.
Robert smiled at him and nodded, he knew how chaotic wedding stuff could get "Overworked, I understand, but why confused?"
Bates sighed again "There are so many decisions to make. What to get, what not to get, whom to invite, whom not to invite, the food, the colours, the songs. I had forgotten what was it all like" he said.
Robert nodded and smiled. It truly was a very overwhelming experience.
"But of course Anna cares about all this, so I care as well" Bates added.
"Of course" Robert smiled "How can I help?"
"By leaving everything right away and coming shopping with me so I can finalize my tux" pleaded Bates.
Robert sighed. If he was honest, he didn't even have the energy to leave his chair but he knew he had to. As the best man and Bates's best friend, this was his duty.
Robert gulped down the liquid and stood up, his muscles protesting in the wake. "Let's go. But we'll have to go in your car, I had to send mine back"
Cora smiled over her laptop as she intently listened to Anna describe the kind of pictures she wanted for her wedding. Wedding photography was always one of her favorites to do, she loved capturing the happy, smiling faces of everyone. The air was always filled with positivity and it was infectious. Cora loved being surrounded by happy people, her soul happily fed on it and it was one of the reasons she loved her work so much. She had the power to capture powerful, memorable moments, and giving that happiness to others brought her immense joy. She was honoured that Anna and Bates chose PRIME to capture their wedding and the kind of pictures that Anna had in mind were super sweet and just the kind that she enjoyed capturing. She smiled as she typed each point that Anna dictated.
"Will it be possible to arrange in time? There are only two and a half weeks left" asked Anna.
Cora looked up from her laptop and smiled "Yes, of course. Don't worry"
Anna smiled and resumed talking about the photographs. Cora let out a soft sigh. Two and a half weeks. Her deadline.
She was still processing her talk with Robert from the other day. It was very difficult and she could see how much she hurt him, but what other option did she have? There was so much hurt already that it was wise to just let it all out and close the chapter once and for all. She knew that Robert wasn't convinced. Hell, she wasn't convinced if she was making the right decision either. It caused her so much pain and anger, how could it be right? But it was wise. It was wise to step away from the fire before they completely burned themselves. She had to take the first step. Robert had been trying to approach her ever since, she could feel it. But she was dodging him. He was emotional and so was she. They couldn't possibly have another conversation without breaking down and she didn't want to show him her tears again. It hurt him and she didn't want that. And seeing him upset brought her immense grief. He felt desperate and confused but if he thought about it rationally, he would understand why it was important for them to part ways. They had a lot at stake. He needed to think about his family and the possible consequences if she stayed. There was so much pain. It needed to end now.
"Do you think we can get this kind of lighting outdoors?" asked Anna.
Cora smiled at her. She was sweet, checking up every few minutes if the work was even possible for them to do. Cora smiled again. Anna didn't want much, in fact, it was all fairly easy, but it was very polite of her to check. She was a sweet girl.
"It will be. Don't worry. Right Carson?" asked Cora as she looked up to her right where Carson sat making a list with Cora.
"I believe we can manage it" smiled Carson.
Cora looked at Anna and took her hand "There you go. Even Carson has given the green light, we'll manage" she added.
Anna patted her hand on hers and smiled "Thank you! I just feel guilty for just spontaneously throwing a wedding in the midst of all that is going on. It felt very romantic at the moment, but now I just feel like we've forced everyone to leave everything and focus on just this" she added.
Cora shook her head and smiled "It was very romantic and don't worry, I think everyone is just very excited to see a wedding. We've all been working hard, we could use some time to enjoy" she added.
"Thank you, Cora" she said with a big grin on her face.
Anna passed her the guest list "These are the names of all the people that must be photographed. They're not many"
Cora took the list and passed it to Carson "Carson will make sure everyone gets photographed"
Carson happily nodded at Anna "You shall have it, Anna"
They spent the next few minutes discussing the lighting and sharing the sample pictures when Cora heard a knock on the door. She looked up to see Bates waiting at the doorway.
"Am I interrupting?" he asked.
Anna grinned at him and he smiled back. A sight that warmed Cora's heart.
"No, no, come in. We were just discussing the photographs" added Anna.
Bates nodded and entered the room when Cora saw Robert standing behind him in the doorway. Her heart dropped when her eyes met his. There it was, the look that was her undoing. His sweet, desperate eyes looked her way, waiting for her to fix things up. She gulped. She had to remind herself that she was taking the right step. She instantly looked away and noticed Carson stare at her worryingly. She gave him a faint smile and then looked at Anna.
"Here's the list from my side" Bates handed a piece of paper to Anna.
Anna flipped over the few pages and nodded "Alright, I'll just give them to Rosamund" she smiled. She then looked at Robert behind Bates and smiled "Oh, hello sir, I didn't quite see you there" she said shyly.
Robert gave her a soft smile and shook his head "No worries, we were just stopping for a moment. We are going out. Your fiancé is dragging me to go shopping with him"
Bates chuckled at him "I'm making sure the hotel's CEO has his priorities right" he joked.
Robert smiled at him and softly patted his best friend's back "Anything for you both" he said.
Cora stared at him and her heart soared. Was there another person alive who was sweeter than him? She didn't think so. Her eyes landed at the very faint dimple on his left cheek and it reminded her of the times where she would be the reason behind it. She looked down again, embarrassed at how obviously obsessed she was with him.
Anna got up from her seat and kissed Bates on his cheek "I'll just go see Rosamund." She then looked at Cora and smiled "Thanks so much Cora"
Cora smiled back at her "No problem"
When Anna left the room, Bates smiled at Cora "Everything good?"
"Perfectly" she replied with a smile.
Her eyes pulled towards Robert again and she gulped "Good luck with the tux" she said looking back at Bates.
"Thanks, Cora" he said and turned around to exit the room. Cora moved her gaze away and noticed on her reflective laptop screen that Robert took a few more seconds to turn and walk out. She felt horrible. He was looking at her and she was giving him no signal, no responses, not anything. She was hurting him, but it was for their own good.
When they both walked out, she let out a soft sigh and shut her laptop, and then looked at Carson, who continued to stare at her worryingly.
Cora smiled at him, hoping that they weren't going to talk about it "So you've listed down all of Anna's requirements?" she asked.
Carson slowly nodded at her and passed her the list. Cora skimmed through it and could feel his stare on her.
Carson coughed and she knew they were going to talk about it "You've been distressed for a while now" he stated, arranging the stack of papers in front of him.
Cora looked at him and opened her mouth but Carson put a hand out and stopped her "I know you don't want to talk about whatever it is" he said before she could speak.
He was right, of course. Cora was about to give a lame excuse for her behavior. She was glad he stopped her before she could utter something silly.
"But I hope that you're not letting it get to you too much and will allow me to help if you need any help" he added.
Cora gave him a faint smile and softly nodded at him. She chewed her lip and stared at him. She had to tell him at some point or the other. Why not now? She looked down and sighed.
"Carson?" she said.
He looked at her intently "Yes?"
"I think…I think we should move on now, after the wedding. PRIME I mean…and do something else" she said.
This was obviously not what he was expecting, his bushy eyebrows reached the ceiling and he waited a few seconds to respond "I don't understand"
Cora sighed "I mean, don't you think we've done all that we can here and now should leave and look for other projects?" she asked. She didn't believe in a single word that left her mouth. It took all in her to make it sound convincing.
Carson stared at her sighed "I think we can still do a lot here, in fact, we have a lot more things due in our contract" he added.
Cora opened her mouth and then shut it again. She didn't know how to talk to him about this.
"But if for whatever reason you feel like we should, it's your decision" he added after a few moments.
Cora looked up at him, she could see the disappointment in the always neutral face of Carson's. She had disappointed him and she hated that. It was as if that was all she was doing for the past few months. Disappointing Simon, Phyllis, Robert, Carson, and herself. She knew he was smart enough to realize that there must be an underlining reason, it wasn't like Cora to just give up things in the middle and move on. He was being supportive and for that, she would always be grateful.
She smiled at him softly "You like it here, don't you?" she asked.
Carson slowly nodded at her "I do. And I know you do as well. Well, you did in the start anyway" he added.
Cora looked down and gave him a faint smile, mindlessly scratching the back of her laptop case.
"But don't let that influence your decision" he added. She looked up at him and he continued "Do what you feel is right, you are our leader" he said.
Cora smiled at him, grateful that he was cooperating without any ifs and buts.
"I will, however, advise you to carefully think about it" he added.
Cora stared at him and nodded softly "Thank you, Carson" she added.
Carson nodded, knowing it was the end of the conversation, and got up from his chair "I'll just share this list with Miss Baxter" he said and left the room.
Cora sighed when he left. She hated disappointing her loved ones like this. As the wedding approached them, it all felt bittersweet. If she had the power, she would never leave these people. They felt like family. He felt like family, he felt like her own. Her friend, her confidant, her partner, her…
She stopped before she thought of something regrettable. Leaving Hotel Grantham and leaving him was going to be one of the hardest things she'd ever have to do.
Two and a half more weeks, she thought.
Two and half more weeks of knowing him.
She felt a tear escape her eyes and instantly wiped it away. She had to be strong.
Robert mindlessly scrolled through his iPhone as he sat in Mary's office for tea. The wedding preparations were going really well and he was glad that his girls were so excited about the wedding. Anna was really close to Mary and he was really close to Bates, so it truly felt like a family function. It was in a way because he had always thought of Bates as his family.
Another week flew by since he last saw Cora, or glimpsed at her when he was on his way out with Bates. Their eyes met momentarily and he felt his knees go weak. She quickly moved her gaze away and it hurt him. This wasn't right. Nothing about this was right. It was cruel and painful.
He looked up to see his daughters, Mary and Edith, and half-heard them discussing their dresses for the wedding. His family was everything to him. His girls were his pride and he would do anything for them. He had battled with his feelings for Cora, he knew they weren't normal or even gentlemanly and he also knew that Cora was right when she said they must part ways. That was the logical next step. He wouldn't want to hurt his family or do anything that would embarrass them, and having an affair with someone that was not their mother was both embarrassing and shameful. He wasn't that person. But Cora didn't feel like an affair, her closeness didn't feel wrong, his feelings for her didn't feel invalid. They were wrong though. They were far from being right or justified. If he was honest, he didn't even have any intention to start up something with her – it wasn't like him and he knew it wasn't like her either. They were not those people. But their bond was special, it was truly special and beautiful and he didn't want to let it go. He knew it was a dangerous game, if she stayed it would be like walking on eggshells but he just couldn't fathom the idea of her leaving. That was just not an option. He couldn't imagine his life without her now. She meant so much to him.
For the past 3 weeks, he had fought with his feelings and tried to reason with himself that maybe Cora leaving wasn't the worst idea but he just couldn't do it. He lost miserably with himself every single time and his anxiety continued to grow. He would wake up sweating and in panic. The first thing he could think about every single day when he opened his eyes was that he was another day closer to losing her. He couldn't deal with it. It wasn't fair.
He looked up at his girls again. They were his whole world, but why couldn't he make Cora a part of his world as well. Why was it such a black and white decision? He sighed, he knew the answer to that of course. He was married and she was married. He had a family and so did she. It was a simple this or that decision, but his heart wouldn't accept it. It was too difficult.
He wanted to talk to her, beg her to not leave but even he understood why she was doing it. It was all very obvious and simple if he thought about it rationally. But nothing felt rational now. To hell with rationality and logic, it was costing him his peace and his happiness. Cora was right to ignore him, he didn't trust his emotions himself but he had to talk to her. Once, at least and try to figure out a way that didn't require her cutting off all connections.
"Papa, you don't have to stay if you don't want to" said Mary.
Robert looked up at his daughter who was staring at him from the other side of the table. Robert cleared his throat and sat back straighter.
"No, I enjoy hearing you girls talk" he smiled.
"Really, Papa?" smiled Edith "Then what were we just discussing now?" she asked.
Robert raised his eyebrows "I, uh – about the dresses?" he took a vague shot at answering.
Edith chuckled "No, that was fifteen minutes ago. We were talking about our hairdos," she said.
"Oh" said Robert "Sorry"
Mary shook her head "You look tired, Papa, why don't you go rest in your room for a while?"
Robert nodded and slowly got up "I think I will, thanks Mary"
Mary nodded politely and moved her gaze back to Edith.
"Anyways, so we can just ask Aunt Rosamund her opinion," said Mary as Robert walked towards the door. He could use some rest. He was emotionally and physically exhausted.
"Or Cora. She must know what photographs better" added Edith
Robert's ears shot up at the mention of Cora's name.
"Right. Where is she anyway?" continued Mary.
"I think she said she was going to the storeroom to see the fabrics of the table cloth" replied Edith.
Robert walked out of Mary's office and all thoughts of napping escaped his head and his feet automatically took the direction of the storeroom.
He made his way down the stairs and entered the basement of the hotel. He hadn't been here in a very long time, he was surprised to see that it all had completely changed since he last saw it. It was Isobel's doing, she did a lot of work in reorganizing the storerooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens. He carefully made his way further in the chilly, quiet hallway of the basement. He tiptoed towards the storeroom and was glad to see the door slightly parted – a sign that Cora was still there. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open as gently as he could to make his way inside the room.
The storeroom was full of old furniture, curtains, broken settees, and chairs and he struggled to walk in without making noise. Still, he held his breath and tiptoed inside. The room was dark and chillier than the hallway and he craned his neck to see any signs of her. A moment later his search ended when he saw the back of her head. Her beautiful brown curls dangled on her shoulders as she bent down to pick up a piece of fabric. The afternoon sunlight from the windows shone on her and a few pieces of furniture next to her. It almost gave a halo look around her and he thought how fitting it looked. He then saw a glimpse of her tiny nose and he smiled to himself. He loved making her laugh because she would always scrunch up her nose before emitting an infectious cackle and he loved the sight of it. He hadn't seen it in a very long time.
He sighed, why was he even there? What was he going to say? He didn't know. He just had to talk to her, he just had to see her. He had to make her stay. She bent down further as one loose strand of her hair escaped where she had placed them behind her ear. She brought her hand closer to her face to put it away and Robert smiled at that. He got so mesmerized that he swayed slowly and accidentally hit the broken chair next to him. A loud crash broke the beautiful silence and made Cora jump from where she was standing. Her piercing blue eyes looked his way and he felt embarrassed. He dumbly tried to put the chair back in an upright position and felt his heart beat in his ears. He was so stupid. He set aside the stupid chair and felt his hands become clammy.
He looked up back at her. She stared at him for a few seconds, her mouth slightly parted and a worried expression on her face.
"Robert" she breathed out.
She gave him a few seconds to regain his balance before she spoke again.
"What are you doing here?" she asked in a gentle tone.
"I- uh" he stared back at her dumbly "Edith thought you might be here" he replied, dodging her question.
Cora opened her mouth and then slowly nodded at him "Yeah, I wanted to see the fabrics for the tables and the backdrop for the wedding" she replied.
Robert nodded and moved a step closer to her "Isn't that Rosamund's department?" he asked with a faint smile.
Cora gave him an even fainter smile and nodded "Some fabrics and colors photograph better so I just wanted to get an idea beforehand" she replied.
The two could play at this game, they were pros at avoiding the elephant in the room but it was high time they talked openly. It was messing with their lives.
He looked at her and sighed, and saw her take a deep breath as well.
"Robert, why are you here?" she asked flatly.
She knew why he was there. She knew it all. Robert nodded and took a step further inside.
"I wanted to talk to you, Cora" he said.
Cora stared at him for a moment and then nodded for him to continue.
"Are you serious…are you still serious about quitting?" he asked, already dreading the answer.
He saw her take a deep breath and turn her gaze towards the ground. His desperation only grew at her reaction.
He shook his head and walked towards her in three big strides. He walked into the sunlight and he felt as if they were both on stage and the light was on them. The situation truly felt just as dramatic. His eyes squinted at the light and he looked at her until they adjusted to them.
"Cora, please" he pleaded.
Cora looked up at him and he could see the pain in her eyes. She gave him half a nod and it answered his query. He wished it hadn't.
Robert sighed and chewed on his lower lip "Cora, have you thought about it. Really?" he asked in a hushed tone.
Cora looked back up at him and stared him in the eyes "I have" she replied "Have you?" she stated "Because I don't think you're thinking straight" she whispered.
He had. And he knew that she was right. But there had to be another way. How was it fair for them to completely cut off connection? Move on as if nothing had happened, as if their lives hadn't been deeply affected by each other's presence? How was it right?
"There has to be another way, Cora" he said, trying to get a grip on his emotions.
Cora sighed and looked up at him "If I stay…then what?" she asked a loaded question that made him gulp.
"If I stay then what will happen? Will we continue to act like strangers and hurt ourselves and each other or do we go back to being pals and risk another…another incident" she said.
She sighed and then looked down and Robert could see her eyes getting glassy when she looked back up. "Isn't it easier to just cut the chain now?" she asked softly.
Robert stared at her and shook his head. He could feel the tears clogging up his throat. "No" he said as he moved a step further towards her grabbing her arm, indicating her to look at him "No, Cora, please…we…I can't just let you go like this" he said.
The words slipped his tongue before he could process them but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything at this point. He was ready to burn the bridges for her…even if it was the most stupid decision he'd ever make.
"Robert please" she cried out and he felt her weight shift on her left side where he held her arm "Please, there is no solution to this. We have to control the damage," she said as she looked up at him.
He hated seeing her upset.
"Cora, is there even more damage that can be done? Look at us" he said as his arms fell flat against his sides.
The events had sucked out all the happiness from them, they had aged ten years in the past three months and had faced so much dilemma, pain, and confusion. What more harm could it do?
Cora looked at him for a few seconds "You already know the answer to that" she replied.
He did, of course, he did. There still could be a lot of damage if they didn't think straight. Their emotions were heightened, they were exhausted, tired, and confused. One small step in the wrong direction could do some serious harm. He knew that. He knew all of that…but…he wasn't ready to face it all.
Cora sighed "Robert" she breathed out his name again "I had promised that I'd stay for the wedding and I will. But after that, I must leave and you must let me. It is too difficult, for both of us. It is not right and it's not fair. We don't deserve this. I'm sorry" she said as a tear escaped her eye. She sighed and he felt himself out of breath.
She softly nodded at him and made her way out of the room. Robert didn't bother turning around to see her go. He had to get used to her absence now. It was cruel, it was painful but it was right. She was right and she was strong enough to vocalize it. He just quite wasn't strong enough to hear it. He felt himself lose his balance and he reached out to the settee where the fabrics had been placed, he sighed and sat down on it, closing his eyes.
He had to let her go.
He couldn't do it.
But he had to.
Rosamund tapped the back of her pen against the notebook she held in her hand and stared at the grounds in front of her. It was nearly 9 pm and this part of the grounds was closed for visitors. She had waited all day to come here and plan in peace instead of doing it amongst the various guests that liked to spend a lot of their time hanging out in this area. She was given the responsibility for all the décor for the wedding and she had planned the whole event in detail with both Anna and Bates. It was helpful that she already knew their taste and the place where they were getting married. She smiled thinking back to her wedding. The whole spontaneity reminded her of her wedding and she was loving the thrill of it all. Just like Anna and Bates, she and Duke had also decided to get married on a whim and chose the hotel as the location – it allowed them more control and authority and it was a truly beautiful place to get married at. She was glad that Anna and Bates chose the same place for their wedding and made her in charge of all decoration and planning. It filled her up with a sweet sense of nostalgia and she knew that the decision by them was deliberate. She loved them like her own family and was grateful for the opportunity. The wedding was near now, only ten more days and she was glad to see that everything was going as planned. It was because everyone was doing their best to make it a truly memorable day for the couple. She smiled again as she walked further towards the bushes to visualize the setup for the tables. Anna had given her full control over the arrangement and she wanted to go out of her way to make it look extraordinary. She made a few points in her notebook and then turned around to see the lake. She really wanted to make the lake a part of the whole setup but since it lied beyond the bushes, she wasn't sure how to incorporate it. She walked further towards their beautiful lake to see how it could be incorporated. The lamps beside the lake beautifully reflected the light in the clear water and she smiled. This lake was one of the most beautiful places in the hotel and it was one of her favorites. She smiled thinking about the number of times she had come here to wind down and get away from work. She walked further towards it when her eyes went towards the benches. She moved her eyes to see one at each time when she spotted her dear brother, Robert sitting on one of them. She squinted her eyes at the figure. What on earth was he doing here at this hour? She walked closer towards the bench and saw that he had draped his coat at the back of the bench and mindlessly scratched a beer bottle's sticker in his hand. She stared at him for a few seconds and sighed. His shoulders slouched and his mind miles away from the present.
Her dear brother. He also came to sit by the lake, but most times he would come here when he was sad or wanted to get some peace. She was afraid that this time it was the former. He had been sad for a while now and it didn't take a genius to guess that it had something to do with Cora. Ever since New Year's party, they've been acting odd. Both of them. She had tried and failed to get him to tell the details but he clearly wasn't ready and she didn't want to push him. She didn't need to know what exactly had happened, whatever happened was significant enough for them to be acting this weird. She sighed and walked towards him.
"Robert?" she said as she approached him.
Robert's eyes shot up at her and he sat back straighter and nodded at her.
"Ros, what are you doing here?" he asked as he took a sip of his long-abandoned beer.
She came and sat next to him and smiled "I was just planning the décor for the wedding. It is nice to do it in peace when no one's around"
He nodded at her softly and took another sip of his beer. His eyes looked sad as if he was far away from reality. It broke her heart to see him like that. She sighed.
"Why are you still here? I thought you'd gone home" she added.
Robert nodded again and then shook his head, his fingernail found the teared up sticker again and he continued to scratch it. It was his old habit. He did that whenever he felt nervous or agitated.
"I was just…just enjoying the view" he replied softly.
He was upset, very upset and it broke her heart. He had to be one of the kindest men she had ever met. Sometimes she felt like most people around him didn't deserve him and she had prayed and prayed for him to find someone who truly appreciated him. She saw that person in Cora and despite the warning signs, her heart warmed at their sweet bond. She knew it wasn't the time to push him, he was fragile, so she waited for him to initiate the conversation. She looked ahead at the lake silently.
A few moments later, Robert gulped down another sip and coughed. "Um, Cora, um..she wants to quit" he said flatly.
Rosamund's head snapped towards him. So that was the reason. Now it all made sense. He looked at her for a reaction but she didn't give any. Given the circumstances, it was expected.
She nodded at him softly and saw as his eyebrows turned upwards. He then sighed "You're not surprised?" he asked.
She gave him a faint smile "No. I am not" she replied.
He nodded and went back to scratching the bottle.
She wasn't surprised. How could she be? She had been a witness to their developing friendship and like many others, her eyebrows were also raised many times at their growing bond and chemistry with each other. She had warned him halfheartedly once or twice, dreading the very outcome that had now taken place. The truth was that she saw a reflection of her and Duke in them and her heart was filled with awe because finally, her brother experienced what she hoped all our loved ones did at some point in their lives. But fate was cruel, it happened in a circumstance that would only lead to heartbreak. She knew that. She also knew that this decision of Cora wasn't taken on a whim. It didn't take a Sherlock Holmes to decipher that something happened between them. Maybe something was said, maybe something was done. She didn't know and she didn't need to. The main thing was that it was significant enough for them to get a cruel reality check and it was too painful to bear and so Cora was now quitting. She didn't blame her and she didn't blame her brother. She blamed their fate. It had been long since she had seen two people more suited to each other and it was clear as water that they had fallen for each other. Robert had never known real love, even if he kept denying it - so naturally being his first time it was an overwhelming experience for him and on top of that, they both came with a lot of baggage. They were both married to other people and had families. Even if those people were far less than what they deserved. It was bound to lead towards heartbreak and it broke her heart. He deserved better. They both deserved better.
"She said her company should move on and do other things. That they…they've given their all to this hotel" Robert elaborated.
It was a lie. Plain and an awful lie. But she simply nodded. Robert, Cora and even she knew that it was untrue. The real reason was staring back at her in the form of pain in his eyes.
She knew that logically she should have interfered and meddled before the situation escalated. She should have warned him, but the sister in her wanted nothing more than to see her brother happy. Even if for a moment. She stared at him again. His shoulders were slouched, his eyes were tired, his morale down and his heart was broken.
Her poor brother.
He loved Cora. He truly, madly loved her. But she could tell that he wasn't ready to accept it yet. He wasn't brave enough to face it.
She sighed "Come here," she said as she opened her arms for him.
Robert looked at her and slowly hugged her back. She caressed his back for a few minutes before she felt wetness on her neck.
She sighed again and hugged him tighter.
"Oh, Robert" she said "my silly brother"
Hello everyone! Hope you all are doing well. Here is Chapter 16! :)
I hope you all enjoy it and leave your reviews. They really make my day.
Please stay safe and take care of your loved ones. Virtual hugs for all!