The car turned up the driveway and Downton came insight. Robert felt Cora letting out a deep sigh.

He looked at her, she always had a light skin tone, but now she was pale. He had sent a message to Dr. Clarkson, that they would come by the next day. Gently he took Cora's hand, he felt the soft fabric of her gloves. He was used to her gloved hands, but always longed for the moment she took them off and her skin touched his. Her thumb rubbing over the back of his hand.

"It is good to be home." Cora sighed; she tried leaning back into the cushions of the car. Although over the years her corset had gotten loser, it still restricted her in her movements.

Robert noticed her discomfort. "Are you in pain?"

Cora turned her face towards him and shook her head. "No, no. It is just the bodice restricting me."

"You could decide to not wear it. You do not really need it with your figure." He moved his eyes over her body in appreciation.

"Robert." She exclaimed breathless.

He chuckled. "Do you remember the first time you saw Downton?"

Cora saw the image flash before her eyes. She was sitting in a carriage with her mother. Lord and Lady Grantham had invited them to come for dinner. Martha made sure Cora looked her best.

Her long, cascading chestnut brown curls, tucked up into a tight chignon. Her emerald, green coloured dress had a tight bodices with a high collar and narrow sleeves. Cora was happy the bustle evolved into skirts with a much more subtle flow from the thin corset waist. She never liked the bustle.

The carriage turned up a driveway and a majestic building rose up from behind the hill. The honey-coloured stone was beautiful, and almost shimmering in the sun. This would be her future home, she thought. At the door there was a tall butler, his eyebrows were the first thing that Cora noticed.

Cora was seated opposite of Robert. She already noticed it on the evening of their first meeting, but his eyes were incredible blue. She wished they would have been seated next to each other. She was dying to talk to him, luckily after dinner, when the man joined the woman, they got a change to talk. Robert seemed a very gentle man and he was showing genuine interest in her.

"Cora?" Robert's voice shook her out of her daydreaming.

"I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I thought it was a majestic building back then, and I still think it is majestic, and we are blessed to spend our lives here." Cora answered his question.

"Mama put you on the other side of the table with a purpose. She was not happy with me asking for your hand, she hoped, I would reconsider and send you back home."

Cora chuckled. "I remember, after dinner, my mother was complaining how your mother tried to convince her to take me back to America." She looked up into Robert's eyes. "I am so happy, my mother was not impressed."

Robert saw Cora's lips curl up in a smile. "I can only agree. You made my world better." He kissed her temple. The driver stopped, and a footman opened the door. Cora took his hand and stepped out, Robert was already waiting and offered her his arm.

"Thank you, but I can manage."

"I wonder where everybody is." Robert said looking around in the library.

"I hear voices coming from there." Cora pointed to another room.

"Let's see if they are there." He walked over and opened the door. He and Cora were faced with a large group of people and a camera facing the door they just opened. Mr. Barber shouted cut. Cora looked at Robert in disbelieve, there was their daughter Mary standing behind a microphone.

"What on earth is going on?" Robert exclaimed.

Mary rushed over to her parents. "You are back home. Welcome back."

"Do tell me why are they." Robert pointed towards the people in the room. "Still here? Filming would be done before our return."

"I know, dear Papa. Do not be cross, things turned out to be difficult. There is so much I have to tell you, but first I want to hear everything about France." She kissed her mother on her cheek, for a moment she gave Cora a strange look.

Cora gave her a reassuring smile. "I am just tired from the trip darling." She said.

Cora's words made Robert come back to earth. "Let us sit down." He looked at Cora, how was it possible for her to be this strong. He would have collapsed already, or at least be upstairs in his bed. But not his Cora, his Cora was always the strong one.

"What are you thinking of." Cora whispered.

"I will tell you when we are in private." He whispered back.

Cora nodded and followed Mary to the library. She needed to sit down quickly, before she would faint. Her heart was racing in her chest.

Mary offered her mother a cup of tea, Robert was talking with Mr. Barber. "Mama, are you sure you are alright?"

In the meantime, Edith and Bertie had also sat down. On the last day of the boat trip, Edith had asked her mother to tell her the truth. In France she had already noticed something was wrong with her. So, Cora had no other choice than telling her the truth. Now it was time to also tell Mary about her being ill.

"Mary." She started. "I do not want you to be scared or panic, but tomorrow your father is taking me to Dr. Clarkson."

"Why? Did you pick up a bug on this trip?"

Cora gave her a soft smile and took her hand. "I am afraid it is a little bit more serious than that." Cora had hoped never to see this look on Mary's face again. It reminded her of the day George was born and Matthew never came home. The look on Mary's face when she told her what had happened would stick with her for ever. The pure shock and horror. Being a new mum and losing your husband in the same day, was something Cora would never wish for anybody. Quickly she continued. "We do not know yet, what is wrong. That is why we are going to Dr. Clarkson tomorrow."

"Mama! No wonder, you look like you have been awake for two weeks straight. Why did you go to France? It could have killed you."

Cora swallowed, Mary was repeating almost the same words as Robert threw in front of her. "Darling, I wanted to have a last holiday, a happy memory in case this was our last chance to go on holiday together."

"This was not our last holiday together." Robert laid his hand on Cora's shoulder and softly squeezed it.