prompt: innocent touches when they're close

(set in s3)

A soft drizzle hit the large windows in the library and the thousandfold sound nearly covered the crackling of the fireplace. It was almost noon and Robert basked in the solitude of the familiar room. His family gladly left him be and he finally reached the state of relaxation he had longed for.

He sat at his desk and was buried deep in his books. The finances of the estate were no easily understandable concoction. He needed all the peace of mind he could get to manage them as they ought to. Matthew didn't quite understand it yet but Robert would show him the right way. Nonetheless, it wasn't something that was learnt within a few days. It would take time, but one day, Matthew would make a great caregiver of the estate. Robert was sure of that.

He turned a page of the budget book in front of him and pulled his hair back. He was fully concentrated and his brow lay in deep wrinkles. Robert liked his tasks as Earl and owner of the estate and he liked to believe he did them well. Sometimes, however, the numbers blurred in front of his eyes and he felt like a child that had no clue about any mathematical concept. After some hours of being bent over the estate's accounts, he was slowly reaching that point now.

When the door to the main hall creaked, Robert ignored it. His hand still held onto his curls. He didn't want to lose focus. The sound of the door being closed again got lost on him and the steps on the carpets were so familiar that they didn't attract his attention. When she was standing diagonally behind him, he saw her from the corner of his eye.

As he didn't react, she took a step closer and Robert felt her palm on his shoulder.

Her voice was soft when she spoke. "You are so diligent." Her palm rubbed up and down on his shoulder blade. "Don't let me disturb you. I am just sitting down here and reading a little, alright?"

"Mhm," Robert's response was more of a rumble. Cora said she didn't want to disturb him and she was very considerate about how she moved across the room so quietly. But her company was much more enticing than the papers in front of him. If he looked up and greeted her, he could forget about finishing his budget calculations today. So, he opted for ignoring her presence for some more minutes until he had finished his increasingly annoying task at hand.

When he finally turned around to look at her, he had already forgotten about the numbers on the paper. He was finally done though he had no idea what he had just calculated. But it was good and right for sure. Why shouldn't it be?

Cora sat on a settee and held a thin volume of poems in her hands. The way she sat there so upright and orderly looked absolutely effortless. Her back was flawlessly straight and her head was only the slightest bit bent over the book. It seemed to Robert that she was well. He could usually see the first hint of exhaustion in her when he looked closely. It showed in the slight slump of her shoulders and her restless feet that tried to find the right foothold as they struggled to keep her knees locked as was the proper way to sit on a settee. At the moment, however, she had no difficulties maintaining the right posture. And Robert knew that she must be well rested.

He pushed his chair back and stood up with a sigh; one hand on the armrest of the chair, the other on the tabletop of his desk. Cora looked up at the noise. Her eyes followed his movements to then point to the empty space beside her on the settee. Apart from her head and eyes, her body remained still and poised. Robert took her up on her invitation and moved to her side. The cushions of the settee were soft and much more comfortable than his wooden chair.

"Are your duties done already?" Cora asked. The gentle smile she directed at him was one of pleased surprise. Robert felt the warmth of her body so close to him.

He nodded as he put his arm on the back of the settee behind Cora. "I have seen through and worked on the books all since breakfast. And as I was able to do it uninterrupted, I could finish it already."

Cora raised her eyebrow, her book still hovering in front of her chest. "Is this a subtle lecture on my uninvited coming in here?"

"No, I mean it," Robert was quick to say. "It was nice to work in peace. You weren't bothering me at all. And after all, I was nearly done anyway." He was looking at her face and was glad when the short-lived expression of trouble disappeared.

"Good." Even the one-syllable word was drenched in her familiar American accent after all these years in England. The way she said it, her upper front teeth were exposed slightly. The sight made Robert aware of the physical proximity to her. When he looked at her eyes then, he saw how they wandered over his face. They paused at his forehead. Cora lowered her book and her slender hand reached out gently to touch his face. Robert held still.

Her fingertips made contact with his hairline. Her voice was soft as it carried to him in its tender volume. "You really have been working," she stated. Her fingers brushed through his hair and combed his curls. She tried to bring some order into his mussed hairstyle with her repeated motion. Robert's eyes were transfixed by Cora's concentrated face. The gentle touch on his scalp sent tingles down his spine.

Cora turned her upper body more fully to him to pat his hair with her palm and smooth it down. Her eyes were busy checking her work, so Robert could watch her lips freely when she spoke again.

"You are so diligent. I know you are expected to do these tasks but I do think your dedication could be appreciated more," she said. "I definitely am very proud of you." Her hand slid down to his cheek, which she cupped shortly as she looked into his eyes lovingly.

Robert's eyes widened a little with a surprised smile. He leaned toward her and pressed a kiss to the side of her face. "That's very sweet of you to say," he whispered. With his arm behind her on the backrest of the settee, Robert touched her elbow lightly as she brought her hand down from his face. He was endeared by her behaviour.

His wife was always nice but today she was particularly loving and sweet.

"Did you have a nice morning?" he inquired.

"Yes, I did." A grin broke out on her face. Robert hadn't seen her grinning like this for quite a while. He could see how she tried to hold it back but failed. He raised his eyebrow. His hand still cupped her elbow.

Cora shook her head at Robert's questioning look. A little laugh fell from her lips. "Oh, it is nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary," she said.

"So, what ordinary thing has you beaming like this?"

"I was just downstairs and discussed the meals with Mrs Patmore. And we are having my favourite meal today for dinner. That's all. It is a nice day and everything is just going the best way possible," she smiled. "So, I am happy. You seem content and placid too, and that makes me happy as well."

Robert simply smiled in response.

He brushed his knuckles over her cheek.

"So we are having Salmon Mousse tonight?"