"Where is Cora?" Violet asked when Robert stepped inside his mother's home.
"Still at home. She didn't feel alright. She is lying down I hope." Robert said.
"Are you two alright?" Violet asked.
Robert swallowed, his mother had always been very direct and without nonsense. He knew, he had to be honest, she would know he was lying. "I don't know, Mama."
"What do you mean, you don't know. Are you talking with Cora?"
Robert stared at his shoelaces. "Not really."
"I am going to talk to Cora. You two need to work together to find Charlotte back."
"That is just difficult, Mama. Cora is blaming me."
"Of course she is. You acted like a blind fool. I am going over right now and have a chat with her."
"She truly isn't feeling well. She needs her rest." Robert tried to stop his mother.
"The only thing Cora needs, is knowing where her daughter is."
Cora let out a sigh of relief when Robert closed the door behind him. She couldn't be around him the last days. Everytime she saw him she could only think about the last conversation he had with Charlotte.
He had demanded Charlotte to leave Kieran. Of course that had resulted in a fight between them. Cora tried to reason with Robert, but it had the same result as weeks ago. He didn't listen. And now Charlotte had left, without a word. No small note, nothing. Cora could only blame Robert for this. And she did, she blamed him.
Since Charlotte's missing, Robert tried to find her affection. But she didn't felt any affection for him anymore. She only felt rage when she saw him. Her headache didn't help at all. Her migraine had turned into a constant headache. Cora wasn't the person to take painkillers, but she had to, to cope during the day. She was dying for a good neck massage, but she was to stubborn to ask Robert. It was hard, she needed him, but at the same time she didn't want him near.
She decided to clean the kitchen, cleaning always cleared her head. She put on a playlist on Spotify and started working. Singing along with the songs, ignoring her pounding head.
"Cora?"
A hand touched her shoulder and Cora jumped up. "Mama? What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk."
"Where is Robert?" Cora rubbed her temples, the sudden jump made her head hurt even more.
"I left him at Rosamund. We don't need him for our talk."
Cora sighed, she wasn't ready for a lecture of her mother-in-law.
"I know, Robert didn't improve things, but shutting him out isn't the solution."
Cora only looked at Violet. "If you are here to lecture me, I will kindly ask you to leave."
"My dear, I am not here to fight. We need to find Charlotte, and soon, before something happens."
Cora opened her eyes wide. "Do you think Kieran would………..?"
"I don't know, I never met Kieran, but the fact he leaves with Charlotte, without a note, makes me wonder."
Cora was fighting against her tears and suddenly she felt two arms around her. She looked up and Violet was hugging her. Something she never did. Cora let go of her tears, she was crying for the first time since Charlotte left and it was a relief.
"Mama?" Edith and Sybil walked in.
Cora quickly wiped away her tears.
"Any news from Charlotte?" Edith asked.
Cora shook her head.
"Unfortunately, nothing yet." Violet said. "We should go for a walk." She said to Cora.
"No, no, we will leave." Sybil said, taking Edith with her.
Robert found Cora in the bedroom, making the bed. He walked over and put his hands on her abdomen. He felt her stiffen up, but didn't pull back. He kissed her neck and touched her ear with the tip of his tongue. He felt a change in Cora's body, but in the same second, she stiffened up again. She stepped away from him. Turned around to face him, her eyes shot fire.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"Cora?"
"Our daughter is missing, and you are making out with me?"
Robert closed the space between him and Cora, he took her hands. "I miss you, and I need you."
"You should have thought about that earlier!" She pulled her hands back and went on with the bedding. "Your mother thinks Charlotte can be in Ireland."
"Ireland? Why Ireland?" Robert asked.
Cora rolled her eyes. "Kieran is Irish. So it is reasonable to think they are there."
"I will fly over tomorrow." Robert said.
"Don't worry about that. Mama has already send some people. They will arrive tonight and will report back as soon as they know something."
"Let's hope Mama, is right and they are with his family."
"Let us hope! Where do you want to sleep tonight? The bed or the guest bedroom?" Cora asked
"I would love to sleep next to you." Rober saw the look in her eyes. "Please, Cora. I won't do anything, just lay next to me."
"Kieran? Why aren't we going to the ferry?" Charlotte asked, when she saw Kieran driving away from the ferry.
"Your family is expecting us to go to Ireland. We will be found with in a day, they never expect us in Scotland, so that is where we are going."
"You didn't tell me that. Why is my family not allowed to find me?" Charlotte asked.
"They will force you to go home with them, but your home is with me now."
"Can I have my phone back?"
"No, I will keep it with me. You will get it back in a few weeks." Kieran laid his hand on her knee.
"I promise I will not text my family. Can I have it back?"
Kieran gave her a look, that frightened Charlotte. With a harsh and deep voice he said: "I thought I was very clear, you will get your phone back once we are settled. Stop asking for it."
Charlotte got scared by the tone of his voice, she decided to not argue and just follow. He was indeed right, Papa would drag her by the ears back to London. She only wished she could tell her mother.
