"Can we get something to drink?" Charlotte asked.

Kieran parked the car in front of the shop and let Charlotte out.

"Hey, why did you act so weird the other day" A woman in the shop said.

"Hi, Sarah. Weird? When? We haven't seen each other for weeks." Charlotte said.

"There is really something wrong with you. First you deny knowing me and now you say we haven't spoken in years. Are you feeling alright?"

"Nothing wrong with me. Sorry I have to hurry, Kieran is waiting outside."

"When are you leaving that guy? He doesn't deserve you girl." Sarah said.

Charlotte lowered her eyes and walked on. She couldn't tell Sarah, there wasn't an option of leaving.

Cora knocked on Robert's office door. Rosamund had let her in the building.

"Come in!" She heard Robert's voice and walked in.

"Cora! What are you doing here?" Robert said surprised.

Cora walked over and wanted to kiss Robert, but he turned his cheek towards her. So, she kissed his cheek instead of his lips. "I wanted to ask if you had time for dinner?"

Robert looked at Cora. She was wearing a black velvet dress. It was tightly fit around her body and was showing of her perfect figure. "Cora, I wish you had called, I don't have time."

"Can't you make time." Cora's hand rested on his neck and her fingers were playing with his hair.

Robert pulled back. "No, I truly can't. I will have a meeting tonight and I can't cancel that.

Cora rested her hand against her body. "Alright, I will see you tonight." She turned around and walked out of his office. The way Robert was still distant, hurt, but she understood why he did this. She deserved this treatment, she could not expect him to come back without any suspicion.

"I just ask one thing." Robert started just before she closed the door. "You will eat something tonight. You can't lose any more weight."

Cora looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I told you before, I am not a child." She sounded irritated.

"I am serious, Cora. You are still losing weight and that frightens me, please eat something


Sybil and Tom walked hand in hand, when suddenly Tom stopped. "I think I understand why people are saying you are acting weird. Look at that woman? She is your spitting image."

Sybil looked in the direction Tom was pointing. "TOM!" She exclaimed, then she started running.

Tom stood there stunned of her reaction.

Sybil kept running towards the woman, when she was behind her, she said: "Charlotte?"

The woman turned around with shock on her face. "Sybil?"

Both girls grabbed each other and shared a long hug. "Oh, Charlotte. Where have you been. I missed you so much. How are you doing? Why did you leave. Where is Kieran?"

Tom touched Sybil's arm. "One question at the time." He hugged Charlotte. "Good to see you again."

"How did you find me?" Charlotte asked, frantically looking around.

"We are on holiday here, we weren't looking for you. We thought you went to Ireland." Charlotte said.

"Well, we aren't. Please go, before Kieran sees you."

Sybil took Charlotte's hands. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing." Charlotte looked at the ground.

"Nonsense, you are scared of him, that's clear." Sybil said.

"He doesn't hurt me, he just is very strict. He doesn't allow me to have contact with you or Mama."

Tom put a hand on her shoulder. "Kieran, is wrong for doing that. He can't force you to leave your family. What do you want?"

"It is to late now. Please go, he can be back any minute."

"Can we meet up later tonight?" Sybil asked.

"I can't promise you that."

"Can you at least tell us where you are staying?" Tom asked her.

Charlotte described the house and then pulled her hands back. "Now, go! I will be in trouble if he sees you! And don't tell Mama or Papa, you have seen me."


Cora was sitting at the dinner table. She was alone. Mary was with Matthew and Edith was out with friends. She had eaten a small simple dinner, she wasn't hungry, but she promised Robert to eat.

Did Robert move back in too quickly? He agreed on it himself, but he was so incredibly distant. He allowed her to crawl next to him at night, but didn't want anything else. Not a single kiss shared. She felt Robert was glad to be home, but at the same time he was so distant.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up in the face of Robert. "Hi, good to see you have eaten something." He said, while putting a kiss on her temple.

Cora felt her body tremble and wanted more. "I did, you requested it, so I did."

"I hope you also ate, because you wanted to?" Robert said, still with his hands on her shoulders.

Cora smiled at him. "How was your day?"

Robert sat down next to her and started talking about his day. Cora enjoyed listening to him, it felt so normal. Sitting together at the end of the day, listening to each other's stories about that day.

"Robert?" Cora asked after a while sitting next to each other in silence. Robert had started reading the newspaper.

Robert looked up at her.

"Do you regret moving back in?" Cora asked without making eye contact.

Robert put his hand on hers. "Why do you ask?"

Cora swallowed. "You are so distant and don't want to kiss me."

Robert sighed. "I am not regretting moving back in. This is where I belong." He squeezed her hand. "I am just not ready to be intimate with you. I can't wipe out these last months and the fact Charlotte is still missing."

Cora shrunk in her chair and put her hands in her lap. Robert grabbed her hand back in his. "This doesn't mean, I don't love you. Because I do, I just need more time. And we are going to find Charlotte. The men Mama send to Ireland are now travelling through the whole country and she also sent some men to Scotland. Charlotte can't hide forever."

Robert put his hand under Cora's chin, to make her look into his eyes. "I mean it when I say I still love you." He got up and wrapped both arms around her.

Cora moulded her body against his and let him reassure her with his body warmth. If this was what he could give her, then that was enough.