July 1896
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"She is where?" he asks Carson in astonishment.
"At the school house with Miss Levinson. She has spent almost every afternoon there for the past six weeks. Miss Levinson insists she does not mind."
"What is Lady Mary doing there?"
"Apparently she is now learning how to read."
He nods. "I will go to the school house then."
He can hardly believe that Mary would go the school house so regularly. But he has always suspected her nanny of being lazy so it makes sense that she did not say no. And Mary is a curious child.
"He walked to the … other… side of the… street," Mary reads out, sitting next to Cora. He is amazed.
"Mary," he says and his little girl whips around, jumps up and runs to him.
"Papa, what are you doing here?" she asks
"I came to visit you. There are three days without social engagements and I thought I would surprise you."
"I can read Papa," Mary blurts out and Cora says "yes you can. But you have to keep practicing."
"Thank you Miss Levinson. We will pay for these lessons of course," he says but Cora shakes her head.
"Your daughter is a joy to teach."
"Then I will personally drop her off tomorrow," he says. What he actually wants is to leave Mary at home but he cannot do that and he cannot think that.
The next day when he brings Mary to the school house the girl becomes very interested in a book at the far corner of the room that Cora points out to her. Once Mary is busy reading the book, Cora walks over to her.
"Thank you again for teaching her."
Cora nods. "How is the season?" she asks and he is painfully reminded of the fact that they spent one season together in London.
"As the season is. Balls, parties, ladies."
Cora laughs at this.
"So the wife hunt has been successful?"
The term makes him shiver. But it is what he is doing. Hunting for a suitable wife.
"There are two or three candidates. More are interested of course. I don't have a son yet and Mary doesn't count to many of the ladies and their parents. I am also not ancient, so apparently I am the catch of the season."
"I am not surprised," Cora says and smiles at him.
"I have to think about it carefully. Victoria, my first wife, and I were content. We got along, we had formed a friendship. I want that again."
"Don't you want love?" Cora asks and he shrugs his shoulders.
"I don't think that love is among the things I can expect in a marriage. Being reasonably happy is probably already more than I should hope for."
AN: Thank you for all the reviews on the last chapter!
Let me know what you think about this chapter!
Have a great day,
Kat