Chapter 10
.
August 1896
.
After a restless night of thinking the unthinkable, of imagining what he should not imagine, of dreaming what he should not dream, he decides to do what he should not do.
He returns to Downton, looks for his grandmother's engagement ring, walks to the School House and thinks he should not do this.
He is already on his way back when Cora walks towards him.
"Lord Downton," she says cheerfully. "Are you to be congratulated?"
"I haven't asked her yet," he chokes out. "I have had second thoughts."
"Well, it isn't too late yet," she says and smiles.
That smile does him in. 'I love her, I love her, I love her,' is the only thought in his head.
"No, I don't think it is," he says. "Would you like to go for a walk?" he asks. "I want to show you something."
Cora looks surprised but pleasantly so.
He leads her towards the Abbey. He has never been so nervous in his life. And he wonders what she is thinking. Although thankfully she doesn't ask any questions. She keeps talking about a boy she tutors in the mornings and about how much she can't wait for the school year to start again so that she could resume her normal teaching again.
"If you were to marry, would you want to continue teaching?" he asks her while he leads her past the Abbey towards a secluded spot.
"That would depend on the husband. If we could use the money I surely would. I like the work. But if there were other things,"
"What are other things?" he asks.
"I was educated to run a huge household. Like yours. I would like to do that very much. So if my future husband would, for example, make me a viscountess, I would stop working as teacher. But I would like to do charity work."
"Would you like to be a viscountess?" he asks and Cora's face turns bright red. Apparently she only realized what she was saying now.
"That would depend on the man that came with the title," she says and tilts her head.
'Alright then,' he thinks and drops onto one knee. The smile on Cora's face could turn a thunderstorm into a sunny day.
"Miss Cora Levinson, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" he asks and Cora gives a small laugh. She takes a deep breath and says "Yes".
So he puts his grandmother engagement ring onto the fourth finger of Cora's left hand, gets up and kisses her. He knows he should stop but he can't. He has repressed his feelings for her for the past months, probably the past years. And Cora does not seem to want to stop either.
They stagger towards a tree, he pushes Cora against that tree and wonders how far they will go when he hears a booming voice yell "ROBERT!".
He turns around and stares not only at his father but also at his mother.
"What are you doing?" she hisses. "We thought you would propose to Maria Stonewell. If you need to have a mistress, don't keep her on our estate."
He wants to say something but Cora is faster than he is.
"Lord Grantham, Lady Grantham, I am sure Lord Downton does not want to make me his mistress," she says. His father seems a little relieved, his mother is becoming more agitated.
"Then why was he kissing you like that?" she asks.
"Because she has just accepted my offer of marriage," he says.
"What?" his father asks.
"I proposed to her and she said yes."
"Her father lost all the family money years ago," his own father says.
"I know. If that hadn't happened we would have been married for years now. I am about to rectify that now. We will get married and there is nothing you can do."
"We will stop that," his mother says. "You cannot marry a teacher."
With that his parents take off and Cora looks at him questioningly.
"They also told Rosamund she couldn't marry a banker. But she did marry him. We will get married, I promise," he says to Cora, who nods, smiles and then resumes their kissing.