This took forever and I really apologize. I've really just kind of didnt know what I wanted to do with it so it took me a while to post another chapter-I didn't know if it had a future so I kind of went on a hiatus over it. I also didn't really have the proper frame of mind to think of what I really wanted-so a great recipe for a writer's block there. But I think I'm slowly trying to piece t all together. Hopefully writing it would be easier now.

Anyway, you didn't come for the rant, so on with the show! I hope you like it.

Chapter Three

"Mother, for the last time, I am perfectly alright," Cora said, frustrated. She had one hand holding the telephone, and the other busily scrawling words on the blank page of her notebook. "I do not need a maid, and I certainly don't need for you to fly over and make sure everything is alright."

"Why then must you still be singing at pubs every weekend?" Martha asked exasperatedly. "Is the money we're sending you not enough?"

"Mother, you don't have to bring up money in every conversation," Cora answered, equally as exasperated. It was a conversation they had every time Martha called. It was getting taxing. "I'm not working at the pub for the money, I sing there because I want to sing."

It was late in London, and all she wanted was to head to bed. She absolutely did not want to have to argue with her mother about her life choices. She had called home because she missed her parents, missed their voice, but now that she was talking to her mother, she wondered if she should have called in the morning instead. She might have been better prepared for this conversation, had she had one more night of sleep. But it was not meant to be that way, and she had to battle her mother once again about the decisions she had made about her life.

"You could always just have sung in any pub or club or restaurant, or even the opera, if you had stayed," Martha argued. The sound of her voice told Cora that she was stewing in her anger of exceeding degrees.

She drummed her pen on her table, silently counting one to ten before answering. "But I did not stay in New York, Mother," Cora said as calmly as she could. "I went to London to study and sing at pubs when I have the time. It isn't so hard to understand, is it?"

Martha 'hmmphed' audibly. "I still do not understand why you just have to take your arts degree so far away from New York," Martha Levinson complained. She knew that it was far too late to do anything about it now, as her daughter was already in London, but she didn't think a little bit of grousing could go astray, either. "There are so many perfectly eligible Universities here in the good old continent. Heck, you could even go to those precious Ivy League schools, had you wanted to. Furthermore I do not see the point in you taking another degree. You already have one in Business Management."

Cora rolled her eyes to this. That was the point. She didn't want to go to Ivy League schools. She wanted to go to London. "Mother, I hesitate to point out that we have been through this billions of times," she answered, sighing. "Through the phone, in person, we have done this already. I chose to study here in London because it is the center of history and arts and all things wonderful, can we just leave it at that? And I am taking a double degree because I want to. I took Business Management because it is what you wanted for me. Now I believe that it is my turn to do what I want. Besides, Mother, I'm already here. You can hardly drag me back to New York kicking and screaming." Cora paused for a while to scribble a sentence on the page, before she continued, "Because there will be kicking and screaming, mother."

It was Martha's turn to roll her eyes. "Is that a challenge?" she asked her daughter.

"Oh no, Mother," Cora said, gasping. "It isn't. Not at all." She knew that her mother would not think twice about dragging her back to New York, at all. "I'm fine here, really, really, fine. And I'll be back home in two years, for good. And I am sure that you have already booked me a ticket in time for Christmas, so we'll see each other soon enough."

Martha laughed at her daughter's foresight. "Very well then," she said, finally caving in. There wasn't much left to do, unless she did drag her daughter home from London. "Take care over there, Cora. We miss you."

"I miss all of you, too, mother," she said. She felt tears prickling her eyes but she held it in. There was no sense crying now, and there was no good in that, too. "Tell Daddy I said hi, and I'll be sure to call when he's home."

"Alright, my darling," Martha said. "Goodbye. I love you."

"I love you, too, Momma," she said, smiling a little. "Bye." Then the dial tone greeted her ears.

She sighed. She did miss her family, but the need to fulfill her dreams and to feel independent smothered her more. It was only for two years, anyway, so it should be fine. She should be fine.

And so, she would be.

However, if she was honest with herself, it wasn't thoughts of home or her family, for that matter, that plagued her mind. It was not New York, or anyone in it that occupied her thoughts at day and dreams at night.

It was Robert Crawley. But it was not Robert Crawley, who was heir to Patrick Crawley—one of the biggest business tycoon in London—that she kept thinking about. Nor was it the Robert Crawley, who was one of the most eligible bachelors in England that kept her thoughts up. It was the Robert Crawley whose eyes were the same color as the sky, whose smile rendered her breathless, who waited for her outside the bar she performed at on weekends that she could not get out of her mind. It was the Robert Crawley that she had not seen in a week that occupied her thoughts and dreams.

It was getting exhausting, really, the way he ran in her mind all the time. She was not even sure that he remembered her existence, much less thought of her the way she did him. But much as she tried, she couldn't quite tell her brain not to think of this man. She felt drawn to him in ways that she could not quite explain, for reasons that she could not quite comprehend.

She let her face fall into her palm and sighed. At this rate, she would go mad before the year ended. Heaving another sigh, she left her desk and walked to her bedroom where she plopped on her bed and snuggled into her pillows. If she was extremely lucky, she would dream of Robert Crawley tonight.

Cora arrived at the The Castle a little earlier than she normally did. It was a Friday and she was playing that night with her band. For once, her professor had decided to dismiss them early and it had given her an ample time to get ready. And she had wanted to look good tonight. She was hoping to see Robert Crawley tonight, if he had half the mind to come and watch her again. It only had been a little over a week since she had seen him and she was craving to see him again. She wished that he might want to see her as well, just as badly as she did but she doubted it. She knew that she was setting herself up for so much disappointment, but she would welcome his attentions, she would welcome his desire to see her with pleasure.

"You know that Mr. Crawley? He's been all over the news three weeks ago, the day after he spent a night drinking here. And he was here all the time last week, and here he is again now," Elsie Hughes, who was the manager and co-owner of the pub, asked Cora the moment she stepped in the pub through the backdoor.

Cora blushed deeply and coughed, feeling the warmth from her cheeks spread down to her neck. Elsie hooked her arms through Cora's and looked at the younger woman with a knowing smile. There was not much that slipped past Elsie Hughes in this pub.

"I don't know, Mrs. Hughes," Cora answered bashfully. She knew full well why Robert was there, or at least she knew what she wanted the reason to be. She would not tell Mrs. Hughes that, however.

"Don't you, Miss Levinson?" Mrs. Hughes asked again, grinning at Cora who was getting even more flushed by the second.

"Oh alright, I helped him once, when he was drunk, and that is all, but I really have no clue why he's here." Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the older woman.

"I think that a certain English Lord got enthralled with a certain American dollar princess," Mrs. Hughes teased lightly.

Cora knew that if she was red at the moment, then she would resemble a tomato. Only a select few knew her real stature in life. Only a few knew that she, along with her brother, was to take over the Levinson &co. someday. Mrs. Hughes wisely kept her mouth shut, but every now and then, she would still tease Cora about it. Not that it was any substantial matter to any of them, except that Mrs. Hughes had been reluctant to hire Cora and her band when she had found out, until she had heard Sadie and the hotheads play.

"He isn't an English Lord," Cora complained, though she was feeling rather heady. "And I am not a dollar princess." She made a face at this. "Besides, he is far from enthralled."

Elsie Hughes only giggled in response. Shaking her head, Cora peeked through the door, trying to catch a glimpse at her prince charming come to life.

Robert for his part, sat impatiently at his regular booth. He had been there earlier than usual, waiting for Cora's band to play. It wasn't for a few hours yet, so he had entertained himself with people and place watching. He kept looking at the door where the waiters and waitresses seem to go in and out of, trying to see if Cora was there somewhere. He knew this was an impossible task, and he realized it even more when he craned his neck once more to get a glimpse.

He watched as the same man from the last time climbed up the stage with a smile on his face. He had found out that this man was named Carson, Charles Carson, and he co-owned The Castle along with a certain Elsie Hughes.

"Please welcome on stage, Sadie and the hotheads!" Charles Carson's nasally voice came through the speaker, and a round of applause from the pub regulars broke through.

Robert did not pay attention to any of this. His mind, eyes, ears were all trained on only one thing, one person, and that was Cora—who was waving at the crowd, smiling her soft but happy smile. He watched her take place in the center of the stage, before nodding as her band mates began to play.

"I've fallen out of favor, and I've fallen from grace, fallen out of trees, and fallen on my face," she sang. She had her eyes closed, and her fingers were hovering over the guitar.

Robert did not know the song, didn't know who sang it, but he knew that Cora was singing it now, and he liked it. He liked watching her face, as it changed emotions, even more. She really was beautiful.

He was almost afraid that the change had begun, was beginning, because she was beautiful, because she attracted him in ways he could not explain. It was all because of that fact.

But it was a matter he did not want to think about now. He did not want to pay it any mind. Not now, anyway. He only watched with rapt attention as she finished her song. He didn't even turn away as she prepared for another song. He only had eyes for her.

Cora tried not to feel it, but the butterflies in her stomach were making so much fuss. She could see Robert sitting at the far corner, in the same booth she had always found him in. She could feel the warmth flooding her cheeks, and she was thankful for the bright lights. She, mercifully, finished her songs without forgetting her words or tripping over herself. She was too nervous.

"Thank you, everyone," she said when she finished, smiling broadly at the crowd. She waved at the crowd before she walked out of the stage with her band. She looked back at Robert to find him clapping thunderously, looking at her with a smile. She smiled back at him and turned away, heading to the back room.

Robert watched her with helplessness. He wanted nothing more than be able to talk to her, but then it seemed impossible now. She had smiled at him when she looked back and found him smiling, but then, he wasn't even sure that her smile had been for him.

He reached for the glass of scotch in front of him and took a sip. Aware of his need not to make a big fool of himself in front of him by being drunk, he drank cautiously. He sat there awhile, not sure what he was to do, or what he wanted to do, as the only reason he was even there in the first place was because of her.

"I hope you're not trying to get yourself drunk," he heard someone tell him in a teasing manner and his head snapped up, only to fine Cora looking at him with a smile. She had decided to keep him company in his booth since she was done for the night.

"No," he said, still surprised upon finding her there, standing before him. "No, not really, I only had a glass to keep me relaxed." She nodded at him and he seemed to snap out of his dazed state. "How rude of me, do have a seat Miss Levinson."

She raised her eyebrow at him, though the smile she had was still in place. She took the seat across him, and he noticed for the first time that she had brought a drink with her. "Thank you," she said.

"I would offer to buy you a drink, but I see that you already have one," he said, as a form of a conversation, but he could just kick himself. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk and conduct a proper conversation.

Cora thought he was adorable when he was so obviously flustered. "It's on the house," she explained. "The perks of being a performer." She grinned at him.

"Ah, I see," he replied, not really entirely sure what to say anymore. He would admit to being nervous, because he really indeed was, and it seemed to make his mind go blank.

"What are you doing here?" she asked boldly. She bit her tongue the moment the words left her lips. She was being too forward, and she wasn't sure that he would appreciate that.

He chuckled. "Can't a man enjoy a glass scotch at a pub every now and again?" he asked her back, teasing. When met only with a slight raise of her eyebrow, he continued, "I-uh I wanted to have some peace and quiet, away from the prying eyes of the damned paparazzi, away from the people who think they know me, but don't."

Cora sighed softly, feeling disappointment settle in her stomach. She had hoped that he would say that he was there to see her, to watch her perform, but he didn't.

"And I wanted to see you," he admitted, finally, blushing a little when he did. He lowered his eyes, and so he missed the expression on her face. But had h seen it, he would have been delighted.

Her eyes had lit up, her heart lurching a little at the thought that he had wanted to see her. She didn't want to get her hopes up, of course, but he was doing a rather good job of building them up. "Did you now?" she asked, grinning at him mischievously.

He reddened slightly and looked down, feeling embarrassed now.

"I'm glad to see you, too, Mr. Crawley," she whispered to him, and through the loud noise in the pub, he heard her, and it made him smile. He smiled at her, and it sent her heart beating faster.

He looked at her, seeing her bright blue eyes peer at him with curiosity. "Cora, I—May I call you that?" he asked, and when she nodded, he continued, "you were really great…your performance was amazing."

Cora bit her lip, feeling herself blush at the unexpected compliment. "Thank you, Mr. Crawley," she replied.

"Cora, call me Robert," he said, watching her blush even harder. He smiled to himself.

"Right, Robert," she said, exhaling a bit of air as she did. Her heart would not stop beating so hard, and she knew that her face was red.

"Might I—," Robert paused, searching for the right words as Cora stared at him in confusion. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and he thought she looked adorable. "Do you still need to go back and perform?"

She smiled, knowing exactly what he would be asking. "No," she answered, shaking her head.

"Then," he said as he gave her a soft smile that matched her own, "will you stay and keep me company?"

"As long as you buy me a drink," she said, laughing, making him laugh as well.

And although at that moment, neither one of them knew what they were doing, nor why they found themselves enjoying each other's company immensely, neither of them wanted to read much into it. After all, it was just the start.

I really hope that was worth it. Let me know what you think! If there are confusions (as in Robert used to be future Earl now CEO-I've changed it. It's confusing me a little to have him living a double life, and I want to make this as modern as I possibly can. And yes, they do still have a butler cause they're filthy rich (the only reason I can give). If you have any questions message me or leave it in the comment section. If you want to yell at me, go right ahead too. And if I spot anymore mistakes in the past chapters then rest assured that I'll correct them (and if you do, please feel free to point them out to me!).