Please, nobody ask me what the hell this is haha. Tis the best I can do, seriously. I'll try better next time. Mistakes are mine (and also, blame the confusion on me too, bc no one knows anymore where this is going, including myself).

Happy reading!

Chapter Four

"Would you like to have lunch with me?" Robert asked the empty space in front of him nervously, as if Cora might materialize suddenly from it. He shook his head at his own words, thinking that he sounded ridiculous, saying it. "May I take you out for lunch? As a sort of my thanks to you."

"Sure, but why would you be thanking me?" he heard someone say behind him and he whipped around quickly to find his sister at the entrance of the library, where he had thought he would get some privacy, looking at him with an amused expression. The half smirk that she was not even attempting to hide splayed across her lips, and it taunted him—as she clearly wanted it to.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" he asked his sister. His face turned red in his attempt to contain his anger. He did not like it when Rosamund pried into his business, which she tended to do a lot. It wasn't like she would tell their Mama, she would in fact hide it if he asked her, but he was a man of his own, and he wanted to keep his affairs private all the same.

"I was just going to invite you to eat out," Rosamund told him, still smirking at him. "But I can see that you are too busy making plans with the empty air."

"Oh, do sod off," he said crossly. He was being a child, and they both knew it, but he was not going t o give in to Rosamund, especially since he knew what was already next. "Besides, it's a Friday, I can't go."

"Don't be a child," Rosamund said rolling her eyes. She settled herself on one of the chaise, and peered up at her brother in curiosity. "Tell me, who is this person you are going to inviting to lunch?"

Robert drew his lips in a thin line and looked away from his sister. His sister was like a pied piper, she would get it out of him eventually, but he would attempt to resist. He would at least try to put up a bit of a fight.

"You don't know who it is," he finally said when a few moments of silence had passes and Rosamund only continued to stare at him, boring holes in his back.

"Obviously," Rosamund laughed, "so tell me. Obviously it's a girl, otherwise you won't be so nervous about it. But who? Is it Amanda? Or that girl in your office? Or that horrible woman that Mama keeps pushing on you—what's her name?"

"Emma Redford," he supplied.

"Yes, that woman," Rosamund agreed, making a face. "I hate that woman."

"No, none of those," he said, blanching at the thought of having to tell his sister. He had fallen into her trap, like a pied piper she had lead him to telling her. It was too late now, to back down, she would know sooner or later. She would annoy him to death until he told. "

"Well then who is it?" she asked impatiently, but with a glint in her eyes.

"I meant it when I said you don't know who it is," he mumbled. "You have never met her in your life and your paths might never cross given the circumstances." He knew his sister well, very well, in fact.

Rosamund raised her eyebrow and was silent for a few minutes. He was about to bid her goodbye when she spoke again. "I'm going to be honest with you Robert, I don't—,"

But he'd cut her off. "No, don't tell me what you think," he said with a teasing smile, to let her know that no matter how offensive he is going to sound in a few seconds, he meant it affectionately—or as affectionately as he could get anyway. "Nobody else does."

He barely ducked out of the way before Rosamund had thrown a couch pillow his way. He walked out, laughing, and feeling more than just a little excited about seeing Cora.

When he had arrived at The Castle, he was already running a bit late. Sadie and the hotheads were already on stage and were performing. He frowned a bit, but walked to his booth. He slid into his seat, who he's now recognized as Anna, had brought him a drink. He gave her a smile, before turning all his attention to Cora.

Cora had noticed him come in and smiled at him. She had thought that he wasn't coming when she'd look in at his booth and found it empty. But he'd sent her heart fluttering when he'd walked in breezily, frowning a bit when he'd realize that she was already performing when he'd arrived.

After her set, she thanked her crowd who gave her a hearty applause. She'd convened with her band backstage a little bit, before she walked back out to talk to Robert. It was a routine now. For the past three weeks, he had been at the pub to watch her, and she had always walked back out to talk to him. She enjoyed it, enjoyed founding more about him, and found herself looking forward to the times he'd come and watch her. When he had asked her if she played any other times of the week, and she'd told him that she did—on Tuesdays, too, apart from Fridays—she had almost embarrassingly agreed to let him come on those days too.

"Hey," she said, sliding into the seat across him in the booth. She had a smile on her face, and so did he. "You came in a bit late."

He nodded empathically. "Yes, and I'm so sorry," he said. "I really am. But it seems that there had been an accident, and we were stuck in traffic for God knows how long."

"It's okay really," she assured him. She looked at him, and then away when she find herself getting mesmerized by his brilliant blue eyes. "It's just-," she paused, biting her lip.

"Yes?" he coaxed, looking at her, and taking her hand to make her look at him. He would have gladly cupper her chin in his fingers—more to satisfy his urge to feel her resplendent skin under his fingertips—but he didn't think she would appreciate it no matter how close they seemed to be getting.

She sighed. "I just…I thought you weren't coming," she said in a sad tone, clearly stating in few words that this was almost unacceptable for her. Of course, she wouldn't be the one to impose, but she would be a little displeased at the thought of not spending her Tuesday and Friday nights with him.

Robert smiled, feeling a warm feeling settle in his chest. He did not quite know why and he was not about to ask himself why, especially faced with her blushing cheeks and wide blue eyes. "Of course I was coming, Cora. It would take a lot for me not to come." He gave her a wink that seemed to make her flush even more.

Cora felt butterflies in her stomach at his words. She knew, against her better judgment, that she was beginning to get attached to him—a virtual stranger—in a frighteningly intense way. It frightened and excited her at the same time.

"You look a bit tired, Cora," he commented as he watched a glazed over expression fall against her eyes. There were slightly dark circles under her eyes, and she looked like she could use some sleep. "Are you alright?"

Cora smiled faintly, the feeling of exhaustion overwhelming the warm feeling induced by his concern for her.

"I mean, you still look beautiful, but you just look a bit tired," he stammered, mistaking her silence and faint smile as her taking offense. He was as red as a tomato by now and it made her want to chuckle.

Cora gripped his hand that was still resting against hers to stop his mindless ramblings. "It's okay, Robert," she said. "I do feel tired. I've just been too busy lately, and I think there had not been enough hours in the day to get all the work done."

His brows furrowed. "Slow down," he asked of her. "I don't want you to get sick."

"I'm fine, Robert," she said, placating him. "I just need a bit of rest."

"Cora," he said, fixing her with a stare that endeared him to her even more.

"Alright, alright," she said, laughing slightly. "I promise to slow down, my Lord."

He smiled, ignoring her teasing remark. "Good," he said. He took a large gulp of his drink and they stared at each other a while, lost in silence and letting the music fill the in between.

The lull that fell between them was comfortable, and Robert almost forgot what he'd wanted to ask Cora in the first place. But he did remember, and he jolted out of his chair, sitting up straight from his former slouch and almost falling over in his haste. Cora saw this and grabbed him, the same time he gripped the table, rattling its content a little.

"Oh," he exclaimed as he steadied himself. His grip on the table and Cora's hand slackened a bit, and he looked at Cora in embarrassment.

"What on earth?" Cora exclaimed, as she started to relax on her seat as well. "Are you alright Robert?"

She laughed a bit and it made Robert flush even more as he stammered a coherent enough explanation for his almost falling onto the floor on his rear.

"I'm alright," he said, pouting a little bit as he watched her try to contain her laughter and fail. "I seem to have a knack for making a fool of myself in front of you." He huffed, annoyed at himself for that little mishap.

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked playfully. "You are always so dignified, Robert. It's okay to let loose sometimes. And I do think we ought to be put in embarrassing situations, sometimes, to be able to learn how to deal with it."

Silently, he marveled at her logic, but outwardly, he huffed again. After all, he didn't like being embarrassed in front of her. Not when she seemed to always be the picture of grace and poise.

"Cora," he said now. He took her hand in his, letting his fingers stroke the soft skin of her knuckles. "I want to…Will you…I just…"

Cora looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Just spit it out, Robert," she said, smiling at him to try and ease his nerves a little. She could sense how nervous he was, and it was making her a tad bit nervous too.

"I want to take you out," he said quickly, almost like he was choking on his own words. "I want to take you out for lunch…to thank you, however belatedly, for your help a few weeks ago. If you would agree, of course."

'And to get to know you more', a voice nagged inside of him. He wanted to tell her that part, but he was unsure if he should, so he didn't.

Cora's heart fluttered at the thought. So, it was a lunch date, and it probably wasn't a date at all, but he was asking to take her out. She would be a fool to say no. She could feel her lips curling up, giving way to a huge smile. "Of course. I'd love to, Robert."

Robert, for his part, barely hid his excitement. He grinned at her, feeling gratified that she accepted. "Alright then," he said. "I'll pick you up tomorrow."

"Do you know where I live, Robert?" she asked, chuckling. She chuckled harder when Robert looked down and scratched his head. Of course he didn't know. "We'll meet here in the pub," she said.

"That's settled then," he agreed. "I'll meet you here at noon."

Cora smiled. She couldn't tell him how excited she was. All she knew was that she could hardly wait.

(*)

Cora was almost half-running as she made her way to the pub. It was almost half past noon, and shewas already running late. She spotted Robert standing in front of The Castle, checking his watch every five seconds and looking a little bit anxious. It made her smile. And it made the butterflies in her stomach flutter even more.

"Robert," she said, panting, as she reached him. She gave him a smile and placed her hand against her chest. Her heart had been beating twice as fast, and she knew that it was not only from the effort, but from the mere excitement she felt at seeing him again.

Robert, upon seeing her, felt the weight leave his shoulder. He thought she wasn't coming, and that made him anxious. He had been there half an hour before their designated time, and he had been a bundle of nerves since then, checking his watch every now and then and alternating between pacing like a caged lion and standing, waiting anxiously for her to arrive.

"Hi, Cora," he said, drawing her in, in an impulse, to kiss her cheek. When he drew back, he was pleased to find her cheek turn redder. He knew it wasn't only from exertion. "I was beginning to think that you weren't coming."

"Oh, no," she said, horrified. "Of course I was coming. I just got caught up in my last class. There's this guy—well, he always needs help. It's a bit annoying, really. Oh well," she was rambling now, and she could see from the glint in his eyes that he was amused. "I'm really sorry."

He chuckled. "It's alright, Cora," he said. When he noticed the bashful expression that still took residence on her face, he took her hand in his and smiled softly at her. "Really, you weren't even that late. It's only 12:15."

She finally smiled back at him. She felt like her heart might leap out of her chest when he took her hand and didn't let go. "Alright," she agreed. "So where exactly are we going?"

"We're going somewhere—," he paused, thinking of the right words to say that would not sound bad or offensive to her. He had chosen a quaint restaurant just a bit outside of the heart of the city. He'd chosen it partly because he didn't want to be spotted by the paparazzi and partly because he wanted a place where he wouldn't have to contend with anything or anyone for her attention and time. He also knew the owner of the restaurant, having gone to school with him. He looked at her and continued, "We're going somewhere outside the city. It's not too far, but far enough that we'll have some peace and quiet."

She didn't say anything, only smiled at him, already liking the sound of that.

Robert led Cora to his car, where his driver was already waiting. Robert opened the door, letting her climb in first, before sliding in next to her and asking his driver to drive away. The car ride was spent in silence, with only the sound of the radio playing to fill in the silence. Sometimes, their hands would brush against each other, and they would look up at each other, both of them blushing. When it happened for the third time, Robert took Cora's hand in his and clasped it with his, his thumb playing with her soft skin.

"You have the softest skin, Cora," he told her, as his thumb grazed her knuckles.

Cora had the grace to blush, before she ginned cheekily at him. "And I assume you have touched a respectable amount of skin to make such conclusion," she said, raising her eyebrow at him.

Robert only looked at her and chuckled. Saying nothing, and committing to nothing.

She gave him a smirk, letting him know that she had only been teasing. But, actually, she was partly serious. She wasn't stupid. And she certainly was not born yesterday. She wasn't above herself to believe that Robert had not had his fair share of lovers. If she was to believe her intuition, she would in fact say that he had more than a fair share. He was good at what he was doing—seduction, sweeping a woman off her feet, and wooing—he got it down to a t. In fact, he was too good. She almost always felt heady when next to him.

Only, she didn't know how nervous Robert was exactly. He had, of course, been through a lot of liaisons in his younger days, but this was different, somehow. If he was honest he had only pursued a woman twice in his life. Once in University, but that had ended up badly, and once after when he thought he was ready to settle down—but that too had ended up badly. He wondered now if that was what he was doing with Cora—pursuing her, wooing her and sweeping her off her feet. It certainly felt like it.

He didn't have the time to overanalyze his thoughts further when the car stopped, and Branson—his driver—announced that they were already there. Robert squeezed Cora's hand, before opening the door and helping her out. Instructing Branson to park the car and have lunch inside himself, Robert then led Cora inside the quaint restaurant.

It amazed Cora to find such a place just 30 minutes away from the city. It was old-fashioned, true enough, with the cobblestone path that led to the entrance, and the picturesque garden surrounding it. The building itself looked like a house right out of a Jane Austen movie. If she hadn't been warned, she wouldn't think it a restaurant at all.

"This is beautiful," Cora said, gasping slightly and totally in awe of the place. She looked at Robert a little bit dreamily, sighing. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Thank me after you've tasted the food," he joked, chuckling slightly. He then took her hand in his again, leading her to the entrance. "But I really am glad you like it."

"I do," she affirmed. "It's such a gorgeous place. How did you find it?"

They walked up the path, and he opened the door for her—ever the gentleman—before answering. "I know the owner—John Bates. We used to go to University together, and then he dropped out, on our second year because of some accident—something to do with his legs. A few years later, he opened this restaurant."

Cora nodded, taking it all in.

They walked to the back of the restaurant, finding a seat near a large window that allowed them to oversee the garden. There was a fountain in the middle of the garden, and even though the garden was bare, save for the leafless trees that stood scattered all over the place, Cora was sure that at night, when the lights wrapped around the trees are lit, it was beautiful.

"I wonder how it looks at night," she said, not really realizing she had said it aloud.

That was until Robert replied, "It looks breathtaking," he said. Only, he wasn't gazing at the garden, nor was he talking about it. His gaze was trained on her. And so were his words.

"I'm sure," she said, oblivious about it all.

The waitress came to their table, giving Robert no chance to make a reply. Not that he knew what to say either, Once they've given their orders and the waitress had left, Robert took Cora's hand in his. His thumb would rub over her skin every once in a while, making Cora's skin tingle.

"So…" Cora began, not really knowing what to say. She had a lot of things she wanted to ask him, but she didn't know where to start. She didn't know whether or not it was right to be so openly curious about someone.

"So," he echoed. He gave her a smile. "You're also a student aside from playing with a band?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm taking a degree in arts…well, a double degree really, because I've already acquired a degree in business management. I only play at the pub every Friday and Tuesday because it's the only time I'm not busy." She raised an eyebrow at him. "And what do you do, Mr. Robert Crawley, aside from being the President of your Father's company?"

Robert blushed a little. "Nothing much really," he answered, a bit sadly, because realized that he'd been working too hard and had not had the time to do anything else, and a little wistful too, because he realized that he should have. "My life's pretty much mapped out for me."

"I understand," she said, nodding, because she did understand—probably better than anyone. This was the first ever rebellious thing she'd ever done, first thing she'd ever decided on her own at all, and it had taken so much begging to get to this point because her parents had her life mapped out for her, too. And staying in London indefinitely had not been one of them.

"I realize now that it's my life, or more accurately, I realize now that I should have asserted that this is my life, and I can make my own decisions, but it was always so much easier not to fight my parents in regards with my life, there isn't anything I could do." He paused, sighing. "Besides, Grantham holdings has always been my third parent and my first born child. I've given so much for it, sacrificed so much—of myself—to contribute to bringing it to where it is now. It runs in my veins, my very own flesh and bones."

She nodded though she didn't understand such dedication for business—she had one and she's not even half as passionate.

"Don't you find it so difficult to have such pressure placed on you?" she asked softly, for she, too, suffered the burden of too much pressure.

"I do. It can be stifling sometimes," he answered truthfully. "But it's the path I must take." He smiled at her. "However, I'm sure it's not something you'd like to be bothered with."

She smirked at him, rolling her eyes playfully. Of course she wanted to be bothered with the aspects of his life, but she wouldn't tell him that. Not yet. She then looked down at their intertwined hands before lifting her eyes to his. "I know why you've brought me somewhere outside of the city," she said seriously, "Instead of Rules, or Criterion, or any other fancy restaurant in London."

"Cora, I," he fumbled, wanting to explain himself, but feeling unable to come with any. He wasn't ashamed of her. Not really. He just didn't want to be in the front page of the newspapers and be the center of some horrid gossip. He didn't want his family to read about it either. Not now, and not yet. Not when he still didn't know what exactly this was.

"It's okay," she said, squeezing his hand gently and smiling at him softly. "I don't want to share you with anyone yet, either."

He looked at her smiling face and then to their entwined hands.

He wasn't sure what he was doing or what was happening. All he knew was that he liked it.

so there's that. I hope you enjoyed. I should be able to update soon, and not take EONS like I usually do! Also, follow me on tumblr for updates and sneak peeks on my new story (which is HOPEFULLY coming really really soon!)