Tom has been away for three days now. A business for the agent of the estate took him to the south of France to learn some more about new possible variety of corn that could be imported to be used at Downton. Mary should have gone with him, but she was seven months pregnant and Henry has done everything he could to keep her safely at home. She gave up at the end, but kept a bad mood for at least two days.
Robert and Cora have been very busy all the time. Edith and Bertie were out of England to attend an house party in the continent and have left little Marigold at Downton to spend some time with her grandparents and cousins, George was quite upset about the new sibling who was about to come and Sybbie has been found yesterday with a little bit of a temperature.
Cora has been the whole day between the drawing room and the nursery, managing the house, the hospital's business and keeping an eye on Sybbie, who felt very tired and feverish.
The poor little girl has been very sad because of her beloved daddy's absence; she was scared of being sick if she had to stay in the nursery all day long with just her nanny. If only daddy was at Downton with her she wouldn't have been so bored and worried.
Cora knew perfectly how she felt, since she had been very fussy as well, when as a little girl she had to stay all alone in her home in Newport while his dad was away for work and her mother was busy with dinner parties and nights at the theatre. Her sympathy made her be a little too overprotective towards her little granddaughter, so that she sneaked in the nursery every five minutes in order to bring Sybbie a cookie or a book or just to tuck her bedsheets in and to caress her forehead.
Robert, on the other side, was not as worried. He has seen the same thing plenty of time during the past thirty six years. He could recall so many occasions during his daughters' childhood when Cora had fought animatedly with his mother claiming her right to avoid a party or a dinner to take care herself of one of their children who was sick.
He loved this side of his wife, of course. He had always admired how natural and sweet she was as a mother and a grandmother, but today of all days he would have been happier if she would have had some time to remember of himself as well.
A whole year has passed since his recovery after the surgery for his ulcer and he and Cora have decided that they would have celebrated that day as a new special anniversary for their couple, because they have had another unexpected chance to enjoy their mutual love.
He had prepared a special evening for them, but with all her work around the house, he hadn't have not even a moment to share with his wife.
Robert was resting on the chaise longue, when Cora entered their room, all flustered, with two small glass jars in her hand.
She went towards him, without even looking at his face "Which honey is better to soothe the sorethroat? Eucaliptus or Chestnut?" she asked, staring at the jars with confusion.
He raised his eyes to meet hers "Have you been promoted to doctor, now, at the hospital?"
Cora rolled her eyes with irritation "Very funny, Robert. It's for Sybbie, she has such a bad cold that I feel as If she's worn out by coughing" she sighed, pouting slightly.
"Oh my darling, you are such a fussy! Sybbie is just a cheeky little girl who has caught a cold because she stayed all day long in the garden playing with the snow. There's nothing to worry about." he said laughing "Your husband, on the other side..."
"My husband on the other side wants everybody at his mercy!" she stated, looking at him.
A true guffaw escaped from Robert. "Not everybody really. Just my beautiful wife." replied him, teasingly
Cora couldn't help but smiling, feeling loved and blessed by such a goofy and sweet man.
"Robert, darling, I am really busy now" she said, warningly.
Robert stood up from the chaise longue, taking the jars from Cora's hands and leaving a kiss on her soft cheek. "I'll take care of this. I'll go to darling Sybbie to give her milk with honey and to read her a story."
"But.." Cora tried to reply.
"No buts" interrupted him "Now you'll go downstairs to arrange tea and afterwards you'll come back upstairs to take a bath, to wear one of those beautiful dresses of yours and to spend a lovely evening out with your poor old husband."
Cora raised her eyebrows in astonishment "Poor and old? Sly and manipulating, I would say..."
Robert came closer to her, whispering softly in her ear. "See you tonight, honey."
Cora was now left alone in her bedroom, with a subtle air of confusion and a little goose bumps running all over her arms.
The afternoon went by as usual, teatime ran smoothly, with a very pregnant Mary complaining over the tangy taste of the lemon meringue pie and over the excessive sweetness of the strawberry jam in the Victoria sponge. Robert though hasn't show himself downstairs, too busy in the arrangement of the private room of the best restaurant in Ripon for his wife and himself. Later on he went to the barber to cut his hair, had ordered thirty one pink roses and a bottle of Cora's favourite champagne to drink during the car ride.
In the best mood ever, Robert went rapidly down the stairs, meeting Barrow in the wide hallway.
"Her ladyship and I are going out for dinner Barrow, we'll be late, so there's no need to keep Bates or Baxter up tonight. We'll do well without their services for the evening." he said formally.
"Very well, my lord." answered the butler, nodding and moving to the dining room.
Robert headed towards the library, to enjoy a last drink before dinner and stayed there, sitting on the couch, waiting for his Cora to join him.
The time passed very slowly, a mere minute felt like an hour. After almost 40 minutes of waiting, Robert decided to go upstairs to check on his wife.
He went to their bedroom, but he found it completely empty. It was very odd. It was almost eight o'clock and Cora should have been there, at her vanity, getting ready for dinner.
He knocked on the washroom's door, in case she was there, but no answer came from there either.
Starting to get impatient, Robert walked to the nursery and when he cautiously opened the door, he was overwhelmed by the most sweet vision in front of him.
At the warm light of a lamp, his three grandchildren were sleeping soundly under the heavy covers, just like three angels. On Sybbie's bed, though, he spotted Cora, in her beautiful and rich evening attire, sleeping with her arms around her granddaughter and her head rested on the small pillow.
She was so beautiful that he could have stayed there forever, just watching his loving wife, taking such good care of their little ones.
He gingerly patted towards the bed and when he was close he couldn't resist to leave a quick kiss on Cora's forehead.
He was surprised to feel her very warm and flustered. Could she have possibly got sick as well?
Very slowly Robert moved Sybbie, so that Cora's arms were free again and then, with a quick move, he took his wife in his arms to bring her back on her bed.
When Cora's body was posed on the soft duvet, she woke up with a gasp.
"Robert!" she exclaimed " Where am I?"
Robert sat next to her on the bed, smiling at her confused expression and feeling again the temperature of her forehead. "You're in our room, darling. You fell asleep in the nursery." he said plainly.
"Did I?" asked Cora, massaging her temples. In a moment she widened her eyes in apprehension
"We should have gone to dinner!"
Robert caressed her cheek "Yes, darling, whe should have."
"What time is it? Maybe we could.."cried Cora, trying to wake up, but feeling dizzy and falling again on the bed.
"Hush, my darling. Don't worry now. Just rest. I think Sybbie made you feverish as well."
Cora sunk in the pillow, closing her eyes. "Actually Robert, I am not feeling very well...I..."
Robert moved to lay next to her, holding her closer and peppering her face with small kisses.
"Don't worry, now, my darling. Sleep."
Cora opened her eyes looking for his "Are you sure you're not disappointed? I remember what day it is Robert, we should have celebrated your recovery, but now I am sick and we can't."
Robert laughed, kissing Cora's cheek. "My dearest darling, your worst flaw is that you can't accept that sometimes it's you who needs to be looked after."
Cora looked at him with furrowed brows.
"Besides" added Robert "How can I be disappointed to find myself in bed with the most beautiful woman on earth?"
Cora laughed and rolled her eyes "You're such a liar"
Robert put his forehead against hers. "No way. I am not. You're lovely. Lovely as a granny, as a mother, as a wife, as a..." with this he indulged in a passionate kiss, becoming incapable of saying anything sensible.
She kissed him back caressing his cheek. When they broke apart Cora looked adoringly into his blue eyes "I don't mind when you take care of me, you know?" she said softly.
Robert smiled holding her close. "That's good. Because there isn't anything I like doing more".