A/N: Hey guys! I had a wee query about timescale here so I thought I'd just outline it for anyone else who found the previous chapter at all confusing. Chapter 12 is set in end of April/early May, we're now about to bunny-hop forward to late July. We began back in Feb/March of 1919 (historically this is a few months after the second wave of Sp. flu and the Downton household suffers the third wave - I do my research tyvm.) So yes, we're now about to whizz forward to where - if my calculations are right - Cora is about five months. Nobody panic, I have promised my focus is Cobert and Cobert it shall be. I'm just having a spot of fun playing with you guys ;P
I apologise for not updating last week. My bad... Oh and also, in the 3 months jump, Matthew regained walking ability.

Do keep the reviews coming - good, bad or ugly, it's nice to read what you guys think.

Disclaimer: I own nowt.

13. Now People Let Me Put You Wise

3 months later
Late July 1919

So many months on and the Earl and Countess existed with one another, around on another as though ghosts haunting the same space. Large as the abbey was, it didn't grant complete separation. They'd attempted to talk things out but were left with no straight-forward answer. Robert had reeled in his threat for divorce, Cora had offered no suggestion on how to ease the strain they were under. They waited until the fuse was at its shortest before finally confronting what each had put off thinking about. Telling people.

Cora was five months pregnant, her maid had noticed, other people would too. The time for an announcement had come. And great debate and confusion would come with Robert's hostile performance as the happy father and Cora's teary broken-down stare. Smiles were on shortage the night they'd chosen to release the news. A range of reactions came of the bizarrely casual and somewhat nonchalant way Robert announced his wife would bear another child.

"Oh for goodness sake."

"Mary!" Violet berated her eldest grand-daughter. "Show some decency."

"I think it's terrific," Edith beamed. "I should be glad to have another baby brother or sister. It'll be nice."

Mary groaned, "stop buttering up, Edith. You aren't getting any extra points for being gushy."

"Oh and how many points do you have? When again is this wedding happening?" Edith retaliated, for once stumping Mary.

"Indeed, when is it happening?" Richard raised an eyebrow at her. "Now we know Matthew's prospects could change again..."

"Let's not steal mama and papa's thunder," Mary muttered, sipping from her drink after a half-hearted raise of her glass. Robert took to his port, as did Carlisle.

"Sybil will be coming home in a month or two," Cora said absent-mindedly to a quiet room.

"Oh?" Edith asked. "What does she say to this news? Or does she not know yet?"

"I sent a letter and she replied with her and Tom's congratulations," she answered in mono-tone.

"You told me none of this," Robert said.

"Well I wouldn't have, would I?" Cora raised her eyes to meet his, making him look away with a frown.

"You're quiet, granny," Mary observed. "Aren't you pleased?"

"I'll be pleased when the child is born, not before..."

Mary gave a quizzical look but Violet didn't follow up on her statement.

The following day was one of the hottest of that Summer. Cora was sitting outside in the shade with her needlework when Carson came hurrying out looking particularly red-faced.

"Ah, there you are milady," he heaved a breath and hurried to conduct himself. "A telegram arrived not long ago... uh, it's addressed to you, milady."

"Thank you, Carson," she said mildly with a vacant smile, taking the small envelope from him, she opened it. Carson started away across the grass as she began to read.

I must insist we speak soon. There are
matters beyond you and I to speak of.
EN.

Cora turned the paper to pieces as Robert came stalking across the grass with a face like fury. She looked down at her embroidery with renewed concentration.

"Cora?" he called with a hint of annoyance as he approached. "Cora."

"What?"

"Why is Mary marrying him? I've just seen Carlisle blow his nose on a table cloth and Mary didn't so much as blink."

He approached the bench, waiting impatiently for her answer when he saw the torn up paper.

"What's this?" he asked.

"A telegram," she said. "I think it's about time you knew something," she was quick to chance topic, finishing a stitch and putting her work to the side, she sat back and looked up at him, considering him for the first time in months. Robert sat down at the other end of the bench.

"Go on."

"Kemual Pamuk. What do you remember?"

"The Turk who was found dead in his bed?" Robert frowned.

"Mm... Do you recall his interest in Mary on the night he died?" she picked up her work again, sparing him the odd glance to see if he was following.

"Mary killed him?" Robert asked, his face turning to shock.

Cora put down her needlework.

"No. She didn't kill him. Though granted his death was most certainly suspicious. His room was not the one he died in... the Turk died in Mary's bed chambers."

"How?"

"He had a heart attack while in her bed... which he did not force himself into."

"Surely not... No, she wouldn't have. How do you know?"

"She woke me up. I helped her carry him back to his own bed."

Robert stayed silent for a while, mulling the news over in his head and feeling slightly annoyed he'd been left out of it in the first place.

"I heard the rumors of course but I never knew you were involved aswell. Good God, why did you never tell me?" he asked.

"There was never a right time. And Mary was so disgraced with herself, I thought one parent's disapproving enough for her."

"I'd have given her far more than disapproving!"

"I know you would. But her guilt was enough, she didn't need more punishment."

"So where does Carlisle fit in?"

"Ah, well. Sir Richard knows Mary's secret and given his position, he'd know how best to release the scandal to the full effect of ruining her."

"She still shouldn't marry him based on that," Robert decided. "I'll have to speak to her."

"I agree," Cora replied, feeling the conversation coming to close.

"How's..." Robert started but stopped. Cora looked up at him, waiting to see if he'd go on. "How are you?"

She smiled despite herself. "As well as I can be," she pulled through another stitch. "How about you?"

"Me? About the same, I suppose."

"You know how sorry I am for-"

"Please don't apologise again," he stopped her.

"But if there's anything - anything at all that I can do that will help us, I'll do it," she tried not to beg him but the last few months had seen her getting more desperate for his support.

"I hardly think that if you don't know what will fix us, I will..." he replied quietly, staying a moment longer before getting up. "Mama would like to talk to you. She's here now."

Cora took a deep breath and nodded, preparing to get up. She took Robert's offered hand, feeling a warmth that had gone unfamiliar in recent months. He didn't look when her free hand went to her slight stomach. His hand left hers after lingering a little too long.

"Robert, I've-" starting but not knowing quite how to ask, she stopped. "I have to... Have to go to London again - for another check-up in a few weeks. For the sake of appearances I wondered if you might come with me? ...And I'd like you to be there."

"I can get someone to come visit Downton."

"They insisted I go to the practise, I know it's not ideal..."

"Well..." he frowned and looked anywhere but her eyes. "Alright, I'll go."

"Thank you."

"Well like you say - for appearances."

Robert started away across the grass, leaving for the colder surround of his study, he prepared to think on his situation once more, but this time he'd reach a personal conclusion.

Shortly after, Cora followed to go indoors, readying herself to brave the wrath of Violet again. They'd not spoken alone for weeks so Cora suspected topic of conversation would be last night's uneasy and unconvincing conduct of telling the family officially. Finding herself in the Saloon, Mr Carson again approached to show her ladyship back outside onto the tea patio where a pale-looking Dowager Countess sat looking more unimpressed than usual. Cora sat down and Carson left, no words yet exchanged, she tried not to fidget and set the conversation going.

"You wanted to see me?"

"I didn't particularly want to..." Violet muttered, squinting slightly at the lawn beyond the patio. Highly disliking the discomfort brought on with the heat of the Summer sun, her very low mood swung lower. "We're to talk of Mary."

"Oh?" Cora breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Carlisle is unsuitable. His few benefits do not make up for his faults."

"There are other reasons he's kept around... but otherwise I agree. Robert's going to talk to her."

"Ah, so you're talking. Some improvement I suppose."

"What else of Mary?"

"I don't know if you're aware but Matthew and Lavinia are unsteady. Especially now given he's well and able again. And of course the possibility his prospects could change - which is unlikely of course, given the child may not be male nor Robert's-"

"Have you decided what will happen if the baby is a boy and..." Cora interrupted her without much clear thought on whether she truly wanted the answer to her question. "...and evidently not Robert's?"

"You know very well what will happen. It won't be brought up as the Crawley heir. People will be told- society will be told, of a complication that ended in the tragic loss of the child. Meanwhile, we will find a suitable barren couple who needn't know it's true heritage."

"That simple..."

"Yes."

Cora cleared her throat and tried to keep holding herself in check.

"What else of Mary?" she asked again, trying to distract herself. Though Violet wanted nothing more to do with Cora than was necessary, she did admit the slightest sympathy for her. Giving away the child would be the more than likely result of the whole mishap. Even if the father was not who she wished, either way it was still going to be Cora's baby.

"If Carlisle goes, what's to say Mary won't fall back in love with Matthew?" Violet said, returning to the subject.

"I hardly think Matthew and Lavinia will split up over this. She never got engaged to him for his position."

"They are unsure of one another. Matthew is marrying her in thanks for her dedication to him while he was incompetent."

"Everyone has doubts sometimes, I'm sure they'll be fine."

"Pity you didn't doubt sooner," Violet said, being a fraction genuine.

"I did doubt... But I can't undo things now. My priority is making up for my mistakes."

"One would not have thought so... given the way you and Robert have been avoiding one another."

"What can I do until it's born?"

"There are things you can do, Cora, don't be so helpless."