AN: Thanks for all the lovely reviews. Hope you enjoy this one, quite a lot more Cobert to enjoy.
As Cora steps into the ballroom at Grantham house later that week she inwardly gasps, it's just so beautiful. She stands around awkwardly as Lady Grantham makes last minute changes and servants rush past.
When Robert steps into the ballroom just before the start of Miss Levinson's ball the sight before him is so perfect. Not only does the ballroom look amazing but Miss Levinson stands in the doorway of the room greeting the first guests, looking stunning. Her hair is wrapped perfectly onto her head and the blue gown she wears compliments her blue eyes. She looks the most beautiful that Robert has seen her. Tonight he decides, he must propose tonight. His father had been pushing him to do so, he needed to marry. His mother was still not convinced Miss Levinson was the best choice, in fact, she believed she was the worst. His sister had offered more guidance, explaining that after she had met Miss Levinson she was sure she was taken with him, something Robert had found impossible to comprehend.
Cora feels eyes on her back and turns. A blush covers her cheeks as her eyes meet Mr Crawley's. She desperately wants to know if he has any intention of asking for her hand. She had promised her mother she would make a decision by the morning. Mr Bowley, the future Duke of Devonshire had proposed and Mr Northam had made it obvious he intended to do so tonight. The Prince and the Duke of Bertram were naturally still on the list, awaiting answers. The fact she had feelings for Rob-Mr Crawley was now clear to her and she really wanted him to propose. What she felt for him she had been unable to explain until her father had discussed her suitors with her the other night. He'd explained that although Mr Crawley had the least to offer he wouldn't hold it against her if she chose to marry him, as she obviously loved him. He may not love me, she decides, but at least I will be somewhat happy with him, and he's kind and loving to his sister. Maybe over time he could love her too.
She had been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't realised how many guests she had greeted. Only when Mr Crawley's hand slips into hers and he kisses it does she realise the dancing is about to start, her heart races, she's got to open the dancing and she has no partner.
"Miss Levinson, I was wondering if you'd do me the honour of allowing me to open the dancing with you?" He wasn't going to ask her, he assumed her brother or father would do the honours, but since the latter had arrived and hinted that 'as the Crawley's are hosting the ball, shouldn't she open the dancing with you or your father?'
"Yes, I'd be delighted." Cora's heart begins to race for an entirely new reason, she for once doesn't care that everyone's going to be watching her dance, not when she's in Mr Crawley's arms, she feels safe there.
"Robert, I promised Lady Margaret you'd dance the first with her." Violet's shrill voice brings them both back to the present.
"But Mama, a member of the hosting family always opens the ball by dancing with the debutante."
"Yes, but usually the debutante and the gentleman hosting are related."
"Does any of it matter when I want to dance with Miss Levinson?" He watches his mother's face fall as she signals to the orchestra. He walks Miss Levinson to the floor but not before he's heard his father say to his mother: ' She loves him you know.' And her simple reply 'What!? No, of course she doesn't, she's a ghastly American.' Robert doesn't know what to think, there is no way, he thinks that the lovely Miss Levinson has fallen for him.
"I hope you're enjoying your ball Miss Levinson."
"It has hardly started Mr Crawley, but so far it's been quite wonderful, thank you."
"There's nothing to thank me for, my mother did all the work, she even managed to get Mr Bowley and Mr Northam to attend, as well as Lord Bertram, all suitors of yours I've heard." Robert's anger begins to rise at the thought of the last gentleman, he is such a scoundrel. But Miss Levinson's voice brings his thoughts back to slightly pleasanter places.
"Yes, I have noticed them."
"Even my mother couldn't manage the a Prince though."
"How did you know-" Cora panics, hopefully her mother hadn't been talking, the Prince had sworn her to secrecy.
"News travels fast, he called on you yesterday, didn't he?" Robert's temper rises and he doesn't know why. When his sister had mentioned that the Prince was, by all accounts courting Miss Levinson, he had brushed it off, but now that he was holding C-Miss Levinson in his arms, he didn't want to see her in the arms of another. Why, he didn't know, maybe because of what he'd overheard his father saying. If Miss Levinson loved him, surely she'd accept if he proposed, Downton would be safe and he would have a stunning wife. A woman he was sure he could get along with.
"Yes, he did call yesterday, but only to excuse himself from the ball." He'd also called to see if she'd come to a decision about his proposal but she wasn't going to tell Mr Crawley that. Particularly when he looked like he had just been hit in the stomach, she hadn't trodden on his foot, had she?
"Well, at least I can say, when the engagement is announced; that I danced the opening dance of your debut ball with you; the future Princess."
"I never said he proposed." The doubt sweeps into Roberts mind before he can stop it, how can he compete with a Prince? Even if she does love him, her mother still wants her to be as grand as she can be and Miss Levinson did say that it was best to obey one's mother.
"Oh please, he called yesterday, in person, to apologise for not being able to attend your ball. He's a Prince, that's-"
"And even if he had proposed, who said I would have accepted?"
"An offer from a Prince, every girl dreams of being a Princess, you'd have to be a fool to turn him down."
"Well, it's a good job he didn't propose, otherwise I'd be a fool." Cora keeps lying, not because she likes lying but because she wants to entice Ro-Mr Crawley into a proposal. She most certainly couldn't careless if the Prince had proposed or not, but if Rob-Mr Crawley doesn't propose, she knows she will wonder 'what if,' until the day she dies.
"You really wouldn't have accepted?"
"No, you forget, I'm American, having the grandest title isn't what I want. I want to be happy, regardless of what my mother says." This strikes a chord with Robert, happiness is all he really wants, if he had a choice. If he'd had the leisure of falling in love he would have taken it, but he doesn't, his father needs money, happiness, or at the very least the hope of it, is all he can expect.
"So, your list of men is one man shorter." Cora smiles, he's always on about those lists of suitors, 'time to tease him' she can hear her fathers words in her head.
"Yes, one of my lists anyway." She struggles to contain her laugh as the panic rushes over Robe-Mr Crawley's face.
"How may lists do you have?"
"Just two. One with men on that I like or who I know like me. The second list is one of men I like a lot, and may potentially accept if he proposes."
"How many men are on each of your lists?" Robert doesn't notice the twinkle in Cora's eyes or take into account how ridiculously forward she's being, despite her American nature.
"Four on the first and just the one on the second."
"So, there's one lucky man who, if he proposes will probably get a favourable answer, who might this man be?"
"That would be telling." The music ends and Robert leads Cora off the floor. He can't understand why he wants to know, it's never going to be him, he thinks, not with all those Dukes Miss Levinson has to choose from. He decides he still wants to propose though, of all the women who have big enough dowry's to save Downton C-Miss Levinson is the only one he doesn't find dull. It is Miss Levinson or one of the others, and he knows which he'd prefer. "The one thing I can tell you is that his eyes are blue." Cora hopes that's a big enough hint, but when she glances up to look at Mr Crawley his eyes are glazed over, as if in another world. Lady Margaret steps into the couple's path, her brother two steps behind.
"Mr Crawley, Lady Grantham promised me you'd dance the first with me."
"Well, I-" Robert has no time to continue as two things happen at once. The first is that Lady Margaret's brother exclaims to her 'I told you he chose to dance with Miss Levinson.' The second is far more significant. Mr Bowley, the now Duke of Devonshire after his father's death two days previously, appears at Cora's side and asks her to dance, she accepts. Furthermore, he leans into her and says: " There's an important question I asked that I need to know the answer to Miss Levinson." Robert sees none of this though, nor does he hear Cora's negative reply. All he sees are Lord Devonshire's eyes. Blue eyes. Miss Levinson's man, he thinks, as he turns his back and walks to he door, head hammering, heart thumping and stomach somersaulting.
He doesn't notice Cora being abandoned on the dance floor by the Duke, or the desperate looks she casts over her shoulder as she searches for him. His mind just swims with 'he has blue eyes' and the perfect blue eyes of Lord Devonshire which were no doubt the ones she spoke of. They were after all a perfect match for hers.