My One and Only Love

A/N: None of these characters belong to me. Contains no spoilers. I know a lot of you are anxiously awaiting the ball and we'll get there, I promise. I'm having a bit too much fun with this one. As always, Harold will cause a bit of trouble as younger brothers are prone to do (I have a younger brother, so I'm all too familiar with their ways, and Harold's behavior is loosely based on my brother). The rating for this story has been raised to T to be on the safe side. I don't tend to write a lot of smut, but it will definitely get a little steamy in future chapters. Thank you to SashaElizabeth, my awesome beta!

Chapter 3

Cora smiled to herself as O'Brien brushed out her hair. She had been changed into her new nightgown, and she was anxious to see Robert's reaction. It was a bit more extravagant than what she normally wore to bed. Sleeveless and made of the finest silk, it was of a delicate peach color that highlighted her porcelain skin and contrasted beautifully with her dark hair. The hem was trimmed with several layers of lace and featured a small train in the back. Cora knew that Robert would love it.

As O'Brien ran the brush through her mistress' hair one final time, she reached over Cora's shoulder to the vanity table to retrieve a ribbon with which to tie it back. "Just leave it down tonight, O'Brien," Cora instructed. "If I change my mind, I'll tie it back later."

"Very well, milady," O'Brien replied, placing the ribbon back on the table. "Will there be anything else?"

"No, thank you, O'Brien. I can manage now," Cora answered with a smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, my lady."

As she watched her maid leave the room, Cora stood and removed her dressing gown, and dabbed a bit of lavender perfume behind her ears. After checking her reflection one final time, she walked quickly to the door that connected Robert's dressing room to hers, and knocked softly. Stepping back so that Robert wouldn't hit her with the door, she waited anxiously for her husband to come through.

Robert was beginning to think that Cora had either fallen asleep or forgotten about her promise to knock when he heard the soft sounds from the other side of his dressing room door. With a grin playing at his lips, he turned the doorknob and allowed the door to swing open. "My God," he breathed as he took in the sight before him. No matter how many times he looked at his wife in the course of any given day, she never failed to take his breath away. Even before he knew that he loved her, he had always found her beautiful.

Cora blushed as she noted her husband's appreciative appraisal of her. The color in her cheeks made her even more radiant in Robert's eyes and, unable to control himself any longer, he crossed the short distance between them ridding himself of his robe in the process before wrapping his arms around his wife's delicate waist. Bringing her body flush against his, he captured her lips in a heated kiss. Cora hummed against his lips in approval, parting her own as Robert's tongue sought entry. Her fingers moved deftly, unbuttoning her husband's night shirt and pushing it off of his shoulders. Robert's arms loosened their hold for the briefest of moments in order to rid himself of the offending garment. He lifted Cora and carried her over to the bed, placing her gently on top of it before kneeling before her. He began running his hands slowly up the length of Cora's legs, placing kisses in their wake. Cora's breathing became ragged as her eyes fluttered shut, her body awash in pleasure at her husband's attentions. Robert's hands had made their way to her waist, but just as she lifted her body to allow him to remove her nightgown there was a sharp knock at her bedroom door.

"Cora?" Harold's voice intoned.

Cora flopped back onto the bed, exasperated. "Oh, bloody h-"

"Cora!" Robert exclaimed quietly, chuckling at his wife's use of an English term. "Just be quiet and maybe he'll think we've gone to sleep," he whispered.

It appeared that luck was not on their side in that regard. "Cora, I know you're in there. I could hear your heavy breathing." The amusement was evident in her brother's voice, and the knowledge that he was enjoying being a nuisance was making Cora's blood boil.

"What do you want, Harold?" Cora questioned, sharply.

"Might you come to the door?" he responded. "I need to speak with you for a moment."

"Fine," Cora huffed. She walked over to her vanity and snatched up her dressing gown. Robert quickly donned his own robe to cover his bare chest. Tying her dressing gown tight, Cora marched toward her bedroom door, cursing her insolent brother with every step. Throwing the door open, she glared at him. "What is of such importance that you felt the need to disturb my husband and I?"

Harold's mouth twitched with the effort of suppressing his laughter at having successfully flustered his older sister. "I only wanted to ask if you and Robert would care to join me for lunch tomorrow. There's a new restaurant in town that I've been wanting to try. How about it, sister dear?"

Cora took several deep breaths to steady herself. What she really wanted to do was knock her younger brother flat on the floor. "That's all you wanted to know?" she inquired calmly.

"It is," Harold replied, smiling. "So will you?"

"We would love to, Harold," Robert chimed in, taking the opportunity to take hold of the situation. His wife was the sweetest woman in the world, but she was not one you wanted to cross. "Wouldn't we, darling?"

"Of course," Cora answered, fixing her brother with a forced smile that he was all to familiar with. "Thank you for the invitation, Harold. Is there anything else?"

"No, that is all I was wondering." Harold snorted as he finally lost the battle against his impending laughter. "Carry on." With that, he turned and headed down the hallway.

As Cora slammed the door, she could hear her brother's roaring laughter echoing down the corridor. She turned to her husband, her eyes narrowed and dangerously dark. "I swear to you, Robert. Much more, and you will be having to bail me out of jail. My parents just couldn't be satisfied with having one child. They had to go and have him." Her face was red with the effort of not causing her younger brother physical harm, and her hands were balled into fists at her sides. "He is the most annoying, impertinent, childish-"

She was interrupted by Robert as he gently placed his fingers to her lips. "He's a younger sibling, my darling," he soothed. "It's what they do. Trust me; Rosamund was constantly teasing and tormenting me when we were children. It's a wonder she made it to adulthood, actually." Cora's visage softened at this. "Besides," Robert continued, once again wrapping his arms around his wife and pulling her close, "I can't have my wife- the Viscountess Downton, the future Countess of Grantham- being arrested. Can you imagine the scandal?" he teased.

Cora laughed lightly. "It would be justifiable homicide. No court in America or England would convict me," she stated, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "Now," she said as she loosened the belt of Robert's robe, "where were we?"

"Minx," he whispered as his actions mirrored hers.