Chapter 2

Robert

Robert needs to clear his head. Cora coming to Downton. He had thought about inviting her here before his mother told him to marry Philippa. He dearly wishes he hadn't listened to her. He didn't love Cora either but he is sure that he would have gotten along with her much better and that she would have been a better mother. Although being a better mother than Philippa isn't that difficult. Because she is a horrible mother. She is a horrible wife too, but at least he is an adult and can somehow deal with it. But Mary is only three years old and has known nothing but ill-treatment at her mother's hands. She only ever speaks to him. He wishes she would at least say something in front of her mother; maybe that woman would stop to call their daughter stupid and retarded then. Because that is the opposite of what Mary is. She is a bright and curious child and asks the most surprising questions when he takes her on his walks with him. He has made a habit of taking her for a walk at least once a day because he wants her to have something she likes every day. And he enjoys taking her; she is the only thing that keeps him together at all. If it wasn't for Mary, he'd probably just leave Downton never to return. But he can't do it to his little girl.

"Papa?" He is surprised to see his little girl in the library. She must have hidden here and waited for him. He will have to think of a cover story.

"Yes, my darling girl?"

"Who is the Duke of Suffer?"

"Suffolk, Mary. He is still a very small boy. Why do you ask?"

"Because she said I should be kind to him." Mary only ever refers to her mother as 'she' and Robert can't blame his daughter for it. He puts her on his lap and she immediately cuddles up to him. He never thought that he would have such a close relationship to any of his children before he became a father. He always imagined himself to see his children for an hour after tea, just like his parents did, but the moment he held Mary in his arms for the first time he knew it wouldn't be possible for him. By that time his wife had already told him that she was highly disappointed in Mary for being 'just a girl' and although he tried to tell her that that was unacceptable and that it certainly wasn't Mary's fault that she was a girl, his wife didn't care. And then he went into the nursery and the child was put into his arms and he could feel his world change around him. He knew he'd be the only real parent his daughter would ever have and he promised her to love her and to take care of her. Ever since that moment she has been the center of his world.

"Well, the Duke of Suffolk will be a guest at this house. He'll arrive later today. And you should be kind to all our guests."

"She said I would have to marry him. Maybe she thinks I will leave then. You don't want me to leave, Papa, do you?" Mary's eyes are full of fear and his heart breaks for her as it has done so many times.

"No, of course I don't want you to leave. And you don't have to marry the Duke. Mary, you are three years old. It will be many years before I'll walk you down the aisle. And you'll marry for love. I won't let anyone talk you into marrying for any other reason." He isn't sure how much of this Mary has understood, but given her intelligence it was probably a lot.

"Do you love her?" She sometimes asks questions he doesn't know how to answer. He can't tell his daughter that he doesn't love her mother. So instead he says "I love you. And I should take you back to the nursery." His daughter's face falls at this. "The guests will arrive in half an hour. And I have to get ready. But I'll read to you tonight. I promise." Mary's face lights up again and she gives him a kiss on the cheek.

When the guests arrived he is more nervous than usual. He feels uncomfortable having Cora Levinson who is of course now the Dowager Duchess of Suffolk in his home. If he is honest with himself, he is scared of it. He hopes that she will turn out to be a lot less nice than he thought almost six years ago, but the moment she stands in front of him and he greets her he knows that this hope has come to nothing. One look at her tells him, tells everyone, that she must be very nice. She has a soft smile on her lips that make all the men in her vicinity stand up a little straighter, something she doesn't seem to be aware of.

"Robert!"

"Yes?" He tries not to wince, but he isn't sure he is successful. Philippa's voice is so shrill.

"You have to sit next to the Dowager Duchess tonight. And be nice to her. I want her to have a good impression of us. And don't you dare mention Mary's inability to speak." He wants to slap her across the face but of course he doesn't because he isn't a violent man.

"Mary can speak. She speaks to me every day."

"So you say." He is not sure whether his wife believes him but he doesn't think it makes a difference.

"I'll see you downstairs Philippa." He knows he has dismissed her unceremoniously but what is he supposed to do with a wife who cheats on him at least once a week and hates their daughter?

Before he goes down to dinner he goes into the nursery to read Mary her story. He'll be a little late but he doesn't care. He promised Mary he would read to her and he won't break a promise he made to Mary. "I love you Papa", he hears her mumble when he leaves the room. He turns around and walks back to her. "I love you too, my darling girl", he says and gives her another kiss on the forehead.

He arrives at the moment the butler announces that dinner is ready. His wife hisses "Where were you?" at him but he doesn't reply. "You have to apologize to the Duchess." He knows this without his wife telling him so.

Once they have sat down he turns to the Duchess.

"I am sorry for being so late." She smiles at him.

"You've made it just in time." He had forgotten all about her accent. He wants to hear it again.

"I promised my daughter to read a story to her before coming down here. It took a little longer than I thought it would." He has no idea why he tells her this but she smiles at him again.

"Well, you can't break a promise you've made to your daughter. What's her name?" He briefly wonders whether the Duchess is so interested because her plans match those of his wife but somehow he doesn't think so.

"Mary. She is three. She is a lovely child."

"I am sure she is."

"She is rather bright too. She sometimes asks the most outrageous questions. Yesterday she asked me whether there were buildings so tall they would touch the sky." The Duchess laughs at this. It is a carefree, friendly laugh.

"There are, you know. In New York."

"That's what I said to Mary. Now she wants to go there."

"Well it is a very nice city. And very smart of your daughter to want to see it. I will take Sam there one day of course. But it will be a few years."

"Sam?" He has no idea whom she is talking about.

"My son."

"I've always thought of your son as 'the Duke'. It never occurred to me that he has a name."

"You are not the first person to tell me that." Her eyes sparkle in the candlelight. "His name is William Samuel. But I call him Sam. I was hesitant to call him Samuel William. He is a duke after all." He smiles at her again and she smiles back. Her smile is so beautiful it makes a shiver run down his spine. He wishes his mother hadn't interfered. He wishes it more than ever.

When the men and women separate he hears Cora make her excuses because she wants to check on her son. He wishes his wife was only a tenth as concerned about Mary as Cora is about her son. The Duchess he tells himself because he mustn't call her Cora anymore. However much he might want to.