A/N: There be smut here people, so if you aren't into that sort of thing then I suggest you stop reading three quarters of the way down. Thanks to everyone who is reading so far!

Chapter 7- In the Garden

April 1890

Robert pulled on the reins and brought the horse to a gentle trot as they got closer to his destination. He was glad to see everything was as he instructed. Dismounting the animal he reached up to help a blindfolded Cora. He burst out laughing at the sight of her as she looked around ineffectually, trying to see where they were. His eyes started to well in merriment as she pouted in the direction she thought his voice was coming from, falling far from the mark.

"Robert. You are an awful tease!" She admonished as he slid her carefully down to the ground and gripped her firmly until she had her footing. Steering her shoulders, Robert led her slowly to the spot he had picked before stopping.

Cora stood quietly with anticipation. Robert's breath could be felt just above her left ear as he undid the knots of her blindfold. He was so excited the night before when he told her he had a surprise in store that his giddiness rubbed off and she couldn't sleep for wondering what he had planned.

Robert held the fabric in place a moment longer before dropping it. Cora's eyes blinked rapidly as they adjusted to the light and her mouth formed into a perfect 'o'. Her hand came up and rested at the base of her throat and her eyes shined as she took in the scene before her.

"What is this place?" Cora asked, awestruck by the beauty surrounding her.

"We've always called it the butterfly garden. There are loads of them here when the season is right. My great-grandfather commissioned it for his youngest daughter. She was ill most of her childhood and he wanted to bring a smile to her face. Do you like it?"

Cora turned around in the spot she was, taking in all of the flora around her. They had entered under a narrow trellis cut into a circular arrangement of tall shrubbery, which enclosed the entire space, blocking out the rest of the estate. A small stream ran through the left side of the hilly grass. Stone fountains in the form of fairies and animals were scattered around adding a touch of magic. While flowers were just starting to bud, the greenery had already popped with the lushness brought by spring rains. By the small fish pond, a blanket was laid out with plates and glasses awaiting a picnic.

"Robert, I don't think I have the words to describe how beautiful this place is."

He led her to the blanket and they both sat. Pouring out wine and arranging the food cook had packed, Robert watched Cora as she continued to take in the space around her. Some of the grief that tinged her eyes since the loss of the baby fell away and Robert felt hopeful that he had done something right for once when it came to the woman beside him. He held a glass out to her.

"What is the occasion?" Cora asked as she took the wine from him.

"Well, you see," Robert began, "a year ago today I attended a ball at the insistence of my mates. I was a horrid brat for the entire ride there, so sure that it would be a bore. And it was….until I saw this enchanting girl with a gaggle of puppy-eyed suitors around her. And I followed her out onto a veranda and she took my breath away. I've been waiting to get it back ever since."

"Robert…" Cora whispered her throat thick around the surge of emotion his words caused in her chest. Her heart beat wildly as he held her eyes intensely and brought his hand up to cup the side of her face.

"I think she took my heart as well." Robert leaned in closer, his lips hovering over hers.

Cora stopped breathing herself at his words. "Shall I return them to you?" She asked in a trembling voice.

"No... I love you Cora Crawley. I trust you to keep them for the rest of my life," he said before kissing her.

Robert tasted the salt of her tears. The kiss grew deeper and more desperate. Cora opened her mouth drawing him further in, nipping his lip, curling her tongue around his in a fevered dance. He gripped her back hard; she dug her fingers into his shoulders. Robert wanted to be consumed by her. He pulled her tighter against his body but it wasn't enough. A part of him worried he would hurt her with his enthusiasm but she moaned in pleasure. Suddenly, her hands were everywhere and nowhere, teasing him through his clothes. He fumbled at the buttons on her dress, eventually taking the two ends of the fabric covering her back and ripping it the rest of the way down. She was much more successful with his shirt, maneuvering it swiftly over his shoulders and head, all the while grinding herself against him and working them both into a frenzy. He had never seen her like this, so ripe with passion, like she was about to burst and take him with her. He never knew it could be like this.

The constriction of her chest at Robert's words was long forgotten once their bodies united. Cora had never experienced this kind of need. Her whole being cried for more just as it cried for mercy; her senses over stimulated since he first laid his lips on hers. If she didn't find release soon she thought she would shatter.

"Please, Robert, please…" She muttered over and over into his ear. She was so close.

"My darling, my love." He responded, lifting up her hips, touching her more insistently until she was tossing her head back and forth, whispering nonsense under him and they both cried out with a final, exhausted push.

Robert fell onto the blanket beside her and took the spare he had brought, covering them both. Cora gripped him around his waist tightly and rested her head on his chest. He looked down, took in the sheen on her forehead, her closed eyes, the gentle slope of her nose as it gave way to the small smile on her lips. He felt a surge of pride that he had put that smile on those lips and a crushing need to keep it there.

"I love you Robert." Cora said softly before placing a tender kiss on his chest. He twirled a ringlet of her hair between his fingers and felt his eyes burn.

"And I you, Cora. More than anything."