Lessons To Learn

Chapter 2

A/N: First of all, I want to give you all so much thanks for reviewing, favouriting, following and just reading…! Your response gave me so much joy! A short comment or feedback really makes my day. I'm happy to see that you're eager to see how this story continues.

So, here comes chapter 2 of "Lessons To Learn"… Enjoy! – Caecilia

Cora felt very giddy, as if it was her first day of school. But it was just her first day at a new school, where she would work as teacher for the debut. Robert and she had moved into a large townhouse in another part of London, after living years in a comfortable flat. The townhouse had been in the family's possession for long but Robert's parents had let it to tenants in the last many years. They themselves lived in the family's estate in Yorkshire most of the time. It was a great estate with a lot of land. Most of it was open to the public but Violet and Patrick had some rooms to themselves that still seemed very generous to an average person.

And now it was settled, Robert and Cora were to live in the London house of the family. Rosamund, Robert's younger sister, didn't object. She'd moved in at Marmaduke's a while ago. He had a grand London house too.

With their move, Cora took a chance and applied for a job at a nearby school. She had heard it was a rather good school, but most of all a pleasant working environment with kind co-workers. She'd been surprised that she'd indeed got the job. Now Robert had to ease her nerves and assure her that she would do superbly in her new position.

"They are really lucky to have you," he caressed her arm and took a bite of his croissant. Cora sipped her Darjeeling and cast a nervous smile across the table, her mouth full of tea. She gulped and she set the cup down.

"I have not yet proven myself worthy," she replied. Her fingers played with a lose thread on the tablecloth.

"That's nonsense, darling," his eyes bored into hers with a look full of sincerity. "They chose you; you don't have to prove yourself worthy. Your worth is out of question," he had clutched her hand and his thumb stroked her knuckles.

She covered her face with her other hand, "Excuse my foolish behaviour! I'm sure in the afternoon everything will seem much lighter already."

"That's my Cora!" Robert grinned and offered her a piece of his sliced apple.

"Oh, but I know a way you could help distract me and give me something to remember when I need to calm my nerves in the course of the day," she noted before taking a bite of the fruit. Robert observed how her pearly white teeth sank into the flesh of the apple and he listened to the cracking noise. He should offer her apples more often.

"What is that?" his eyes travelled back to hers. He noticed the gleam in them.

"You could grant me a kiss," she stated, her posture and shoulders straight but her lips twitching promisingly.

"Would you repeat that, please?" Robert asked. She was a bit confused.

"What?"

"Would you repeat your last words?" he had understood them well enough but wanted to hear her utter the last word again.

"You could grant me a kiss?!" she repeated with a slight raise of her eyebrow, her head tipped to the side.

"A what?" Robert mocked her and she now got what he intended.

"A kiss, Robert. A kiss," she emphasized the word and her tongue caressed his name. She propped her elbows on the table and leaned forward while speaking.

Robert knew, more than a kiss wasn't appropriate at the moment but she'd already affected him quite a lot. He shifted in his chair uncomfortably. He leaned forward and took her face in his hands. A kiss across the table was better right now than something that got out of hand in the matter of mere seconds, he decided. Her fingers gently grabbed his wrists and she closed her eyes. He closed the gap between them and pressed a light kiss on her warm lips. He could taste the juice of the apple as he pulled back.

"No, no, no. How should that suffice as satisfying distraction?" Robert saw her close-up pouting face. He leaned into another kiss and allowed her tongue to taste him. Her lips pressed firmly and he relished in the soft feeling and the gentle caresses of her tongue. She took a bit of reassurance with each sweep her tongue made, and he wanted to give her every bit of reassurance he could.

When she pulled back, a content smile grazed her lips.

"Was this distraction satisfying?" he asked grinningly.

"Oh, yes," she gushed and lowered their clasped hands to the table. "Now I will make it through the day, no matter what."

And through the day she made it, most brilliantly even. When he met her home later in the day, she greeted him with a proud smile. Her cheeks glowed and her expression was excited. She approached the front door as soon as she heard his car pull up the driveway, and being met by her sweet face was the best way to come home.

"How was your day?" he asked first things. He placed his briefcase next to the door and shrugged of his coat. She clasped her hands behind her back and tipped her head to the side in her adorable manner, as she always did unknowingly.

"Oh, fine, I'd say," she tried to sound unfazed but her giddy demeanour gave her away. It must have been better than just fine.

"I see…," he grinned at her as he bent down to untie his shoes. "So, the students were unruly and the other teachers were arrogant, but you're glad to be back home? Did I get you right?"

"Robert…," she was now crossing her arms in front of her chest. He stood up and unfolded her interlocked arms to take her hands in his.

"You have to tell me everything!"

"Oh, I will, Robert! Don't you worry! You will hear enough of it for at the least the rest of the week," she chuckled and they went to the living room, sinking down on one of the settees. Cora started babbling about every class and every teacher she'd already met and how nice and courteous everyone of her new co-workers was. She told how attentive most students were, and that they seemed to like her. The latter didn't surprise Robert. Of course, her students would like her. Everyone had to like her kind and sunny nature.

"I think I will feel very comfortable at this school. In fact, I probably already do," she ended. Robert smiled at her warmly in response. "Oh, and thank you for your encouragement this morning. It helped me through the day," she added.

"You didn't need it for very long, I assume. And which part do you mean?" he caressed her thigh and sought her eyes.

"I mean all of it," she returned his intensive gaze. "But would you remind me of the last part? I'm afraid I don't remember it completely," her eyes glistened while she made that cheeky comment. His eyes darkened a trifle and he pressed her back into the cushions of the settee, reminding her of his encouragement from earlier with a sensual tenderness.

Robert strode along the hallway that led to his office. He had worked in this company and this building for years now. It felt like forever. This place was nearly like a second home. Well, probably not a second but more of a third or a fourth home, since there was his London house, the family's estate, but first and foremost there was Cora. He, however, could definitely say that he felt very comfortable here too.

When he was about to turn to enter his office, he spotted the tall figure that approached him.

"Rosamund, dear," he greeted. His sister wore an extravagant costume, and it wasn't expected any differently from her. The orange tone of the fabric had an interesting effect interplaying with her ginger curls that fell on her upper back. A large barrette pinned up half of her hair at the back of her head. The purple pattern on her costume was altogether too much for Robert, but on Rosamund he acquiesced nearly everything.

"My dear brother, 'everything fine?" Rosamund patted his shoulder as she reached him. Her posture was upright and confident, her chin held high.

"Fine as always. How are you?" he opened his office door and gestured her to come in. She stepped into the room in front of him and turned on the light with a casual gesture.

"Fine, fine," she waved her hand and motioned for him to sit on his chair while she leaned against his sideboard. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Would you be so kind to give a message to your wife?" she required.

"Why don't you just text her?" Robert sank back in his chair and tipped his fingers on the tabletop.

"Because she listens to what you say and if I would text her there might be the chance, she wouldn't take my message in because she's busy daydreaming about my dear brother," Rosamund rolled her eyes impatiently. As if it would be so hard to understand?

Robert chuckled. His sister acted like he and Cora were newlywedded, but he secretly enjoyed her saying things like this. So, his sister also had the impression that Cora was as infatuated as he was.

"What is it?" he asked. Rosamund got up and went to the door while answering.

"Tell her I want to know when our next girl's night out will be. The last was rather fun."

"Am I invited this time?" Robert joked.

"Robert, it's called girl's night out for a reason," she stated strictly as she turned around in the doorframe.

"Yes, as I saw last time it also includes quite the amounts of alcohol and I would like to join you on that," he remembered the last time well.

"Just because Cora gets tipsy easily doesn't mean we indulged in volumes of drinks."

"Oh, you were rather inebriated yourself and Cora tolerates as much alcohol as you," he returned.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that…" Rosamund played down the conversation.

"Well, I'm not sure if that's the right topic for work," a voice behind Rosamund inserted. She turned around and faced the bank manager of the local branch, Charles Carson. His broad figure didn't intimidate her and she stepped around him throwing a last annoyed look at Robert and sought her own office.

"You're right, Carson. Let's start our work," Robert said towards his employee and opened his laptop. His calendar reminded him of his appointment for lunch. Joseph Molesley. He nodded at himself and started his tasks for the day.

…

At lunch hour, Robert left his office and the building and went to the bar he and Joseph had agreed on meeting in. It was just a few minutes from his office and a bit more from the school, but both men could reach it by foot. Robert enjoyed the short walk outside in the streets. He did that far too seldom on work days, even if he knew his doctor told him to consciously include physical activity in his work routine. He had agreed, but it was harder than he thought to change habits.

Robert entered the bar and searched for the frame of Joseph Molesley. He spotted him at a table near a window and approached him.

"Hey, Joseph!" Robert gave the other man a nod and took of his coat.

Joseph turned towards Robert surprised, his eyes wide, and jumped up from his seat to greet him, "Hello, Robert! It's so nice you could make it."

"Yeah, of course," Robert took the offered hand and sat down, "So, how are you doing?"

The waiter came to their table and both men ordered a plain coffee.

"Well. I'm fine, nothing to complain," Joseph uttered. He seemed rather nervous to Robert but that was nothing new. They always had to warm up to each other first.

"So, you're still enjoying your work at school?" Robert dug deeper.

"Oh, yes! Absolutely!" Joseph declared, "The students aren't easy all the time, but I do enjoy teaching."

Robert nodded. Any other answer would have surprised him.

"Well, I think Cora would say the same," he said shrugging and took the proffered cup of coffee from the waiter. He missed the uncomfortable expression on Joseph's face.

"And you? How are you doing?" Joseph inquired.

"All right, I'm doing all right," Robert nodded and sipped his coffee.

"And… well, how are things with Cora?" Joseph finally managed. He lifted his gaze from the dark liquid and his eyes wandered back and forth between Robert's.

Robert was surprised by this question. Was that the reason for the meeting? To ask for his relationship with his wife? And in fact, his wife worked with Joseph. He could have asked Cora. Or had Cora said something unsettling about their marriage? What should that have been?

"Fine, yes, very fine," he responded, "But why do you ask? You could have asked Cora…"

Joseph bowed down his head immediately. He stirred his coffee absentmindly.

"That's nice to hear. It's just… well, you see…"

Robert lifted his brow. No, he didn't see.

"There are… things that I heard and I was a bit concerned," Joseph stammered.

Robert tried to patiently encourage him to continue, "Things? What kind of things?"

"Oh, just some vague talk. Someone mentioned that Cora made eyes at… male teachers in school…", Joseph exhaled relieved. He had finally said it. It was done.

"What?" Robert laughed loudly. The tension left him. What Joseph said was so absurd, that Robert forgot all worries that arouse just seconds earlier. Laughter shook his body and Joseph was relieved and baffled at the same time.

"That doesn't sound like Cora at all," Robert managed as explanation for his amusement.

"No, that's what I thought too," Joseph answered. "But I thought I better tell you. I felt uncomfortable keeping such information to myself." Both men nodded. Robert's laugh subsided and they took sips from their cups in the short silence that followed.

"But you just heard? It's not that you saw yourself anything that worried you?" Robert spoke the question that came to his mind.

"No, it was just some talk," Joseph said immediately. They let the topic drop and Joseph told him how he visited his father last weekend at his garden centre near the estate of Robert's parents.

"When have you been at Downton Abbey the last time?" Joseph asked curiously.

"Oh, that was… I don't know exactly. It's been a while," Robert just realized himself. He shrugged his shoulders. "I probably should go there soon."

"Your parents would surely be happy to see you and your family," Joseph remarked.

"Oh, I'm not sure about that…" Robert chuckled lowly. An encounter with his mother was always marked more by snappy comments than by loving welcomings.

A look at his watch told him to get back to work.

"It was nice seeing you. I have to get back to my office now," Robert said to his companion. They paid their bills and returned to their working routines.

Today Cora was home before Robert. He had a late appointment and it wasn't even sure if he'd make it to dinner. Cora stood at the kitchen counter, chopping the vegetable. Her laptop was placed nearby and she tried to read Mary's term paper meanwhile, or as much as there was already. Her eyes wandered between the fast-working knife and the lines on the laptop screen. Mary was studying social sciences and often consulted her mother for her academic papers. Cora was sometimes tempted to write the papers herself, still remembering exactly how she did it herself at college. She reluctantly admitted that she had indeed enjoyed writing them sometimes. Robert had often shaken his head in disbelief. But no, she was just having a look at Mary's assignment to give her some helping and slightly guiding words on it.

The sliced leek rolled across the chopping board and Cora only looked up from the screen to grab the next leek. The chopping went all automatically.

"Mama! Be careful!" Edith cautioned shocked at entering the kitchen.

Cora stopped and looked at her daughter, "What, darling?"

"You shouldn't do that simultaneously. It won't end well," Edith's look was a bit anxious. She stood at the kitchen table and her hands clutched the back of a chair. Now she sought her mother's eyes with an expression of incredulity.

"Oh, Edith. Don't worry. I've got enough practice at multi-tasking." She remembered the years with three little girls running around her like wild.

"But don't you dare copying my behaviour! It's nothing one does unpractised," Cora pointed the knife at Edith before continuing her chopping.

"I wouldn't ever think of it. I'm not world-weary…," with that Edith turned away and went to the open living space.

Cora resumed her dinner preparations and finished reading Mary's text. She took her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and dialled her eldest daughter's number. With the phone pressed between her ear and shoulder, she put the vegetable in the casserole dish.

"Hello, Mary! I've just had a look at your paper."

"Thank you, Mama. And, is it as hopeless as I thought?"

"No, not at all. I'd like to have at look at it together with you," Cora replied and put the casserole in the oven.

"Alright, but I'm busy now. Let's talk about it later, okay?" Mary answered.

Cora closed the oven, "Alright. Are you here for dinner?"

"No, I don't think so. What's for dinner?"

"I'm making casserole," Cora set the timer on her phone while answering.

"… I see. Bye then."

"Bye, my darling."

After ending the call, Cora leaned on the kitchen counter with both ends, her sleeves still wrapped up.

"So, Mary has no time for you?" Edith called from the living space. She sat on one of the settees, her legs pulled up underneath her. Her eyes were locked on the magazine in her hands. Her strawberry blond curls fell on her shoulders, tied up loosely by a ribbon.

"It just wasn't the right time," Cora stated and cleaned up the kitchen.

"Perhaps. But I think she's occupied otherwise quite a lot lately," Edith turned the page lazily.

"Are you implying something, dear?" Cora looked up with raised eyebrows.

"No, just saying…," she shrugged her shoulders. After a few seconds she sat up straighter and put her feet down on the carpet. "Do you need help?" her eyes searched the kitchen but her mother had already done nearly all the cleaning.

"No, thank you, darling. But would have a look at the casserole? I set a timer but I thought I could take a shower in the meantime," Cora responded. She was happy about Edith's offer. Her middle daughter had the ability to see what others needed more than her eldest one.

"Of course, no problem," Edith smiled warmly at her mother.

Cora left the kitchen in a bright mood, returning her daughter's smile. She went to the bathroom adjoined to her and Robert's bedroom and stepped under the shower.

Oh, how she relished in the feeling of the hot water on her skin! She turned it on even further and sighed as the boiling drops hit her skin. Cora watched the steam escaping the shower. Soon it would leak underneath the bathroom door and she knew she would get a scolding from Robert if he noticed she was turning on the water much too hot again. He always told her that it wouldn't do any good to her skin and that she should choose a more moderate temperature to shower in, but it just wasn't the same delight. A real shower was a hot shower. Robert hadn't been able to convince her otherwise. If he was coming home now for an unlikely reason, he'd hopefully not turn to their bedroom first things.

She took her time and enjoyed the way the heat loosened some of her tight muscles. She could also use a massage of Robert's but he had done enough for her in the last time. She shouldn't task him any further at the moment. And the hot shower was doing its job rather well. She elicited another sigh while rubbing the soap into her skin. She felt as good in her body as she hadn't felt since… well, since last night actually. But other than that, the moments under the shower were her escape. She had to regain her footing after letting to many problems take control over her. It was the problems of her students, her daughters, help her headmistress needed and she always complied and tried to solve everything. It has taken a toll on her lately and she really had to reset her boundaries. An end of the day and to her work was something she had let slipped too often. She had to take care of that.

She rinsed the soap off her body and turned off the shower. Much more relaxed she left the bathroom soon after and approached the kitchen freshly dressed. Her wet hair was piled up oh her head in a bun. Edith and Sybil were already setting the table in the living space and smiled at their mother as she came in.

"Oh, thank you, my loves!" Cora exclaimed elated. She clapped her hands and assisted them with the glasses. She went to the oven and decided the casserole was ready even if her timer haven't rung yet. She took the meal out of the oven and placed it in the middle of the table. The three sat down and looked at each other expectantly. Cora turned in her chair and looked over her shoulder at the clock.

"I think we can start already. Your father will be here in a little while," she declared, shrugging her shoulders. Her daughters served themselves and they began eating in mutual silence. A rustling in the hallway announced Robert's arrival. Cora looked up from her plate and her daughters could see the awaiting glance in their mother's eyes. Sybil smirked and returned her focus to her food. Edith prepared a helping for her father. The door opened and Robert stepped in.

"We didn't know when you would be coming exactly, so we already started," Cora explained. Robert sat down opposite her and smiled.

"It's alright. I said I would be late and it just ended few minutes earlier," he responded and gave Edith a grateful nod at taking the dish from her hands.

"How was your day?" Cora asked, her blue eyes caressing him warmly.

"Just alright," he stated and took a bite of his food. Everyone chewed for a short while and Robert remembered his encounter at lunch time.

"I met Joseph today," he told and looked up at his wife.

"Oh?" her look was questioningly.

"Yes, we drank coffee together and he wanted to know how our marriage was going," he had to chuckle at the memory of Joseph being awkward at telling his worries.

"I didn't know Joseph as a nosy fellow," Sybil remarked grinningly.

"Yes, what an odd inquiry!" Cora added with an amused expression. Her lips turned into a smirk she failed to suppress. "And I assume you told him we're constantly at each other's throats," she joked.

Robert chuckled, "Yes, because he didn't want to believe the extent of our marital bliss."

"Papa!" Edith exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock. Cora blushed at Robert's open statement and cast her eyes down.

"Robert, I don't think that's for dinner table," she spoke softly and avoided to look at her daughters.

"I apologize. It was just a joke, girls," Robert backpedalled and scratched his head. Cora pressed her lips together to prevent to laugh out loud. Robert could be such a goof.

Sybil saved the situation by telling the others what happened at school today and what was new with her friends. Everything seemed so at ease. And Cora was happy about it; her effort to relax wasn't in vain after all.

Let me know what you think! x