Lessons to Learn
Chapter 10
A/N: With a few days delay, here is Chapter 10. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget, reviews really make a difference! So, if you want to make me happy, feel free to leave your thoughts! Thank you for reading and stay safe!
Cora had hoped that the weekend would allow her to sleep in but somehow this just wasn't done. It was not so much the abundance of errands as her stubborn biological rhythm that made it impossible for her to stay horizontally after half-past six. So, Cora was downstairs on Saturday morning and tried to make a plan for the weekend ahead while ironing some shirts in the centre of the living space.
One of the most pressing matters – even though not particularly of utmost importance – was Rosamund's concern about how to entertain a teenage girl. There were also other issues that needed Cora's attention but her sister-in-law's demanding voice sounded in the back of her head continuously. So, Cora decided that this would be the first real thing to do this Saturday, get in touch with Rosamund and pay her a visit to help her prepare little Rose's stay. It was still early in the morning and Rosamund was surely wrapped up and snuggled into the depths of her bed so Cora sent her a message asking for the right time to come over and tackle things. She quickly resumed her work on the ironing board and her thoughts wandered back to the rest of her weekend plans. There was the project for the easter school fair she had started with one of her art classes and even though Oliver was taking over the class she wouldn't let anyone take away that project from her. Her students had begun to interpret famous artworks that demonstrated the start of spring using brush and paint in another style than the artist used originally. It should make for a nice gallery at the easter school fair. Cora was giving her students the freedom to choose whatever style and artwork they liked. She was very pleased with the first results and she wanted to guide and accompany this project further on. The students also seemed to find joy in trying their hand at the different approaches of the painting styles without the prospect of getting graded. Cora had told them this would be only for the school fair and she hadn't expected such vigour from her students as actually arose in most of them when they took up the brush without restrictions.
One boy who stubbornly drew stick figures most of the time and always arrived late after break time because 'the basketball got stuck in the tree again' surprised Cora with an adaptation of van Gogh's 'The Pink Peach Tree' trying to imitate Hokusai's style. He stylised the artwork boldly and this proved to be a great choice because the first lines already looked promising.
One girl was interpreting Alphonse Mucha's 'Spring' in an impressionist style. The artwork portrayed the season as a nymph-like woman. The student, who herself was quite a perfectionist, had been very interested in how Monet – whom they discussed in class a lot while talking about impressionism – had managed to create such clear images even though his brushstrokes looked so chaotic. Now she sat in front of her canvas every lesson and speckled it with paint neatly and patiently trying her best to get rid of the order her strokes always adopted. Cora was pleased to not only see this girl's determination to step out of her perfectionist comfort zone for the sake of creating an interesting artwork but also that she refrained from using the colours Mucha had chosen and instead prepared a palette of different shades of pink every lesson. She used just some orange and blue to highlight and shade but the mass of pink areas on the canvas demonstrated a very own perception of spring. The girl gave the artwork her own touch and Cora was so proud of her students in moments like these.
Of course, many students also used the opportunity of not being graded to not pay the task much attention but on the whole, this project gave Cora many proud-teacher-moments. She knew how hard it was and how long it took to get a student to the point where they lose their inhibitions and just try and be bold and try again and try it differently and just keep going and not be afraid their work won't 'look good'. This project showed Cora actually how many of her 'mentees' really had reached that stage after years of Art lessons under her guidance. So, Cora was determined she would find a way to guide her students in this project till the end. Oliver would understand and he would have enough tasks with the remaining classes nevertheless.
This was another point on her weekend to-do list. She would prepare a summary for Oliver about the different classes and the different topics she had taught over the last months. Cora wanted him to take over the classes with a certain structure but just handing him all the files and documents would certainly overwhelm him. It would turn these classes into a bunch of chaotic leftover lessons and that was not what Cora worked on for them to be. So, Oliver would receive a clear and ordered protocol of the school year so far and a plan of how Cora would recommend continuing. Of course, he could realise the rest of the school year how he wanted but silently Cora hoped that he would be as wise as to listen to her experienced ideas and thoughts. But she could easily picture this with him. He seemed very willing to listen to her thoughts.
But these extra tasks concerning her school fair project and the handover of the art classes only added to the usual preparation of lessons and the domestic burdens that hadn't been tended to over the week. The precious hours of her weekend would surely shrink in no time. Probably it was only right that she got up so early, Cora thought and shrugged her shoulders as she put the iron to the side and fetched another shirt from the laundry basket next to her.
It was then that Sybil entered the room, all sleepy and rubbing her eyes as she mumbled something like a greeting.
"Morning, darling," Cora responded. "You're up already?"
Sybil sank onto the sofa and pulled up her legs to tuck her bare toes underneath her. "Yes, I have to get used to it for my internship," she yawned. Her hands now rubbed her upper arms. She surely missed the comforting warmth of her bed.
Cora chuckled while she straightened the shirt on the board. Her eyes followed the movements of her own hands as she answered. "You're getting up early for school. Isn't that practice enough?"
"That's different," Sybil gave back. "I have to practice rising early in times when everyone else stays in bed. So, doing it on weekends is a good exercise for when I have to do it on holidays." Cora nodded at her daughter's explanation. Sybil had decided this was the way to go, so Cora knew her youngest would stick with it. She glanced over her shoulder as she resumed ironing and watched Sybil's form on the sofa. Sybil sat there unmoving, her hands had ceased their actions and her gaze was directed into nothingness afar.
"Oh, my poor darling. It seems to be quite a hard task," Cora said empathetically. "You still seem half asleep."
"I know," Sybil grumbled. "How do you do this?" she looked lazily over to her mother and made a weak gesture at Cora standing at the ironing board. Cora laughed.
"It's a habit, my dear."
"Well, I want to make it a habit too. But day one of standing up before dawn is done already," Sybil yawned and resumed her unfocused gazing. Cora had to chuckle again.
"Sybil, it's already after 8 am. That's not nearly before dawn," she said while pointing her head out the window where the sun was high up already.
"I know," Sybil groaned. "But my alarm rang before dawn and I made a start."
"Of course you did," Cora replied soothingly and her eyes swept over her sleepy daughter. She put aside the last shirt and turned off the iron before going to the kitchen to fill her youngest a glass of cool water.
"Sybil?" she inquired from the kitchen.
"Hm?"
"I can help you if you want. I can help you make it a habit." She went back to the living room and handed Sybil the glass while taking a seat next to her. "Drink that. It helps to get the circulation going."
Sybil eyed the glass of water and took a sip. Her warm fingertips left clear prints on the misty glass.
"You know, I had a hard time getting up early in my first winter semester in college here," Cora told her daughter in a quiet voice. Sybil turned her head towards her and looked at her expectantly like she had done every time Cora had started telling her a bedtime story when she was little.
When Cora didn't continue immediately Sybil inserted, "Really? Was it so different to what you were used to in America?"
"I hadn't anticipated feeling the lack of vitamin D so immensely. My first winter here seemed so dark and cold and grey to me. I had to put so much energy into everything I did. Especially getting out of bed."
"And how did you manage?"
"I built a routine, starting my day with the ever-same steps, ones that didn't need much thought but got my day going. The first thing was a glass of cold water," Cora pointed to the glass still in Sybil's hand and Sybil took another sip. "And then I did my bathroom routine, consisting mainly of doing my hair while listening to the radio. But hairstyles don't have to be your thing," Cora said with a short look at the messy bun atop her daughter's head. It was one of three hairstyles Sybil wore next to wild, loose curls and combed back into a ponytail when she was getting things done. "Doing my hair every morning while getting my thoughts started slowly was my thing but you can do something else. You could read the news. That's what your father liked to do… well, when the babbling of you baby girls didn't disrupt him," Cora chuckled.
"Well, lucky we aren't baby girls anymore," Sybil said with a tilt of her head.
Cora grinned, "Oh, but you are. You're all still baby girls, my dear." Sybil rolled her eyes.
"But I guess I could do that," Sybil added thoughtfully. "I feel totally uninformed of the happenings in the world as it is. I just know about some things I read by the by on my phone." Cora had to smile that this idea really worked to motivate Sybil. It had been something Cora had said because she couldn't think of something else so fast. She hadn't thought Sybil would react to this. It wasn't that she didn't think her interested. In fact, all her daughters were persons you could discuss global matters with. They were interested and opinionated. But Cora wasn't sure either of them would choose reading the news to start their days. Edith maybe, but not first things. She bothered with her bathroom routine first just like Cora. Nevertheless, Sybil was somehow energised by this suggestion and pulled Cora from her thoughts when she rose from the sofa and looked for her tablet all around the living space.
"I must have left it somewhere in here yesterday," she mumbled and continued lifting pillows and cushions. With a shake of her head, she paused for a moment and affixed her eyes on Cora. "I didn't realise the great lack I show in my knowledge of politics, Mama. I really should start informing myself more. Now I have two areas needing improvement," she continued talking while resuming her search. "But I can conquer them at once. That's really a brilliant idea, Mama!" Sybil acknowledged. "Ha!" she pulled her tablet from the gap between the cushion and armrest of an armchair.
With a mission, Sybil took up her new task now. She lounged in her seat, scrolled through different apps and different articles. Cora smiled at her youngest and got back to her own thoughts and tasks again.
A ding indicated the income of Rosamund's response to her earlier message. Cora read the words her sister-in-law had wrote and turned to Sybil.
"I will be at Rosamund's for a while. Will you tell Papa?" she asked. Sybil looked up and nodded.
"Oh, is it because Rose is coming?" Sybil sat up straighter. She had been elated to hear that Rose was coming. When they had last seen each other both the girls had been still really small. It wouldn't have surprised Cora if Sybil had problems remembering her. But Sybil was curious to meet Rose again.
"Yes, I am helping Rosamund to prepare Rose's stay," Cora answered and went to collect her things and pack her handbag. "What do you think, Sybil? Is there anything Rosamund should definitely have in store for Rose?"
"Enough nice food in the fridge," Sybil gave back with a cheeky grin. Cora shot her a look of mocking annoyance.
"Alright, thank you for your help. Rosamund will surely appreciate it."
"Say hello to her and Marmaduke for me!" Sybil added.
"Of course."
It was about half an hour later that Cora entered her sister-in-law's house. Marmaduke was opening the front door and guided her inside and into the kitchen where Rosamund sat at the set breakfast table, drinking her cup of morning coffee and browsing through some documents. In the background, some of Marmaduke's loved classical piano music was on, and while he was already dressed in one of his more casual shirts and suit trousers, Rosamund was lounging cross-legged on her chair still in a pink morning robe. She had her ginger curls pinned up loosely and wore a light version of her makeup.
"Hey, Cora!" she greeted as she looked up for a moment. "It's nice you could come over directly. I didn't think much when accepting to take Rose for a while. I am afraid it is much more of a challenge than I anticipated."
Cora took a seat next to her and accepted the cup, Marmaduke offered her, with a nod. "Oh, I don't think it will be much of a big deal," she assured, and some of the wrinkles on Rosamund's worried brow disappeared. Rosamund sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, now you're here and you can check if I missed out on something important," she said and pushed her documents aside to give Cora and their conversation her full attention. Cora had to think of what Sybil had said.
"Sybil thinks it's most important that you have enough food there all the time. Nice food, she said. And I can agree an empty – or wrongly filled – fridge has a lot of potential for conflict," Cora said.
"Oh, I see. Well, Marmaduke's doing the groceries," Rosamund nodded her head at her husband who had taken a seat across from the women. "So the fridge will be filled responsibly. But if Rose doesn't like the content, she can go shopping with him. I won't accept nagging on that score," Rosamund stated nonchalantly.
"Alright," Cora chuckled. "First case solved I'd say. Oh, and before I forget it. Sybil told me to say hello to you for her. She's conditioning herself to become an early bird for her internship, so I spent the morning with her."
"Thank you," Rosamund said.
"She is really determined about her goal to become a doctor, right?" Marmaduke asked. He didn't saw the girls as often as Rosamund did but since he was a great listener, he remembered everything they said and everything Rosamund told him about them.
"It seems so," Cora agreed. "At least, she wants to check out if it really is her thing. But yes, she is very determined in everything she does," Cora laughed.
Rosamund clapped her hands. "But don't forget what it's about actually. Sybil is doing just great, we heard that. Now let's assure Rose won't get a shock when she settles into wholly new surroundings," she declared. Despite her hard tone, Cora noticed the expression of warmth Marmaduke's face adopted. Rosamund seemed to care a lot about this task she had taken on and Marmaduke appeared to appreciate her emotional investment.
"Yes, right," Cora said. She had nothing against solving problems efficiently. A casual chat was nice but admittedly her time was small. "Where will Rose sleep?"
"I thought to give her the great guestroom on the ground floor. She would have a bit more privacy down here, I think. And she has a bathroom of her own there. I wonder if we should plan some things to do with her," Rosamund added. She looked questioningly first at Cora then at Marmaduke.
"Oh, I think that is something you can figure out with her together. You don't know what exactly she likes, so I'd say it's best to just ask her if she likes to go to the movies or if she wants to go shopping with you," Cora grinned. "I imagine it would be rather fun for her to go shopping with you, Ros. I bet Susan doesn't have that much to offer on that score."
Rosamund groaned. "She definitely does not. She's such a bore!"
"But Cora, maybe you have some ideas for Rose's first evening," Marmaduke inserted. He stirred his cup of tea while explaining further, "Ros is unsure of how to welcome her. She's afraid things might be awkward at first."
"I'm not!" Rosamund exclaimed. She was, Cora sensed and her mind worked quickly to think of a fast solution.
"You could come over," Cora said before Rosamund was able to continue her defence.
"What?" Rosamund turned around in her chair to fully face Cora.
"Well, I just thought you could all come over for dinner on Monday. That way Rose has some sort of welcoming and you don't have to worry over entertaining her on your own. She will surely get along nicely with the girls," Cora explained.
"I think this sounds good," Marmaduke agreed. Rosamund nodded and seemed to still think this idea through.
"Yes, this could work. It would be very nice of you," she said to Cora.
"Oh, I'm just cooking a little more. It's no big deal," she assured.
"Great. This is solved," Rosamund pressed her palms on the tabletop and pushed herself up from her chair. "I prepared a list of other questions and tasks. Let's have a look at this. Oh, and it would be perfect if you could lend me a hand with Rose's bed. I haven't prepared it yet." Rosamund was on her way out of the kitchen and Cora rose from her chair to follow her suit.
"I hope you brought enough time," Marmaduke said to her quietly. "She is very ambitious with her plans."
"Well," Cora said to him on her way out. "I am sure we'll make it work."
…
Cora entered the living room with a sigh when she returned home sometime in the already progressed afternoon.
"I'm back," she announced and Robert, sitting in his armchair, looked up from the documents he was reading.
"You had been away for a while," he stated and despite the fact – or maybe even more so – that his tone was free of emotions, Cora sensed judgement on his part.
"Well, Rosamund needed my help so I gave it to her," she retorted and stood in the doorway undecided. The documents in Robert's hand sank into his lap slowly as he inhaled for his answer.
"Cora," he began and his teaching tone irritated her instantly. "You don't have to attend to every command my sister utters. She's using your willingness to give up your time just so she doesn't have to do this stuff on her own." Cora crossed her arms in front of her chest and her brow furrowed disapprovingly at his words.
"And here I thought you were the one worried for your sister," she gave back with a tilt in her voice that hinted her disbelieve of what she had just heard.
Robert sighed and with a quieter tone he answered, "Of course. I am glad she has support and sought someone to confide in with whatever is bothering her."
"Aha! So it's right of her to seek help but it's wrong of me to give it to her? Did I get you right?" Cora's tone was a little snappy.
"Cora," Robert groaned. "You're twisting my words." But you don't say you didn't mean it that way, Cora thought.
"Well, now I'm back," she said in what she hoped was a less agitated voice. Robert nodded shortly. "I've got things to do," she added and when he only nodded again she turned to leave the room.
"Oh, and Cora!" Robert called after her.
"Hm?" she grabbed the doorway to peak back into the room.
"You could answer my messages instead of only reading them," he said evenly.
"Oh, right," she recalled the message he had sent earlier, asking for the time she planned to be back. She had forgotten to answer it after not doing it instantly because Rosamund had needed help with the bedsheets. "I am sorry," she apologised earnestly. "It won't happen again."
Robert looked back down onto his documents and added, "Don't let it become a habit."
"What?" her reaction came out in a tone more high-pitched than intended. "I forget to answer one time and you scold me directly? Because it could 'become a habit'?" she exclaimed, every word tinged with disbelieve.
Robert didn't look up and delivered the next gibe in a voice calmer than Cora had expected from him, "Well, it's a good thing you're not teaching maths." For a moment Cora was dumbfounded but with a recollecting shake of her head, she turned to leave again.
"Really, Robert. I don't put myself through this any longer. We can take up talking again when you're over with your current hump," she spoke over her shoulder and before making the first step into the hallway she added, "But you better be less moody on Monday. We don't want to give Rose a gloomy welcoming."
As soon as the words had left her mouth, she regretted them. She herself kept this muddled conversation going that way. She hated sending these contradictory signals. No wonder Robert could use them so easily against her.
"What does that have to do with us? We are not accommodating Rose," Robert rebuked. He now looked up at her. His face showed a confused expression.
Cora sighed. It was her fault that the conversation was going on. Her irritation shouldn't be with Robert at that point. "No, but we are hosting them a dinner on Monday," she explained.
"Oh, I see. How nice you informed me of that," Robert retorted sarcastically. Cora merely rolled her eyes and was again about to leave when Robert added, "Why do you have to invite them without asking me?"
"Well, it's not like you would be the one to make dinner and prepare everything. You just have to sit down at the dinner table with three more people around it. That's not much to ask for, is it?" Cora was really done with discussing and arguing about every little thing. She didn't have the nerve to respond patiently.
"Alright, Cora. Do what you think is right," Robert huffed. Cora sensed his disapproval but thought it wisest to let this argument rest.
"I'm in my study," she stated and left the room for real now. She heard the rustling of paper that indicated that he resumed his work as well. Maybe it was best like this at the moment.
Rosamund, Marmaduke and Rose were coming for dinner today. Now that he had thought about it, it was probably a good idea. What should Ros and Marmaduke do with a fourteen-year-old girl on her first evening? It was a little hectic right at the beginning of everyone's working week but with it being a simple family gathering it shouldn't cause too much of a flurry. And in addition, it allowed him to ask Rosamund about her opinion about certain settings of the new system at the bank. He hadn't managed to confront her at work today. They'd missed each other almost every time with their appointments overlapping in an unpractical manner. When Rosamund had left the cafeteria as soon as he had entered, sending him an apologetic look and pointing at her watch as he had tried to start a conversation, he had recalled that she was coming over tonight and now he was thankful for this construction.
He hadn't talked to Cora about this topic since Saturday and as soon as he got home today, he decided to apologise for his manner of speaking so disapprovingly. He found her in the kitchen sorting the groceries she must have bought just before. She kneeled in front of the lowest board of the kitchen shelf and stacked up some cans.
"Cora?" Robert inquired.
"Yes?" she turned her head and assessed him with raised eyebrows. Her hands sank onto her thighs and Robert saw the heaving of her chest. He wasn't sure if the look on her face, that accompanied the hint of pink on her cheeks, was one of impatience she had with him or if it was a mere hurry she herself was in.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I talked about your invitation of Rosamund and so," Robert began. He made a step further into the room, his eyes glued to the tips of his shoes. "We shouldn't have been arguing about this. After all, we both just wanted to help her and I can see now not only that Rose's coming is doing her good but also that your idea of inviting them over was really helpful." His eyes met her wide ones when he lifted them slowly at his last sentence.
"No, we shouldn't have argued. I am sorry too," Cora gave back softly as she rose from the floor and approached him. "You were right. I had been sacrificing all of my Saturday and it probably had me a little jaded," she said quietly, her head bent forward slightly. She reached out her hands to grab his. Then she tilted her head a little to the right to look at him and Robert took in the reconciliatory expression on Cora's face as he accepted her hands and pulled her a little nearer.
"Let's make it a nice welcoming evening for Rose today," he spoke softly and offered a smile. The corners of her lips turned up as well and Robert leaned forwards to press a kiss on her cheek. The smile she rewarded him with afterwards was wider than the one before and Robert felt drawn in by her eyes. The peace, it gave his heart that they weren't clouded but brimming clearly, made him grateful for his own choice of apologising for Saturday.
Cora told him what she had planned for dinner and he nodded at every idea she told him. She seemed to enjoy unloading her mind by talking about all the steps she had to do until Rosamund, Marmaduke and Rose would arrive. Robert indulged the sound of her voice that was accompanied by her rustling in the kitchen and savoured this moment of peace. He leaned back in a chair at the kitchen table and his thoughts wandered. Soon he found himself pondering over the settings of the system that still needed discussion. He would try to sit next to Rosamund over dinner.
When Cora started dinner preparations not much later, he excused himself to leave for his study.
"Yes, get done whatever needs your attention," Cora acquiesced and waved him out of the kitchen with a smile.
…
Half an hour before their guests should arrive Robert closed the laptop and left his study. The row of shoes in the hallway told him that all the girls were home by now and he approached the kitchen to look if everything was going alright. He realised that it had been quite a while since they had invited his sister and her husband over. Yes, Cora and he had been at theirs for a moment a few weeks ago at Cora's and Rosamund's girls' night but a real dinner with both families was a while ago already.
For a moment he thought he heard Cora humming in the kitchen but it was the sound of a video Edith watched on her phone while sitting at the kitchen table. Confused he shook his head. The girls with their phones constantly in hand for their unbroken entertainment was something he saw with a critical eye. It managed to peak his irritation every once in a while. But now a shake of his head was enough to redirect his thoughts. He stepped into the room and his eyes sought Cora's contact as he inquired, "How are you doing? Will everything be ready in time?"
Cora's eyes ran over the different pots while she nodded. "Yes, I think so. It looks good."
"Is there a seating arrangement already?" he inquired.
"Mary and Sybil are setting the dining table next door," Cora told him while wiping her hands on her apron. "But I haven't thought about a seating plan. Do we need one?" she asked confused.
"No. No, we don't," he gave back. "I just wanted to know if I could sit next to Rosamund."
"You want to sit next to your sister?" Cora doubted. She faced him with an expression of amusement.
"It's because of work," he explained. "Otherwise, I would gladly sit elsewhere," he said with a wink and in a tone, he hoped to be light enough to avoid a reaction of annoyance in her. Work wasn't an ideal topic for dinner conversation after all.
She nodded weakly and her gentle smirk was a sign of her understanding. "I see. I feel like I am in school being asked if you could sit together. Feel free to sit wherever you want," Cora answered softly. When a happy smile appeared on Robert's face, Cora emitted a laugh and she shook her head at him. That was a reaction Robert could live with.
"Everything is ready," Sybil called when she passed the kitchen on her way upstairs.
"Thank you, darling," Cora called back and she smiled at Mary who entered the room shortly after Sybil had left the field of vision. Mary sat down next to Edith who had been sitting in the kitchen quietly all the time and now both of them sat next to each other peacefully occupied with their phones. Robert was amazed by the lack of arguing but that still didn't manage to weaken his disapproval of the pull the phones had on the girls. Cora seemed to notice his irritation and her touch on his upper arm averted his attention.
"Don't," she whispered, a pleading look in her eyes. "At least, it's quiet for a while." He shrugged his shoulders and Cora returned to the pots on the stove.
It was Sybil's delighted voice that announced the arrival of their guests not much later. "They're coming!" Her fast steps down the stairs were audible. She must have seen the car approaching from her window. Her head popped into the kitchen.
"We should greet them properly," Sybil suggested.
"Do you really think that is necessary?" Edith questioned without lifting her gaze.
"Maybe not, but it's nice," Cora answered in Sybil's place. Nobody argued with that and the five of them made their way to the front door. The girls went down the steps and waved at the red sports car that came to a halt in the driveway. Robert stayed standing next to Cora in the doorway. He shortly lifted a hand to greet them as well but his attention was on his other arm that sneaked around Cora's back so that his hand came to rest on her waist. She quickly looked at him with a smile before she turned her attention to the new arrivals.