"Mrs. Hughes? Do you have a minute?" Anna asked.

"Come in." Mrs. Hughes closed the door to her office behind her. "What is it?"

"I think we need to give Jane different things to do. More things downstairs or outside the house."

Mrs. Hughes raised her eyebrows. "What happened? Has this to do with the used bedroom?"

"I think so, yes. I am not sure how to tell you, but I think something happened between Jane and his lordship." Anna said timidly.

"I see." Mrs. Hughes knew enough. She was suspecting something had happened. Jane asked for too many upstairs jobs that involved being in the same room as his lordship. "Thank you for warning me, I will keep an eye on her."

Her couch rattled in her chest. Cora tried to lift her upper body. She was still incredibly weak. Since Dr. Clarkson gave her the oxygen she felt better, but she still had a fever, and her lungs did not improve that much.

Two strong hands helped her sit more upright. Cora opened her eyes and looked into the eyes of Robert. Every morning, he sat at her bedside. She was grateful to have such a caring husband.

When the coughing stopped, she took Robert's hand and softly squeezed it.

"Good morning. How are you feeling? Your cough doesn't sound as if it is improving." Robert put his other hand on her forehead. "You still have a fever."

Cora nodded; her eyes wanted to fall shut again. She forced them open. She wanted to look at Robert. His blue eyes were full of worries. On his forehead, there was a frown. "I will...… get better..." her coughing started again.

Robert held up a bowl. She was coughing so hard that she started to retch.

"Do you want to eat something? Or drink?" Robert asked, once she rested back into her pillow and adjusting the oxygen tube.

Cora was not sure. She knew she was throwing up from coughing and not because she was sick to her stomach, but only thinking about eating made her tired.

"Here, have some toast. You need to eat to regain your strength."

She let Robert help her sit, even more upright, and took the toast he offered her.

"I am glad seeing you eat." Dr Clarkson's voice sounded in the room. Together with Sybil, he stepped inside her bedroom.

Robert wanted to get up, but Cora did not let go of his hand. He bend down and kissed her cheek. "I am not going anywhere, but Dr. Clarkson needs to examine you."

Reluctantly she let go of his hand. She needed him close for her comfort, but she also felt incredibly guilty. She did not deserve this attention of him. She treated him badly the last weeks, even months. She neglected him.

"Take a deep breath." Dr. Clarkson said.

Cora tried to inhale as deep as she could, but she had to suppress her cough. "Your lungs are not improving, and I find it worrying that you still have a fever."

"Her ladyship is much more awake during the day, so I think she is improving, but not as fast as we would have hoped." Cora heard Sybil say.

"If she does not improve more by tomorrow, I am strongly advising to bring her to the hospital, there we can give her antibiotics via IV." Dr. Clarkson said. He picked up his bag and left.

"Papa, I will not be home this afternoon, but you can manage with Mary and Edith, right?" Sybil said to her father.

"Where are you going? Not to that boy I hope?" Robert said angrily.

"I am seeing Tom today, yes, and you cannot stop me." Sybil walked out; Robert wanted to follow.

"Robert?" Cora said softly. "Let her go."

Robert sat backdown next to her. "I do not understand you." He said. "He is not right for her, and you know that."

Cora shook her head. "Trust her." She tried lying down again but needed Robert's help. She could not keep her eyes open any longer. She felt Robert's fingers brushing her hair.

Robert went outside with Isis, he needed to clear his head. Why was Cora not fighting against this relationship between his Sybil and Tom. Tom was not born in the same class as she was. As a chauffeur he would never have the finances to give Sybil the life she was used to. Cora had suggested that they could raise her allowance once she was married, but he did not want to do that. Her husband should be the one bringing in the money, not he as her dad. He did not like this Tom guy at all.

He walked on, why was everything so complicated at the moment, Sybil and Tom gave him a headache. Mary needed to find a man to marry, Matthew seemed like a perfect candidate, he did not know why nothing was going on between the two of them. The new business kept Cora incredibly busy, and he did not know how to deal with that. She normally was home for him to ask about his day, but more often she was busy in her office with phone calls and sending emails. His mother had always said that his wife should help with the hospital, because they were the biggest investor, but Cora and his mother were not the best match. Although that was not Cora's fault, his mother was to strict.

Robert sighed, he wished she would be busy with those phone calls right now. It scared him that she was not improving and the blood she was coughing up made him feel unease. What would he do without his Cora. From the day they met, Cora was his lifeline. She grounded him, made him look at things from a different angle.

In the distance he saw a familiar figure, it was Jane walking with a big bag towards the house. He knew he should be wiser, but he stepped up and got closer.

"Can I help you with that?"

He startled Jane, who dropped the bag and oranges rolled over the floor. They both got on their knees to grab them. When he looked up, he looked into her eyes. His hand moved to her cheek. Why was he attracted to her, he loved his wife. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but Jane put a spell on him.

"Milord." Jane said softly, putting her hand on his. "Are you sure?"

This shook Robert out of the dream and quickly he got up. "I am sorry, I should not have done that. Please forgive me." Quickly he walked back to the house, where Bates was waiting for him.

"Bates, good to see you, I need to talk to you." He knew he could always count on Bates wise words. He would not judge, he hoped.