This is set in s5 after Cora has given Robert the ultimatum after their fight about Bricker and Robert returns to her room. Their relationship is slowly on the mend.

White – Purity

The rare sound that only was a distant hum in the hall caught Robert's attention. A few simple notes, played on the piano in a slow rhythm as if by a child. He stopped and listened. The music room was rarely used as they weren't the most musical family. Robert was surprised to find that the room now was occupied by someone again after quite a long while of it being sunken into oblivion.

After a minute of listening to the faint sounds, Robert made the resolution to approach the music room instead of attending his business in the library. The piano stopped as he walked to the closed door and when Robert put his hand on the door handle, he heard voices from the inside. He managed to open the door noiselessly and peeked into the room.

The sight he beheld instantly had his heart in a clutch. A torrent of emotions overwhelmed him, and he felt like an intruder in this peaceful and intimate scene. He felt like it wasn't meant for eyes, but this probably was just his own judgment.

She sat on the stool at the piano with little Sybbie on her lap. Her voice now carried clear through the air, and her singing was at the same time strangely rare and familiar. Cora sang beautifully, Robert was reminded now. He never actually realised how seldomly she did it though despite her great talent.

She held the sheet of music with one hand in front of Sybbie and traced the notes with her other hand, even though Sybbie was quite incapable of reading it. The morning sun fell through the window and the white keys of the piano and the white sheet of paper in Cora's hand threw back the light and blinded Robert for a moment before he got used to the brightness. While his vision was impaired, he heard her voice even clearer than before.

"I had a little nut tree,
Nothing would it bear,
But a silver nutmeg
And a golden pear."

Cora's voice was like honey and the pure notes of her vocals reflected off the bright white sheet of music in her hand, enveloped little Sybbie, and flew through the room right to Robert. Slowly, he got accustomed to the brightness of the music and the music room. In the same way, he couldn't stop listening to Cora sing, he couldn't take his eyes off the peaceful duo of grandmother and granddaughter.

"The King of Spain's daughter
Came to visit me,
And all for the sake
Of my little nut tree."

Gently, she rocked Sybbie on her lap, and Sybbie's chubby hand tightened around Cora's wrist as the young girl watched her granny's wandering index finger in awe.

Robert's stomach churned as he thought about how unfair he had been to Cora during the last few weeks. How he had disregarded her and blamed her for things not under her influence. And how he had punished her so unjustly when she was the most precious thing in his life. What made him be so stupid? What made him be so careless? She could very well be lost to him now. But she wasn't. Because she persevered despite his outright nasty and foolish behaviour. She was gracious enough to give him another chance, and he didn't feel he deserved it so easily. But what if – it would have been her right to do so – she hadn't offered it so easily? The thought made him shudder. He didn't want to imagine. But could he really have been so stubborn and blind and pushed her away at the chance of losing her favour? What bitter part of him had been so powerful to guide him through the last few weeks? He wanted to be rid of it entirely. Cora was to be protected from these wicked parts of himself.

So, despite their finally mending the cracks of their relationship again, Robert kept apart a little from Cora for her sake. She only deserved the best, and lately, Robert hadn't proved to be that.

Cora's voice carried on strongly through his thoughts.

"Her dress was made of crimson,
Jet black was her hair,
She asked me for my nutmeg
And my golden pear."

She brushed over Sybbie's dark hair for a moment.

Cora asked so little of him. What fool had he been to deny her the most basic thing of their relationship – his attention, his affection! She didn't ask for everything he could possibly offer – nutmeg and golden pear – she merely wanted to be appreciated and he had driven her away. It was out of her hands that, while she waited outside the door he had slammed in her face, someone attempted to keep her company. It was unwanted company, and even though, he had behaved differently, Robert had seen it right away. Cora's eyes naturally had given away that she didn't want Bricker and it was only the attention she had soaked up. Until Bricker had gone much too far, and Cora had looked just so utterly uncomfortable. Robert shook himself. Why hadn't he been there for her instead?

"I said, 'So fair a princess
Never did I see,
I'll give you all the fruit
From my little nut tree.'"*

Cora maybe didn't ask everything of him but she surely deserved it. Robert was angry with himself that he had to be reminded of his resolution upon binding her to him thirty-four years ago. He wanted to lay the world at her feet and give her more than she could wish for. He had lost sight of it but now he would get back on it and try to make amends for his wrongdoings.

Oh, Robert suddenly saw so clearly how pure his dear Cora was! He couldn't for the life of him grapple with how he had seen her so contrary lately. He had been completely wrong. His perception of her had been so defiled; he had thought her impure and disloyal when what he saw now before him was the most pristine vision. He internally chided himself for wronging her so. He resolved she was free from any fault. It didn't matter what had happened, what her thoughts might have been, how much truth lay in his resolution. For he couldn't know and choose the truth. That was not within his reach. But he could decide how he held and perceived her. He could and would give her back her proper place in his highest esteems. As far as he was concerned, she was free from moral fault and guilt. Her pure demeanour was enough to seal this matter.

Cora put the sheet of music back onto the piano. Her singing only paused for a few seconds, and then she struck the keys of the first notes and slowly began the song from anew, this time with the accompaniment on the piano again. Robert saw how she encouragingly nudged Sybbie and if he wasn't mistaken, he now heard Sybbie's low hums. At the end of each line, Sybbie joined her granny and quietly added her voice to a few single words.

"… nut tree"

She kneaded the lace of her white day dress with her small hands as she followed Cora's piano play highly focused.

"… bear"

Her words followed slightly behind Cora's singing. It seemed a great effort for the little girl.

"… golden pear!"

She grinned widely when she anticipated the final words of the verse. She clapped her hands, and Cora laughed, interrupting the song for a second.

Seeing them both so pure, Robert had to think about a moment when Cora's purity had already been visualised to him utterly clearly. It was a moment last week, where he had unintentionally walked in on her getting dressed for the night. Baxter was gone already and Cora stood nearly nude in her room as she put on her nightwear. She hadn't seen him when he stood in the door between their rooms, and unnoticedly he had watched as she had stepped into a fresh pair of white linen drawers and then disappeared under the tent of her linen nightgown before she reappeared seconds later. Her wide stare of shock informed him of her having finally taken notice of his presence. For a while, they just stood there and looked at each other. They were still so unsure of themselves. Like an angel – all in white – with her tresses pooling at the neckline of her nightgown she had stood there. An angel with the uncertain expression of apprehensive affections. At least that was what he hoped. That behind the doubtful frown was the affection of many years of knowing each other, that made her stare so intense and prevented it from being directed at anything but him.

Robert didn't know how much time had passed when Cora eventually addressed his surprising presence. "So, will you stay tonight again?"

He had stayed the night before already after she had appeared in his dressing room and given him an ultimatum that made his face burn with embarrassment when he thought about it. He came back to her room then. And did she really think this reconciliation would be a one-night deal? Did she really have to ask? Will you stay tonight again?

'Of course,' he wanted to answer. But he only nodded.

Maybe it was his wishful thinking, but he thought he still saw the skin of her brow smoothing before she turned to the bed. Maybe, his nod had been enough to convey his 'of course' to her. Not that it was very likely with their recent estrangement. But Robert still hoped. He wanted them to be alright again. She was warm and soft when she fell asleep beside him that night; her body tentatively curled up against him. When her light snores filled the room after what felt like hours, he gently put his arm around her waist. How could he make up for the neglect? How could he be worthy of her pure attention?

The feeling of having wronged her made him restrict his tender and intimate attention towards her to the boundaries of being the undetected spectator. He had missed out on appreciating her properly for far too long. But now that the harm was done, Robert didn't feel deserving to just take all that back which he had carelessly discarded for a while. From afar he watched the virtues of his wife and thought unsuccessfully about ways to make it right again. He spied with a soaring heart on her hours of gently teaching Sybbie, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hair after she had fallen asleep, but when she was aware of him, he only thought about her ceaselessly without looking at her, he only stood particularly close to her without holding her hand and squeezing it, he only smiled gently at her without the mischievous twinkle of silent understanding and insinuations. When would he get back there? To that point he so longed for, that was so much of their relationship.

He definitely had to do something. He had to get started to make amends. Now, at the moment, she was happy. But how long would she stay happy if Robert didn't do anything but keep his distance? Be it out of ignorance or out of respect, it would solidify their estrangement.

He would make her presents and he would show her he had been wrong and didn't intend to repeat his mistake.

He slowly backed out of the room and closed the door silently, staying unnoticed by the females.

He would sell the 'Della Francesca'.

* 'I Had a Little Nut Tree' is an English nursery rhyme from 1789.