A/N: Hello there! Yes, I am two and a half months late with this chapter: a new record for me, I believe. The reason? Blame Shadows of a Spare, writer's block, and me just generally not feeling well because of my illness. The latter in particular is always such a muse killer.

In any case, after much debating and rewriting, I have officially released the chapter that will kickstart episode 3 of the first season, the halfway point for this fic! Took me two years, almost, but we finally got here. XD I will be honest in saying I don't know how long this episode is going to take in terms of chapter length, as there is very little for Cordelia to get involved in where the main plot is concerned. But as I plan on focusing a little more on character interactions for Cordelia here, especially between Alison, Pat, and potentially the Captain and Julian, I imagine there will be quite a bit going on for our resident Victorian ghost outside of other stuff. XD But you can read more about that at the end. This chapter in particular proves that, as the inspiration I wound up getting for Robin and Fanny while trying to decide how to execute the new episode was great. Also, it's not clearly established in the show how long it has been since episode 2 when the builders arrive to do work on the house, so just know that I have stated it is the following day just to make things easier.

In the meantime, thank you to everyone who has been favouriting, following, and reading this fic. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. As always, you can find this fic cross-posted over on Ao3 under the same username and title. But please note that my fics over there are currently user-access only, so you will need an Ao3 account to read it. If anyone is interested in reading my ramblings about this chapter, you can find them at the bottom of the chapter. But if not, I hope you all enjoy the next update. It's not as eventful as many might be expecting, but I hope it does give you a bit of a chuckle, in the least. XD

Chapter 19: Common Room Commotion

Another bright and sunny day greeted the Button House estate when the next day rolled around. The early morning rays, let loose from the cloudless and blue sky, bathed the vegetated manor house and the land it stood upon in a warm and golden light. Pigeon coos echoed throughout the countryside. Leaves and grass swayed gently in the occasional breeze passing by. Outside was practically the perfect picture of 'peaceful', a first for the occupants of Button House following the chaos of the last couple of days.

Within the bedroom that currently occupied Button House's 'resident mystery', a dishevelled and sweaty Cordelia stood at the foot of her bed, soaking in the light streaming through the window from the seven o'clock sun (indicated by the seven muffled chimes she heard penetrating her door from the corridor). Blue eyes were narrowed towards the crumpled and pulled back quilt upon her bed, an exasperated huff slipping past her lips.

"Come now, Cordelia!" she chided lowly, swiping her sleeve across her brow to soak up the non-existent sweat. "If you could muster up the strength to fell a vase, you can move the sheets on the bed at least a little."

As a result of her terrible sleep from the night before and the exertion brought on from using her ghostly abilities, Cordelia had slept well throughout the night (in spite of her still messy bed), giving her a much needed and much better respite from the events surrounding Alison and the other ghosts the previous day. So, admittedly, she was a little befuddled when the next time she opened her eyes, it was to six muffled chimes and the distant chatter of the local wildlife, not the usual eight muffled chimes accompanied by the screaming of a sleepwalking and traumatised Edwardian woman. Not that Cordelia was complaining. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so refreshed, something sleep rarely brought her these days. Perhaps Alison's and Mike's secured presence (albeit temporary) in the manor house had granted her some peace of mind, she thought.

Due to her unexpected awakening and the lack of desire to fall back asleep for an extra two hours, however, the blonde-haired ghost found herself pondering over how to make use of her time, leading to our current scene.

'Upon reflection, I realise the guilt I have harboured for the last century surrounding Lady Heather partially stems from my reluctance to use my ghostly abilities in her presence. There were moments where I could have developed my control to aid Lady Heather with small matters had I given myself the courage to do so. Alas, the commotion the initial discovery caused, according to young Jemima, deterred me and limited my resolve. But no more.'

Releasing a frustrated snort, Cordelia poised her bent fingers over the bed, inhaled and exhaled deeply through her nose, and then stretched her neck from side to side until she heard a satisfying crack; she still couldn't fathom how that was possible when she no longer possessed real bones.

'I can absolve my regrets by offering Alison and Michael my aid whenever possible. However, it will take much practice and perseverance. Because of Jemima, I am aware that my anger 'takes the reins', so to speak. Thus, it stands to reason that if I can learn to harness it, I should be able to lift objects through my own willpower and not when least expected.'

"One more time, Cordelia," she mumbled encouragingly and closed her eyes, flexing her fingers a couple of times before stilling them again. "Harness your frustrations towards your foe for the morning."

As she'd previously done in the ballroom yesterday, Cordelia evened out her breathing through deep breaths, breathing in through her nose, counting to 'five' in her head, and then slowly exhaling through her mouth, repeating the process a few more times. She swarmed her mind with her present frustrations, reminding herself that she had spent an entire hour in this bedroom with no results to show for it.

Before long, the familiar prickling of her stab wound ignited between her shoulder blades, forcing Cordelia's eyes back open. She focused her gaze intently on the crumpled quilt as the burning gradually increased its intensity, her jaw clenching from the strain, her body trembling with the retraction of her fingers into her palms. Sweat sprung back to her forehead, her breathing grew deeper and ragged, one of her eyes closed in response to the pain.

And then… the searing pain evaporated into thin air, restoring her immortal wound to normal.

Cordelia gasped for non-existent oxygen, her ghostly muscles relaxing in turn. Doused in invisible sweat across her face, the Victorian ghost slumped forwards and placed her hands to her knees to steady herself, panting heavily to recover from the physical toll her spectre being had taken.

"Fie…!" Cordelia breathlessly cursed between greedy gasps for air. "I cannot go on, it seems…!"

'I suppose I was tempting fate by not taking proper respites…'

The Victorian woman righted her body a bit and placed a hand to her hip for support, focusing on regaining her breath (even if all of this should have been physically impossible, she mentally remarked) and giving her invisible being a chance to recover its strength. During this time, the dark-blonde ghost glimpsed her free palm, allowing her thoughts to wander.

Out of all the ghosts who lingered upstairs, there were five ghosts with known ghostly abilities (at least to Cordelia) that allowed them to interact with the living world despite no longer being a physical part of it themselves—Robin could take control of electricity, Mary could conjure the smell of burning if a living person walked through her, Jemima's singing voice could be heard by both the deceased and the living, and while Cordelia could lift physical objects, Julian could touch them. Yet the circumstances surrounding why they possessed their 'gifts' had always been debatable amongst the ghosts of Button House.

'We have long since concluded, due in part to Mary, that our capabilities are connected to how we died. Though she refuses to discuss the circumstances surrounding her demise, we know that she was tragically—and unfairly—burnt to death. Thus, projecting the smell of burning onto the living makes sense. But when it comes to the rest of us… Well…' Cordelia flexed her fingers with a soft sigh. 'Jemima's and Julian's deaths are known to me, but how their abilities are connected is still a mystery. Then there is Robin, whose demise is unknown to everyone because he has never spoken openly about it. And as for myself, I cannot fathom why I was given such a power upon my demise, nor why my emotional state appears to be tied to it.'

Cordelia rolled her shoulders back and forth, mentally recalling that wretched prickling pain festering in the depths of her back wound. 'Clearly, it is related to my demise, as whenever I attempt to use it, I experience the same sensations I do when I am in close proximity to the fireplace in the common room. There is no doubt that it is not a mere coincidence. But why… I cannot say.' Cordelia puffed out a breath and flitted her gaze to the crumpled quilt of the bed once more. 'Would seeking out the answer to that question aid me in any way?'

Distant honking of a horn stirred Cordelia from her reverie with a wide blink, her head snapping in the direction of her bedroom door.

"What was that?" she wondered aloud, her brows furrowing a little in confusion at the strange noise. "Was that the horn of a 'car'?"

There was only one way she was going to find out, she supposed.

Naturally presuming the noise had come from the gravelled driveway outside of the house, Cordelia walked to the door of her room and prepared to phase through to the other side. However, just as her right foot stepped before the threshold of the closed door, she suddenly froze in her tracks at the thought that launched itself to the forefront of her memory.

'Ah. Of course. I forgot that I have not spoken to nor encountered the others since yesterday.'

The reminder of the chaos she'd unleashed upon them caused a lump to spring to the inside of her throat, which Cordelia thickly swallowed and rubbed her palm at.

'A day has already passed, and yet I cannot help but wonder how I shall fare the moment I cross paths with each of my invisible acquaintances. Putting my loyalties to Alison and Michael, I doubt, will cause much friction amongst our little menagerie; although, I cannot say the same for my secrecy pertaining to my ghostly abilities…'

At realising how clammy her ghostly skin currently felt, Cordelia pulled her hand away with a heavy sigh and wiped her palm on her skirt (out of force of habit, of course; being a ghost meant any liquids the invisible body produced instantly evaporated).

'But since when did I care for the opinions of the ghosts who haunt this property alongside myself? I have done as I have pleased in the past without acknowledging how they would feel about my actions. I knew this would be my comeuppance should I ever be honest with them. So, has anything really changed in that regard?'

Physically shaking her head to remove her paranoid thoughts, Cordelia inhaled and exhaled deeply through her nose and resumed her walk into the corridor, putting her shoulders back and clasping her hands into the folds of her skirt like usual.

'The ghostly occupants of Button House have always perceived you as an enigma, Cordelia. If they despise you for your secrecy, then so be it.'

It was such a shame the faint and sharp twinge that struck Cordelia's chest as she entered the corridor didn't seem to agree with that sentiment.

Men of varying ages, body builds and appearances wearing bright green and sleeveless vests (and yellow hardhats, in some cases) were filing into the common room from the foyer by the time Cordelia reached the entrance of the house. Positioning herself in the entrance to the west wing to steer clear of the living group entering the premises, Cordelia's eyes skimmed over some of the faces of the passing gentlemen carrying metal toolboxes, scaffolding and other assortments of modern-day tools the blonde-haired ghost didn't recognise, reminding her of the men she'd seen on the day Alison and Mike returned to Button House.

Cordelia waited until the coast was clear of living people in the foyer before stepping towards the entrance to the house, deciding to go the long way round to peek at what was going on in the common room.

'I could force myself to push through the pain by taking the short path, but it is better I go the long route. After all, I run the risk of staggering into an unsuspecting living and giving my spectre body further and unnecessary grief.'

Cordelia ventured outside and turned right to walk alongside the outside wall of the common room until she was past the piano, feeling the cool early morning air caressing her ghostly skin. She glimpsed a few of the medium-sized red and white vehicles parked across the gravelled driveway in passing, which she remembered from the last time they were. However, her suspicions weren't properly cemented until she phased through the wall into the common room and lingered by the front wall, where she sighted some of the men occupying the sitting area placing their toolboxes down upon the tables and opening them up. Meanwhile, others looked to be setting up on the east wing staircase, carrying ladders or metal poles and other equipment related to the scaffolding up the stairs.

'Oh, yes. These gentlemen are the workmen Humphrey and I witnessed arriving to Button House that day.'

Due to the panicked situation at the time surrounding Alison's newly gained capabilities and her unexpected return from the hospital, Cordelia naturally hadn't given these workmen much thought. Though, their return had at least confirmed the conclusion she'd come to the first time she'd seen them: Alison and Mike were the ones responsible for their presence at Button House.

'I do recall Alison mentioning Michael taking out a loan for work on Button House during her passionate outburst yesterday. This must be what she was referring to.'

A brown blur rushed towards Cordelia's left from the corner of her eyes, her reaction delayed by a few seconds. By the time she turned, however, it was already too late. The blur was directly in front of her, shouting in a familiar, gruff voice. "BOO!"

"Heavens above!" Cordelia shrilly cried out, instinctively throwing her ghostly body in the opposite direction upon feeling her non-existent heart lunge into her throat.

The blonde-haired ghost tumbled to the floor and landed on her bottom, digging a single set of fingers into the chest of her plaid shirt with laboured breaths. She barely had time to recover from her mini heart attack before the owner of the voice started laughing, drawing her attention to the fur-clad man standing over her, a pleased grin plastered on his face—Robin.

"AHA! Got you, Cordel!" Robin merrily exclaimed, wrapping an arm round his abdomen and pointing a finger at her face. "Should've seen your face! Give me stitch! Ha ha!"

At first, Cordelia didn't react, giving the amused and mischievous caveman a dumbfounded stare. Once her brain properly registered the situation, however, the Victorian woman's body slumped forward like a deflated balloon, an exasperated huff leaving her lips.

"As I live and breathe, Robin," Cordelia hissed, causing the mentioned ghost to chuckle gleefully and lower his arm.

"Sorry," he sincerely apologised, his grin dimming down to a goofy smile. He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the chess table. "Saw you outside windows. Not resist scare."

"And when can you, my good fellow?" Cordelia questioned jokingly, shaking her head in dismissal.

Robin chuckled again and offered Cordelia his hand to help her up from the floor, which the biologically younger ghost instinctively reached out to take. However, her fingertips froze inches away from his, her shoulders tensing at the hesitation grabbing hold like a pair of hands physically clamping down upon her.

'Hm. Robin appears to be treating me the same as usual. And yet…'

Unfortunately, Cordelia's visible shift in demeanour didn't escape the sharp eyes of Robin, who frowned and squinted suspiciously.

"What wrong?" he asked, briefly pulling his palm back to stare at while wriggling his fingers. "Sumfing on hand?"

"N-No, no!" Cordelia hastily stuttered upon returning to her senses. "It is not you, Robin! It is just…"

She gave a tentative pause and retracted her palm close to her chest, balling it into a loose fist.

"Just what?" Robin pressed with a befuddled blink.

The urge to dismiss the topic entirely tingled on the tip of her tongue, the natural instinct to pretend she never said anything rising to the fore. Under differing circumstances, Cordelia would have accepted the opportunity without hesitation. However…

'I must cease evading the inevitable. I believe what has transpired over the past two days is evidence enough of not pushing such matters aside until they can no longer be avoided.'

Sucking in a heavy breath through her nostrils, Cordelia physically and thickly swallowed her pride, shamefully lowering her eyes to her lap.

"… I just was not expecting anybody to converse with me so soon after my shameful actions yesterday," she resumed in a low voice, causing Robin to cock his head to the side in confusion.

"Huh?"

"What happened with Alison," she clarified with forced emphasis, making Robin gape in realisation.

"Oh! That." The primitive man gave an almost piggish snort and rolled his eyes dismissively. "Nah! We cool."

Cordelia's gaze snapped upwards again as her eyes widened out of disbelief, acting as if Robin had just spoken in another language. Had she just heard him correctly?

"Really?"

"Really."

"You do not care about my treachery?"

"And me should?" Robin questioned rhetorically. "You say it yourself: everyfing you did, you did for house." He jabbed a thumb into his chest and tilted his nose smugly to the ceiling. "And me know Cordel! Me knew you no agree with Captain right from start!"

That explained his reaction during her declaration to the Captain yesterday, Cordelia realised.

"And what of my deception towards my ghostly abilities?"

"Pha!" Robin waved the younger ghost off with both hands. "Me get it! You no like being bothered! Me get bothered all time for messing with lights! Mary and Julian do too! So, I know you'd get bothered for yours too!" He twirled one of his wrists round in the air. "And like Pat say, it do with how you die, and you no like that topic, so…"

"So, you honestly have no ire with me?"

"No!" With a stern scowl, Robin reached down and snatched Cordelia's hand with one of his own, ignoring the Victorian woman's startled yelp as he roughly yanked her onto her feet again. "Me speak truth! Though, it not just me who not have problem!"

Cordelia lifted her brows in surprise upon recovering from Robin's not-so-gentlemanly actions in helping her up from the floor. "Is that so?"

"Oh yeah! Everybody surprised by what you did, but it just Fanny and Captain who have problem!" Robin casually shrugged his shoulders and held out his arms on either side of him. "No one else care!"

Cordelia forced a couple of blinks and gaped a little in disbelief, unable to utter a single word.

'The others were not troubled nor agitated that I kept my ghostly capabilities a secret for over a century and a half?' But then Cordelia's face fell with furrowed brows, her eyes momentarily flitting to her shoes. 'Although, now that Robin mentions it… perhaps I have allowed my distrustful thoughts to take the reins yet again. After all, Robin, Humphrey, Mary, Catherine and Thomas witnessed my demise that night. They know how raw my wounds still are surrounding the subject and oft respectful of it. Patrick, overall, is an empathetic soul, as he proved when he defended me against the Captain's scrutiny. And as for Julian…' She quietly snorted. 'Well, he is a knave only interested in anything that aligns with his selfish morals. So, aside from Lady Button and the Captain, who else should I have expected to be affected by my actions, in hindsight?'

When the silence between them prolonged, Robin warily narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. "Wait…" He leaned in to Cordelia's personal space and repeatedly poked a finger into the right side of his forehead, bringing the young Victorian back to reality with a shocked blink at reminding her of where she was. "You really think we hate you?"

Cordelia awkwardly hunched her shoulders and gripped a hand at her elbow, not in the slightest bit surprised that Robin had figured out what was on her mind. What could she say? Robin's natural hunting instincts made him adept in reading body language and shifts in mood.

"… I would not have blamed you or anyone else if you did," Cordelia replied lowly. Her eyes flittered to a pair of workmen passing them by to get to the east wing stairs, just to make sure the pair of them were far enough out of their way. "Regardless of my intentions, I was dishonest and acted selfishly. And as the Captain rightly put, had I participated in the plots surrounding the new living arrivals earlier, none of this would have happened." She closed her eyes solemnly. "I have long since accepted what has transpired, yet I cannot ignore that the Captain is correct, in a way. He and Lady Button have every right to view me as a pariah."

"Nah!" Robin objected and playfully shoved his hand into Cordelia's closest shoulder, making her blink widely and teeter to the right a bit. "Don't listen to 'im! Captain being— Uh…" He straightened up and frowned in thought for a moment, rubbing his index finger and thumb together. "What is phrase?" It took a minute before he recalled it, clicking his fingers and raising his brows upon doing so. "Stick in dirt!"

Cordelia's eyes drooped a little at noting Robin had recalled the informal phrase incorrectly. "I believe the term you are looking for is 'stick in the mud'." She remembered hearing a former guest of Heather's use it and later uncovered its meaning from context.

Robin exhaled deeply through his mouth and flapped his lips together, making a noise similar to a horse's snort. "Whatever! Point still stand!"

A slight and amused smile slipped onto the younger ghost's face, conjured by a strange yet comforting warmth bubbling away in her ghostly body.

'For all his mischief, I oft forget how big Robin's heart is underneath the fur-clad garments and unkempt bodily hair. At least that pesky pain from earlier has finally been kept at bay.'

"I suppose I cannot argue with that," Cordelia quietly relented, adding her gratitude on more sincerely. "Thank you, Robin."

Robin returned the smile, albeit brighter and wider than Cordelia's, and placed his hands to his hips. "No need for thanks! Just ignore Captain! He just grumpy 'cause he think he need to know everything and take charge!"

"Quite right." Cordelia's smile widened a little at the small chuckle that slipped by, only for it to fade with a soft sigh shortly after.

"But anyway," Robin continued as he turned his attention to the workmen loitering about the common room, scratching a hand at his scruffy mane of brown hair atop his head. "You come to check out these guys, yeah?"

"Indeed, I have." Cordelia followed the primitive man's gaze and clasped her hands to her front. "They made an awful noise upon arrival."

"You know why they here?"

"I do not, my good fellow. Although, if I were to make a reasonable assumption, I imagine they were summoned to repair Button House—a matter long overdue."

"Oh, yeah! Make sense! Lot of things need fixing round here!" Robin crossed his arms and watched a few of the workmen head through the door leading to the library. "Like architrave."

Cordelia glanced at Robin with a puzzled lift of her brow. "Architrave?"

"In library."

"Oh…" Cordelia slowly nodded in understanding and briefly peeked at the library door. "Yes. That has certainly been in need of some maintenance for quite some time, has it not?"

"That what I tell Pat when Kim Wilde and husband first come here."

"I am sure you did." The reminder of Alison and Mike caused a sudden thought to cross Cordelia's mind, however, prompting the Victorian woman to return her focus to Robin. "By the by, speaking of Alison and Michael, have you seen them at all this morning?"

Cordelia couldn't recall encountering either of them on her way to the foyer, let alone outside upon entering the common room.

Robin immediately shook his head. "Think they still sleep in room." He poked himself in the chest with an index finger and then directed it towards where the chess board was currently residing under the weight of a workman's metal toolbox. "Been playing chess by myself since sun come up. No sign of anyone 'til these guys."

Cordelia's jaw almost hit the floor at this revelation, blinking a couple of times for good measure. "Do you mean to say these workmen just let themselves in?"

"Look that way to me."

The Victorian ghost crinkled her nose in disbelief, clutching a hand to her chest as though the caveman had shot her point blank.

"How rude!" she remarked tautly. "They should know not to enter another's home without invitation!" Cordelia directed her gaze towards the east wing stairs. "Alison must be informed of their uninvited entrance at once!"

The words barely left Cordelia's mouth before her declaration was answered by a familiar and shrill exclamation from the second floor.

"What is all of this commotion?!" the haughty voice of Fanny Button resounded directly from the east wing landing, prompting Cordelia and Robin to exchange drooped eyes.

"Think Fanny beat you to it," Robin dryly quipped, causing Cordelia to huff exasperatedly and return her attention to the staircase.

The former lady of the household briskly strode into the common room, eyes intently darting about the place in search of the answers she sought for. The moment her eagle-eyed gaze locked with Robin and Cordelia lingering beside the piano, however, the Edwardian noblewoman abruptly halted in her tracks. She froze for several seconds and then scowled disapprovingly at the biologically younger blonde, squaring her shoulders and clasping her hands to her abdomen.

Fanny didn't need to say anything for Cordelia to recognise that a lecture about her behaviour the previous day was about to be unleashed upon her.

'I am beginning to ponder what would be worse at this present time: being awoken at eight o'clock by Lady Button's traumatised screaming, or enduring an unnecessary chiding about how I have once again manipulated the masses with my 'deceitful' ways…'

Although now that Cordelia thought about it… what time was it? Had these workmen succeeded in disturbing Fanny before she had chance to subject them to her daily sleepwalking, she wondered.

When Fanny didn't initiate a greeting and instead prolonged their awkward stare down like a lioness eyeing up their prey, Cordelia took the initiative. After all, just because Fanny was choosing to be rude, doesn't mean she had to be, right?

"Good morning, Lady Button," she said politely, bowing her head as she did so.

"Don't you 'good morning' me, young lady!" Fanny snapped, stalking over to the pair of ghosts with her chin tilting to the ceiling, eyes looking down on Cordelia. "Is that really all you have to say after your disgraceful display yesterday?!"

"Of which I did sincerely apologise for, may I remind you, Lady Button," Cordelia asserted in an even tone, remaining visibly unfazed by Fanny's comments.

"It does not matter whether you apologised or not!" Fanny's lips pursed with a displeased frown, throwing her arms up to the ceiling. "I can't say I am surprised that you lied and deceived everyone about yourself, given your history on the matter! But to know you have chosen to aid that girl and her cow-handed buffoon of a husband in putting this glorious house into disrepute is unacceptable! You should be ashamed of yourself—!"

The rest of Fanny's angry tirade fell upon deaf ears. Allowing the content of the elderly noblewoman's words to wash over her like a large wave crashing into the seashore, the blonde-haired ghost stared blankly at her technical elder, blue eyes observing the biologically older woman's lips moving without acknowledging what was coming out of it.

'Ah, what a bother. The dew is still upon the grass and here I stand, accosted by the wicked witch of the fields once more. How could such a peaceful morning dissolve so quickly? What enchantment has this lady cast?'

Oh, how Cordelia longed for a distraction! Anything would do! So long as it quietened Fanny's running mouth! But thankfully for the Victorian woman, she didn't have to wait long. As though her internal begging had been answered, Robin unexpectedly started howling with laughter beside her, making the shorter blonde flinch and lift a puzzled brow at the primitive man looking off to the east wing stairs.

Meanwhile, Fanny clenched her jaw and scowled at Robin's unceremonious interruption. "And what on earth are you laughing about, you smelly ape?!"

Cordelia glared dagger-eyes at the elderly noblewoman for the intended insult. But before she could say anything, said 'smelly ape' replied through a merry cackle.

"Builder's bum!"

The caveman pointed where he was still looking for good measure, prompting both ghostly women to frown and follow his finger.

A workman was stood upon a ladder resting against one of the pillars, his back facing the trio of ghosts beside the piano. It took Cordelia a few seconds to register that the trousers he was wearing were sagged below the man's pelvis, the realisation of what she was currently looking at swiftly dawning over her—

"Oh, good heavens!" Cordelia exclaimed, averting her eyes to the ceiling and covering the sides of her face with both hands.

'And here I thought trespassing was their only sin! Why is that gentleman's trousers not properly buckled around his waist?!'

Fanny, however, released the loudest and shrillest shriek Cordelia had ever heard, making the Victorian ghost wince and close an eye. She did not risk glancing at the biologically older ghost again, lest she subject herself to further indecent exposure.

"Ugh! The indecency! And in front of a lady, no less!" Cordelia listened to the Edwardian ghost's footsteps stomping away to the east wing staircase, her shouts gradually fading with her. "This is unacceptable! I am fetching the others for an emergency meeting in the ballroom!"

Cordelia waited until she couldn't hear Fanny anymore and then lowered her hands and gaze to look at Robin, the latter of whom looked back at her with the widest and cheekiest grin the Victorian woman had ever witnessed plastered on his face.

"… You did that on purpose, did you not?" Cordelia bluntly questioned.

Robin giggled like a naughty child and hid his mouth behind his hands, his shoulders shaking under the weight of his amusement.

"You're welcome!" was all the mischievous caveman said, causing the ghost of an amused smile to slip briefly onto the biologically younger ghost's face. Though it was gone by the time Robin calmed down and enthusiastically beckoned her to follow him with a hand. "C'mon! Let go to ballroom!"

Cordelia allowed Robin to dash off with a sprightly spring in his step, observing him bounding his way to the staircase like a playful puppy. Once he was ascending the staircase, however, the blonde-haired ghost sighed heavily and proceeded to follow him with slow strides, being mindful to watch her surroundings and manoeuvre through the scattered living workmen bustling about the common room.

'I suppose I must. I no longer know if my presence at such gatherings will be wanted or not, but I think the last two days have shown that I should be more involved in the happenings of the house. It is better that I attend rather than have the others hunt me down like a pack of hungry wolves.'

On the bright side, she was certain she could no longer sense a single trace of that troublesome twinge in her chest; Robin's words had succeeded in quelling her paranoid thoughts, it seems.

A/N: Okay, so, I'll admit that I ended up addressing the fallout of Cordelia's actions from Chapter 17 a lot sooner than planned. But upon trying to figure out how to kickstart the chapter, I realised that in the end, it was unavoidable. Cordelia was bound to run into at least one of the ghosts upon leaving her room to investigate the noise, so the topic of what she'd done was going to arise sooner rather than later as a consequence. As we know from the third episode, Robin is already playing chess when the builders come in to the house, so I wound up choosing him to have 'the talk' with Cordelia here. Not just for convenience, but also because I felt it was in character for it to be him. I will admit that much like with Humphrey and Cordelia, I also find Robin's and Cordelia's bond to be very endearing and wanted to write in more of that. And given that Robin has displayed strong empathy towards others throughout the show, especially in this episode with Pat, it felt right that he was the one to tell Cordelia she was being silly. XD I also did think it was very in character for him and the other ghosts (barring Fanny and the Captain) to not care that Cordelia hid her abilities from them and sided with Alison and Mike. He, Kitty, Thomas, Mary and Humphrey all witnessed how she died, so they know why Cordelia is the way that she currently is and how that likely contributed to her actions in the present. Plus, Robin likes to have fun with his powers and is one of few ghosts who have a power that can be 'useful', so I imagine he'd understand Cordelia not wanting the others to know so she was left alone.

As for what happened with Fanny at the end of the chapter, however... XD Well, I mostly just put that in to act as a transition to the meeting between Julian, Fanny, the Captain and Robin, because after a lot of pondering, I felt that needed to be written in for context sake. The scene between Alison and Terry that follows it isn't necessary for Cordelia to be present for, especially as there is little involvement for her to begin with. But it was also because I got the image of Robin saying 'Builder's bum' in my head so much while writing this chapter. I wanted him to say it. It sounded like something he would genuinely say! XD