"I do understand you need to leave." John took the glass Robert offered him. "Your father and I will work out what we need from each other."

"Thank you very much." Robert took a sip of his own drink.

"Are you going to tell me why you are so desperate to go back to London? Cora is not there is she?"

Robert laughed. "No, Cora is not in London. I wish she was, that meant I would see her again tomorrow. But no, I have to wait two more weeks before she is back in my arms. For now, I cannot tell you what I will be doing. One day I will, but for now I hope you understand that I cannot."

"That sounds very mysterious, but I guess I have to wait." He emptied his glass. "Is your father in his office?"

Robert looked at his watch. "I think he will be in the drawing room at this hour."

"Robert, I do not understand why you need to leave. There is so much work left." Violet said, when Robert was ready to leave.

"There will always be work left. John is here to help Papa."

"I put out a new advertisement for a lady's maid." Violet said.

"For yourself?"

"No of course not. Since O'Brien no longer works here, Cora needs a new lady's maid."

"Mama, we agreed that we would wait with a new lady's maid. I am not sure Cora wants one, and when she wants one, is it not a good idea when she chooses her own lady's maid?"

"What does Cora know about lady's maids? Nothing, so no, I will be the one hiring a new lady's maid for her."

"You will not." Patrick suddenly said.

Both Robert and Violet turned around.

"Robert is right. Cora should be the one deciding on a new lady's maid. And as long as they do not live permanently in Downton there is no need for one. And even when they will start living here full time, when Cora decides on no lady's maid, than that will be here decision."

"Thank you, Papa." He kissed his father's cheek.

With a deep sigh Robert closed the front door behind him. The house looked spotless. The maid's had kept their promise to upkeep the house, while they were away. It was weird being back here, without Cora. But one thing he instantly knew, he was making sure that Cora would have her little one back at home and not while they were at Downton. With John now working for his father, he knew he could leave Downton without feeling guilty.

He walked towards the grand piano, his fingers glided over the keys. He had missed his instrument and knew that he had to tell his family. It was not something he wanted to keep a secret any longer.

He let the melody that had formed in his head guide his fingers. After a while he was happy with how it sounded. He picked up his phone so he could make a recording, he would send to Cora afterwards. While he set up his phone he got another idea.

The phone rang three times before Cora picked up her phone.

"Hello?" She sounded sleepy.

Robert looked at his watch, it was four in the afternoon. Her book signing had been around lunch time, something Robert really appreciated. This gave Cora the opportunity to go to bed on a decent time each night. "I am so sorry. Did I wake you?" He asked.

Cora scraped her throat. "You did, but you do not have to say sorry for that. I love to be woken up by you."

"Are you not feeling well?" Robert asked concerned.

"I am alright. These events just ask a lot of me and Rosamund orders me to go take a nap after each one."

"She is taking really good care of you. I am glad."

Cora smiled. "She is, but I do not think that you called to ask why I sleep during the day like an old lady."

"Old ladies do not carry a precious load like you are doing." Robert said with so much love in his voice that it warmth Cora's heart.

Cora yawned. "Although I really love talking to you, I also need the sleep very very much. Is it alright, when I call you back in about an hour?"

"I have a better idea, put your phone on speaker. Lay back down and make yourself comfortable, I will make sure you will fall asleep easily."

Cora moaned. "Hearing your voice will not make it any easier for me to fall asleep. It is hard as it is falling asleep without you next to me. When you are going to talk to me, I will not be able to sleep."

This made Robert laugh. "Do you trust me?"

Another moan. "You know I do, but Robert, I truly need to sleep."

"Please do as I asked and I promise you, you will sleep like a rock." He put his own phone on speakerphone as soon as he heard the ruffling of the duvet cover on Cora's end. He laid the phone next to him and started playing a lullaby song on the piano. When the song was finished, he heard Cora's soft snores. This made his longing for her even bigger. He decided to play some more. He improvised a slow and soft song. When he still heard her snoring when this song ended, he hangs up the phone. She would call him back as soon as she was awake.

In the meantime, he would record the song he was initially going to play for her. Because he preferred talking to her when she called back, instead of playing the piano.

Robert was in the kitchen, preparing dinner when his phone rang. It was Cora, quickly he wiped his hands clean.

"Hello, my darling, did you sleep well?"

"I think you know I did." Robert could hear her smiling.

"Good, I am glad I could help with you falling back asleep. I am sorry that I woke you up. I did not know you were taking naps."

"It was not something I wanted to tell you to be honest. I was scared you would be concerned about my health."

"I understand. Well, I am glad you are taking these naps, and I will not call you around this time anymore."

"I miss you." Cora said softly.

"Less than two weeks at this moment and we will be back in each other's arms darling."

"Everything more than one day is too much already. Do not get me wrong I love this book tour, and we are doing fun things and have seen beautiful castles and museums."

"It would have been better if I had joined you." Robert added.

"Yes."

"In my heart I am with you darling. Oh, before I forget. There have been some developments with O'Brien."

"Was she the one spreading the rumours?"

"Indeed, she was. She told some people that you had a brain tumour."

"I will need to have a serious talk with her, when I am back. I am already not so sure that I need a lady's maid, but when she does things like this... Well, I will talk about it with O'Brien."

Robert swallowed; he was already afraid of this. Of course, Cora wanted to manage this. "I am afraid that O'Brien has been fired already. She will not be at Downton when you return."

"What!"

"My mother told Carson to dismiss her as soon as he found out that she was the one spreading those lies."

"And your mother did not bother to ask me? What I wanted?"

"My mother said that she hired O'Brien, so she was the one deciding if she would be fired or not. It was already too late for me to change anything about it."

It was silent for a couple of moments. Then Cora let out a deep sigh. "One positive note, we will not be bothered by her presence anymore. I admit that I never really liked that woman."

Robert laughed.

"Was that why you called me earlier?" Cora asked.

"To be honest. No, it was not. I called you because I am back in our London house and I composed a song for you, that I wanted to play for you."

"I am sorry, I ruined that moment for you."

"Stop that." Robert stopped her sentence. "You were asleep and needed that sleep. I played you some lullaby's instead, what was already wonderful to do. Playing for you gives me an extra spark of motivation."

There was a knock-on Cora's door. 'Are you awake?' Rosamund's voice sounded.

"I am, you can come in." Cora answered. "Darling, I am so sorry, but I have to go. We have a dinner reservation. Can you let me hear it later?"

"I made a recording of it; I will send it to you. Now go and enjoy your dinner. Give my love to Rosamund and Sorcha. I love you with everything that I am."

"I love you so much. Thank you for everything."