"Did you want a big wedding?" Robert suddenly asked while Cora put the bread in her cart. Robert had asked if he could join her shopping. It was getting hard to get the right food in the right home.

Surprised she looked at him. "We talked about this. I do not mind big or small, as long as we marry." She picked up some multigrain crackers. "Do you know if we still have these?"

"You are the one eating them, how should I know."

Cora sighed. "It is time we decided where we want to live, I am getting fed up with this constant moving and not knowing what is in the cupboards or fridge."

"You are right, we should indeed make a decision where we will start our family." He stepped closer and put his hands on her abdomen. "What if a little one is already growing in there."

She gently pushed him off. "Behave we are in a supermarket. And I am certain no little one is growing inside me at the moment."

Robert dropped his hands. "Is it that time of the month again." He pouted. "No fun for me the coming days."

"I am not that bad during my period!" Cora said semi-indignant.

"I meant having fun." Robert had a foolish smile on his face.

"You can entertain yourself."

"Cora!" Robert's cheeks where bright red.

"Come we both have more to do, let's finish this shopping. I am much faster when I go alone."

"But I like going with you."

Cora saw his pleading eyes and felt sorry she made that last remark. "But I love doing these simple things together."

"When are we going to move your piano to this apartment?" Cora said while she looked up from her writing.

Robert had just taken a shower after his workday. They had more or less decided that moving into this flat was the best option.

"What smells so nice?" He walked towards the liquor cabinet.

"There is a shepherd's pie in the oven. Can you answer my question please?"

With a glass filled with Whiskey, he walked towards her and kissed her temple, before walking further to sit in his favourite armchair.

"Why would we make haste with that? I do not mind going to Richmond to be able to play."

With a sigh, Cora turned towards Robert. "What is bothering you?"

Robert took a sip of his whiskey. "Nothing."

"Robert?" Cora knew him well enough to know that something was bothering him. "You promised never to shut me out, please tell me what is bothering you."

He put his glass down. "Why do you not want to marry me?"

This confused Cora. She had said yes and had already picked out her dress. Why did he think she did not want to marry him? She closed her notebook and walked towards Robert. "Darling, what makes you think that?" She put her hand on his arm and squatted next to the chair he was sitting in.

"You are not very keen on marrying next month."

"Only for the simple reason that I thought you wanted a big wedding and how are we finding a location with this short notice?" She brushed over his arm.

"You do remember my family owns an estate?" He refused to look at her. "We can decorate the great hall and have the ceremony and reception there. And I do not need a big wedding, I want a wedding."

"I had not thought about that. It sounds perfect and that way we do not have to wait the entire year. We should make haste with the invitations."

Robert finally turned towards Cora. "Do you mean that? Would you want to marry me next month? Really?"

"Oh, you silly goose. I would marry you yesterday."

Robert sighed. "I need to stop letting my mother get into my head." This afternoon his mother had scolded him; he had not let them know he was going to propose in the first place. And then she had been mad about the date. She had convinced him that Cora only had agreed to a marriage with him because he was rich. He now felt ashamed that he had let his mother get under his skin.

"Can I ask what she said to you?"

He put his hand on top of hers. "I do not want to repeat her words, they were too unkind. And I feel bad for believing some of it."

"Well, at least you told me. Please believe me when I say that I would move heaven and earth to be with you. Even if that would mean I have to move around your mother."

This made Robert laugh. "I would not want to witness that, I am afraid. I cannot imagine that would be an easy task."

Cora got up a bit and kissed his jaw. "With you next to me I can do anything." She kissed his lips. "Now when are we going to move the piano? I miss writing while you play."

"I did not realise you still need my music to write. I see you write every day?"

Cora sat down on the armrest of his chair, while Robert wrapped his arm around her bottom. "It is a lot easier already to write, knowing you are around. But I know it would be even easier when I can hear you play again. And besides mu writing, I just think it is very romantic that you can play."

"You do realise that we need to think about what we will tell the family when they suddenly see a piano in this house." He dug his fingers into the flesh of her hip.

Cora let herself slide off the armrest onto his lap, she curled up and rested her head against his shoulder. "You could tell them about your talent." She brushed with her finger over his chin.

Robert wrapped his arms around her and kept her close. He loved these cuddling moments with her. Last week he had been sitting in front of the fireplace reading a book, in his Richmond house, when she sat down in between his legs and had curled up like she did now. They had sat there until the fire went out, now the oven was the reason Cora got up.

"Dinner is ready."

Robert grabbed Cora's hand before she could walk away. "I do love you so much."

Cora bent down and kissed him. "I love you too my sweetheart and whatever our family will try we will be married soon."

"Do you mean that? Are we going to marry on this 16th of February?"

"I still do not understand why you are so keen on that date."

Robert's cheeks coloured. "The 16th of February was the day I bought my Richmond house, and that house is the reason I met you."

"That does sound very romantic, and I do like it very much. Let's get married next month."

"Let us first eat, I am starving and the smells that are coming from the kitchen are very promising. I am going to marry the best woman I could have found."

"You are only marrying me because I can cook?"

"There are many reasons I want to marry you. And your cooking skills is one of them."

Panting Robert rolled next to Cora. "You know what is an upside of marrying next month?"

"Beside becoming your wife?" Cora tried to catch her breath. Robert had played with her as if it would be their last time together. She could complain, she liked it when he was rough with her.

"Yes."

Cora rolled on her side and played with his chest hair. "You tell me." She said while pressing kisses on his ribcage.

"We can try and start our family."

This made Cora laugh uncontrollably. Robert had his hand on her back, which moved up and down with her laughing.

"I was not aware I said something funny."

"Did you use any form of protection over the last months?"

"Does this mean we have to try harder?" He rolled back on top of her and started kissing her breasts.