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adoracora-elizabeth · 2 months ago

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Music made me love you, chapter 22

"This was delicious." Robert licked his lips.

"We have a new chef, and that was a good discission." Marmaduke said. "How was New York?"

Robert felt his cheeks colour. "It was wonderful."

"Did she come back with you?" Marmaduke poured some whiskey in two glasses.

"I almost messed things up, but yes she is back here in London." Robert felt butterflies thinking about the fact that Cora was back. It was now three weeks ago, that they were on that flight back home. Robert booked first class tickets, so they could sleep well. Cora had complained about the seats, and it still made Robert chuckle. Her argument was that the seats were to wide, so she could not hold his hand or sleep on his shoulder. She had hinted that the seats were big enough to sleep together in them, but Robert had kept her off. He did not want to upset the flight staff, and he also did not want to rush things. He wanted to do everything properly and in the right order.

"I knew I had to give you more instructions, what did you do?" Rosamund said, while she sat back at the table.

Robert sighed. "You could not have prevented this, I think. I booked us tickets to go back to London, and she did not appreciate that."

"Oh please, do not tell me she is that kind of a women." Marmaduke said annoyed.

"What do you mean? That kind of a women?" Rosamund asked.

"The type of women that does not like it when a men buys something for her."

"It was not the fact that I paid for the tickets. It was the fact, that I just told her that we were flying on that same evening. Without discussing it first with her. Cora's mother did the same thing when she came to pick her up here in London. It was a stupid move, and I understand why she got upset over it."

"It sounds like, you are lucky she came back with you." Marmaduke frowned.

"None of that, she could not wait to come back to London. She loves this city, and she feels at home here. More than she has ever felt in New York."

"So, she only came back for the city." Marmaduke joked.

Robert smiled and looked at Rosamund. "You are not drinking?"

"You never notice these things. But you are correct I am not drinking."

"It is a lot healthier not to drink every evening." She gave a meaningful look at Marmaduke that Robert missed.

"Well, Rosamund now we are talking about Cora. I want to ask a favour of you."

"Oh?"

"I want to show Downton to Cora. I want her to know about our estate and company, before she jumps into a relationship with me. She needs to understand what it all means."

"And how can I help with that?"

Robert hesitated, how was he going to say this. He knew Rosamund did feel the same way about Mama, but it felt as a betrayal what he was going to ask of her. "I would like to show Downton, without Mama being there."

"You want me to lure Mama away, so she cannot disturb you?"

"I do not want her to scare Cora away. You know how she talks about Americans."

"And what about Papa? Do I need to lure him away to? That will be a bit more difficult."

"Papa knows about Cora."

"Oh?" Rosamund interrupted Robert.

"I told him before I went to New York the first time. I had to tell him, because I would be away for a couple of days, and I needed him to keep Mama of my back. Maybe she has found out, maybe not. I think not, because she has not bugged me about it yet. Can you please find a way to keep her away from the house and the village?"

+++

"Do you want to drive?" Robert asked Cora, while they walked towards his car.

"Is this your car?" Cora exclaimed.

Robert chuckled, he had recently bought a new car, a Bentley, New Continental GTC Speed V8 Hybrid. "This is my car indeed. Do you like it?"

"I love your choice of colour." Cora smiled, and with her fingertips she touched the car.

Robert first wanted to go for a safe choice like a black or blue paint, but he ended up with the Tourmaline Green and he had to agree, it turned out wonderful. He held up the keys. "You want to drive?"

"What if I scratch your car, or worse have an accident, you better drive." Cora smiled at him and walked to the passenger side, although she thought she did.

"You should get in on the other side if you do not want to drive." Robert laughed.

"One more reason for me to be the passenger, I have never driven on the left side of the road. And I am acting like I have not been in a car here in England."

Robert put his hand on her waist. "I will be your chauffer for today." He kissed her temple and felt Cora chuckle.

+++

"You should wake up dear." Robert softly nudged Cora's shoulder. He had stopped the car at the entree, so she would get the full effect of seeing the house for the first time, driving up the driveway. Cora had dozed of very quickly.

With a yawn Cora stretched and reluctantly opened her eyes. "I was having such a wonderful dream." She smiled at Robert.

"Do you want to share?" Robert was mesmerized once again with how beautiful Cora's eyes were. They had a perfect almond shape and were blue like a Mediterranean see.

Cora contemplated for a second, did she want to share? She had dreamt about them two. They were living in a big house, and she had just given birth to his first child. "Maybe later." She leaned towards him and kissed his cheek. "I first want to see the house you grew up in."

"Oke, here we go." He slowly drove towards the house, waiting for Cora's reaction. He did not have to wait long, before he heard her gasp.

"You told me you grew up in a big house, but I thought a house like I grew up in, but this." She paused. "This is what they call a big house, my goodness. How did you not get lost inside it as a child?"

Robert laughed. "Oh, but we did. I played a lot of hide and seek with Rosamund and our governess, but nine out of ten times we had to give up, because we could not find each other, or the way back to the nursery. Let us go inside." He parked the car and saw Carson coming towards him. When Carson noticed that there was a lady in the car, he changed direction and went to open her door. He gave Cora his hand so she could get out of the car easier.

"Thank you." Cora said a little bit confused. She was used to having staff, when she was growing up. But it had not been like this.

"Cora, this is Carson our butler." Robert stepped closer towards her. "Carson, this is Cora Levinson, my." Robert paused a second and looked at her. "My girlfriend."

Cora shook Carson's hand. "Nice to meet you, Carson."

"Welcome at Downton miss Levinson." He nodded towards Robert. "Milord." and he walked towards the house.

Robert followed with Cora close to him. He took her hand and softly squeezed it. He noticed that she was very nervous, and he scolded himself for not telling her about the staff in this house. "Only my Papa is at home." He felt Cora breath out when he told her.

"I feel a bit underdressed. I did not know it would be a formal meeting." Cora looked at her shoes.

"Carson is always dressed like this, it is his uniform. Do not worry, Papa is not even counting on us greeting him. I will show you the house and if you like we can meet my Papa. But we can also leave that for another time, when my Mama is home."

"I do not want to sound ungrateful or as if I do not want to meet your father, but I had not counted on it. I do not know what I was expecting to be honest, but." She stopped talking.

Robert turned towards her and put his hand on her face. "Cora, I understand that this is a bit overwhelming. We could just go back home and come back another day."

"No, no, we did not drive four hours to not see the house and the estate. I love to see this place and get to know you better. I am just being silly."

+++

"And this is the music room." Robert ended the tour, in the room that he loved the most."

"What a beautiful instrument." Cora walked towards the grand piano. "Can you play something?" She looked up at Robert who had followed her with coy eyes.

"Not today and not here." Robert said short.

Cora took his hand and pulled him closer towards her. "And if I ask very nicely?" She put one hand on his lower back.

"Not today." Was Robert's only answer.

Cora got on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "I would love to hear the sound of this instrument." She now kissed his ear and temple. Her hand moved over his back, pulling him closer towards her.

Robert's hand went to Cora's neck, and he raked his fingers through her hair. He let her kiss her neck and enjoyed feeling her body against his. "One day, I will play on this instrument for you."

"But not today?" Cora asked with a very soft voice. She leaned back and looked up at him.

The look in Cora's eyes made Robert want to pull her close and kiss her. She was leaning against the grand piano and he pressed his body firm against hers. "You are so sexy." He growled. Slowly he bent down, just before he touched her lips he heard a voice.

"What are you doing?" Violet's voice sounded through the room.

Robert froze and he felt Cora do the same. Quickly he turned around and saw his mother entering the room, with Rosamund behind her. She mimed a sorry to him. "Mama!" Was the only thing he could get out of his mouth.

"What are you doing here and who is that women?"

"I did not know I needed permission to be here, since you ordered me to come back here and help Papa."

"Do not start Robert." his mother's voice was cold. "Who is that women I asked you."

Robert made himself taller and took Cora's hand in his. "Mama, I want you to meet Cora Levinson. Cora is my girlfriend." There was no other way in telling this to his mother. He could not have told anything else, because why would he kiss a women if it was not his girlfriend.

"Normally you introduce a girlfriend to your parent's before you show them the house. Is it not?"

"You were away when we arrived."

"So, when I now go to your father, he can tell me who this woman is? You have introduced her to him?"

Robert's cheeks coloured bright red, and he felt Cora getting smaller next to him.

"Mama, that is enough. I think Robert did not want her to meet Papa alone, you would not have liked that." Rosamund interfered. "Let’s not scare Cora away and go and greet Papa."

Robert gave her a thankful look and watched them walk away. He turned towards Cora once they were out of side. "I am sorry, Rosamund promised me that Mama would not be home today. I had hoped to be away before she returned. We can still leave?"

"I do not think your Mama will appreciate us leaving. And I would love to meet your Papa, you always talk fondly of him." Cora put up a brave smile and took Robert's hand. "You have met my Mama, so you know I am used to being criticized. Come on."

#cora crawley #downton abbey #robert crawley #downton #fanfiction #cobert

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