Rosamund entered the room with her arms full with drinks and snacks. Cora looked surprised at her. “How do you think we will eat all that? That is so much?”
At that same time the door opened again, and Edith and Sybil stepped inside, they were dressed in their pyjama’s. “We will help with that.” Edith said.
“Girls?” Cora said surprised. “I thought you were going out?”
“Oh mum, you are so gullible. Of course, we are not going out, we finally have time with just us girls, without dad.” Sybil said, smiling, she nestled herself next to her mother on the couch.
“Exactly mum, we have missed you last week and we want to spend time together with you.” She sat down on the other side on the couch and rested her head on Cora’s shoulder.
Cora moved her hand up and cupped her cheek. With her other hand she took Sybil’s in hers. “I love you girls, thank you.
“Make sure you will be better soon; we need you back at home.” Edith said.
“Especially dad.” Sybil added.
This last comment hit Cora hard. She felt sorry for Robert. She could imagine how he was dealing with this. drinking too much alcohol and not eating. Snarling at everybody around him and putting blame everywhere, except on himself. Why did she feel sorry, she thought. He did this to himself. If he had not cheated, she would not have left Downton. Instantly she felt guilty about this feeling because she was also part of his cheating. She sighed, what was she supposed to do? Just forget about what happened and go on with her life together with Robert? Could she do that? Or was this too much? How was she going to leave her girls behind?
She felt Sybil’s hand squeeze hers, she rested her head on Cora’s shoulder. Cora pressed a kiss in her hair and tried focussing on the movie that was playing.
+++
“Aunt Rosamund?” Sybil asked while they were in the kitchen, cleaning up. Cora had fallen asleep during the movie, and they decided to let her sleep. “Do you know why Mama is here?”
Rosamund hesitated for a minute, but she knew Sybil knew something was up. “Darling, your mum and dad are the one who need to answer that question.”
“So, there is something wrong between them, I knew it. Papa was acting all weird last week and it is not something Mama would do, being away from Papa for this long. They are the clingiest people I have ever seen.”
Rosamund laughed out loud, Sybil was right, if one couple tried to be always together it was Cora and Robert. It hurt her to see them in this place and she wished there was a way to help. “Sybil, I cannot tell you what is wrong.”
“It is not good for Mama’s health, now I start to understand why she is not improving, she has too much stress.”
“Sybil?” Edith asked, she had been sitting on the kitchen table, listening. “Do you think we need to wake Mama up and bring her to bed?”
Rosamund was the one answering. “I think that is indeed a good idea, she will sleep better in a bed, that couch is not made for sleeping.”
+++
“Bates, I do not know what to do.” Robert said while Bates put away his jacket.
“About what Milord?”
It still felt weird that Bates kept calling him Milord, he hired him, because they were old friends. He understood why Bates did it, but still it was weird. “About the Jane situation.”
“Well, I told you from the beginning you should have been honest towards her Ladyship. I knew she would be mad finding it out on her own. You telling her yourself could have soften the impact.”
Robert sighed, he was at fault in every aspect, even in not telling his wife.
“Then you did not get rid of that letter and made a scene about it. What do you think that looked like?” Bates continued.
“I…. She…. I…..” Robert stumbled.
“When I am totally honest, I would understand if she does not come back to you.”
This shocked Robert, he had not expected him to be this forward.
“You need to work hard to make up for what you did and even then, it will be a hard cookie to crack.” Bates handed him his nightrobe. “I hear her health is not improving, so the change she will be back in the house soon is small?”
“Words travel fast.” Robert said. “But you are right, it would not be smart to travel at the moment. It worries me that she is not improving.”
“You added a lot of stress on top of her.”
Robert sighed again. “It is a mess and I do not know where to start cleaning.”
“Go to London, show her you want to work on your relationship. Show her Jane meant nothing to you.”
Did Jane meant nothing to him? Was it only lust? No, he was sure, Jane meant nothing, he could not see himself with her in his future and he did see himself grow old with Cora, he only hoped she would still want that too.
+++
When Rosamund had woken Cora up, she had started crying. “Oh Rosamund, I do not know where to go from here. I cannot leave him, but staying with him is equally hard.”
“Ssstt.” Rosamund had tried to suss Cora, Sybil and Edith were in the same room. “We will talk about this later.”
But Cora could not stop and continued “I keep seeing them together in my dreams. As soon as I close my eyes they are there. Oh Rosamund, how could he. Was I so wrong for giving Mary my attention to build her new company?”
Edith had pulled Sybil out of the room. “We should not be here.” She said and urged Sybil upstairs.
“Cora, there are always two sides to a story, but I do not know what I would have done if it had been my Marmaduke.”
“You would have forgiven him, you two were made for each other.” She reached up her hand to brush Rosamund’s cheek.
“I can say the same thing about you and Robert, darling sister.” From the start Cora and Rosamund had called each other their sister, they never used the term sister-in-law. “Now let’s go, time for bed.”
++++
Sybil entered her mother’s room. “Are you awake?” She asked softly.
“Hmmm, barely.” Was Cora’s answer.
“Can I sleep with you?”
Cora turned around and pulled the duvet back. “What is it darling?”
“I cannot sleep.”
“That I figured.” She pulled the duvet over Sybil’s shoulders, once she laid down.
“I heard what you said to Aunt Rosamund. What did Papa do?”
Cora froze for a second. She had not realised her girls had been downstairs. “Darling, you know I always say that we have to be open and honest to each other. But this is something between your father and me. It has nothing to do with you, Edith or Mary, do not worry about that.” Cora wrapped her arm around Sybil and pulled her against her chest. “Try to get some sleep.” She pressed her lips on the top of Sybil’s head.
Sybil nestled closer against her mother. She had not slept next to her mother since she was a little girl. She felt her mother’s body jolt from trying not to cough, Sybil lifted her chin. “Mama, if you hold it in, you will never get better.”
Verhalen van Traan 