“So, how did it go?” Rosamund asked, entering Cora’s room. Cora had gone up after their walk to lay down. The walk had been long, longer than she had done with Rosamund before.
Cora looked up from her book. “We didn’t talk about it.”
“Cora!” Rosamund exclaimed. “Why? This was the perfect time to discuss what is going on between you two.
“I know, but we didn’t come to it. We mostly talked about the girls and their futures.” She looked down. “We both avoided that topic.”
“Do you need me to sit in the room and mediate?”
Cora chuckled. “No, no.” She got up. “Let’s go down. “Dinner will be ready soon.”
Rosamund sighed but agreed.
+++
“Papa? How long are you staying?” Sybil asked.
Robert looked at Cora, who purposely avoided looking at him. “I do not know yet.”
“Sybil and I will go back home tomorrow, we both have things to do.” Edith said.
“I cannot wait to read your first article for that magazine.” Sybil said.
“I still have to write it and then send it in, it is far from sure to be published in the magazine.” Edith replied.
“You have to have a little bit more trust in yourself.” Sybil said, while stuffing her mouth with food.
“Are you seeing Tom tomorrow?” Cora asked. She could slap herself for this question. With Robert in the room this was not a topic to discuss at the dinner table.
Sybil’s cheeks coloured. “He is picking us up from the train station tomorrow.”
“Well, at least we know he can drive.” Robert said with a deep voice.
Cora looked up and gave Robert a look of warning, that he did not seem to pick up.
“I just do not understand you, Sybil.”
“Who is in for a desert.” Rosamund stepped in. “I think my cook made a delicious Victoria sponge cake.”
+++
Cora was sitting in front of the fireplace; it was not lid. The day had been a warm one and the room was warm enough. After dinner, Sybil and Edith had gone out for a walk together. Rosamund had asked Robert to help her with something. The short interaction between Robert and Sybil had made Cora anxious. He was not willing to budge down on this situation. He needed to understand that Sybil loved Tom and that love was more important than status. Matthew was a solicitor and from the same class as they were, but was he better than Tom? Not in her eyes. She sighed, and there was the Jane situation. She had hoped he would start, but he had not. Was he trying to just go over it and forget about what had happened. She had not talked about it herself, but she was not the one cheating. Did he throw the letter away in the meantime? Or was he still holding on to it. Had Jane been at Downton since she was here in London? Cora let out another sigh, she should not think like this. It did not help, and it made her anxiety only worse.
She cleared her throat; her lungs were full of gunk. The new medication did something, it had taken off the edge of the pain. But coughing still hurt, she should ask Sybil to show Robert the percussion technic before she would go back home tomorrow.
The door to the drawing room opened, Rosamund, Robert, Sybil, and Edith entered.
“Mama.” Sybil started. “Papa said he wants to learn how to do the percussion on your chest. That is a perfect idea, we need to get that mucus out of your lungs. And this is the only way to get it done properly. Are you up for it now?”
Cora had read about it, and she did not look forward to it. Although it would indeed help it did not seem very comfortable to lay in a downwards position having somebody play percussion on your body. “What has to be done, has to be done.” Was her answer.
“Edith, in the meantime you can tell me everything about that article.” Rosamund said, smiling to her.
Cora was thankful that Rosamund was such a great aunt to her daughters. They could not have wished for a better aunt.
“Let’s go upstairs then.” Robert offered Cora his arm, but she refused. What made Sybil and Edith share a look.
+++
“Now take a deep breath and while you breath out, Papa will shake your body. Papa as soon as Mama start coughing you need to stop your movements.” Sybil instructed. “And Mama do not fight the coughing, it will not feel nice, but you will be able to work up the mucus and clear your lungs properly. You will notice that tomorrow you will already feel better and more able to get it lose with just coughing.”
Cora nodded; the percussion part had not been as bad as she had imagined. She could feel her lungs clearing while he was doing it. She did as Sybil had instructed, and she managed to cough up a lot of mucus. Sybil had instructed her how to lay down and after every session of percussion and shaking she had to change position. Once it was done, Cora felt exhausted but better.
Once she sat back up, Cora took a deep breath. “This feels a lot better.”
“Why did Dr Clarkson not mention this earlier?” Robert said.
Cora gave Robert an annoyed look, she hated it when he questioned Dr. Clarkson’s knowledge.
“Papa, this is not coming from a doctor, I found this online when I was looking things up.”
“Well, he should had known about this. Your mother could had been feeling a lot better much sooner.”
“The doctor here in London did not mention it either, Papa.”
Robert opened his mouth, but Cora interrupted. “Can you stop this.” She said annoyed. “Do not question other people’s decisions or actions if your sleeve is not clean either.”
Shocked Robert looked at Cora. “Cora.” His voice a little bit higher than normal.
“Mama, I will be in my room if there is anything you need. I bought some thyme syrup this afternoon, it will help sooth you throat, it must feel like sandpaper.” Sybil got up and kissed her mother on her cheek and then her father.
Cora’s throat indeed felt like sandpaper, she was thankful for Sybil who always knew what somebody needed. She looked up at Robert, who had sat down on a chair next to the bed, he looked down at his hands, she knew her words had hit where she wanted them to.
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