“Mama, why are we working again with ‘Levinson and Son’ I think I forgot the reason, or you never told me. It just does not make any sense to me.”
Violet rolled her eyes. “You do not need to know why your father makes decisions.”
“Well, if I take over the company one day, I will need to know his strategies, do I not?” Robert felt he was getting angry. His mother always avoided his questions. He needed to know what was going to happen, he was liking Cora to much to screw her and her father’s company over.
“As sad before. Trust your father, he will tell you everything you need to know when it is your time to know those things.”
“I just want to know what you want to do to ‘Levinson and Son’ As I see it, it is a big company and we do not stand a change to buy them out.”
Now Violet started laughing. “You truly have no clue from what is happening. Talk to your father, see if he wants to tell you.”
Robert sighed, why was his mother treating him this way? She still treated him as if he was a little child. He walked out of Violet’s office and walked over to his own. He stopped when he passed the reception. He looked down and saw Cora come inside, her cheeks and the tip of her nose were rosy he saw. Was it that cold outside? He had not noticed, but he had to admit, he had been lazy again and took the car. He had not been outside that long. The urge to wait for her to come upstairs and say hello was huge, but he knew it was better to just go back to his office.
“Good morning, Milo….. Mr. Crawley” He was greeted by Baxter.
Robert grinded his teeth, he had told Baxter to stop using their title, on Rosamunds request, but he did not like it. “Good morning Baxter.” He gave her a faint smile.
“We will have the advert ready this afternoon, sir.” She disappeared into Cora’s office.
A soft and quite cute sneeze made him turn around. It was Cora who had sneezed. “Bless you.” He said.
Cora dabbed her handkerchief against her nose. “Morning.” Her voice was stuffy.
She woke up this morning feeling off. If they did not have that deadline she would probably have stayed home. But the advert needed to be finished today. And she was not sick, it was just some sniffles. Probably from getting rained on last night.
Robert now saw that the rosiness of her cheeks and nose was from a cold. “Are you not feeling well?”
Cora still pressed the handkerchief against her nose. “It is nothing, I will get to work now, so we can hopefully finish up the advert. We need to get the magazine out.” She sniffed and walked into her office.
Robert felt bad, Cora did look quite unwell. But clearly she was determined to work on this project.
+++
Robert received an email from Cora, what surprised him.
‘Robert, hereby I am sending you the finished advert and magazine. Miss Baxter will be in our office if there are things that need to be changed. I will go home as soon as I send this email. My cold seems to be getting worse and I do not want to spread my bacteria any longer in the office. When it is alright with you, I will stay home tomorrow. By Monday, I probably feel better. Cora.’
Quickly Robert got up and walked to the front door, he could just see Cora leaving the building. He dropped his shoulders, he did not like it at all that Cora was feeling this way.
“Dear brother, you could offer to bring her some chicken broth.” Rosamund stood next to him.
Robert rolled his eyes. “Oh no, I cannot do that. I am not going to bother her while she is feeling like this.”
“It is up to you.” Rosamund stated. “What do you think of the finished product?”
To his shame, he had to admit that he had not looked at it yet. “I still have to look at it, will do that now.” Robert turned around and walked back to his office. He had been so desperate to catch a glimpse of Cora that he had not opened the attached file.
“We can do it together and then you are going home to prepare that broth for Cora.” Rosamund stomped his arm. “Do not pretend to be scared, you are a good cook and I know Coa will appreciate it. I know I like it when Marmaduke does things like that for me.”
“You and Marmaduke are in love and engaged to be married.”
Rosamund’s cheeks coloured a little bit. “I see the way Cora looks at you. Take that first step, you will not regret it.”
+++
Cora shivered while changing into her sweatpants and sweater. Baxter had insisted that she would go home and she was very grateful she had listened. Her cold was turning into a full-blown head cold.
She put on the kettle and set down at the kitchen table. She was tired, but it was to early to go to bed already. She also had to eat something.
She did not have the energy to cook a meal for herself, and ordering in would be a waste, she figured that she was not going to eat much. How she wished her mother or even her father was here. They could take care of her.
She was glad that they, Baxter and herself, were able to finish the advert early today. Cora looked at the clock, it was almost 16.00 o’clock. She would have still been sitting at her desk in the office. How happy she was being in her kitchen in more comfortable clothes. Not having to pretend to feel alright. She had felt miserable from the moment she stepped inside the office building.
Cora decided to toast some bread, toast with butter was at least something she could eat that would not cost a lot of effort to make.
Verhalen van Traan 