Drabble – snuff box

I wrote this drabble as a birthday gift for a friend. Hope you will like it.

+++

Cora looked up at the house, all the windows where dark. She was late, she had debated to stay in London with Rosamund, but she had wanted to go home. She missed Robert, even though she had only been away for three days, it felt longer.

The last time she had been away overnight was when Mr Bricker was around. He had put a damper on her trips to London, but she forced herself to step over that feeling. Robert had pampered her with beautiful new pearls. Now it was her turn to give something back to Robert.

She had found a woodworker, who could make a special snuff box. She contacted him and he had made her special request. She used a dress-fitting appointment as an excuse to go to London on her own. Rosamund had suggested she would buy a dress in case Robert would ask. Cora had chuckled, Robert never was interested in what she bought. He liked everything on her body, he always said.

Carson opened the front door when Cora approached. “Good evening, Milady.”

“Good evening, Carson. I am sorry for keeping you up this late.”

“That is alright, Milady. His Lordship has gone up some time ago.”

“I will go up quickly too. So you can go to bed.”

Carson nodded, and Cora walked towards the stairs. She hoped Robert would still be awake. But there had not been any light on when she arrived. There was also no light coming under the door, she noticed when she came closer. As soft as possible she opened the door to her room and immediately, she heard Robert’s snoring. She let the door ajar, so Baxter could come in without waking Robert. A sad feeling came over her, she had hoped for him to be awake, so she could surprise him with her gift, but now it had to wait for the morning.

Baxter helped her out of her dress and into her nightdress. With a nod she said goodnight. It was cold in the room; the fire had gone out. Quickly she moved to the bed. She took of her jewellery, wound up her watch and put them in the small box on her nightstand. Then she scooted under the covers. A slight shiver went through her body, it was really cold tonight. She scooted closer to Robert and turned on her side, so she was facing him. There was not much light in the room, but she could see his face. It was mostly her memory that filled in the gaps. She shivered again and scooting even closer to Robert, hoping his body warmth would warm her. He moved his arm and Cora snuggled against his chest.

“Welcome home” a very sleepy Robert.

“Thank you dear. Now sleep.” Cora pressed a kiss on his chest. She felt his breathing slowing down again as a sign he was fast asleep. His arm wrapped tight around her. This was her safe space, next to Robert was where she belonged. With this last thought she felt in a very deep sleep herself.

+++

The smell of coffee woke Cora up. Lazily she stretched and opened her eyes. Robert was sitting on his side of the bed with a cup in his hands. That was something he never did. When he woke up, he got up and went downstairs to get his breakfast. With a yawn she stretched again and got up a little so she could lay against Robert again. “Good morning, my love.” was his greeting, while she rested her head on his stomach.

A big smile appeared on Cora’s face. “Good morning, dear. I missed you.”

Roberts hand now rested on her upper arm and was softly moving up and down. “I am glad you are home again. I must admit, that sleeping without you next to me, is not easy.”

“I share that sentiment.” She looked up at him and smiled. “Since when do you drink coffee in the morning?”

Robert lifted his cup. “I am not, this is tea.”

Cora raised her eyebrows. “But I smell coffee?” she said surprised.

“There is coffee waiting for you, that is what you are smelling.”

Cora wrapped her arm a bit tighter over Robert’s stomach. “I love you.”

“Good.” Was Robert’s hummed answer.

Cora pushed herself back a bit. “Good? That is your reaction on me saying that I love you?”

Robert smiled down at her, he then bent down and kissed her lips. “I cannot wait to see the new dress on you.”

This made Cora get up. She threw the duvet off of her and got in her slippers. She walked towards her dressing table. She had put the box underneath it when she got home last night. With the small box in her hand, she walked back to Robert’s side of the bed.

“That is a small dress, are you sure it is appropriate to wear when we have guest, or to be seen in at all?” Robert’s cheeks coloured while he said that.

“Open it.” Cora said, with the same rosy cheeks as Robert had, she sat down on the matrass. Her hands resting her in her lap, she was insecure all of a sudden. What if he did not like it.

Before opening the box, Robert put his hand on Cora’s hands. “Are you worried I will not like the gift?”

Cora did not look up, she only nodded.

“Cora, whatever is inside this box, I know I will love it. I would love any gift from you, because it is coming from you.” He kissed her temple, before proceeding opening the box.

Cora now looked at him, to see his face, while seeing what was inside. She saw his eyebrows rise and lower again. He looked again and a smile appeared around his mouth. He then looked up at Cora. “Where did you find this?”

“It is specially made for you.” Cora said, still blushing. “Do you recognize it?”

Robert took the wooden snuff box out of the gift box. He looked at it from every side, then he discovered it was a snuff box. “It is a snuff box. A very special one, in the form of a hand.”

“Do you recognize anything else?” Cora got anxious he did not see what it truly was.

Robert looked again, a bit closer now. When he let his fingers go over the fingers of the wooden hand, his eyes lit up. His head shot up to look at Cora, and then back to the snuff box. “How did you manage this? This is your hand, is it not?”

Cora’s cheeks were now burning. “It is my hand. I have sat down as a model a couple of weeks ago. The wood worker made a mould of my hand and from that mould, he made you this snuff box.” She took Robert’s hand in hers. “I gave you my hand thirty-four years ago, but I am giving it again today. To make sure you know that I will always be yours. Nothing can come in between us, nothing can separate us, besides death. I am yours and always will be.”

“Oh Cora.” Robert said with a voice full of emotion. “I love you. You cannot know how much I love you.” He put the snuff box down on the matrass and pulled Cora closer. He pressed a long and passionate kiss on her lips.

Cora rested her hands on his stomach, so she would not fall on to him. She enjoyed the feeling of this kiss. There was more in this kiss, then words could describe. The love between them was strong as ever.

A slight knock on the door, made Cora sit up straight again. She quickly wiped her mouth with her hand, Robert had bitten her lip, and she knew it would be visible. “Who is it.” Robert said, he was the first able to speak.

“Baxter, Milord, I wanted to know if her ladyship is awake. She has an early appointment this morning.”

“Come back in five minutes, she will be awake.” Was his answer.

Cora chuckled, while leaning back against him. “What did you think we could do in those five minutes?”

“For what I really, really want to do with you, we need more time. But I think you need the time to be presentable.” He had a cheeky smile on his face.

Cora swatted at his chest, but at the same time leaned in for another kiss. Just before her lips touched his she said: “If you bite, I will make sure you will have a bite mark visible the whole day too.”

Robert now laughed aloud and pulled her on his lap. “I will thank you properly tonight. Now, we have to face the real world again.” He pressed a tender kiss on her lips before he let her go.