Molesley entered with the tea.
“We can help ourselves from here on. Please take the afternoon off, as you were planning on.” Cora said walking towards him. She had helped Robert down the stairs and made sure he sat down on a comfortable chair. “What can I offer you?” She asked Violet, while she poured tea in a cup for Robert.
“Tea is fine.” Violet answered.
Cora poured herself a cup and sat down, next to Robert.
“How are things going here?” Violet started.
Robert gave Cora a glance before answering. “I think we will be back in London soon. Dr Clarkson has said that I do not need to come back for check-ups, as long as I am not getting more pain. For now, my leg only hurts when I walk up the stairs.”
“Why would you do that? There is a bed downstairs. Do not tell me Cora is forcing you to sleep upstairs.” Violet’s eyes shot fire when she looked at Cora.
“Mama, why would you say that?” Robert was shocked by his mother’s outlash.
“Did you not come from upstairs, when I arrived?”
Robert sighed. “Mama, it is very easy to jump to conclusions, but no Cora is not forcing me to sleep upstairs. On the contrary. I wanted to be up there with her myself and I will need to learn to walk the stairs again without pain, so this was a good practice. Why are you here?”
Cora looked at Robert in shock, that was a very direct and blunt question. She adored him for how he stood up for her. It had stirred something deep inside her. She knew she had made the right decision to stay with him here in England. A man who was standing up for his girlfriend was a keeper.
“Your father wants to know how things are standing with the Abbey.” Violet answered.
“Does Papa want to know, or do you?” Robert’s voice sounded annoyed.
“Robert.” Cora said very softly, trying to calm him down. She did not want to be the reason he and his mother would fight.
Robert looked at her and back at his mother. “Mama, I am done playing games. We had enough of that. We know by now why Cora is here in England and although it is the best thing that has happened for me, we do not like to be played. The Abbey is still standing and one day we will start the renovations, but when that will be? I cannot tell you.” He had put his hand on Cora’s when he said she was the best thing that had happened to him. “Now, if you do not mind, Cora has a deadline she needs to work on, and we were planning on going on a little trip this afternoon.”
Violet’s eyebrows raised, Cora was nervous about, how she would react. “Very well, I understand. I will leave you two to it.” She got up. “Let me or your Papa know when you will be back in London.” Without saying another word, she left the room.
Cora felt nervous giggles coming up and she tried to suppress them, she failed miserably when Robert looked at her.
“That felt liberating.” He said, with a sheepish smile.
Cora’s giggles turned into a belly laugh and she let herself lean against Robert. “I was scared she would rip your head off, the way she looked at you was scary.”
Robert wrapped his arm around Cora and laughed with her. “I must admit, I was not sure if I would live to see another day.”
With her eyes full of love, Cora looked up at him. Her hand moved over his chest. “I am glad you will.” She leaned in even more and pressed her lips on his.
Robert covered her hand with his and softly brushed over the back of her hand. “I meant what I said.” He said when they broke the connection. “I cannot imagine my life without you in it anymore. Even though we met in a strange way, and I rejected you from the beginning. I know how stupid I was for not seeing you. The real, sweet, caring and smart you.”
Cora’s cheeks were now burning from embarrassment. “Stop it, Robert.” She said.
With his finger her stroke over her cheekbone and rested his hand against her face. “With what? Telling you the truth? I will never stop telling you how amazing you are. How beautiful you are and how much I love you. My dear Cora, you do not know how much I love you.”
A radiant smile appeared on Cora’s face. “My dear Robert. You may act as a Donk sometimes; you are my Donk and I love you.” She pressed another kiss on his lips and then pushed herself back. “I should start working, are you sure you want to go somewhere this afternoon?”
Reluctantly he let go of her. “I could not be more certain about that.”
“Molesley, we will not be home this weekend. If you want, you are free to go away yourself.” Cora heard Robert talk to Molesley. She was surprised by his words, she had not expected to go away for the weekend, but the thought warmth her. She hoped Robert would not overdo it, but she decided to not mention it. Robert was old enough to know his own limits.
The door opened and Robert stepped into the hallway. “Oh Cora, have you managed to hit the deadline?” He said when he saw her standing there.
“We did, I was searching for you to tell you we could go.”
“Good, you should pack somethings, for let’s say, two nights. And I suggested a warm jumper.”
Cora smiled at him. “What time do you want to leave?” She decided not to ask to many questions and let him surprise her with this trip.
“How much time do you need to be ready, do you think?”
“Give me thirty minutes and I will be ready to go wherever you want to take me.”
Robert slid his arms around Cora’s waist. “You are not going to ask where we are going?”
Cora shook her head. “I like a surprise.”
Verhalen van Traan 