Cora couldn't sleep. The hot flashes she was enduring were keeping her up nights and she couldn't get comfortable under the covers. Perhaps more than that her mind was constantly worrying about Mary and baby Robert. It had been 5 months since the child's birth and he was a beautiful, joyful baby. However, once again another of her grandchildren would be forced to face a life without one of their parents, and once again celebrate a birthday every year with the anniversary of that parent's death. It was a thought that made her feel sick. Mary had been dealing with her grief by throwing all attention towards baby Robert, Robbie as they had come to call him in order to distinguish him from his grandfather and namesake.

Robert had taken Matthew's death particularly hard. First Sybil, then Matthew, it had felt to him as though he had lost a son almost. He had been trying to be strong for Mary and for the family, but in the quiet moments alone in their room he had let his guard down and Cora knew the extent of his sadness. At least this time they were able to deal with their grief together, and Cora wondered if one of the reasons Robert had been hit so hard by Matthew's death was because he had had to hold it together so much following Sybil's. Cora knew she had been partly to blame for the way her husband was allowed to grieve their daughter, but this time she had become the rock for him. Although Matthew's death was painful for her, it had not been the same as it was for Robert, for Mary, for Isobel. She spent many hours thinking of Isobel, her only child gone. The tragedy was all consuming.

Then there was Edith. With the events of the last years poor Edith had been left to her own devices and with the exception of her ill fated wedding to Sir Anthony she had not needed her parent's attention very much. This is what worried Cora perhaps more than all the rest. She had felt that perhaps she had not given Edith the time and attention she had needed. Now she was paying for it as she felt quite distant from her middle daughter. She could not bridge the gap that she had felt created between them of late, she could not put her finger on why but felt perhaps it had something to do with Edith's newspaper editor Mr Michael Gregson. It was obvious Edith was quite taken with the man, anyone with eyes could see that. The way they looked at each other and found quiet corners to talk together in. The problem was that whenever Cora tried to discuss the matter with her Edith deftly changed the subject. Mr Gregson was all but courting Edith. He had visited with them in Scotland, and twice since to Downton. In fact he was currently spending the weekend with the family and he seemed a nice man, although there was something going on that Cora could not put her finger on and it made her nervous. Of course Edith always told them some story about Mr Gregson's visits being to do with the newspaper, but Cora was no idiot. He did not visit all his columnists with the same frequency and willingness. Robert had been cordial with the man, however his mind was still so focused on Matthew and now the changes in the estate that had been left up to Robert and Tom now. He had not been as interested as perhaps he should have been and mot asked the questions that perhaps he should have been.

Cora finally gave up and flung the last remaining covers from her and stepped out of bed. Robert slept soundly on the other side of the bed and Cora did not want to wake him by making noises around the room. She decided to head down to the library, perhaps first to the kitchen in order to procure some late night snack. She put on her dressing gown and quietly slipped out of the room thinking of Mrs Patmore's Apple Charlotte and hoping there was some in the kitchen.

A large helping of left over dessert, one glass of milk, and 4 chapters of her latest novel in the library had settled Cora's mind quite well. Her temperature had returned to normal and she was pleased to note she was feeling rather tired after all. Making her way back upstairs she couldn't help but take a quick look into the nursery and look in on her grandchildren. Having given the babies a gentle kiss on the cheek she decided it was time to return to her own room, to her sleeping husband, to her bed. She couldn't help but smile as she walked quietly back through the corridors thinking of the 2 sleeping babies in her home. Her grandchildren. Precious, innocent, darling little bundles of joy bringing happiness through the pain. It was her distraction that caused her error. Her mind was not quite up to speed at so late an hour and as she passed Edith's door she doubled back at the muffled sounds she heard on the other side. Gasping? Did Edith cry out? Was she in her room crying all alone? Cora was mortified at the thought and before she had a chance to think too deeply on things she turned the door handle and walked through the door, determined to be there for her when she needed her.

On the other side of the door Cora froze. Her hand flew to her mouth but not nearly quickly enough to conceal her shriek of surprise and horror.

"Oh good heavens!" she exclaimed as she quickly stammered something about waiting outside for a few moments. She turned and rushed back out the door, closing it behind her leaning against the hallway to steady herself. She did not have to wait long before the door opened and Mr Gregson exited, his clothes disheveled and his hair tousled. Cora was sure if the light had not been so dim that his face would have been bright red, but thankfully she could not see clearly enough. He opened his mouth to speak but Cora held up her hand to stop him. "Please return to your room" she said as calmly as she could manage, "Be so kind as to mention this to no-one, but please meet with me back in Lady Edith's room following breakfast." Mr Gregson nodded and hurried down the hall.

Cora tilted her head back and let out two long sighs before turning the handle on the door to Edith's room once more. On the other side she found Edith sitting on the side of her bed, hands at her sides, eyes toward the floor. Cora did not know what to say, she did not know what was to be done. Her mind jumped back to 8 years earlier when Mary and Anna had woken her to deal with Mr Pamuk. She had been shocked then it was true, but the situation was rather different. For a start the man in question was dead, and thankfully she had not had to endure the horror of catching Mary red handed. But that was 8 years ago. So much had happened since then. A miscarriage, a war, a horrible time in her own marriage, she had almost died. There had been weddings, disappointments, babies, deaths, money problems, murder trials … it was all too much to really think about. But all those things had changed Cora. They had changed everyone. Although she was mortified to have just walked in on her daughter being intimate with a man, she was also aware that Edith had had her share of heartbreak, and was not the first person to make a mistake.

She walked over to the bed and sat next to her daughter. They neither spoke nor looked at each other for minutes. The silence giving them both time with their thoughts. Cora finally broke the silence, reaching down she picked up Edith's hand and leaned closer to encourage her to look up.

"My darling let me first say I am sorry for storming into your room unannounced. You are a grown woman and deserve privacy, I just heard noises and I thought you were crying. I was worried for you and wanted to, well, I wanted to comfort you."

"Momma we were …" Edith began.

Cora shook her head to tell Edith to stop speaking. "I do not wish to discuss any details of what I have witnessed tonight…. Ever." Cora continued, "I want to say before we discuss anything further that I am sorry I have not been available to you these last few months, or rather these last few years. I know you have had a terrible time with Sir Anthony and great disappointments. I could tell you were very taken with Mr Gregson but I never took the time to delve further. But I can say with great assurance that I never expected this. Edith! You are unmarried, you are not yet married!" Cora blurted out as it all came clear in her head.

"Momma, I am sorry you had to see, um, what you saw. I am sorry that you found out this way. I am sorry for all sorts of things, but I am not sorry for being in love with Michael, and I am not sorry for what we share …" Edith tried to explain.

"Edith!"Cora interrupted, "if you love each other then marry! At the risk of sounding like your grandmother there are ways of doing things my darling and this is not it. This is not it. Your father will be mortified"

"Father?! You are going to tell father?" Edith asked

"I don't know Edith. You are a grown woman now but we are still your parents .he is still responsible for you and after what happened with Mary I promised myself I would be more honest with him. That is neither here nor there Edith, what I am concerned about it Mr Gregson's motives and your involvement" Cora stood up and moved to the chair in the corner where she sat and stroked her forehead with her palm.

"Michael and I love each other mother, of that you can be sure." Edith explained, "Michael's motives are pure momma"

"Then you will marry. If you love him and he loves you then you will marry." Cora was so happy to have an answer she did not notice Edith shaking her head and the tear that had begun to roll down her cheek. She did not hear the soft "mama" that escaped her daughter's mouth as she continued on, "Your grandmother may not be thrilled, but after all we have been through it will not matter. She will be glad to see you happy, as will your father and I. I will be most happy to have you married to a man you lov …" Cora's voice trailed off as she looked up and saw Edith's shaking head and tear stained face.

"No mama. I'm afraid we will not be married. We can not be married. I can not have the happily ever after that you want for me." Edith dissolved in to sobs and Cora looked on wide eyed and shocked. Disbelief crossed her face and she could not comprehend what was happening. Why couldn't they marry? She crossed back to the bed and knelt in front of her distraught daughter. Looking up at her face she stroked her cheek the way she did when she was a child. "Why would you say that my darling? Of course you can marry. Your father will not care about his position, not anymore. As long as you are happy my dear that is all we want for you."

"No mama it's not that, not that at all." Edith continued in tears, "Mother, we cannot marry because he is already married" Cora let her hand slip from Edith's face as the realization of Edith's words sunk in. They stabbed as if deep into Cora's heart and she felt the air go out of her. Cora was a woman who embraced changes and dragged her husband kicking and screaming into the 1920's. She was a woman who embraced the chauffer as her son in law, who fought for him to bring up his daughter the way he chose. She was a woman who had carried a dead man the length of the house for her daughter's honor. But never had she thought she would have to hear something like this. She considered herself a modern woman, but she was not modern enough to consider her own daughter as the other woman. The adulterous harlot of a married man. She could not fathom it. Regardless of her modern values she still valued marriage and family above all else. Many marriages of her peers involved mistresses, but never hers, and never would she have thought of her daughter as the mistress in question. It shook her to her core. She was sure she was looking at Edith with horror in her eyes and yet she couldn't stop. She was again frozen to the spot.

Before she could think of a response Edith began speaking again, "It's not what you think mama. It's not like that" Edith sounded desperate now for her mother to understand, "his wife is in an asylum. She is insane, he would have divorced her years ago but he cannot. He is bound to her forever because you cannot divorce someone like that. So you see, regardless of how much we may want to marry, or how much we may love each other we simply can't do it" Edith covered her hands in her face and cried again. Cora wasn't sure of anything at this moment, except that her daughter was in pain. She moved forward again and took Edith in a warm embrace, holding her close and stroking her hair whispering in her ear "shhh, shhh my darling"

"Oh mama!" Edith exclaimed, "After Anthony you said I was being tested. You said being tested makes you stronger, but it just seems like every time I overcome something another hurdle comes, much larger than the last. Why can't I just be with the man I love? Why mama? Why?" Edith dissolved into sobs again with her mother holding her in her arms.

Cora wanted to find a way to fix it all now. She wanted to speak to Robert ad have him contact lawyers and make it all work out for their daughter. But however much she wanted it, she knew it would not happen. She knew another of her daughter's romances was doomed. They lay back on the bed together, Cora stroking Edith's hair and softly humming to her. Cora knew Edith was headed for disappointment again, only this time the stakes were much higher. As she cradled her own baby in her arms, humming her off to sleep she could not help but think of the risks Edith was taking. She thought of the babies down in the nursery and how much Edith was chancing by taking Mr Gregson as a lover instead of a husband. Should she become pregnant Cora did not know what would happen. Robert would be unmanageable, Violet would probably die on the spot, Edith would be notorious and ruined. It could not happen. As Edith finally cried herself to sleep Cora determined to do everything in her power to save Edith. She would not let her baby succumb to such a fate. She would find a way to fix this. She stroked Edith's hair one last time and got up from the bed. She looked down at her and pulled the covers over her sleeping form and hoped against hope that it was not too late. The thought continued to plague her as she walked back to her room, 'what if she's already pregnant'.