It's very long and I'm sure there are still tons of mistakes in it - and I apologise. But there is definitely no Mr Bricker in it - and I can't bring myself to apologise for that. Enjoy x

His idea was ludicrous. He knew it. When her fingers started to draw slow circles in the palm of his hand, he let her and smiled but inwardly his emotions were running rampant. Robert had never been very good at deciphering feelings, neither those of others nor his own, but as they were sitting at the breakfast table on their balcony this morning he felt a strange certainty, that he would never live up to her love. He wasn't even entirely sure how to do what he had just proposed. What did you do when you weren't alone in bed? At the moment, Robert could only imagine one thing, but that was the one thing he couldn't do. Should he talk to her instead? What if he couldn't think of something to talk about? Would he be able to touch her, or should he refrain from touching her altogether? Would he be able to stop himself, if he did touch her? He had promised not to force her in any way. So he better not touch her lest he got too excited. He only needed to imagine her sitting on her bed like she had done last night to get himself excited for Christ's sake, so yes, it was probably better not to start anything he wouldn't be able to control. Question upon question raced through Robert's mind, highlighting his insecurities and his guilt, when her voice startled him out of his revery.

"Robert?"

"Yes. What?" He asked, surprised by her slightly insistent tone.

"Where have you been?" She smiled at him, her eyes full of curiosity.

"What? Nowhere. It's nothing," he stammered. He needed to get a grip.

"I asked what we have planned today?" Obviously she had asked more than once.

"Erm, I thought we could visit the little blue fisherman's hut down at the beach. The porter said there's a little exhibition and after luncheon I thought a picnic at the beach? Would you like that?"

"That sounds lovely, Robert."

It had turned out to be a gloriously sunny day when they made their way to the beach, the light breeze playing with the edges of Cora's parasol. As they settled down on a quiet spot, Robert lay down on their blanket and closed his eyes.

It was curiously confusing. On the one hand, he had never felt this content in his adult life. He had made it, hadn't he? He had managed to marry an heiress like he was supposed to - he had almost thought, like he had been ordered to, but stopped himself, because that wasn't really the right phrase. And if he was honest it didn't feel like he had carried out an order by marrying Cora. She was beautiful, witty, kind and he liked to be with her, to just spend time with her. She was interesting, intriguing and exotic with her American ways and he was proud that she had said yes. He was proud that she had chosen him over her other options. Why she had chosen him though, he had never really thought about. Unfortunately she was afraid of him at the moment. Well, perhaps not of him as a person but of him as a man.

And that was the confusing part. In a way, he had been naïve. That he had realised over the last couple of days. For some reason he had assumed his married life would not be that different from his life prior. He hadn't thought about how it would change his daily routines, how it would change the way his friends treated him, the way, his parents looked at him, the things others expected of him. He was a married man now. A married man. He snorted and immediately hoped, Cora hadn't noticed. It had changed almost everything and although it had always been an essential part of his preparation for the earldom that he would get married and then produce children - preferably a cricket team of sons - no one had ever told him how everyday life would be, how full of negotiations, how full of anxieties and worries he had never had before. Right now for example he worried about how his evening would be going. He had never worried about his evenings before he got married. He hadn't been able to get this nervousness out of his system. They had had a lovely time at the fisherman's hut, they had had a more than lovely luncheon and now they were having a lovely time at the beach, but it was always there. This lingering nervousness in the back of his head. It was slightly disconcerting. Because for some reason, that he wasn't quite able to pinpoint yet, he wanted to do it right. He didn't want to hurt Cora again, he just wanted her to feel that she'd done the right thing in marrying him. Why he wanted that, he wasn't even sure.

He was beautiful. Cora had never before thought of a man as beautiful but with Robert it was strangely different. As he lay there beside her on the blanket, his eyes closed, the wind playing with his wavy hair, smiling to himself, she thought him beautiful. Instinctively she knew he wasn't sleeping, although, if she really thought about it, she didn't even know how he actually looked when he was asleep. This morning had been the first time ever she had seen him wake up, but she hadn't dared to look at him while he had been still asleep for fear of waking him up and scaring him away.

But if they managed to do what he had proposed at this morning's breakfast then there might be a chance that she could watch him sleep. She found, she was very much looking forward to it.

He had genuinely surprised her with his idea because she hadn't thought he could come up with such a thing. It was so unusual. But maybe he was more unusual than she had thought? She wasn't worried about it. They had finally cleared the air or at least, they had started to clear the air regarding their problems and Cora felt they were on the right track. Her fear from last night and the frightening images her guilt riddled mind had produced had surprisingly vanished into thin air.

The only thing she was still worried about was, well, their intimate encounters and her reactions to them. But he had promised not to force her and she hoped, he would keep that promise.

Just as she was about to wipe a stray lock from his forehead, he snorted, a little sarcastically Cora thought, and she pulled her hand back and refrained from touching him. What was he thinking about? She didn't know and just hoped that it hadn't been she who had caused him to snort in that way. She was often still so unsure about what was going on in his head, which only highlighted the fact to her, that - if she was honest - she didn't know him at all. And although her mother had told her a few days before her wedding when she had in a fit of jitters complained that - although she was sure she wanted to marry him and no one but him, that she felt things for Robert she had never felt before in her life - she also felt, she didn't know him at all, that this was normal and no couple knew each other inside out on their wedding day. But she wanted to know him. She wanted to know every little bit about him. That, she was sure of.

Cora tore her mind away from her musing husband and started to look out on to the sea. It was so beautiful. For the first time since their disastrous wedding night, not to mention last night, she felt genuine contentment. Her head felt clear, and her future looked not so gloomy anymore.

Suddenly Robert jerked up into a sitting position, making her jump.

"Oh God, I forgot," he called out.

"Robert!" Cora's hand flew to her chest, startled by his sudden outburst. "What did you forget?"

Wide eyed he looked at her. "We are invited at Sir Bruce's. I was so preoccupied, I completely forgot to tell you."

"But that's lovely. Why are you so agitated?" She exhaled and wondered, why he made such a fuss.

"Because... because it's tonight." He said, his voice going up as if he was asking a question.

"Tonight?" Now she did understand the fuss.

"Mhm." It was all he managed to utter, looking sheepishly at her, guessing she would have loved a little more time to prepare herself.

God, he was adorable when he looked at her like that. Like a puppy, which knew it had done something it wasn't supposed to. Cora found it was absolutely disarming and she just couldn't be mad at him. Yes, she would have to rush through her preparations but who cared? She would manage.

"Alright." She said. "Well, then we should head back, I guess."

"I'm sorry," he apologised, standing up.

"It's alright, Robert. It's going to be fine, I'm sure. In fact, I think I'm looking forward to it and if we go back now, I will have enough time to get ready. Don't worry." She smiled at him while he held his arm out for her and the servants started to clear up their picnic.

God, she was wonderful.

The house party at Sir Bruce's wasn't a big gathering but there were still enough people around to make Cora feel slightly uncomfortable for the simple fact that she didn't know them at all. Sometimes she thought it would have been better if she had married after a second season, but then she wouldn't have gotten to marry Robert then, would she? So, making small talk with strangers and enduring some funny looks was a small price to pay.

Robert on the other hand looked like he had come home. And to him it felt like it, too. As they went round, he introduced Cora to most of the other guests before the dinner started and not just because he was a Gentleman and this was his duty but because he really wanted to. And to his own surprise he wanted to not because he felt he needed to show off with a pretty woman on his arm, but because he felt proud and privileged that she was his wife. That she was his. Instantly, Robert had noticed though, that among the guests was unfortunately also his old pal Albert, whom he had last remembered on his wedding night when he had to listen to his father telling him to be careful. It wasn't exactly a memory he cared to have again.

"Robert! Old chap!" Albert smacked him on the shoulder with rather too much force and Robert felt Cora flinch slightly at his side. He had never noticed before, how loud Albert actually was.

"Albert. Old friend. How nice to see you. Cora, this is Albert, third Baron of Helmont. We know each other since we were at Eaton together. Albert, this is Cora, my wife." Robert did the introduction.

"Finally, I get to know the exotic foreign beauty who stole away our Robert. I'm positively delighted." He bowed and placed a kiss on her hand, which she had extracted as was expected of her, although if she was honest, he sounded somewhat creepy and Cora wondered how Robert could have friends like this.

The way Albert looked at Cora, Robert only could describe as leering and although he wasn't really surprised since Albert had always had a - lets say - 'special' way with women, he felt his blood beginning to boil. Already. A strong sense of wanting to protect Cora from the likes of Albert suddenly surged through him.

But Robert didn't have time to dwell on this new feeling as the butler announced that dinner was served. With a telling smirk in Robert's direction Albert turned around and went to look for his own wife. Robert knew her, Margaret, a tiny, very fragile person, who usually didn't say much and, now that he thought of her, whom Robert had never seen laughing or even smiling. Well, it couldn't be helped. It was time to have dinner and to his delight, Cora and he were seated opposite each other on the far end of the table. He would be able to watch her throughout dinner and felt strangely elated by that prospect.

When Robert thought about that dinner later in life, he found, he couldn't remember one dish that had been served on this evening. The only thing he remembered was his wife, flawlessly holding her own in the conversations and now and then looking at him across the table. The few times he caught her eye, she lowered her gaze and smiled coyly at him. It made him forget all their problems and all his worries about the upcoming evening were suddenly gone. For the moment. Everything would be alright. In the end.

When the ladies had gone through and the men were alone, Robert was looking forward to a good cigar and a glass of heavy port, as he was just starting to contemplate what had just happened between him and his wife at dinner. If anything had happened at all. Perhaps he was misinterpreting things again - but he didn't even manage to light his cigar before he was confronted by Albert again.

"And?" Was all Albert said as if they had just stopped talking to each other minutes ago.

"What 'and'?" Robert couldn't imagine what Albert wanted from him.

"Oh, come on, you know? How was it?"

"How was what?" Albert certainly didn't want to be precise this evening, if he had ever been that. Robert couldn't remember.

"Robert, don't play dumb with me. Don't you remember what I did tell you last time we met? Come on, how was she?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Robert grew more and more serious. Of course he remembered what they had talked about and of course he had realised what Albert wanted to know. But he didn't want to tell anybody about his wedding night, about Cora and what they experienced in private, because he thought it was exactly that: private. And not for anyones ears. But he also remembered the tales he had been told before he had gotten married. They had told him, the so-called husbands. More than freely they had talked about what they did with their wives. Robert also remembered how he had always laughed with them, which suddenly seemed embarrassing to him. He couldn't imagine himself doing that to Cora. Not anymore. He didn't know why he felt so strongly about that all of a sudden. Why he felt so strongly about Cora, but it seemed unbelievably unfair to her. To any wife, come to think of it. Hadn't he promised to treat her well, to cherish her, to respect her? Hadn't they?

"Come on, old chap," Albert's voice piped up next to him, "I bet she's been wild. Did she scream? Those Americans are so uninhibited, they are crazy. Not like Margaret who always just lies there like a frozen brick. I once had this girl from..."

Robert couldn't listen to this any second longer and jumped up from his chair, and stared down hard at this sorry excuse for a gentleman.

"You will not, I repeat, not talk like that about my wife or I will forget myself. You do remember the Boxing club at Eaton, don't you? Have I made myself clear?" He hissed out from between clenched teeth, trying desperately not to yell.

"Robert, old pal, what happened to you? Why so touchy? Have you lost your sense of humour at the altar?"

"You know damn well that this has absolutely nothing to do with humour and I'm going to lose my patience if you don't stop talking right now. And one more thing. If I see you anywhere near my wife this evening, or ever, I promise you, you won't be able to walk for at least three weeks."

Fortunately the sign had been given and the men were about to join the ladies in the drawing room, so that Robert was able to just turn his back at his 'old friend', and leave him, hoping he had given him something to think about. Although he rather doubted it.

They entered the drawing room and Robert's eyes immediately sought out Cora and when he had spotted her, talking to Albert's wife Margaret of all people, he strode over to her and without thinking, took her hand, determined to protect her in case Albert decided to join his own wife. But he needn't have worried. A rather red-faced Albert entered the room shortly after and didn't waste so much as a glance into Margaret's direction. He went directly to the butler, who offered drinks.

"Robert!" Cora greeted him with a radiant smile, looking straight into his eyes. And suddenly there was another new feeling, her smile, her eyes, her warm, soft hand in his - it calmed him, soothed him and he smiled back.

Politeness dictated that he at least acknowledged Margaret and when he greeted her, she greeted back, but how different to Cora she was. She didn't look into his eyes but kept staring at her shoes, her voice was almost inaudible, her whole countenance was that of a frightened deer. Robert had always attributed Margaret's demure behaviour to a very shy disposition but after his little chat with Albert he realised now that her husband might have contributed considerably to her timid demeanour.

"Cora, can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked and pulled her into a corner of the drawing room where nobody would listen in.

"Cora, I think we should leave as soon as it will be polite to do so."

"What? Why? You look agitated, Robert. What happened?" She looked confused and so he took a deep breath and tried to explain.

"Cora, I'm sorry if you are enjoying yourself and I'm ruining it for you. Believe me, I'm truly glad if you are, but I've had a little chat with Albert and I don't want him anywhere near you." Robert looked intensely at her, hoping she would catch his warning without forcing him to get more explicit.

"Alright," she shot a weary glance in Albert's direction at the other end of the room, at the same time feeling a strange kind of elation building up inside of her due to the fact that Robert so obviously wanted to protect her from that creepy man.

They lingered for another hour and Robert never left Cora's side. When he thought the right time had arrived, Robert made up some excuse and feigned a headache for good measure, shortly after which, they sat safely in a carriage carrying them back to their hotel. Robert let out a breath and turned to her.

"I'm sorry this was so uncomfortable in the end." He apologised.

"It wasn't uncomfortable. Not for me anyway. You were there by my side the whole time and I thank you for that." She smiled, took his hand and gave it a short squeeze.

And while Robert's thoughts returned to the evening that lay before them and his promise from this morning, the lingering nervousness turning back with a vengeance, Cora started to think about Margaret.

Margaret had been very nice to her, nicer than any English lady she had met over the last year, but she had appeared to Cora as if she couldn't be unkind to anyone even if she wanted to. What Margaret had told her about her marriage frightened Cora. Of course it had all been clouded in carefully chosen words, more hints than actual stories, but Cora wasn't stupid. She may be inexperienced but she wasn't stupid. She had felt sorry for Margaret, bound to that apparently terribly unfeeling man for the rest of her life, but then her own wedding night had come to her mind briefly and she had to admit that a dull fear had settled itself uncomfortably into her stomach. She had pushed it away almost immediately, Robert wasn't like Albert, surely. But what if she was wrong? Again Cora realised how little she actually knew about her husband. What if he tired of her? What if he tired of her fear in their bedroom and decided to just take what he might think was rightfully his? Albert and Robert were friends after all. They must have got something in common. Cora silently prayed to God that it wasn't Albert's attitude towards his wife. On the other hand, Robert had clearly protected her from exactly that man all evening long, so maybe their friendship wasn't what she first thought it was? The realisation soothed her considerably and she calmed down, deciding to trust her initial judgment for once and not succumb to her fears.

Arriving at the doorstep of their rooms again, Robert's nervousness was back in full force and he was slightly fidgety when they entered their sitting room.

"So," he started, "what do you like to do? We're back earlier than I had anticipated and, well..."

"I don't know. There are always the evening papers for you and I would like to sit by the fire for a bit and then go to bed," Cora suggested.

There it was, that phrase, "going to bed", which let his nervousness sore to a new hight.

"Well," Robert answered, gathering his courage, "I think, I'd like to sit with you. If that's alright?" Cora smiled an uncharacteristically shy smile.

"Would you like a nightcap? A sherry perhaps?" Robert asked. He certainly needed some bolstering up.

"Yes, I'd like that, all of it."

Robert poured her a small glass of sherry and a fairly large whisky for himself in the hope the liquor would sooth his nerves and sat down beside her on the settee in front of the crackling fire. To both of their surprise it was an uninterrupted and very comfortable half hour they spent just in the company of the other, talking about everything and nothing. Apparently that was one of their strengths, talking to each other, about the day, the people they've met, the things that had happened. They seemed to be good at that. Robert felt himself calm again and Cora had all but forgotten about her fears when she finally decided it was time.

"Robert, it's been a wonderful day. But I think I'd like to go to bed now."

Robert felt her inching closer and when he finally turned his head and looked at her, she was so close, their noses were almost touching.

He drew in a breath. "Do you still want me to... I mean, what we talked about this morning?" He whispered.

"Yes," she whispered in return, "I still want to wake up with you." Her breath had grown heavier. "Would you kiss me goodnight?" She suddenly asked.

That was unexpected. They had always exchanged a goodnight kiss, but that had also always been a parting kiss.

"Cora, I...," he hesitated.,"I... don't know."

"Why not? Don't you want to kiss me?" It was a simple and plain question.

"Of course I want to kiss you." He exhaled.

"Then do it, please."

She was so close now, he couldn't help himself. Gently he brought his lips to her's and allowed himself a brief taste of her wonderfully soft mouth but when he started to draw back again, fearing he would lose himself and his control in that velvety warmth, she insisted and captured his lips with her own, now kissing him with a kind of urgency which made him give in.

When he brought up his hand and cupped her cheek gently, she leaned into his palm and when he opened his mouth to let in her darting tongue, he could faintly taste the sherry she had drunk just minutes earlier. It was the most exquisite thing Robert had ever tasted.

They didn't stop until their lungs screamed for air and when they had parted, their eyes kept locked for untold moments until Robert felt confident enough again to break the silence without bumbling incoherently.

"I... I think I'll have a look at those evening papers now." He breathed heavily.

"Alright," Cora whispered, "I'll be waiting. Don't be too long." And she smiled that radiant smile of hers again.

Robert watched until the door to her bedroom had closed behind her.

That must have been one of the most passionate, longest, deepest, most intimate kisses they had ever shared and Robert wasn't sure if that was a good thing. At least not at the moment for he had gotten noticeably aroused and that was the last thing he wanted to be right now. So he actually took one of the papers and started to read. To his great relief it worked. He managed to banish Cora from his thoughts for the time being and with all the sordid news of the day, his undue excitement drowned away.

As always Carson helped him change into his pyjamas and the presence of his serene valet calmed Robert even more. The moment Carson had bade him goodnight and closed the door behind him, Robert took his book from his nightstand, took a deep breath and opened the door, crossed through the sitting room and knocked at Cora's bedroom door without hesitating once.

There he was again, in her bedroom, where the candlelight accentuated her flowing locks and her beautiful features, where he had woken up just this morning with his arms around her. But this time she already sat in her bed, her body mostly hidden under the duvet and she was reading a book. Robert tried to banish all 'inappropriate' thoughts, took off his dressing gown and stood, rooted to the spot, clinging to his own book.

He couldn't help looking at her, wondering. That kiss. She had wanted it. Wanted the intimate contact. And for a fleeting moment, he'd thought, she'd wanted more. More contact. More intimate contact. But no. He would stick to his plan and would not touch her. Robert wanted to wake up with her in his arms but he didn't want to repeat last night.

"So, that's it," he tried. "What do we do now?"

"Well, I don't know." Cora thought for a moment. "Why don't you just do, what you always do when you go to bed?"

While she had been waiting for Robert to knock at her door, Cora's thoughts had returned to Margaret and Albert. And to the kiss she and Robert had just shared. Robert wasn't like Albert. He simply wasn't. That kiss had proved that beyond doubt, hadn't it? Cora had been a little surprised that she had suddenly felt the almost uncontrollable need to have more from him than just that soft little peck on the lips he had obviously wanted to give her. But after that comfortable half hour by the fire, she had felt so relaxed, his company had made her feel so at ease, that she had thrown all caution to the wind. She knew why he had hesitated. Since his mumbled confession from this morning, Cora knew he blamed himself for her reaction during their wedding night, while she also knew that while he hadn't been as gentle then as he had been last night, it had been as much her fault as his.

"Erm," he interrupted her musings, "alright. Well..." He had to think about what he always did.

"Well, I usually have my book here," he placed it on the bedside table, "then I often take a last look out of the window. I don't really know why, it's a stupid habit."

"Would you do it?"

"What?"

"Look out of the window? Would you do everything that you'd normally do? Just pretend I'm not here."

"Well, pretending, you're not here is not going to be easy, but yes, if you want me to."

"I'd like you to."

At first Robert found it slightly awkward. Pretending she wasn't there and going through his bedtime routine with her watching, but the moment he reached the window and gazed over the calm sea, his confidence came back instantly and strangely he suddenly knew that they would make it through to their old age. Together. And happily. He was absolutely sure of it. It was a moment, he swore he would never forget.

"And then I get rid of my dressing gown." He turned from the window and took the garment off, "and hang it over a chair. Or whatever presents itself." Robert heard a soft chuckle coming from her direction.

"At Downton I would then take my hot water bottle, especially in winter, and place it at the end of my bed, for my feet, and then I crawl under the sheets, like this," Robert drew the duvet up to his chest, "and then I take the book and read for a bit until, well, until I turn out the light and go to sleep."

Voilà, there he was. In her bed, at her side, his feet under her blanket and to his astonishment, he wasn't giddy or about to lose his control. It felt almost as if he had just gotten into his own bed, absolutely calm, ready to let the day go, ready to ensconce himself in his book and then to go to sleep. As always.

Just this time, Cora was sitting next to him and smiled.

"On which side do you go to sleep?" She asked.

"Erm, on the left. Mostly. But I always wake up on my back, so I don't know. I probably roll around a bit. My mother says that my father snores when he's lying on his back, so..."

"You didn't snore last night." Still she smiled.

Was she teasing him? Well, he could do that, too.

"Well, I didn't spend much of last night on my back though."

"That's true."

They both laughed.

"You know, at some point in our old age, you will complain about me snoring and then I will remind you of this night. And that I better ought to sleep on my side."

For a moment they looked into each others eyes and felt something happening again. It was like a great jigsaw-puzzle, slowly being put together. Small piece by small piece.

"You know," Cora ended the little moment, "I also go to sleep on my left. Mostly." She felt a little insecure about what she was going to say but on the other hand, it felt too right not to say it.

"You go on and read and when you are ready, I'll be there and you won't need that hot water bottle anymore." To prove her point, Cora moved her left foot until she found his feet under the sheets. They were cold, but she didn't mind. "At least you won't need it here."

She felt him wiggle his toes and saw him smile.

"I told you, you don't have to feel obliged. I'm just going to sleep here. Nothing's going to happen that you don't want."

"I know, Robert. I was actually talking about your cold feet."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Please, don't be. It was nice to hear it again. Because," and Cora suddenly turned serious, "there was one thing I wanted to ask you. It's silly, really, because I know you're not, but..."

"What?" Robert asked softly. "What am I not?"

"You know I spoke to Margaret for a little while today. And, well, I don't know how to say this, please don't feel offended, but you are not like Albert, are you?"

For the first time in their short marriage, Robert was absolutely sure about the feeling that manifested itself in Cora's eyes. She was afraid. And after his encounter with Albert and Margaret, he thought he understood why.

"No, Cora. I'm not like Albert. And don't worry, I'm not offended by your question. I don't know what Margaret has told you, but I think I understand. Albert is not a gentleman. Not at all. For some reason, I've never realised it until today but believe me, today I have. I'd like to think that I was brought up with far better manners than he obviously was."

Robert paused and remembered his own sordid behaviour on their wedding night, "although," he whispered, "I may not always have acted like it. I'm so sorry, Cora."

"Thank you," Cora breathed against his temple before she placed a sweet, warm kiss there and it almost made him cry. But Robert continued to stare down at the book in his hands until he felt her small, but firm hand leave his shoulder, only then did he turn his head to look at her and smiled, at the same time relieved and reassured. It was possible that she had forgiven him. Now they only needed to forgive themselves.

"Well, so, then... we just read? And then go to sleep?" He stirred the conversation back to the beginning and opened his book.

"Yes." That had gone so much better than Cora had expected. Her doubts had vanished, her fear of being cast out were gone and the girl who was so madly in love with Robert Crawley dared to hope again. There still was the little unsolved problem with their intimate encounters but suddenly Cora knew it would be alright. At some point in the near future, she would be ready. She just hoped, it wouldn't take too long since she also knew that the progress from today wouldn't last forever. After another half hour, Cora couldn't stifle her yawns anymore, closed her book and giving Robert, who was still turning page after page, a last smile, she blew out the candle on her side of the bed. She had barely made herself comfortable though when she saw Robert also close his book, plunge the room in darkness and settle down next to her.

"You didn't have to... I mean, if you want to read some more...," Cora whispered into the darkness.

"No no no, I'm tired. I wanted to... to go to sleep," Robert whispered in return.

"Well, then. Goodnight, Robert."

"Goodnight, Cora. Sleep well." She heard him exhale and tucking himself in on his left side, turning her back to her. Well, she had asked him to do everything as if it were a completely normal evening. Smiling to herself, she dosed off, faintly aware of Robert's sleeping form in her bed, just a few inches away. That truly had been a good day.

Being the morning person that he was, Robert woke up when the first ray of sunlight shone through the window. For a moment he felt disoriented, the mattress felt wrong, the sheets different, the ceiling wasn't quite the right colour and something was pressing against his right shoulder. Slowly remembering his conversation with Cora last night, he had to smile. He had indeed awoken lying on his back. As always. Slowly Robert turned his head. He didn't want to wake her but what he saw quickened his pulse. The gentle press against his shoulder was Cora's forehead. She lay on her left side and had inched so close to him over night that their bodies had made contact. He hadn't woken with his arms around her again but this wasn't bad either. She looked so relaxed, completely at ease and unbelievably adorable.

Before Robert could think again he turned unto his right side until he was face to face with Cora and just watched her. She looked so innocent in her sleep. She was so innocent. Suddenly the overwhelming urge to protect her was back, never to hurt her and to see her happy always, so that she might be able to preserve that innocence. Forever. Whether his brain was still asleep somewhere and had taken his caution with it, Robert didn't know, but when he observed his fingers gently removing one of her locks and tucking it behind her ear, he just wanted to look at her sleeping form forever. His very own sleeping beauty. But it wasn't to be as Cora opened her eyes just when he had removed his hand again.

"Good Morning," he whispered with a smile.

"Good Morning," she answered and Robert could feel her breath on his face. It was tantalising and he felt the first stirrings of excitement, but swore to control himself.

"Would you kiss me again?" Cora whispered again rather unexpectedly, but it had been the first thing her drowsy mind had thought about when she had opened her eyes looking straight into his and she couldn't shake the slightly irrational urge to have him nearer, to touch him, to lose herself in the warmth that radiated from him.

"Cora," he whispered again, "I... what if I can't... what if I lose..."

"Shhh. Please, kiss me." Cora didn't know what drove her to be so wanton all of a sudden, but there was something deep inside of her, which just wanted to be close to him. Physically close. Closer than she ever had been.

By now his eyes were fixated on her lips, her beautiful, soft lips. Oh he wanted to kiss her. Badly. He couldn't think of anything right now he'd ever wanted more in his life.

So Robert tilted his head and could feel the jolt of energy surge through his body the moment his lips touched hers and when he suddenly felt her hand in his hair and her body pressing into his, at the same time dragging him closer, he opened his mouth and let his tongue trace little patterns over her lips. It didn't take long and she opened her mouth to him, her hot breath flooding his senses so overwhelmingly that he had to let out the longing moan which had been trapped deep inside his chest.

"Robert," she breathed heavily, "more."

"As you wish, m'lady," Robert moaned again. Fortunately he had so much sense left in him not to just roll on top of her. Although he could feel his arousal strain against his pyjama pants by now, all he wanted was to taste her. Every single bit of her. He moved to her neck and peppered it with wet, open-mouthed kisses the sort of which he had never bestowed on anyone until now for her skin was enchanting and the warmth her body gave off enthralling.

In spite of his haze, Robert distinctly felt her hands in his hair again, urging him further down until his face was nestled between her breasts. He moved to kneel above her, avoiding an all too close contact and continued to kiss her through her nightgown, his hands moving almost of their own accord up and down along her body, exploring her curves tenderly. The little buds of her breasts were hard under the rather thin fabric and he found them with ease, starting to suckle at them, flicking his tongue from time to time. When he gently bit one, he felt her body arch up, her belly bumping into his chest and he heard her moan for the first time. She was enjoying this.

"God, Robert." Cora thought she was about to explode from his ministrations. His breathing was so heavy but his hands so gentle, her own breathing equally heavy and her blood rushing in her ears. She wanted... what did she want? The feeling that had her abdomen suddenly in a coiled spring wanted something, something more than his kisses.

"Robert, please," she suddenly panted.

"What?" He raised his head slightly from between her breasts.

"Please, Robert, more." Cora would lose her mind if she didn't get more of him instantly. More of his skin, more of his touch, more of his everything. The feeling deep down drove her, pulled her, pushed her, almost out of her control, away from her fears and on towards him. With nimble fingers she started to open his pyjama shirt until she was able to slide it over his shoulders and after she had tossed it off the bed, her hands started roaming over his bare back hungrily, pressing his body closer to hers.

"Cora, oh God Cora, are you sure?" Robert panted, his lips attending to her neck again. He had promised not to force her, he had promised to be gentle, but he was so close to passing a point from which he wouldn't be able to turn back. This time it had to be right, he wanted it to be right. For her.

"Yes, Robert." She sucked gently at the sensitive skin of his own neck in between her words. "I'm ready. Please, don't stop."

She started to push off his pyjama pants and he let her.

"But if I hurt you, I'll stop. You say stop and I stop. Alright?" He tried to reassure her before he almost lost his sanity to the sight of her freeing his manhood from its last restraints.

"I love you." Cora took his face in between her hands and couldn't help it. Barely audible she mumbled the words against his lips before she crushed hers against his again. She didn't care if he'd heard her or not. All she cared about was their lips joined together and the anticipation that almost let her burst when she felt his hands removing her nightgown and her underthings, his hips settle in between her legs and the tip of his manhood touch her where her irrational craving was strongest. Cora grabbed his curls and kissed him harder, banishing the little pang of fear that had appeared at the intimate contact to the very back of her mind. She needed him like this. She needed him.

Robert couldn't breathe anymore and broke the kiss, panting madly as he finally eased inside her as slowly as he could. And oh God was she ready, but when she suddenly gasped, he stopped immediately.

"Does it hurt?" He asked breathlessly.

"No. No. That was... that was... pleasure. Go on. Please." It didn't hurt. Not like the first time anyway. She felt a dull fullness and all in all a little tense, but it didn't hurt and the simultaneous feeling of nearly overwhelming pleasure sent her mind spinning.

The rhythm that his hips soon set was slow and in perfect harmony with his own gasps of pleasure while Cora's remaining tension quickly evaporated into the completion she felt, and every time he buried himself completely inside her and his moans reached her ears, it pushed her a little closer to an edge previously unknown to her. She knew this was where she wanted to be, needed to be, and the urge to reach it and let herself tumble over it soon became uncontrollably strong. Instinctively Cora slung her legs around his waist, locking both of them together, urging him on. Robert groaned into her neck when he felt her feet make contact with the flexing muscles of his behind. If she kept this up, he wouldn't need long anymore.

But he needn't have worried for she suddenly started whimpering underneath him and for a fleeting second Robert thought he was hurting her again with his quickened pace, but soon realised that it wasn't that. She clung to him even more eagerly, pressing their bodies together and he suddenly knew that this was what his father had described in his rather understated way with "they can enjoy it too you know."

"Please, Robert, please." Cora was so close to the edge now. So very close, just a few inches more, just a little bit more, just a tiny bit.

Without thinking, Robert pressed his lips against her neck and sucked, at the same time cupping one of her bare breasts with his right hand, kneading it tenderly before taking its bud between thumb and forefinger, applying just the right amount of pressure. And there she was. Without much warning, she arched almost violently into his flushed body and her inner sanctum clenched tightly around him.

She tumbled, tumbled and tumbled. Further, further and further down her spiral of pleasure, every muscle straining in the most exquisite way possible, every single nerve in her body on fire until there would soon be nothing left and she would be consumed by this new-found passion.

She had buried her face in his neck to muffle her screams when Robert had stopped moving out of sheer surprise about her waves of ecstasy. He knew, if he only moved one more inch it would be over but he wanted it to last, to last for eternity.

But he couldn't, he wasn't, he didn't...

His hips bucked one last time and he spilled deep inside of her, his lips beneath her ear breathlessly calling her name, his throat eliciting a groan, telling her of pleasures he'd never known before.

And then there was silence. Apart from their laboured breathing and their frantically beating hearts, nothing could be heard in Cora's bedroom on the first day of the last week of the honeymoon of Robert and Cora Crawley née Levinson.

"Cora?" Still a bit breathless, Robert broke the silence. "What just happened?"

"I don't know, Robert. I don't know. All I know is... all I now is, it definitely didn't hurt."

"Jesus, Cora," he turned to face her again, realising that she was teasing again.

"Cora, I never wanted to hurt you and I've never... I've never ever... that was just incredible, Cora."

"We're alright now, aren't we, Robert?"

"Of course we are. We've always been alright, and now we are so much more, so much more." Robert took her hand and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles.

Cora decided not to ask him what he meant by that because she suspected that he wasn't quite sure himself of what he truly meant and suddenly the peculiar spell that hung over them broke when Robert's empty stomach suddenly made itself heard.

"Someone wants breakfast." Cora smiled.

"Mhmm. Are you ready for breakfast?" Robert asked.

"Yes, I am. Would you give me half an hour?"

"Of course," Robert said and got up, gathered his things together and slipped into his dressing gown, but before he left her - no, their - bedroom, he leant over to her one more time and kissed her, once again amazed by the softness of her lips.