A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to write the conclusion. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, or even just read this story. It was fun to write. :)
Bates, with his usual discretion, asked no questions as he helped Robert prepare for the night. Perhaps sensing his lordship's restlessness, he moved about quickly and wordlessly, finishing the evening routine in record time and with a minimum amount of fuss.
As Bates took his leave, Robert knew it was unlikely that Cora would be ready yet and so, wanting at all cost to avoid the risk of running into O'Brien, he decided to return to his earlier seat for a moment.
The bottle of whisky that Cora had taken from him earlier still stood on the mantelpiece where she had placed it, but Robert had lost all appetite for the drink. On the contrary, he was now determined not to cause Cora any more bother with his behaviour, and for that he needed his mind to clear as much as possible before entering her bedroom.
As time ticked away Robert felt his anxiety, momentarily pushed aside by the arrival of Bates, returning in full force. With a clearer head he could soon see that Cora would not leave him despite what her own sentiments might be. She was a lady in the truest sense of the word, and he knew she would never expose herself of her family to such a scandal, but it was hardly a comforting thought. The thought of having her presence without her heart was just as unbearable as the thought of not having her at all. Perhaps even more so.
When finally he heard the door of the adjacent room open and close, Robert stood up to hear the retreating footsteps of his wife's maid as she hurried down the corridor and into the servants' passage. After a few minutes of continued silence had assured him the coast was clear, Robert finally walked over to the door that joined his dressing room to their shared bedroom and turned the handle.
He found Cora already settled on her side of the bed, propped against the pillows with an unopened book in hand. She looked up to see Robert as he entered the room but no words were spoken until he had shed off his robe and climbed into the bed on his side.
Robert wished Cora would be the one to break the silence because he was too afraid to start asking the questions to which he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answers, but her eyes were fixed on the cover of the book in her hands and her mind seemed to be miles away. Perhaps her thoughts were even now on Mr. Douglas, Robert thought with a sinking feeling.
At last, he could no longer bear the silence:
"You must be angry with me," he spoke quietly. It was a statement rather than a question.
At this, Cora finally shifted her eyes from the book and turned to face Robert.
"I'm not angry," she said, giving him a tired smile. He returned it reservedly.
"I- I hope Mr. Douglas wasn't offended," Robert continued with some effort, forcing the words out of his mouth.
"I'm sure he wasn't," she replied wearily. Then, after a short pause: "But if you are concerned, you will have an opportunity to apologize in the morning. The weather was so bad I invited him to stay over the night."
"Stay over the night?" Robert exclaimed. Then he remembered his earlier decision, cleared his throat, and added with more composure: "I mean, of course he is most welcome to stay."
"You know, he's really quite a nice man," Cora said, her voice a little edgy. "If you tried to have a conversation with him you might find…"
"Nice?" Robert interrupted her, incredulous. This was too much. He could try to remain civil, but like the man? Never.
Cora rolled her eyes. "Robert, really," she sighed, exasperated. "Just because he is American and hasn't studied at all the finest schools of England doesn't mean he would make unbearable company."
Robert gaped at her for a moment, unable to understand how his being American was relevant.
"Maybe he isn't noble and fashionable enough by your standards," Cora continued while Robert remained silent, "but I would have thought you would have been civil at least on my account."
"So I was just supposed to sit back and watch my wife being courted by an old flame?" Robert countered, unable to hold on to his resolution any longer.
Cora opened her mouth to reply and then closed it again, a confused expression crossing over her face. Robert felt his pulse quicken as he feared what she would say next, but to his surprise, she let out a laugh.
"Is that what this is all about?" she asked, giving Robert an inquiring look. "You thought he was courting me?"
It was Robert's turn to frown. "What else would this be about?" he asked incredulously.
"I thought you didn't approve of him because he is American and of new money."
Robert felt a new pang in his chest. Was that really what Cora of thought of him?
"What? No," he said quickly. "No, I can assure you that was the last thing on my mind." He paused, then lowered his voice and added: "I was too busy looking at how much you seemed to be enjoying his company to care about anything else."
"Oh Robert," Cora sighed, touching his cheek gently, her expression softening. "Why would you even think of anything like that?"
Robert still felt apprehensive. Was she avoiding a direct answer or was he really just being ridiculous?
"So you are…not in love Mr. Douglas?" he asked hesitantly, pulling away from Cora's touch to look her directly in the eye.
"In love?" Cora repeated seemingly amused. "I haven't even seen him in almost 30 years. Why would I suddenly be in love with him?"
Robert blushed. He had chosen the wrong word. "Maybe not in love," he amended, "but I couldn't help wondering when I saw you two together…I still can't help wondering," he added, "If you had to make the choice again, wouldn't you rather have chosen him? You seemed to enjoy his company quite a bit."
"Robert," Cora said, taking his hand into hers. This time her whole countenance was entirely serious. "If I seemed to be paying him any extra attention, it was only to compensate for your lack of warmth towards him. You must know it was never a choice between you and him. Not thirty years ago and most certainly not now."
"But…" Robert was at a loss for words, suddenly trying to replay the events of the past evening in the light of what Cora had just told him.
Had he really been the cause of his own discomfort?
"Then you are definitely not in love with him?" He still had to hear the words coming from her own lips.
Cora smiled at him, squeezing his hand.
"Most definitely not," she assured him.
Robert swallowed. There was one more question he needed to ask before he could be at ease.
"And are you…" he paused to search for the right words, looking at Cora almost pleadingly. "That is, I know life's not been very easy for us lately, but do I still make you happy?"
"Oh Robert," Cora sighed, shaking her head slightly while a smile slowly formed on her lips.
"If I don't," he continued quickly before she could respond, "please tell me what I can do to rectify it, because I could never be happy if I didn't have you happy by my side."
"Hush," Cora replied, pressing a finger against his lips to gently silence him. "I've loved you longer than you have loved me, and I'm not about to stop. I could never be happy on anyone's side but yours."
Finally, Robert felt his whole body relax.
"Do you really mean that?" he asked, taking her finger off his lips and pulling the whole hand towards himself. "I know it's not been the easiest year to be married to me."
"I didn't marry you because I thought it would be easy," Cora replied with a reassuring smile.
"You married me because I had a title," Robert pointed out, starting feel comfortable enough to add a hint of teasing.
Cora chuckled.
"That's why my parents wanted me to marry you," she pointed out, pressing a spontaneous kiss on Robert's lips and then scrunching her nose at the lingering fumes of alcohol in his breath. "I married you because I thought I was in love with you."
"You thought?" Robert replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, when I actually fell in love with my husband, I came to realize what I thought had been love before was really just a young girl's infatuation."
Robert took a deep breath, pulling her hand to his lips and then pressing it against his cheek, leaning towards its caress.
"Cora," he sighed, feeling both elated by her words and ashamed of his own earlier actions. "I'm so sorry I ever doubted you."
"I'm sorry if I gave you reason to," Cora replied, looking at him earnestly. "It was definitely never my intention."
"No, I was just being a jealous fool," Robert replied, chuckling as he thought back to his own behaviour now. "I promise I will apologize to Mr. Douglas first thing tomorrow morning."
With no more explanations or apologies needed, they both settled down to rest, Robert pulling Cora as close to him as possible before allowing sleep to claim him.
"I still think he had an eye on you though," he muttered just as they were both about to drift off.
"Well he is only human," Cora replied with a low chuckle, pulling his arm more tightly around her.
Robert could not deny the truth of her words.