Chapter Text
The morning after Robert caught Simon Bricker in Cora’s bedroom he goes into the village to see his mother. He has to talk to someone about this situation and it couldn’t be anyone who talks to his children or Tom very openly. “Hello mama.” Robert says when he enters his mother’s sitting room and kisses her cheek.
“Hello dear.” Violet Crawley watches her son carefully. “What’s wrong? You look as if you haven’t slept all night.”
“Well, I came home last night from my regimental dinner. Cora wasn’t expecting me because I said I wasn’t coming home until this morning. I wanted to surprise her. Simon Bricker was at dinner with Cora last night.”
“That’s not the whole story, is it, Robert? What happened last night?”
“I was so excited to be home early to see Cora. Carson was just locking up when I came home. I rushed upstairs to our bedroom. I wasn’t even sure Cora was still awake until Carson told me Baxter had just come down. I was hoping to talk to my wife and…” Robert pauses. He doesn’t want to tell his mother everything.
“And you were hoping for something more maybe. Go on. I knew that was what you were after.” Violet reassures her son.
“When I walked into our bedroom Simon Bricker was there with my wife about to kiss her. Cora didn’t seem uncomfortable at all. I hit Bricker and wrestled him to the floor. Now I wonder whether Cora and Bricker had an affair while they were together in London. It’s clear I interrupted them last night. What do I do now mama?” Robert asks as tears run down his face.
“Oh my dear.” Violet stands up and sits down next to her son. She puts her arm around his shoulders. She lets him rest his head on her shoulder and cry which he hasn’t done since Sybil died.
“I left before Cora came downstairs this morning. I didn’t want to see her.”
“Do you really think Cora is having an affair? She adores you.” Violet asks gently. She holds her son tightly.
“I don’t know what else to think seeing what I saw last night. She’s been pulling away from me for months. I’ve lost her to a weasel of a man.” Robert sobs. He’s not used to being so emotional around his mother.
“What do you want from me, Robert? I’m not sure how to help you, my dear.” Violet whispers. She’s worried about her son.
“I don’t know if I want anything from you, mama, except for support. I don’t know what will happen between Cora and I and I need to know I can rely on you. I’m tired of fighting her. If she wants to separate I’ll let her. It’s clear she doesn’t love me. Now I wonder if she ever did love me. I don’t even know how to talk to her anymore. Did this happen to you and papa?”
“You’re just growing apart a little. Your papa and I were never as close as you and Cora are. You can fix this if you want to.”
“If Cora is having an affair I think it’s already too late. I don’t even know if I should try to fix this. We’ve been so miserable recently. I can’t imagine that Cora has any reason to try and save our marriage if last night’s behaviour is anything to go by. I don’t want to be miserable. I don’t want us to be like Shrimpy and Susan. I’ve watched those two mope around for so long and make everyone around them miserable. I don’t want to be them.”
“You sound as if you’ve already given up. Do you love Cora? If you do you must fight for her.”
“Of course I love her, but I think I’ve lost her because of Simon Bricker. He’s been appreciating Cora far better than I have recently. Bricker’s a slimy man and I thought that right from the start. Now I’ve lost the woman I love to a man that has no morals.”
“Robert, you sound as if Bricker has already defeated you. That is not good. You must show Cora you still love her or you will lose her. Cora is fiery and she will not give up the feeling she is getting from Bricker. You have to prove to Cora that you can treat her better than Bricker can. You have to prove that you’re the man she remembers and not the man she thinks you are now.”
“I am not the man I used to be and I don’t know that after last night I can treat Cora the same now. I’m furious with her after her behaviour last night. She didn’t even apologize or try to defend her actions. I told her I was going to sleep in my dressing room and she didn’t stop me. I was half expecting to hear her bedroom door open and close and know that she was going to Bricker’s bedroom. I opened the door to her bedroom this morning expecting to see her bed empty, but it wasn’t. I looked down at my beautiful wife and I started to cry. She hasn’t said anything to me since she said, “Golly what a night!” to me after Bricker left and before I left the room. How do you know so much about this?”
“Because your father and I went through the same thing. We were pulling away from each other in the same way Cora and you are now. Bricker knows how to flatter Cora and right now she’s accepting it because you’re not flirting with and flattering her. You’re the one she wants.”
“I’m not sure she does want me mama. She hasn’t given me any indication in a long time that she loves me or has any attraction to me romantically at all. I feel so alone. I don’t even like being at Downton now. I don’t feel like myself.”
“Do you mean that you haven’t been intimate with your wife in a while? I know it makes you uncomfortable to talk about this and I don’t like it either, but it’s important to discuss it in the least descriptive terms.” Violet practically cringes to ask her son about this.
“I haven’t been… like that with Cora in at least six months. I’ve slept next to her every night until last night and I haven’t touched her in that time. I used to wake up with my arms around my wife every morning and I can’t remember the last time I did that. Cora hasn’t shown any interest in me in a long time. I miss her. She may love me, but I don’t think she likes me very much anymore.”
“Robert, this is Yorkshire. You and Cora could perhaps get away with living separate lives in London, but not in Downton. You need to talk to her. Maybe Cora needs to go home to America for a while and clear her head. Maybe you and Cora need some time apart to decide what the two of you will do after this. You and Cora have lost your way, but you can get back to where you were.” Violet didn’t expect her son to be so desperately sad. “Do you want me to call Cora and get her to come here? The three of us should talk.”
“Would you really do that for me, mama? You don’t usually cope well with emotion. This conversation with Cora is liable to be very emotional. Are you ready to deal with that?”
“I would do anything for you to ensure that you are happy. Do you want me to call Cora?”
Robert thinks carefully for a moment and squeezes his mama’s hand. “Yes, please call Cora and ask her to come and see me. She may listen to you.”
Violet pats her son’s hand. “I’ll do as you ask. You need to be strong. Cora isn’t just going to give in to you and fall into your arms. I’ll be right back.” Violet walks out into the hall to place the phone call.