A/N: Thanks as usual to Settees-under-siege for her wonderful Beta reading. Credit to creator Julian Fellowes. My genuine thanks to everyone who has read and/or reviewed.

Epilogue: Ashes On The Carpet

Spring 1921

"Peek-a-boo! Ha ha…! Peeeeek-a-boo!" Robert gasped with theatrical pretended shock. "Peek-a-boo! Ha ha ha," he chuckled at the dazed smile on his son's face, Adam's startled giggles renewed each time Robert poked his face out from behind his hands.

They were sitting alone together outside, enjoying the crispy cool morning. Adam faced Robert in his lap, blinking up at him with childish curiosity. The grass was still wet with dew, the trees making their restless swishing noises in the breeze. The statuesque back drop of Downton Abbey cast one great shadow across the grass.

"Adam, can you say Papa?"

The two and a half year old responded with a raspberry. Dribble rolled down his chin.

"How about mama? Mm? Can you say Mama?"

"He'll talk soon, darling," Cora called, holding their other son by the hand as they made their way slowly over the grass towards them.

"Oh I know there's no rush but after Jem's first work was 'yuck', I hoped Adam might say something else."

"Yuck," Jem was prompted to respond. Cora laughed easily and stooped to swoop him up into her arms; within a few strides she ably sat down beside Robert and glanced sideways at him with a knowing smile.

"You were gone before I woke up, has this been your quest all morning?" she asked.

"Not all morning. After some tedious paperwork I stole Adam while nanny wasn't watching. Have you been up long?"

"An hour or two."

"I wish I'd been the first to say good morning to you. Sometimes I forget about that privilege."

"Robert that's one of the sweetest things you've ever said to me!"

He blushed and murmured, "Good morning."

"Good morning," her reply. Turning, her gaze reached for his, intent on grasping his attention for a kiss. He realised her focus on him and gladly obliged to meet her smiling lips with his. The cold tip of his nose pressed gently to her cheek as the kiss lingered pleasantly longer than she'd expected. Cora was wrenched away unexpectedly as Jeremy pulled at her necklace, thinking it a new toy.

"Mm- Jem!" Cora sighed. "Well… I think we better find nanny again. There's still a lot to do in preparation for tomorrow."

"I have to admit I never thought the day would come," Robert frowned.

"Nor me but I'm so glad we're proved wrong. Edith deserves her happiness. I'm only glad it will be a relatively small function."

"It will be perfect."

"It will… though I'll only let myself breathe once the sun is setting and you and I are alone together…" her voiced dropped seductively, "comfortably beneath the marquee."

"I agree, once I can happily toast Mr Gregson-" Robert stopped abruptly, realising he had misheard the tone in her voice. "Oh… you mean… Once most of the guests have left…" he joined in her vision. "Edith safely put into the car bound for Eastwake-"

"Her husband in tow."

"Natually."

"The air just starting to get cool enough that I have to cuddle up close to you…"

With the look of boyish embarrassment on Robert's face, Cora's heart fluttered with the swarming of butterfly wings, she smiled shyly and gave her attention back to the fidgeting toddler in her lap.

"You know I thought we were past this," Robert said, returning the topic of the conversation to their sons. "But I really don't mind that we're not. I love having little ones."

Robert and Cora's young boys were remarkably different in personality; Jeremy would be bold and adventurous while Adam would be more intellectual but shy. At two and a half years old, they were inseparable and almost identical with dark hair and cherub round faces.

"My purpose has returned, I can't say I'm sorry to have it back," Cora answered him honestly. Robert looked at her quizzically for a moment but decided not to pursue the meaning of her comment further. It would save.

Later that same day…

"It's beautiful… I just think it's beautiful," Sybil conversed with Edith across the table. The Bransons had arrived only the day before in order to be present for the following day. Things were still uneasy between Robert and Tom; this marked their sixth visit and their third with their daughter.

"Do stop gushing, it's a Lanvin of course it's going to look beau- alright," Mary intercepted as she took another sip of wine. Catching Matthew's knowing eye, she huffed.

"I think yours is prettier than Mary's was," Sybil mouthed to Edith. Edith grinned widely.

"I don't care what anyone thinks… Just as long as Michael likes it."

"He'll like it, he didn't have to pay for it," Robert muttered.

"We're not going to talk about money, are we?" Tom asked, looking slightly apprehensive.

"No, of course not," Matthew replied. "We save that for over port and cigars."

Since Matthew had been bequeathed the estate of his mentor and friend from his Manchester law practise, he had become the newest investor to Downton and securer of its future. With the money, he and Mary had also bought nearby Downton Place which played their occasional retreat when Matthew wasn't required on business in London.

And Edith, Edith finally had Michael Gregson. There was room for tragedy, but there was also much room for happiness.

Late afternoon, the next day…

The pads of his fingers grazed the smooth skin of her cheek, making shivers roll down her spine. She looked up through her eyelashes at him with a tranquil look on her face. His expression softened, exploring her lips in detail with a long and gentle look. In turn, she recognised how the years had weathered him. She noted the gentle crease between his brows, strengthened by that quick temper, lightly lining his broad forehead; the familiarity of his strong nose and jaw line. His occasionally stinging blue eyes now watched her with tender inquisitiveness, guessing at her thoughts. His breath mingled in the air with hers for one moment… One moment. And then their lips brushed. Cora raised her hands, weaving her fingers up through his hair. She opened her mouth as they reached for one another again. Her tongue delicately traced his lower lip while he slowly angled his head, easily and sensitively changing the angle of their kiss.

Robert's hands slipped from her lap where they had been folded and slowly extended his protective embrace around her, finding the small of her back. While their kisses broke and joined and broke and rejoined again, instigating more fervor between them, Robert edged forward in his seat and stood up slowly. Maintaining contact with her lips, he knelt one knee between her legs, trapping the fabric of her dress to the bench. Gliding his touch up her body so that he could cradle her face in his palm, he broke from her lips and made delicate, exaggeratedly slow and wet kisses down her cheek to the sensitive skin of her neck. Craning his body more decisively above her, Cora had little choice but to lie back and relish his divine attention.

"Will you stop… winding me up so?" she breathed. He smiled to hear the hitch in her voice, the gasp in her breath.

"Why?" he answered with a petulant question, his words vibrating against her throat.

"Propriety…" she replied weakly, a tinging blush in her cheeks as Robert moved back slightly to observe her.

"Screw propriety," he whispered, planting his lips decidedly to hers before he resumed softly sucking her neck.

"How indecent this must look," Cora said with no trace of concern in her voice.

"It's a position difficult to pass off as anything else," he agreed reluctantly. He paused to sigh, withdrew and gently nuzzled his nose with hers, leaning in as though to capture her lips once more, then moved backwards into his chair.

"Oh, that was a bit mean," she said, recovering herself.

"You can be far meaner than that without knowing it," he said, flashing a grin.

"You don't need to flirt with me more; I'm already wound up enough as it is."

"You have no idea… Say something anyway."

"Say something?"

"Something sweet for me," he encouraged her, looking amused as a mischievous smile became her face. She then rose from her seat to whisper in his ear.

As she bent over slightly, she held his face in her hands; pressing her cheek to his while he occupied his hands at her waist.

"Later when you make love to me," she whispered, "and we get all hot… and wet… when I'm breathing your name…"

"Milady?"

"Carson?" Cora smoothly turned and quirked an eyebrow, looking a bit too casual to look completely guiltless.

"Lady Mary and Mr Crawley are departing now with Master George, they said they'd slip off since Master George is tired."

"Will that be all, Carson?"

"Her ladyship, the Dowager Countess will be leaving shortly also – will I tell her you're here? She's waiting at one of the tea tables on the drive."

"No, we'll come," Robert said resignedly. "Thank you."

Carson nodded and made leave. Robert looked up at Cora disappointed.

"There there darling," she kissed his cheek and started making her way over to the drive to see his mother off. Turning over her shoulder she called, "we'll have lots of time later."

Left slightly dazed and bewildered, Robert watched after her and couldn't help but smile. For now, theirs was a happy ending with so much left to look forward to of what life could offer them. While the sun set on the day of their third daughter's wedding, a sense of completion came over the Earl.

"Cora," he called after her, getting up from the chair and jogging after her. "Cora – I'll walk with you." And with an abrupt thought he realised…

I will always walk with you.

-THE END-