Robert looked around the room, his guests seemed to be having fun, but someone was missing. He wife had done a disappearing act. At first he'd thought she'd just gone to powder her nose, but that was at least 20 minutes ago now. At least Charles Coren was here. He'd been obviously flirting with Cora earlier in the night. Robert had been watching them as he danced with the Duke of Scarborough's wife. Deep down he knew Cora would stay faithful to him but the way she giggled and blushed at Charles' advances before deflecting them left him feeling the sharp stab of jealousy.

It was strange that Cora had been missing for such a long time though. Robert tried to think of when he'd last seen her. It was ages ago and she'd seemed happy enough chatting away with some of the ladies. He moved out into the hall to see if she was there. No such luck. Surely she wasn't upstairs? Convinced she wouldn't be but still with the earlier pang of jealously in the back of him mind he quickly nipped upstairs to Cora's room. Instead of Cora all he found was a housemaid checking on the fires.

"You haven't seen Lady Crawley have you?"

"No milord."

"If you do please tell her I'm looking for her." Robert raced back off downstairs before the maid could respond.

At the bottom of the stairs he bumped into Carlson carrying a tray of drinks.

"Ah milord, I do apologise."

"No, no, that was me. I wasn't looking where I was going. Carlson you haven't seen Lady Crawley recently by any chance have you? I can't seem to find her."

"As a matter of fact milord I have. About half an hour ago. She went out into the gardens. She didn't look terribly happy, milord, if you don't mind me saying."

"Thank you Carlson. I can always rely on you to know the happenings of this house. Was she with anyone?"

"No milord."

"You don't happen to know which way she went do you?"

"Not really milord, she turned left I believe but that's about all I know."

"Thank you Carlson. You've been very informative."

Robert made his way out into the garden. The night pleasant enough, cloudless and for the time being he was enjoying the breeze that was currently cooling him down from the stuffy heat of the party. Once he'd cooled down however he was sure he'd start to feel a slight chill.

Robert didn't know where to feel relieved or more frustrated in his quest to find Cora. He now knew she was in the gardens. He was one step closer to finding her but out here there were even more places she could be than there were in the house, plus now he only had the moonlight to aid him.

He decided to first do a lap of the house on the off chance she'd just stepped out to get some air and wasn't actually far. That lap alone took him a good while giving the size of the Abbey. After a brief word with a chauffeur waiting outside for their master he confirmed that she hadn't returned to the house while he'd doing his circuit.

This was going to require greater thought. He tried to put himself in her shoes. Where would he go if he was upset and presumably wanted to hide from a party?

He tried a bench half way across the lawns that they often stopped to sit at when out walking. No luck. He racked his brain further. Surely she would not of have wandered that far. Then it hit him, the secret gardens, a perfect place to hide.

He headed off in its direction deciding if she wasn't there he'd go back inside and check she hadn't returned through another door. There was evidence that spring had sprung at Downton all around him. The air smelt of it. The days were warming up but the evenings were still chilly and he was starting to feel the cold.

"There you are."

He found her sat on a bench in the secret garden. She didn't move, just stared off into the distance completely lost in thought.

"Cora." He placed a hand on her shoulder causing her to jump. Her skin was cold beneath his fingertips. "Sorry, you were miles away."

She turned her head away from him, apparently transfixed by some pansies. She was so clearly upset.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," Robert said softly as he settled himself down next to her. She sniffed slightly but didn't say anything. He took her hand where it rested on her leg and laced their fingers together. She immediately curled into him and rested her head on his shoulder.

Her hands were freezing. Despite the urge to tell her, because it would surely irritate her, he said nothing, instead he took off his jacket and placed it round her shoulders.

"Robert-" she protested.

"Just let me."

"I'm fine."

"I know you are, but oblige a man in his quest to feel chivalrous." He took her hand again and she rested her head once more on his shoulder. Robert noticed her discretely pulling the jacket tighter round her body and smiled to himself.

"It's a nice quiet little spot you've found yourself out here."

"I couldn't stand it in there any longer."

"Who's upset you?"

Cora visibly prickled and held back whatever she wanted to say.

"Cora?"

"She just makes me so angry."

Robert had a fair idea who she might be talking about.

"Talking about me like I don't even exist, let alone am stood in the very same room as her." She raised her voice as she started to rant, getting more and more frustrated as she explained. "She just thinks of me as an unsightly stain on the family."

"Oh." There was no doubt in Robert's mind now as to who she was talking about. He listened carefully, trying to connect the dots as to what had happened.

"You British people are supposed to be renowned for not having feelings but it's as if she thinks me not real. Like I have no feelings at all and she can say whatever she wants and I'll just smile and agree like an idiotic American."

Cora stood up, the jacket slipping from her shoulders. She was really angry now.

"She blames me entirely. She was talking about me like I'm some common... harlot! No self-control apparently."

She reached her peak, the anger started to overwhelm her, causing a whole host of new emotions. Tears threatened, which made her even crosser.

"What if she's right? What if I haven't saved the family? What if I've just dragged out its death?"

"Death? Cora, the Crawley family is not dying out. Not on my watch." She hit a nerve and he felt himself blustering. She was just angry and upset but it cut him deep. Marrying her had given the family the money they so desperately needed to ensure their survival but without an heir the family wasn't safe. He hadn't realised quite how much pressure Cora had been feeling. His part was done when he married her. She now had to give her part.

"You need an heir."

"Yes and there will be. There's still so much time, let's just enjoy it." It never occurred to him there wouldn't be. Truthfully he probably thought she would have been at least pregnant by now but these things weren't to be rushed. He hadn't been too concerned.

"Will there?" Doubt and worry firmly set in to her voice.

"Of course there will, why wouldn't there?"

"Because I probably can't have children."

A rush of panic set in for a second before the rest of the sentence caught up with him. Probably, that was the key word here. He told himself to calm down and think about this logically, Cora was upset and angry, he needed the facts before he should panic. It was possible she was just being dramatic due to her emotions but it didn't settle the worry in his stomach.

"Who says you can't have children?"

"Your mother!" The anger flared again and Robert felt a quiet rush of relief.

"And is Mama a trained physician?"

"No, but there's obviously something wrong with me."

"What makes you say that?"

Cora couldn't believe how dense Robert was being. Why was he not worried about this? "It's been a year Robert. We've been married nearly a whole year and there's still no sign of a child." Admitting out loud how long it had been filled her with a sense of guilt. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry. Who's to say it's even you? What if I'm the reason there's no child yet? Have you considered that?" He hadn't actually considered it himself. Just like he hadn't considered there being a real problem that would stop them from producing an heir. He'd always assumed it would happen. "There's still time. These things can't be rushed."

"How much longer though Robert, really?"

"If you're really worried, why don't you make an appointment with Dr. Clarkson, see if there is anything he can suggest?"

"And what if he says I can't have children?"

"Then we will deal with that when it happens. Cora, I will still love you no matter what happens, you do know that don't you?"

"You?-" Cora stared at him, stunned. It was at that point that he realised what he'd said. He'd realised it himself about a month ago but had yet to vocalise his feelings. When he thought about it, and he'd thought about it a lot, he'd fallen for her so slowly over the last few months that it took him by surprise once he realised. He'd known she loved him from the start, the few awkward declarations had told him as much. She hadn't told him for months now though, probably too embarrassed by his inability to respond the times she had.

The longer Robert had gone without telling her he loved her, the more he'd worried about how he would tell her. There had been times when he'd come close but he'd always changed his mind at the last moment, worried his declaration wasn't good enough after all this time. It had to be an event, something she would treasure and hopefully, in part, make up for the times their love had been unrequited.

Cora still stood before him, wide eyed and speechless. The words had slipped out naturally and without second thought. He really did mean them but now as she stood, still not saying anything he started to wonder if he'd made a terrible error.

Then she did something he hadn't expected, she started to cry.

"Cora?" he asked tentatively. Tears had been the last thing he'd imagined. Was she sad? Cross? He didn't understand.

Cora herself wasn't particularly sure why she'd suddenly started crying either. She felt happy, relieved even, but yet she was crying. She'd fallen in love with Robert before they'd married, despite knowing Robert hadn't felt the same. Over the months she'd contented herself with the fact he was kind and affectionate towards her and they both enjoyed each others company. She saw many other couples who married under the same conditions as themselves who couldn't even say that. So she counted herself lucky and tried to ignore the small flame of hope that one day he'd feel the same as she did.

It had to be the sheer range of emotions she'd gone through that evening that had caused her reaction, she decided. Focusing on Robert, and the confused, worried expression on his face, made her realise if she had found her own reaction confusing he must be downright alarmed.

"You've made me so happy," she confirmed, laughing through the tears.

"You're happy?"

"Of course I'm happy!" she told him, flinging her arms round his neck and holding him as close as she could. The warmth between them acted as a reminder to the cold outside.

"You had me worried there." The stood in silence for a moment just being, enjoying the new dynamic between them. "We should go back inside before they send out a search party."

"Robert, I'm not sure I'm ready to face them yet."

He offered her his arm. "We'll sneak back in, you can go up to bed, I'll tell them you're feeling under the weather."

Cora slipped her arm through the crook of his.

"I love you."

Robert hesitated slightly. He wasn't used to saying it yet.

"I love you."