Becoming Countess

Untitled Part 8

When Cora woke, her head was pounding. She was not pleased with herself and her decision to indulge in a drink. Rosamund had insisted and she hadn't wanted to disappoint her host and soon to be sister in law.  She slowly got out of bed to ring for Mrs. Hughes without jostling her head.  Her stomach flipped making her nauseous. It seemed like forever but she finally reached the bell pull and pulled it, sitting down to quell the nausea.

"Lady Cora? Mrs. Hughes said when she entered. Cora looked up to see concern on the Housekeeper's face. Are you allright, Milady?" she asked. You seem out of sorts."

"She took a breath. "I may have overindulged, Mrs. Hughes," she answered, hanging her head in embarrassment.

The older woman gave her a kind smile, Patting her shoulder. "I take it Lady Rosamund convinced you a drink would do you good?"

"Yes," she admitted. Quite convincingly too. If my Mother knew she'd be so disappointed in me! I never drank a drop in America."

"Milady, if I may say, you are no longer a child, you are about to married and I daresay you can make your own decisions."

"Yes, I suppose you're right Mrs. Hughes, and I appreciate all the help and advice you've given me. What time is our first interview?"

"Miss Sutton will be here  before luncheon so, if you feel up to it, You should go down for breakfast, I shall meet you in the yellow sitting room at 10:15."

"Excellent," she said with smile. "See you then.

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Cora went into the dining room, blushing when she saw Robert. He smiled at her and she felt less embarrassed about last night. She went over to help herself to some eggs and bacon, sitting beside Patrick. "Did you sleep well?" He asked.

"I did," she replied, finishing her breakfast. "Would you care for more coffee, Milady?" Carson asked.

She smiled and nodded. Robert made sure fresh coffee was made every morning for her because she preferred that to tea.

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"Thank you, Miss O'Brien," Cora said, we'll be in touch.

The woman nodded and left. "What do you think Mrs. Hughes? I really like her."

Mrs. Hughes nodded. "As do I, Milady. Her references are quite impeccable and she was referred to me by Thomas the footman.

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Cora waited for her guests to sit it was a gorgeous day and  she had the servants set up their tea outside while the men went on the hunt.  Robert had asked her to entertain, promising she could join him on the next one.  Today was the first time she met Robert's cousin, Susan and her husband Hugh, who goes by Shrimpie. He was very kind but  she was a little too much like Violet and seemed intent on trying to humiliate her in front of her guests. They would chatter quietly in a huddle, glance at her and laugh. Rosamund told her to ignore them. They don't like people who show them up and all  of them are jealous of her relationship with Robert. Apparently he was the only husband in the hunt who hadn't taken a mistress. He told her that more likely than not if his mother were still alive she would have tried to insist upon it but Patrick said to wait a while if it had to happen at all. He had taken Cora aside and told her not to worry about any of it as being anxious could prevent conceiving. He learned that from his cousin Reginald. who'd became estranged from the family when he decided to be a doctor. Robert and Violet never met him. "Her head shot up from her teacup when Susan said her name. "Is it unusual for the women in your family to delay having children once married. cousin?" Cora shook her head. "Oh not at all," She said, trying to reign her anger, and hide her tears.  Rosamund pat her leg, then glared at Susan. "Is it usual that you run your mouth off, Susan?" She asked. The other ladies gasped and Cora looked at her hands.

"Milady," Carson said, the gentleman have returned from the hunt."  She smiled at the butler. "Thank you, Carson. Shall we go through to the dining room, Ladies?" she asked, standing.

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Rosamund rushed into the hall first, hoping to catch Robert. "Dear brother, perhaps it would have been best that you brought Cora riding with you. He shook his head. no, she's still healing."

"From what? Cora was hurt and you didn't say?"

"She asked me not to tell you since you went through it recently.  "Oh God, she's had a miscarriage!  No wonder Susan's comment made her so upset."

"Bloody hell, what did she say?"

"They were talking about mistresses and Susan asked if it was usual for the women in her family to wait to have children."

Robert felt sick when he heard this and he remembered the stricken look on her face when Clarkson said she lost the baby. He wasn't a big fan of the phrase 'lost the baby'. It wasn't as though the baby wondered off and they couldn't find it. "I'll run up and change for luncheon. Keep an eye on her, please? She put you next to her I believe, Susan might be on her other side."

when Rosamund sat beside Cora, she noticed her sister in law was quiet and again staring at her hands. Looking up at Susan, Her cousin had her fake smile on her face. In fact, every one of the women were trying to keep from laughing and no one seemed to want to let her in on the joke. Rosamund sighed, relieved when Robert and the men entered, each greeting their wives with a nod. Cora looked up at Robert and Rosamund heard him gasp. She glanced at Cora to see rather a nasty looking graze on her cheek. "Cora, what happened?" He asked. "N-nothing Robert, it was an accident," she told him. He did not believe her and neither did Rosamund. He refused to sit. "Would someone care to tell me how Lady Grantham received such an injury?"

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Robert never got to the bottom of his mystery so he decided that asking Cora in the quiet of her bedroom would be the best course of action.  She glanced at her face, still not believing Lady Patton acted the way she did.  The woman had sharp nails and was angry about what, Cora never found out. Miss O'Brien cleaned the wound with water and placed a bandage on it.