Castles and Cora

Dinner and Piartes

Following the events of the fourth Earl of Grantham's death, Cora decided it was time for her to lighten things up a bit.

"Robert," she started. Her husband looking out the window. Cora's heart broke a little just seeing her husband like this. "I was thinking, maybe we could invite your family. You know, your cousin James and his wife Margret and their son Patrick. It will be fun and would do good for everybody to get together."

"Oh Cora," Robert replied with a tear in his eye. "Thank God for you anyway."

-

"Cousin Robert!" James exclaimed trying to keep on the happy side as he hoped out of the carriage with his wife, Margret and their two-year-old son, Patrick Henry Crawley.

"James," Robert smiled as he embraced his cousin with a hug. "It's so very nice to see you again!"

James grinned and then hugged Cora. "Cora! You are so lovely! It's very nice to see you in person."

"You must be Margret," Cora said smiling at the tall red hair woman in front of her.

"Yes," Margaret smiled and nodded. "And you are the one and only new Lady Grantham!"

Cora laughed and shrugged. "I guess you could say that. Come one everybody, let's go on inside."

-

"Cousin Robert, Downton looks as wonderful as ever!" James exclaimed looking at the library in awe.

"Thank you, James. I do hope it's as wonderful as you remembered." Robert smiled a little. He loved it when people talked so highly of Downton.

"Even better," James reassured his cousin. Both couples were in the library having tea. It was a Downton tradition that when ever someone was over, they would always have tea in the library.

"So, Cora," Margret said changing the subject while stirring cream in her tea cup. The spoon hitting the side of the delicate china occasionally. "How are you liking your new home? It must feel like a fairy tale for you here."

Cora's blue eyes lit up, "I'm rather liking it, actually. There's so much to see. I don't think I've seen half the house yet!"

Margret laughed a little and smiled taking a sip of tea. "That's wonderful. I hope you won't mind the English traditions too much. After all, they are quite different form those wild American traditions you all have."

Cora looked at the ground, her eyes going form bright and lively to dark and dull. "I know that," Cora muttered.

"Oh, That's swell. I don't have to be annoyed by an American again! Patrick and I held a dinner party one time and we invited this American couple a few weeks ago thinking it would be nice to be different with our guest. Good heavens, they were the most annoying people on Earth. She always spoke her mind and-," Margret stopped noticing her husband giving her a warning look.

"Margret, where is our Patrick?" James asked signing.

"Oh, I don't know darling. I think his Nanny toke him to get on his play clothes."

"Well, I guess we will never know."' James half frowned looking at Robert and shrugged.

Robert chuckled and smiled at James. "I guess not,"

"I'll go and find him," Margret declared getting up and smoothing out her dark purple skirt.

"I'll go with you darling," James suggested following Margret out of the library to go find his son.

When they left, Robert walked over to his wife and sat next to her on the settee while holding her hand. "I'm sorry about Margret. She's a little too over-confident."