Author's Note: Hi everyone! I decided to write this fic because I found that the Anna and Bates "A Forbidden Romance" wasn't really working out and I had no motivation for it whatsoever. I have such a good feeling about this fic, however, and I hope that you all love reading it just as much as I know I'm going to love writing it. Happy reading, all! x

When he felt his sweetheart run her thumb across his knuckles whilst the two of them strolled through a field together late one afternoon, William Bates turned his head in her direction and pressed his lips against her forehead. Katherine released a sigh as her eyes fell closed as he did this, her hold of his hand tightening as she took a step closer to him and looked up at him when his lips left her forehead and he pulled back from her.

'Are you warm enough, my darling?' He asked as he looked into her eyes.

'Now that you mention it,' Her eyes sparkled whilst she smiled, 'I am feeling a bit chilly.'

After giving her a smirk he stopped walking and let go of her hand in order to shuck off his jacket, his love for her deepening when she gathered up her brown tresses and held them out of the way whilst he draped his jacket around her shoulders. 'Is that better?' He murmured into her ear once he had rested his hands on her hips through the jacket and brought her back into the front of his chest, his lips meeting the back of her head.

'Much.' She nodded whilst holding the jacket closed around her by the lapels before her eyes fell closed and her breath caught in her throat when she felt him kiss her gingerly on the neck. On instinct she brought one of her hands up to lie on the back of his head, her fingers tangling themselves in his fair hair to hold him in place against her whilst he left kiss after kiss on her skin. 'William…' She whimpered as her head lolled to one side.

The hum that he gave against her neck whilst wrapping his arms around her waist was all the response she received. 'Dearest, as nice as this is,' She extricated her fingers from his hair and allowed herself to stroke his neck before both of her hands came to settle over his on her stomach, 'I have to be back before the dressing gong.' She felt the sigh of disapproval that he gave against her before he stopped his gentle kisses to her neck.

Instead of releasing her from his arms, however, he turned her to face him and slipped his arms back around her waist to hold her flush against him. 'I wish that we could just tell our families about us. No more secrets.' He said after pressing his forehead against hers and brushing the bridge of her nose with the tip of his, Katherine bringing both of her hands to his waist as she looked up into his eyes and took a small step closer to him.

'I know you do.' She whispered. 'So do I, but…but we can't just yet.'

Sometimes the two of them hated being of differing ranks. They hated having to lie to their parents about where they were going and who they were going to be meeting with whenever they wanted to spend time together. The one thing that they hated even more than that, however, was the thought of their parents telling them that they had to end things. They both knew that that was what the four of them would do if they found out.

No, they couldn't tell them.

Not yet.

Not until they were positive that everything would be alright when they did.

'You and the family are still coming to the party tonight…aren't you?' She raised a brow.

He smiled as he looked into her eyes and slid one arm from around her waist so that he could reach up and stroke her cheek with the backs of his fingers. 'I swear to you that we will be there at seven on the dot.' He kept his voice gentle as he spoke to her. 'You'll be dancing with rather a lot of people tonight, I know you will, but will you save me one?'

'If I could I would dance with you and you alone all night long.' She replied.

He cupped her cheek in his palm before moving his other hand from her back to her hip and pulling her closer – if that was even possible – before giving her nose a nuzzle with his. 'You're going to be the most beautiful woman in that room.' He told her as he leaned his forehead against hers again, Katherine giggling whilst her arms slid around his waist.

'How can you be so sure?' She ghosted her lips over his.

'I just am.' He said. 'Besides, I only have eyes for you. I won't be looking at anyone else.'

'William Bates, you are such a charmer.' She gave him a squeeze.

He shook his head. 'No, I'm not. I'm just a young man who happens to be in love with the most beautiful girl in all of Yorkshire.' He ran the thumb of the hand that was cradling her cheek across her skin, his heart swelling with love for her when her brown eyes fell closed and she sighed in contentment at his touch. 'Can I kiss you?' He asked her gently.

'Mmm…I suppose you've earned it after that speech.' She teased.

The two of them chuckled together before he used the hand on her cheek to guide her lips closer to his, his eyes drifting closed as he stooped just moments before their lips met. The hand that was on her waist moved back to her lower back so that he could pull her flush against him, his hold of her tightening when she slid her arms around his neck.

Her lips were so soft and pliant beneath his, the little sighs that she gave between each kiss making him want to back her up against the nearest tree-trunk and kiss her with all of the passion that he possessed. He understood that there wasn't enough time for that though, and so – after a few more seconds of bliss – he began to slow their kisses down.

'We'll continue this later.' He told her once he had brought their kiss to an end.

'How?' She questioned. 'You can hardly kiss me in front of our families and the guests.'

He would if he had half the chance.

'Meet me in the courtyard.' He said. 'When I pick up a drink that's your cue to take your leave and then I'll give it five minutes before coming after you.' He massaged her waist.

'Goodness, I'm involved with a schemer!' She rested her hands on the front of his chest.

'I would go to any lengths to have ten minutes alone with you tonight.' He smiled at her.

'So would I.' She replied. 'Now we had better get going so that I'm not late back.'

He leaned down to give her one last peck on the lips before letting go of her waist and taking her hand in his, the two of them lacing their fingers together as they started to walk again before she rested her head against his upper arm and sighed in contentment. Once the two of them had walked in silence for a time he gazed down at her and smiled.

There wasn't a single thing about her that was less than flawless.

He was unsure of what he had done to deserve her, but he knew that – if it came to it – he would do it all over again if it meant that he could live the rest of his life beside her.

He would do it in a heartbeat.

'There you are!' The sound of his mother's voice made him smile when he walked through the back door of their cottage almost an hour later. 'I was starting to wonder where on earth you had gotten to.' He chuckled at her before removing his jacket, hanging it over the back of one of the dining table chairs and going to her to give her cheek a soft kiss.

'I lost track of time.' He admitted once he had leaned against the kitchen counter. 'You weren't too worried about me, were you?' He knew that – since he had been her "miracle baby" – she was prone to worrying about him more than she should and just the thought of troubling her killed him. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he was still a Mummy's boy.

She shook her head in response as she continued to stir the contents of the saucepan in front of her. 'No. You told me before you left that you weren't going to go too far and I trust that you didn't. Unlike your sister who thought that trying to catch a bus to Ripon with her friends after lunch was hilarious.' She met his gaze after a couple of moments.

'That's almost forty-five minutes away by bus.' He frowned.

'I know.' She replied. 'She didn't think it was quite so hilarious when your father caught her at the bus stop and made her come home. His knee's been giving him grief too, so he wasn't in the brightest of moods when the two of them got back. He's grounded her for the next week.' William hummed in response before thinking about what she'd just said.

'We're still going to the party at Downton tonight, aren't we?' He asked her.

She offered him a reassuring smile as she nodded. 'Of course we are. Your father isn't coming though because of his knee and neither is Margaret, so it'll just be you and I. Is that all right?' She inquired before stepping back from the stove in order to turn it off.

'That's fine.' He told her. 'It's been a while since I last danced with you.'

He revelled in the sound of her giggle.

He loved her more than he could put into words.

'Do you think I have time to go upstairs and take a bath?' He asked.

'If you're quick.' She said after looking at the clock. 'Dinner will be done in half-an-hour.'

'I'll be out before then.' He reassured her. 'Love you.'

'I love you too.' She watched him walk across the kitchen before he left the room.

She couldn't believe how grown up he was. It didn't even seem as though it had been ten minutes since she had given birth to him in Lady Mary's bedroom back on New Year's Eve 1925. For the last seventeen years he had made her nothing but proud of him and it was clear to her that – in the months and years to follow – he would continue to do just that.

As he sat at one of the tables in the grand hall at Downton once he had shared a dance with his mother and she was conversing with Lady Mary on the other side of the room, he was unable to take his eyes off of Katherine as she giggled with some friends just a few feet away from him. He knew that she'd been able to feel his gaze burning into her because she gazed over her shoulder at him after a time, his heart racing as she smiled.

She looked so radiant in the backless red gown that she had chosen to wear, her brown hair cascading down her back as there was a tiara atop her head. The thought of making his way over to her crossed his mind for a second, but – before he could even rise from his seat – she'd excused herself from her little chat with her friends and turned to him.

It looked as though she was floating as she approached him – the definition of elegance.

'Good evening, Master Bates.' She gave him a smirk after stopping in front of him.

'Good evening, Miss Talbot.' He got up from his seat at last and reached for her hand, a smile playing on his own lips as he took her gloved fingertips in his hand and brought her hand to his lips. He then lowered his head to kiss the back of her palm, the shine in her eyes making her look all the more captivating to him when he met her gaze again. 'Might I ask what I've done to gain the attention of such a perfect young woman?' He inquired.

'Well, I know that the band is preparing to play another song and I was wondering if you would lead me through it.' She replied before stepping closer to him and quietening her voice. 'I also came over to remind you of the little agreement we made.' She said to him.

He had to force himself to fight against the urge to lean forward and press a kiss onto her forehead. She was so close. If he leaned forward he would be able to brush her lips with his and he could feel his resolve slipping. 'Don't you worry, milady,' He laid his hand discreetly on her hip through her dress before giving it a squeeze and meeting her gaze, 'there isn't a chance on earth of me forgetting about our agreement.' He reassured her.

The two of them then stood in silence together for a few seconds before turning when they heard the band start to play again. 'Now,' He took a step back from her so that he could offer her his hand, 'I believe that's our cue.' Without hesitating for a moment she slipped her hand into his, the two of them sharing a smile whilst he led her further into the room before they turned to one another and he settled his spare hand on her waist.

'Is this all right for you?' He asked once he had brought her close and laced the fingers of the hand that was holding hers with her own, Katherine nodding as she smiled at him.

'This is perfect.' She whispered before the two of them began to join the other dancers in dancing in time to the music. 'Thank you for suggesting that we took a walk earlier on. I so needed to get out of this house for a couple of hours.' As he moved in sync with her with one hand on her back, William tried his best not to lean his forehead against hers.

'Whenever you need to escape,' He brushed his thumb against her lower back, 'I'm here.'

'I know.' She sighed. 'You have no idea how much I want to lie my head on your shoulder.'

He chuckled. 'You have no idea how much I want to kiss you.'

'Do you have plans tomorrow?' She asked as they continued to move around the room.

'Not that I know of.' He shook his head. 'What do you have in mind?'

'Let's go for a hack.' She suggested. 'We could ride the horses through forests and the country lanes and we could even take a picnic just in case we start to get a bit peckish.'

He smirked at her. 'Just so you can steal all of my strawberries again, you mean.'

'I did not steal them.' She retorted. 'I managed to convince you to feed them to me.'

'Which I enjoyed immensely.' He snugged her a little closer.

She giggled at him before the two of them danced in silence for a time. 'So, do you want to do that? We could meet at the stable-yard at around eleven o'clock and then leave.'

'It's a date.' He told her.

It wasn't long before the song that the band were playing came to an end and the two of them – along with the rest of the dancers – stopped dancing and applauded, a soft smile curling Katherine's lips when she turned back to him. 'I can't wait any longer.' Her voice was low so that no-one heard her. 'I need you to kiss me and so I'm going to go and walk down to the courtyard. Remember, five minutes and then I expect you to be holding me.'

'Of course.' He nodded before she turned on her heel and walked over to her mother to tell her that she had a bit of a headache and so she was going to go down to the kitchen for a powder and then go up to bed. Judging by the way Lady Mary stroked her hair and caressed her cheek, it seemed to him that she had accepted Katherine's little white lie.

After walking back over to the table that he had been sat at earlier one he waited – as he had promised – for five minutes before getting up to go over to his own mother and tell her that he was going to the restroom. He then turned in order to leave her to talk with Lady Edith, a sigh of relief escaping him once he had managed to sneak through the green door that led down to the servant's quarters without getting held up by someone.

In minutes he had made it down to the servant's quarters and down one of the corridors to the door that led out to the courtyard, a muffled chortle escaping him when a pair of arms slung themselves around his neck and a pair of lips pressed themselves against his. He rested his hands on Katherine's waist through her dress as their lips moved over the other's, her little whimpers warming his heart as he held her as close to him as possible.

When he ran his tongue along the seam of her lower lip she parted her lips beneath his and allowed him to deepen their kiss, his tongue dancing with hers to music which could only be heard by the two of them whilst she brushed her fingertips against the hairs at the nape of his neck. He knew that she longed to thread her fingers through his hair but didn't dare since she knew that they would have to head back inside in just a short time.

He walked her backwards towards the crates whilst he kissed her before lifting her to sit atop one of them, his lips muffling her giggle as she smiled against him. When he felt himself beginning to grow light-headed from lack of oxygen he brought their kiss to an end, their breathing fast as he leaned his forehead against hers and caressed her waist.

'My beautiful, beautiful girl…' He breathed whilst looking into her chocolate brown eyes.

Once she had managed to catch her breath somewhat, Katherine lifted her hands to his face and cupped it in her palms before leaning in to pepper kisses over his skin. She left simple kisses to his forehead, his temples, his hairline, his brow, his cheeks, his chin, his nose and anywhere else she was able to reach. She was so gentle with him and that was one of the things that he adored about her. She was such a compassionate human being.

'That might not have been what you were expecting when we came down here,' She told him once she had stopped kissing his face, 'but I just wanted you to kiss me so terribly.'

'It exceeded my expectations in every way.' He soothed. 'It was perfect, my sweet one.'

She smiled as she slipped her arms around his neck. 'I love you so much.' She whispered.

'And I love you.' He reached up to tuck a brown lock of hair back behind her ear.

The two of them then remained in their intimate embrace for a few minutes before she pulled back from him and sighed as she unwound her arms from around his neck and ran her hands down the front of his chest. 'You need to head back up to the party.' She said.

'What about you?' He stroked her cheek.

'I'm going to bed.' She informed him. 'When I told Mama that I was going to bed because I have a headache I didn't mean it, but – if I'm honest – I'm starting to feel a bit tired.'

He nodded before helping her down from the crates and pulling her close enough to lie his chin atop her head. 'You sleep well, all right?' He ran his hand over her hair a couple of times whilst she pressed her face into his throat and gave him a lingering kiss there.

'I will.' She mumbled. 'I'll be dreaming of you.'

He chuckled into her hair.

She was so adorable.

'Look at me.' He told her with a gentle tone before allowing her to remove her head from underneath his chin, his finger hooking itself beneath her chin before he tilted back her head and gave her a chaste kiss. 'I'll see you in the morning, Kathy, all right?' He smiled.

'All right.' She replied. 'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight.' He then allowed her to step past him and re-enter the servants' quarters, a loving sigh escaping him once she had closed the door behind her and he gave it another five minutes before walking back inside. She meant the world to him and so much more. She was everything he had ever wanted and he was never going to take her for granted.

She was beautiful, she was smart, she knew her own mind, she loved his little sister and his parents and she was one of the sweetest souls he had ever known. He had known her his entire life almost. He had been six months old when she had arrived and the two of them had been inseparable once they'd been old enough to play together in the nursery.

Their parents couldn't have predicted that their friendship would blossom into romance.

But it had.

And the two of them were happier than they could put into words.

They just hoped that, when their parents found out, they would be just as pleased…

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading chapter one of this fic and I hope that you all enjoyed. I also hope that you'll review to let me know what you thought of it and if I should continue! See you all next time, my lovelies x