Thanks for all your reviews - they made my Christmas :p


There were three figures seated in the library, that was all Anna could make out through her tear-blurred vision, and she immediately shrank back towards Mrs. Hughes, comforted by the housekeeper's hand on her arm. As one of the figures stood up and moved towards her, Anna froze: unable to keep walking but prevented from turning around by Mrs. Hughes and Bates... why weren't they moving?

As the shadowy figure approached her, arm extended, the quivering in her limbs increased and she found that she couldn't control her tears.

"Anna, it's alright," Bates said, at the same time that the figure said "Anna, it's only me." Relief flooded through her at the familiar sound of Lady Mary's voice, and as she waited for her vision to sharpen, she realised that Lady Mary's blurred outline was too slight to be Mr. Green's.

"Carson came to fetch me and Lord Gillingham after hearing Dr. Clarkson's story," Lady Mary explained as she reached out to draw the little group into the library. "He thought it might be easier for Anna to have me here too."

"Bates," Lord Grantham said, approaching them from the side of the room. "I am so, so sorry... but you do understand that we need Anna's version of events before we can proceed?"

"I understand milord," Bates nodded, although he was not happy about it. As he stepped sideways to speak to his Lordship, Lady Mary stepped into the space he left at Anna's side and led her further into the room, speaking gently to her as she did.

"W-what if they don't believe me?" he heard Anna ask, and the raw fear in her tone tore Bates' heart into slivers. Anna shouldn't have had to go through this, shouldn't be standing here terrified half-out of her wits. Although he understood Lord Grantham's position, he couldn't help thinking it was unnecessary. They had heard Dr. Clarkson's report on Anna's injuries, what more could they need to know? Not to mention Anna's bruised face and obvious distress, which in Bates' opinion explained the whole sorry story without any need for words.

"I believe you," Lady Mary said softly. She had been aghast at Dr. Clarkson's story, insisting with her father and Lord Gillingham that there was no need to hear Anna's version of events.

"No woman would make such a story up," she had argued. "Papa, you heard Dr. Clarkson: Anna's injuries are consistent with the use of extreme force, what more can you need to hear?"

"I must be seen to be fair, Mary," her father had argued, while Lord Gillingham looked thoughtful. He was livid at his valet –if the accusation turned out to be true, and he wasn't yet certain of that.

"Forgive me," he began. "But what difference do you expect Lady Mary's presence will make to this poor maid?" He understood that she might prefer another female to be present, but why specifically Lady Mary?

Mary's eyes, when they landed on him, were cold. "Anna is my ladies maid," she explained. "And her husband, Mr. Bates, is Papa's valet." This description of the close links between the Bateses and Lady Mary and Lord Grantham made Lord Gillingham groan inwardly. This was no village girl whose silence could be bought –always if she turned out to be telling the truth. Silently he cursed his valet –how dare he try something like this?

"Just talk like you're only speaking to me," Lady Mary told Anna, rubbing her arm encouragingly. Even if she had been disinclined to believe Clarkson's explanation, one look at Anna: normally so calm, now so obviously distraught, would have been enough to convince her Anna was telling the truth. She led Anna to a seat and sat down next to her, making her allegiance clear: whatever her father and Lord Gillingham thought of the accusation, Mary was on Anna's side.

Anna breathed in as Lord Grantham sat down: she could smell Lady Mary's familiar perfume... if she closed her eyes, she could almost believe she was back in Lady Mary's room preparing her for bed, that tonight had never happened... almost. The pain radiating from all her cuts and bruises and the involuntary shaking of her body reminded her that there was no denying what had happened, that she would have to relive it.

"I left the hall during Dame Nellie's concert... I had a headache and went downstairs to get a powder for it," Anna began, taking deep breaths to keep her tears from interrupting her speech, although everyone there could see their presence. "Mr. Green came in while I was drinking it and offered me something stronger –he had a bottle of alcohol –and –and he said he looked like I needed some real fun –he wouldn't believe me when I told him I was happy with Mr. Bates –"

While Anna was speaking, Bates walked back towards her and stood beside her, fists clenched, hoping to transmit warmth and strength to her by his presence. He could see that Lady Mary was biting her lip as she listened and that Mrs. Hughes' face was turning ashen. Glancing at Lord Grantham and Lord Gillingham, whose faces, thankfully, wore matching expressions of sympathy, he felt, for a brief moment, a flash of envy: envy that it wasn't their wives who had just been through this assault. They wouldn't have to live with its aftermath like a third person in their marital bed. The more he listened to Anna, the larger the knot of pain in his stomach became, although he knew that it must be nothing compared to what Anna was feeling.

"He pulled me by my hair into the boot room –" Bates had to suppress a gasp of horror as he realised the true cause of the chaos he had seen earlier in that room –"then he blocked the door and started pulling at –" here Anna broke off, shaking even harder, and Mrs. Hughes and Lady Mary reached out simultaneously to her.

"I think we've heard enough," Lord Grantham said, standing up with a grim expression on his face. "Bates, Mrs. Hughes," his tone was gentle, "please take Anna back downstairs and ask Carson to bring Green in here."

Lady Mary walked with them down to the servants' hall, stopping only to instruct Carson to summon Green to the library. "Tell Papa I'll be back upstairs in just a few minutes –but I have to make sure Anna's alright first."

When they reached the servants' hall, Mrs. Hughes turned to pour Anna another tumbler of whisky, unable to think of anything else which could calm Anna's involuntary shaking.

"They believe you," Lady Mary said, gently squeezing Anna's hand. "They can't not, not after hearing you and Clarkson."

"But who knows what story he'll give them?" Mrs. Hughes asked, handing Anna the glass and watching her lift it to her lips.

"He'll be lying," Lady Mary said. "Papa believed you, Anna, and that's what matters. I should go back upstairs now –but Anna, please don't worry. The worst is over." With that, she left, leaving a cloud of perfume trailing in her wake.

"May I hold you?" Bates asked Anna as he sat down next to her. She looked up at him, fear glimmering in her eyes, and paused as though making a mental assessment. "I won't hurt you," he added, saddened that he now had to say something which should have been obvious.

"It's only Mr. Bates, Anna, you're safe," Mrs. Hughes added from her seat on Anna's other side, and after a few more seconds of silence Anna nodded slowly, letting Bates put his arm around her shoulder, although she didn't rest her head against his chest as she so often did.

"Are you comfortable?" Bates asked.

"My rib hurts," she whispered. Immediately, Bates shifted closer to her so that she wouldn't have to stretch her injured side to rest against him.

"It will heal, my love," he said, tenderly dropping a kiss onto her head. Normally he'd be too embarrassed to even use a term of endearment in front of Mrs. Hughes –would never even dare –but tonight all the usual rules didn't apply. The only rule in place to him –and, he would bet, to Mrs. Hughes –was that Anna had to be made comfortable and comforted. When Mr. Carson appeared to call them back to the library, he found the little group still sitting huddled together: Bates holding Anna close to him, whispering words of comfort to her, while Mrs. Hughes sat on Anna's other side holding one of Anna's hands. Although Anna looked beyond exhausted, her eyes glittered, wary and alert.

"I can't," she had insisted when Bates suggested she close her eyes and try to rest.


"Green has been dismissed from Lord Gillingham's employ," Lord Grantham informed them as they stood before him. Although Bates had surmised as much from the subdued smile Lady Mary had given Anna as she stood to meet them, it was still a relief to hear it coming from His Lordship.

"It was blatantly obvious he was lying to save his skin," Lady Mary added. "But we do have one question: Anna, are you willing to press charges against him if we get the police involved? If you do, this whole household will be behind you."

Anna froze, completely unprepared for this –would she have to face him again in court if she did? –but Bates immediately stepped in.

"She will," he insisted, knowing that Lord Grantham wouldn't let him anywhere near Green now –his Lordship knew him too well –and so they would have to trust the law courts to mete out the justice he could not... although he clenched his fists in anger at the realisation that he could not exact justice himself wish a crushing blow to the neck.

"Then, with your agreement, I will have the police informed tomorrow," Lord Grantham said. At his side, Lord Gillingham didn't even move. "I think it's too late now, and Green isn't going anywhere. I've had Carson lock him in his room, and one of the hall boys will sleep outside it."

"Anna, don't wait around for me tonight," Lady Mary said. "Go home, get some rest, and don't come in early tomorrow –actually, don't come in at all. Mrs. Hughes can help me if I need it." She glanced at the housekeeper as she spoke, who immediately nodded her agreement.

"That I can," she confirmed.

Lord Grantham dismissed Bates too, saying he could get himself to bed alone for once. "Anna needs you," he told Bates when Bates protested.

"Are you sure you can walk to the cottage?" Mrs. Hughes asked as they left the library. "I'm sure we could find beds for you both for the night." She looked worriedly at Anna as she spoke: the younger woman looked ready to collapse, and no wonder, after all she'd endured in the past few hours.

"Thank you, but Anna needs to be at home, where she belongs," Bates answered for both of them. He knew that the beds Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson would find for them would inevitably be separate ones in the male and female quarters, and he couldn't bear to let Anna out of his sight or reach. He hoped the walk to the cottage wouldn't push her beyond the limits of her endurance, but he couldn't think what else to do.

"Mr. Carson and I will see to Lord Grantham and Lady Mary," Mrs. Hughes promised as Bates pulled on his hat and coat and helped Anna into hers.

"Take care of her," Mrs. Hughes said in an undertone to Bates as he and Anna set off on their ten minute walk.

"That poor girl," Mrs. Hughes said as she and Mr. Carson watched the couple walk into the distance, Bates half-carrying Anna in spite of his cane. Although Anna was now a thirty-four year old married woman, at that moment she was once again a frightened, vulnerable young girl to Mrs. Hughes.

"How will they live through this?" Carson wondered aloud.

"Mr. Bates will have to be strong for her," Mrs. Hughes said. "She'll need him now more than ever."


"How could this happen here, at Downton?" Lord Grantham asked Carson as he helped His Lordship out of his dinner clothes.

"I couldn't begin to imagine, milord," Carson said. "No one ever, in their worst nightmares, imagined something like this happening here –Mr. Bates and Mrs. Hughes didn't think it was anything other than perfectly safe for Anna to walk down to the kitchen alone."

"It should have been perfectly safe," Lord Grantham said. He had given Lord Gillingham quite a lecture on selecting his servants carefully, and to his credit, Lord Gillingham seemed thoroughly guilt-ridden over his valet's actions, immediately agreeing that Green should be dismissed and prosecuted.


"Are you alright?" Bates asked Anna as he unlocked the cottage door. "Do you need anything?" He had no idea what to get Anna, what to say or what to do to help her.

"Do you –do you think I could have a bath?" Anna asked. "I feel so dirty."

"You are not," Bates promised her. "But sit down and rest while I get some hot water going for you." Guiding her to their little sofa, he waited for her to sit down before hurrying off to boil a kettle of water.

"I'll be waiting right outside," he promised once the bath had been filled and Anna's nightgown warmed. "If you need anything, just call." Much as he wanted to stay, he was afraid having him in the room while she bathed would be too reminiscent of the attack, so he contented himself with pacing up and down outside the door.

When Anna stepped out of the bathroom, he could immediately tell she had been crying again.

"Come here, love," Bates called, his own voice husky with tears, holding his arms out to her. Slowly, cautiously, Anna moved towards him and nestled within his arms. Within minutes, Bates could feel a damp patch on his shirt.

"It's alright to cry," he soothed as he rubbed Anna's back, feeling her choke back sobs. "Let them out." She cried wholeheartedly for a full fifteen minutes, then, totally spent, drew back from him.

"How can you bear to even touch me?" she asked in a voice devoid of any emotion. "I've become spoiled for you, tainted... I should repulse you."

"Never," Bates replied firmly, pulling her closer towards him. "You are more precious to me now because of what you've endured, not less. I love you more now than I did this morning, Anna... you could never repulse me, no matter what."

"Would you prefer to sleep alone tonight?" he asked, realising that it was getting late and Anna, at least, needed to sleep.

"No! Please don't leave me," Anna answered instantly, suddenly afraid of being alone.

"I won't, not if you don't want me to," Bates promised. "I'll hold you all night long, every night, if that's what it takes for you to feel safe enough to sleep."