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April 1919
Anna could have held herself together, she really could have, if it hadn't been for the handcuffs. Watching him limp down the hall without even being able to put a hand out to catch himself if he stumbled ... he didn't deserve that humiliation.
She kept a tight hold on her emotions until the door closed behind him, although she could feel her chin quivering with the strength of the flow of tears that threatened to burst forth at any moment. But the moment the door closed, the storm of weeping could no longer be denied, and she crumpled to her knees, putting her hands over her face.
Anna was aware, through the violence of her sobs, of whispered questions, of Mr. Carson hurrying everyone off to do their work, of Mrs. Hughes' warm shoulder and the scent of her violet toilet water next to her cheek, of being walked down the hall while the housekeeper uttered gentle, calming noises at her.
She fought to push back the tears, to be as strong as Mr. Bates—John—no doubt thought she was being. They would both need as much strength as she could muster in the days going forward.
Sitting in the chair in Mrs. Hughes' room, she kept her face buried in her hands until she thought she could speak without further tears.
Mr. Carson came in, looking kindly but sternly at Anna. "Are you all right?"
"I am, thank you, Mr. Carson." It was a lie, but they both did her the kindness of looking as though they believed her.
"If you're strong enough, I hope you'll tell us what's going on." Mrs. Hughes looked at Anna with a similarly kind but no-nonsense look. "I think there have been enough secrets in this house to do us all for some time."
"You're right, Mrs. Hughes." Anna stood up. She could face everything she had to say—and whatever they might say in response—as long as she was standing. "Mr. Bates has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife."
Mrs. Hughes closed her eyes in pain.
But before she or Mr. Carson could speak, a firm knock came at the door. Mr. Carson opened it a bit, and then all the way. "Your Lordship!"
"Carson, I've just heard Bates was taken away in handcuffs." Lord Grantham stepped into the room, looking wildly over toward Anna. "What was the charge?"
"Murder, Your Lordship. Of ... of the former Mrs. Bates."
"My God."
"Our sentiments exactly, my lord," Mrs. Hughes said. "Anna, we all thought Mrs. Bates's death was a suicide, but Mr. Bates didn't seem surprised to be arrested."
"No, Mrs. Hughes. We've ... been expecting it. There are ... There are reasons to think she arranged her suicide to look like a murder."
"Why on earth would she do such a thing? Surely she can't have hated him that much!" Lord Grantham said.
"And it's not much revenge, is it, if you're dead when it happens," Mrs. Hughes added.
Anna shook her head. "It's beyond me to know why that woman did anything," she said bitterly. "But he didn't do it! You must know that."
"Of course I do. I'll have my attorney on the case as soon as I can, I assure you of that," Lord Grantham said kindly. "And of course, I'll keep you apprised of everything that occurs. It's a pity ..." He stopped, looking somewhat embarrassed.
But Anna had seen what he was getting at, and she nodded, a small smile crossing her face. "We thought of that as well, your lordship, and I am his next of kin, legally. We were married just—on Friday." The thought of the happiness of that day, and of the night after, were too much for her, and the tears came again. She was ashamed to be letting go this way in front of his lordship, and she turned her face away from him.
She felt a large, warm hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at Lord Grantham's kind face. "I am glad," he said fiercely, and she could see a shine in his eyes, as if he, too, were holding back tears. "I esteem John Bates as much as any man I have ever met, and the two of you could not have chosen better than each other. As soon as this is cleared up, we will find you a cottage to live in together. In the meantime, I must go get Bates's defense started, or who knows what he might say."
Anna hadn't thought of that—as self-sacrificing, and as pessimistic, as John was, he quite likely would imagine the case already lost. "Please, my lord," she said, unable to finish the sentence.
He nodded, squeezing her shoulder again, and hurried from the room with Mr. Carson just behind him.
Mrs. Hughes stayed. "My dear, it seems out of place right now, but ... congratulations. This marriage has been a long time coming. Was it a lovely wedding?"
Anna smiled as best she could. "It was, thank you, Mrs. Hughes."
"As soon as we get Mr. Bates safely home, we'll give you both a proper supper to celebrate. In the meantime, what can I do to help you get through this?"
"Give me work. I can stand it if I have work to do. Sitting around ... I'll drive myself mad."
"All right. Go splash some water on your face and then we'll see what we can do to keep you occupied."
Anna nodded gratefully at the housekeeper. With the stalwart support of his lordship, surely this nightmare would be short-lived, she told herself, and tried not to think of the resigned, defeated look on John's face as he was taken from her.