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Anna spent the next few minutes with Mrs Hughes in the latter's sitting room deciding when to announce the news to the staff.
''The sooner the better,'' Mrs Hughes suggested, ''Mr Carson must already be suspecting something.'' Of course, Anna agreed with Mrs Hughes. She just didn't know when would be a good time. The next morning, however, the moment came upon itself.
Mr Carson was entering the servants' hall with the morning post. As usual, everyone stood up when they saw the butler. After motioning him to sit down, he started distributing the mail. A few letters went by before he stalled at one.
''Anna,'' Mr Carson started, ''why have you been addressed as 'Anna Bates'?''
At Mr Carson's question, everyone fell silent. Mrs Patmore and Daisy had come out of the kitchen because of the sudden lack of noise.
''What's going on?'' Daisy asked.
''Well,'' Thomas said smugly, ''Mr Carson had just asked Anna why she has been written to as 'Anna Bates', and I must say, I am very intrigued as well.''
The two other women fell silent with the rest of the servants. Anna was frozen in her seat, heart pounding. She hadn't realised this moment would come so quickly. She dared a glance at Mrs Hughes. The housekeeper gave Anna an encouraging glance and a brief nod of the head. Anna looked back at Mr Carson.
''You see, I've been addressed like that, Mr Carson,'' Anna said confidantly, ''because that is my name.''
A series of collective gasps were uttered around the table.
''But you can't be married,'' one of the maids said, ''you've got no ring!''
Anna chose that moment to repeat the actions of the previous afternoon in Mrs Hughes' sittiing room by taking off her gold chain and placing her wedding ring on her finger.
''But I am,'' Anna said, ''Mr Bates and I got married on Friday at the Registrar's Office in Ripon.''
Mr Carson was appalled. He was told by Mrs Hughes that Anna was feeling ill Friday afternoon. A housemaid, the HEAD Housemaid no less, had snuck out to Ripon with a valet without permission to get married! And of course, Mr Carson had yelled at her in front of everyone. In reality, the butler was mistaken about Anna and Bates not having permission, but anytime he yelled at someone in particular, that person never came out of it unaffected, even if just a little. But it had affected Anna. Unshed tears had formed in her eyes, even though he was mistaken. Mr Carson thought that Anna should be given her notice right away! She had no right to sneak off, especially when so many people in the house had really taken ill and those people were only starting to recover, and the healthy servants were doing so much extra work!
''I did have permission Mr Carson,'' Anna countered, ''Lady Mary gave it to me.''
Mr Carson, as well as all the other staff (besides Mrs Hughes, of course) seemed to be processing all the information she just gave them.
''So,'' Mrs Patmore started hesitantly, ''you've been Mrs Bates for the last, what, three-four days now?''
''Exactly.''
Before anyone could say anything else, the bell indicating Lady Mary's room rung. Anna swiftly departed from the servants' hall, leaving everyone else looking at her. Anna didn't mind though. She knew that in the long run, she had made the right decision by marrying Mr Bates. She needed to have the legal right to be inform, and be cast to the sidelines. She wanted to be involved, to know what was going on. It was no pity marriage or love. She loved Mr Bates with every fiber of her being, and she knew he loved her. Anna would admit that the circumstances in which they married were far from ideal, but they married nonetheless. And really, she would marry him even if he was already in prison, awaiting his sentence and trial.
Anna took off her ring. She couldn't risk the family seeing her with the wedding ring on her finger, no yet. Gently, she put it back on her gold chain. All that was left to do was to tell the family.