Bates tapped his large fingers on the rough-hewn wooden table in abject anticipation. The shackles around his wrists clinked in rhythm with his tapping. In mere minutes his wife would walk through the door along with all the other significant others coming to visit their husbands, sons and brothers. He had made himself as presentable as a man in prison can. His handsome yet care-worn face was freshly shaven and his dark brown hair had been slicked into place with water instead of the fragrant brilliantine he was accustomed to using. Some of the other prisoners had also made an effort to look nice for their ladies. Most looked as haggard and feeble as the homeless wretches that roamed the streets of London begging for alms. These men were long-timers and it was clear in their manner that they had given up. Their eyes were dead, lifeless. These men were walking corpses and were simply biding time until the good Lord took them on their way to heaven. In his time at the prison Bates had made few friends, mostly keeping to himself. Luckily most men steered clear of him. The other prisoners usually left the men convicted of murder alone.
Bates only had two changes of uniform and always wore the least dirty whenever Anna came round to visit. The clothes were made of rough wool. He hated the feel of it on his skin but was grateful for how warm it kept him. He knew that she would also look her best when she arrived. In Bates' eyes however Anna always looked her best. He'd always found her beautiful and always would. Even the times where she had been stricken with a cold the sickness couldn't dim her beauty. They would be granted an hour together today. Bates had no idea what they would talk about. Mostly during their visits they talked about the goings on at Downton. Bates was always concerned with the well-being of his former employer, a true valet always. He hadn't seen Anna in some time, the weather had been too poor for her to visit. It had been nearly a month of cold rain and blustery winds that had kept his Anna from him. In the last week his despair had nearly gotten the best of him. That damned nightmare had come to him nearly every night. But the sun was shining now, and with it came his own personal Sun, the centre of his universe, his Anna. She would be here soon. And he couldn't wait to bask in her presence.