It was the morning of New Years Eve and John had invited Anna to spend the day with him. Nothing fancy, nor celebratory even, just a day away from the worries of packing his mother's house and waiting for her funeral service in London.
Anna asked if he would mind going with her to Oxford for a couple days instead. She hadn't planned to be away from home as long as she had and needed a few things, including appropriate clothes for the funeral. John happily agreed to travel with her. They drove to Oxford that morning — about an hour and a half away — stopping for lunch at the Turf Tavern to enjoy a pint and sandwiches. Both Anna and John seemed to relax with their change of scenery.
"Any news on Africa Anna?"
She seemed reluctant to talk about it. "The hospital here is pushing me to reschedule. Our Board of Directors are extremely passionate about supporting the medical camp...And I'm needed to relieve a few American surgeons who are currently on the ground.
"When do they want you to go?"
Anna looked up from her plate to meet John's eyes. " I was going to tell you once I had travel confirmations…they've asked me to fly out January 8th."
"A little over a week away...but I'm sure you're ready to return to work."
"I can't say that I am honestly...in fact, I could use a long holiday, and I mean some solid time away, on a beach, or a mountain, or just a really nice hotel - Anything really.
"Have you had a stressful year Anna?"
"No more than usual. But the truth is, I've focused solely on my career for years, and little else. I'd like some time to unplug for a while."
"Do you mean a sabbatical?" He reached across the table to steal a chip from her plate and winked at her.
"Yes, maybe I do."
Perhaps we can make the best of this week for you in the mean time? I was wondering if you'd like to come to Downton with me after the funeral service. I realize… its not very relaxing to travel the country, but once you're there, it could prove restful for a couple days before you leave."
Anna contemplated John's offer, "Are you sure? I mean...I don't want you to feel the need to entertain me. You've got plenty to sort out."
John remained quiet for a moment, but then confessed, "I've got an idea."
"What sort of idea?"
"Can it be a surprise? Do you mind surprises?"
"I don't really like surprises."
John smiled at her knowingly, "No, I suppose you don't Dr. Smith, but...will you allow me this one indulgence anyway?"
Anna smiled reluctantly, "Just this once Mr. Bates...but I must warn you, if it turns out badly -"
"How could it possibly turn out badly?" he interrupted her playfully.
"Well...how should I prepare myself for your surprise?"
"You simply wait for it."
"Is the surprise now or later?"
"So many questions doctor...its later. Much later. In Downton, and you don't need to prepare for it, simply...look forward to it."
"I'm already looking forward to it, but I would like a hint at least."
"You need more details? How about I give you the exact day and time of the surprise?"
"You must find me ridiculous."
"No, I do not. I find you an intriguing and lovely breath of fresh air."
"So...you don't think I'm difficult?"
"No. Do many people?" He ate the final bite of his sandwich.
"Certain people do, yes."
"Do you mean certain...men?" He asked, still chewing.
Anna seemed surprised, "That's very intuitive, how did you know I was speaking exclusively?"
"Call it a hunch." He wiped his mouth with a napkin and threw it on the table, seeming irritated.
Anna reacted with a look of concern and John quickly refuted his comment. "Anna...I'm sorry, I meant to sound playful, but I'm afraid I ended up sounding like a cad. All I meant was...well, based on things you've said about your lack of experience…I mean…I'm not sure how to stop sounding like a cad."
"Its all right John, I understand."
John leaned forward in his chair, trying to regain her eyes that had since looked away from him. "No, I'm worried that you don't. I didn't mean anything insulting by what I said. It's just that most women I've known are predictable, and you're not… and I really like that about you. And furthermore, I'm quite certain you intimidate most men so they label you difficult, only in attempt to make themselves feel equivalent to you."
Anna drowned her rising insecurity with the remainder of her pint and considered his perspective. Placing the glass on the table, she responded calmly. "I'm not very good at sharing Mr. Bates, and I'm also used to getting my way."
"I suspect you are…but having a successful relationship is about both sharing and compromise. Is that something you're willing to do with me? She remained quiet, considering his question, and John felt a slight panic rising in his chest. "I suppose the first question I should have asked is…do you want a relationship with me Anna?"
This time she responded without hesitation,"I do. I very much want to try." John reached across the table for her hands, and squeezed them in his. "Now tell me about that surprise Mr. Bates."
John smiled slightly then opened the calendar on his phone. "Surprise will happen January 5th at 9am." He met her eyes again, "All you have to do is trust me Anna. I promise, it will be worth it." She wasn't sure if he was talking about the surprise or something more, but she liked the confident way he spoke to her, the soft tendency of his voice, and the way his touch lingered on her skin long after his hands departed.
They left the tavern and drove past the hospital where Anna worked. John enjoyed getting a visual map of where she lived and spent her days. Turning a few streets from the hospital, she parked near a row of gray stone houses. Anna lived in the corner house, with a red door and a black iron fence. John followed behind her and through the front entrance, carrying their luggage. Her home was lavishly decorated with many faux plants, colorful throw pillows and several unique art pieces from around the world, but he was immediately surprised to see an antique upright piano sitting in her front room.
John placed the luggage near the door, and walked over to the piano. He was admiring the wood when she noticed his curiosity. "It was my father's." John turned to look over at her standing in the doorway, a sense of empathy running through him. "I started lessons as a child but stopped after their accident…I was never very good."
"I'm sorry to hear that Anna...music can be soothing."
"It is…when you play, Mr. Bates."
John looked back at her again and smiled. "Would you mind if I played now?"
She returned his smile. "I would love that, and it will give me a chance to get settled."
John made himself comfortable on the large wooden bench and began composing a piece that sounded a bit sorrowful. Anna made her way around the house tidying up a bit and opened a few windows to allow the stale air an escape. After making tea, she brought a tray into the front room and sat on a large leather couch near the piano. She loved watching his long arms dominate the keyboard and how lost to the music he seemed, playing with his eyes half open. Anna could sense his soft lingering emotions carry through the harmonies that day, a moody mix of melancholy and a subtle pensive movement to his cadence.
He ended his piece and turned to face her, seeming a bit removed from the room. "All settled?"
Anna smiled, "I am…just needed to tidy the house a bit. I made up the guest room for you Mr. Bates, fresh bedding and towels. Do you need anything else?"
"I just thought of something actually, while I was playing...do you have any wine or spirits to ring in the new year this evening?"
"Oh goodness! I don't." Anna took a quick look at her watch, "We'd better take a walk to the market for something, and perhaps consider a light dinner at home? I'm afraid its too late to make dinner reservations."
"Staying in sounds like a better plan to me anyway. I'm not really up for any celebrating if that's all right with you, and I'd much prefer to have you all to myself."
"Good. Me too." Anna left him a moment to grab her purse from her upstairs bedroom and as John put his coat on someone rang the doorbell. "Anna? Shall I get that for you?" He looked up the stairs but didn't hear a response…"Anna?" The doorbell rang again, and he decided it was probably okay to answer it for her. Opening the door he discovered a young red headed woman looking up at him with extreme confusion, even pausing a moment to consider if she rang the correct house. "Hello...is Anna about?"
"Yes, she's just getting something upstairs."
"Oh...I'm dropping in because I noticed her windows were slightly open…I'm Gwen." She offered her hand for John to shake it. "Hello Gwen, I'm John."
"John? ...do you...work with Anna?"
"No. We've just met actually, in London, over Christmas."
Anna came running down the stairs. "Gwen! I didn't even hear the doorbell."
"Oh, that's all right, I've just been talking with John." And she gave Anna big eyes and a smart grin, much the way a teenage girl would socially mock over a new boy.
"John, this is my very best friend in the whole world." She reached for and gave Gwen a huge hug. "We've so much to catch up on, but I'm afraid we were just about to leave for a while...Do you...want to come along?"
"Oh no. I'm not going to get in the middle of this." She was clearly eye-balling John in jest.
Anna blushed slightly, "Gwen…what on earth…"
"What are you two lovelies doing tonight?" Gwen interjected Anna's embarrassment, "Any plans to speak of?"
Anna looked up at John, "Well, the sad truth is, John just lost his mother a few days ago, so we were planning a quiet evening here."
"Oh god...I'm so sorry to hear that."
"Thank you." John gave her a nod and a small smile.
"Well, if you change your mind, we'll all be out at the Drew's Pub for dinner and drinks. I just wanted to drop by to see if you were back for a while or just passing through….I actually have a gift for you in my car Anna, come with me and I'll give it to you." Gwen didn't wait for Anna to respond and grabbed her arm instead, pulling her out of the house. "We'll just be a moment John." Gwen said in a singsongy way. When they were out of earshot she pulled Anna around asking, "What is going on? He's certainly a handsome bloke."
"Gwen I'm sorry I haven't been in touch. Elsie nearly died on Christmas Eve and then John's mom was so ill, I missed a trip to Africa and now my head is spinning."
"I'll bet. He's quite the visual bookmark."
Anna laughed but then asked, "What does that even mean?"
Gwen was laughing as she reached into the car to pull out a neatly decorated package. "Here, open it later, I know you have to run. But please don't keep me waiting, I want to hear all about this handsome mystery...is Elsie going to be okay? What happened?"
"Its a long story, but she's going to be fine."
"Goodness girl! So much suspense, call me soon — promise."
They parted ways after hugs and Anna returned to the house with her gift in hand to find John waiting for her on the bottom stairs, the front door still open. "I'm sorry about that. Ready to go?" She asked putting the package down on a bench near the entry.
"Don't you want to open your gift?"
"It can wait."
"It shouldn't have to wait. Go on, open it now."
Anna smiled with delight and began to unwrap the box. She started laughing with amusement then pulled out two bottles of wine. John laughed with her, "Now that's what I call good timing."
Anna handed the bottles over to John, "Will these do? We can still go to the market for anything you want."
"These will do just fine, but let's go through the market anyway, might as well take a nice walk after being in the car so long."
After they walked several streets together, John suddenly pulled Anna into a small local book store. "Just a moment, I want to see if they have a new release I'm waiting for."
They were browsing the nonfiction section when John picked up a book asking, "Do you have much time to read Anna?"
"Nothing beyond medical journals I'm afraid. I loved to read as a teenager though, it was my companion as an only child" she was thumbing through a book, " I actually dabbled in writing too."
"Really? Why did you stop?"
"Who said I stopped?" Anna smiled returning the book to its proper place before walking away. John dropped his book on the table intrigued, and chased after her. "Wait a minute. Are you saying you still write then?"
"I do." She gave him a shy grin as she walked down a lonely, empty aisle with John following quickly after her.
"What is it you like to write Anna?"
"Oh, I don't know…mostly stories about people I encounter."
John reached for her shoulder spinning her around toward him . "Would you ever allow me to read something you've written?"
"Maybe...I actually haven't allowed many people to read my private collection."
John pulled her against him slowly, scanning the store quickly to confirm they were still alone in the aisle, then kissed her gently. "Everyday, I learn something more wonderful about you Anna."
She giggled softly, "Thank you...Are you going to buy anything?"
"Not now, I'm too distracted with my new favorite author." He smiled and kissed her again as she pulled away. "Let's go silly beggar, I have a reputation to consider here in Oxford." She pulled his hand behind her as they continued out the store and down the street.
A few blocks later, Anna lead John into an art gallery, with replicas of Renaissance statues on display. "These are wonderful. Do you like this period of art John?"
But he was completely distracted admiring her, and as they passed behind a large pillar, he stole a kiss to her neck, whispering into her ear. "I've never created a full body sculpture...but I've always wanted to." Carefully John traced his fingertips down the sides of her arms causing Anna to lose her train of thought for a moment. She bit the sides of her mouth as a fever of chills ran through her spine. Smiling she pulled away from his flirtatious advance and entered a small room of male nude statues. John quickly teased as he caught up to her, "I assure you, I didn't pose for any of these."
She continued staring straight ahead, examining the life size artwork. "That's too bad…They're very impressive."
"You're easily impressed doctor."
Anna turned toward him with a twinkle of intrigue, flashed an inquisitive glance toward his pelvis then quickly met his eyes again.
John devilishly grinned with amusement, "You naughty girl."
As Anna composed her thoughts, she brazenly walked away, "Shall we buy food Mr. Bates?"
John turned like a lost puppy to follow after her, "And Scotch…I suspect I'm going to need something stronger than wine to cause my mind to sleep tonight."
Walking through town again, John casually lead Anna behind the cover of a very large tree. "Were you serious about being worried for your reputation in Oxford?"
Anna thought for a moment, "I suppose a little. I mean, I run into colleagues and former patients frequently."
"Pity."
"Why do you say that?"
"Its just, there's something about you today...and I can't think of anything else except kissing you. Right now, under this tree.
Anna looked around playfully, "Right here?"
"Yes." He glared lustfully into her eyes.
She squinted her eyes in return, tempting him. "Right now?"
"Please…" he begged.
Anna reached for the lapel of his coat and pulled John closer. Nearly in slow motion he slid one hand behind her neck and placed his other above her head. Leaning slightly against the tree, John kissed her deeply for several leisurely moments. When they heard children running nearby, John pulled back, leaving himself and Anna breathless. They both peered around to see who may have noticed, but no one had. Laughing together and feeling secure in their own little secret, they left the privacy of the tree hand in hand.
"I don't know about you, but…this has been a very rewarding journey so far," Anna encouraged, still feeling the thrill of his mouth on hers as John brought her hand to his lips to kiss tenderly.
They finally made their way to the market and filled their small cart with cheese, bread, figs, and cooked turkey with vegetables. John watched Anna affectionately and hesitated for a moment near a barrel of apples. "Anna. I hope you're not…displeased by my behavior today. What I mean to say is, I don't want you to feel pressured by any of my flirting."
"Anna stopped inspecting a container of blackberries to give him her full attention. "I'm not. I enjoy how open you are with me…You're not scandalizing my sensibilities, if that's what you're worried about."
He moved closer toward her to whisper, "No. if anything, you've scandalized mine today."
"Are you offended Mr. Bates?"
"Deeply. In fact, I'm so offended by you…I'm throbbing."
A small voice cleared her throat behind them, and they turned to find a small elderly woman clutching her cart. John instinctively moved away from Anna to excuse himself to the lady waiting. She was in need of blackberries for her pies, and her grandsons were on their way to visit for a few days, and she loved John's red cashmere scarf, and could he help her load a few crates of apples into her cart as well? The boys would want apple strudel for breakfast.
Anna was delighted watching the elderly woman take full advantage of John's help. When she finally left them, John covered his mouth, as though he had been caught with his fly open and laughed heartily with Anna. "I think she heard me…"
Anna teased,"I'm quite sure she did, why do you think she was flirting with you?"
"Ahh…and you just stood by and let her take full advantage of me.
"I'm sure I could have beat her off with a zucchini or something…but it was more fun to watch."
John winked at Anna and pushed the cart toward the cashier.
A short while later they returned to the house and stored all the food as Anna asked what John would like to do the rest of the afternoon.
"I'm game for anything, did you have something in mind?"
"Do you like horses?"
"I've had a good bit of art work contracted around horses. They're beautiful creatures, and I've always enjoyed working with them."
"Would you like to drive over to the stables? Its still early enough for a quick ride if you're interested."
"I must warn you, I'm not the fastest rider."
"We can always just walk the horses if you'd prefer…that is, if you're sure you want to go?"
"If I change my mind, I can always ride the slow horse."
"It's a dirt rode once we arrive at the stables, I should drive us." Anna lead them into her garage where a red range rover was parked. The stables were located a few miles outside of Oxford in a county side village. She drove skillfully through the muddy pass and parked close to the stable entrance.
"Who owns all this land?" John asked, looking around the area.
"One of my colleagues owns the property and a local family operates the boarding stables."
"And the horses?"
"Most of these horses are owned by the board of directors at my hospital."
"Nice perk."
"It is, and without all the responsibility. Its suits me better than a club membership."
Anna reached for the stable door and began to slide it open but John assisted her as the door seemed to be jammed. As she walked through the opening, John heard a very loud scraping sound coming from above their heads. With only enough time to react, John pushed Anna out of the way and to the ground before he was struck in the head by a swinging metal barn pulley. He grabbed his head quickly and stumbled into the stables dazed.
Anna quickly realized what had happened, jumped to her feet, stopped the pulley from swinging and moved with concern toward John, still pacing around with a hand covering his eye.
His head was bleeding badly when she reached him."You're hurt."
"Its nothing."
"No. Its much more than nothing I'm afraid." The blood was already dripping through his fingertips.
"What would you know?" He joked weakly.
Anna quickly pulled her scarf from around her neck and folded it. "Here, use this to put pressure, right here." She shifted his hand and placed it over a gash above his right eye. "Does anything else hurt?"
"No, I'm okay, really."
"John, I need to have a closer look at your head." She walked him through the stables and into a lobby area where she made him sit down. After searching the area for a first aid kit, she found nothing. Anna had a thought. "Wait here."
She ran out to the range rover, and found a fully stocked first aid bag in the back. She came running into the lobby again, "Jackpot Mr. Bates. This kit has everything I need to clean you up, I never thought I'd have to actually use it on the road."
John was surprised to see how much he was bleeding. "Huh, that's a lot of blood."
"You're not going to pass out on me…Are you?
"Is it bad if I feel a little queasy?"
"Do you?" She grabbed the flashlight from the kit and checked his pupils for dilation. "Does the sight of blood make you queasy? Its rather common..."
"Well, I can't say that I enjoy seeing so much of MY blood...god, your scarf is ruined Anna... I'll buy you a new one."
She was tearing open instrument packets and solutions to clean his wound. As she rinsed the gash and covered his eye, she had to straddle John's leg with her own in order to reach him properly. John slid his hand around and touched the back of her thigh. She smiled, continuing to work. "What are you doing?"
"I'm helping." He warned. "I wouldn't want you to lose your balance and fall again."
"Hmmm…Your'e very thoughtful Mr. Bates…by the way, thank you. This should be my head, not yours."
John disagreed, "You could have been killed Anna…and I have a much thicker head..."
She leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Silly Beggar…You're going to need stitches."
"Are you sure?" John sounded frustrated.
"I'm afraid so."
"I knew I brought you along for a reason..."
She put a thick piece of gauze over the wound and instructed him to put pressure there again. "Are you allergic to latex?"
"Not that I'm aware of..."
"Good. Because those are the only gloves in here...and okay, I'm going to wash my hands and stitch you up. Unless you have any objections? The nearest emergency is about an hour's drive from here with all the new years eve traffic…"
"Are you trying to show off Dr. Smith?"
"I only hope I remember how to do a basic stitch," she teased.
"Too trivial for you? Perhaps you'd like to cut my chest open and sew it back together first, you know, for practice."
"Seriously, I won't be offended if you'd prefer I take you to an emergency room."
"Just remember, if you screw me up, you're the one who has to look at it for the rest of your life."
For the rest of my life? Anna liked the sound of that actually. She thought about his playful choice of words while organizing everything for the procedure then removed the gauze and reexamined his wound. "I'm sorry John, but this isn't going to feel very good. There's nothing in here to numb you."
"Are you telling me to man up Dr. Smith?"
"I'm afraid so. And even worse...I need you to be perfectly still. I promise you can cry when its over."
"I was rather hoping for a treat afterward..."
"You have to be a good boy first." She proceeded to put gloves on, "Last chance to back out," she paused and waited for him to decide.
"Anna…there is no one else I would trust to stitch my face. Please, I want you to do this."
She began the process of carefully stitching his skin, just above the middle of his right eyebrow.
He winced in pain as she began. "I'm so sorry John." She moved carefully, precisely.
"Its nothing. Not a big deal at all," he lied wincing again.
After several long minutes, she tied off the end confidently and snipped the remaining lead. "There. Not a shoddy job, if I do say so myself."
"How many?"
"I had to do seven stitches. And I'm pretty sure you're going to have a black eye from this as well."
"Just in time for the funeral..."
"I'm sorry." She cracked a chemical pouch for him to ice the area. "Just relax while I clean this place up." She stepped away to make a quick phone call.
John was perspiring now and his head pounding by the time she returned. "We should have a CT Scan to make sure you're okay."
"Oh god, I've already ruined the day, do we really have to?"
"Yes. We really have to. But the good news is, we can bypass the emergency room and I can have your scan read quickly. I just called in a favor to the hospital, the clinician is waiting for us."
"Anna..." John reached for her hand. "Thank you."
"John, I feel terrible about this, its my fault for bringing you here."
"I'm just glad I was here, or you would have seriously faired worse than me if you had been hit."
"I don't understand why that pulley was so close to the door, but I suspect it was intended to be a prank of some sort. One of the doctors' have twin boys who like to be a menace around here."
She helped him stand, making sure he wasn't dizzy before he walked to the sink to wash blood from his hands. Afterward, Anna helped guide John to the car. "Is this an emergency Dr. Smith?"
"I would prefer to get you there quickly, yes."
"Then perhaps you should let me drive."
"Well, at least your sense of humor is still intact…"
It was after 9pm before Anna and John returned to her home. The CT scan didn't show any skull fractures nor bleeding on the brain which was a huge relief to them both. Anna ordered a couple of scripts, one for infection and the other for pain. Neither of which John wanted to take but eventually she convinced him otherwise.
They snacked on cheese, bread and figs and Anna opened one of the bottles of wine for herself. Soon John became drowsy from the pain medication and started dozing on the couch watching a New Years Eve program. Anna decided it was best for him to sleep there for the night so she could prop him up more easily and keep an eye on him. She carefully covered John with a soft warm blanket and gently kissed his lips. "Good night John, happy new year love." He was sound asleep and didn't wake until the following morning.
For a moment he forgot where he was, but as soon as he saw Anna asleep on the love seat next to him, and felt the sting of his forehead, he remembered the previous day. John rested quietly for a few moments watching Anna peacefully sleep, but soon she was stirring and opened her eyes as John gave her a half smile and greeted her. "Good morning lovely…this is just like our first night at the ER on Christmas Eve. You. Me. Sleeping together on a couch.
She smiled back at him stretching, "We really have to stop this little emergency routine we've got going Mr. Bates."
"I couldn't agree more."
"How are you feeling?" She looked at him with such empathy as she sat up.
"How do I look?"
"Not so good."
"Well then, it matches how I feel."
"Let me cook up some breakfast so you can take your pain pills. Do you feel like crumpets and scrambled eggs?"
"That sounds wonderful. Anna…I'm sorry about this. You're supposed to be relaxing, and here I'm making you take care of me."
"You're not making me do anything. Besides, its the least I can do for the man who saved my life… I still can't believe this happened."
Anna was starting to walk away as John reached for and grabbed her hand. "Anna…Happy New Year."
She paused, and smiled down at him. "Well, we're off to a great start aren't we? I sure hope its a happy new year for you John." she leaned over and kissed his head softly.
"Its happy because I spent the night with you, and now we're having breakfast."
"Always the optimist…"
John stood slowly from the couch and stretched his back, "What am I supposed to do about taking a shower? Put a bag over my head? "
"Oh…yeah, you should plan on taking a bath for the next several days." She yelled from the kitchen.
"Too bad you're not a nurse."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you could sponge bath me…"
She laughed and brought him a fresh hot cup of tea. "Here you go, or would you prefer Coffee?"
"This is perfect." He said, taking the cup from her, "thank you." He sipped it while she returned to the kitchen. "I'm going upstairs to wash my face Anna, I'll return in a bit."
"Take your time."
John hadn't really looked at himself yesterday and he was quite shocked at how swollen his head was when he finally looked in a mirror. He grabbed his phone and snapped a few shots then sent one to Robert in a text titled "Hell of a New Years Eve."
Robert quickly responded; bloody hell, what happened to you?
i saved a beautiful woman's life and this is all i got in return
finally got what you deserve
wanted to give you fair warning, i look like frankenstein but will have a lovely woman on my arm at the funeral- i want you and Cora to meet her
you never cease to impress. sorry we will meet her this way - but looking forward to seeing you nonetheless
When John returned to the kitchen, Anna had scrambled eggs with cheese, crumpets, blackberry jam and fresh coffee made, but the only thing on John's plate were two white pills. "Well, that doesn't seem fair," he protested.
"Pills first Mr. Bates. Then Food."
"Never mind about you being my nurse, you're mean." Anna feigned surprise at his statement but he followed up with a kiss and wrapped his arms around her waist whispering, "Good thing you're beautiful, I can't stay mad at you."
They sat close to one another on a soft love seat under the kitchen window and enjoyed a slow breakfast. When they finished eating, Anna brought up some of her concerns. "I know you wanted to return to London today, but I don't really think you should travel until tomorrow."
John leaned back into the chair, "Well, right now you're being my doctor, so I don't really have a problem following your advise about that."
"Really? I expected a fight on the matter."
"Perhaps after the pain pill kicks in…, but right now, I feel terrible."
"Well then that's settled. We're not leaving the house today so you can rest. We can plan to drive back tomorrow after breakfast."
"Are these pain pills going to make me drowsy all day?"
"Yes. So you should go lie down before you nod off at the table."
"Can I sleep in the guest room? I'd like to stretch out."
"Yes, That's a good idea."
"Would you…sit with me until I fall asleep?"
Anna smiled, he was so endearing. "Of course I will. Come with me." She lead him up to the guest bedroom where she pulled down the sheets and fluffed his pillows. When he was in bed and comfortable, he reached for her hand and held it firmly against his chest, "What will you do today?"
"Laundry, and packing for Downton and Africa."
"I forgot to ask how long you will be in Africa."
"They've scheduled me for four weeks."
"That's a long time."
"It won't feel like it to me. We're so busy there. I first volunteered to participate in the program because of all the experience I would receive as a new surgeon. We perform so many surgeries there compared to what we do here in Oxford."
"Well, it will feel like an eternity to me."
"Will you stay in Downton when we go back or do you have to return to London?"
"The plan is to stay in Downton. I haven't been there more than a few weekends this year, and I need to respond to a few requests for work. There's a memorial sculpture I've been asked to do and a few others I haven't really even looked over the proposals for yet. Its time to get my life back."
"What will you do with your mother's home?"
"I've managed to pack away all the things I want to keep. So a moving truck will bring those items to me next week and the rest I will have a company finish packing out. My plan is to sell the house, I'd rather stay in a hotel when I visit London anyway."
Anna was gently brushing John's hair away from his face with her fingertips as he stared at her asking, "A whole month? Really?"
"Yes," she smiled sadly, "And then what will we do about living four hours apart from one another?"
"I was wondering when you'd bring that up…"
"I suppose we should just get through the next few days, then Africa, and worry about the rest as we go, but I'm always planning the details."
"Anna, I know we've only known each other a short time, but I don't believe we crossed paths by accident. You're my snow remember? Gently falling into my life…"
She smiled every time he said that about her, "And you're starting to sound sleepy."
"I know, but listen to me first. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be with you. I mean that. You've already got me in your pocket, whether you realize it or not.
"You're so determined Mr. Bates."
"I am. And now you're going to lay here with me, because I'd like to hold you as I fall asleep. Would that be all right?"
"That would be wonderful." Anna slid up against John. He was warm, and strong and she loved the feel of his body against hers. She rested her hand on his chest and watched his breathing slow, and soon he was sound asleep again, and Anna knew she was falling in love with him.
