It was two days later, and the house was as busy as usual. Mrs Hughes hadn't had time to sit down all morning – and now was no different.
"Mrs Hughes, can I have a word?" asked Daisy, catching up to her.
"Only if you walk with me, Daisy, I'm sorry. I don't have time to stop."
"That's OK, I just…William said he was due back on leave, but he hasn't arrived, and…I'm not sure why."
"Oh, I'm sure everything is fine," said the housekeeper kindly. "If anything bad had happened, we'd know about it."
"But he said he'd be here by now and he's not," said Daisy, following Mrs Hughes along the corridor.
"You musn't worry about him, Daisy."
"I'm not worried like that…exactly. But this is William, I think we should all be worried."
"Anything might have happened – maybe his leave was cancelled. At times like these, people vanish and turn up again in the strangest places."
"Like Mr Bates in that pub."
The housekeeper stopped walking, staring at the maid in shock.
...
The post arrived just before the family dinner that evening. Anna was there when the postman arrived, and she was able to remove her own letter from the pile and slip it into her pocket before she gave the rest of the pile to Mr Carson. It just seemed the wisest thing to do, now that everybody knew Mr Bates was around. Now that Thomas and Miss O'Brien knew. And Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes.
The letter burned a hole in her pocket all through the family dinner. Anna tried not to react as she listened to his lordship discussing his plans to go and visit Mr Bates the next day. After taking the dirty plates back to the kitchen, she just had five minutes free to go to the courtyard and read the letter.
My darling Anna,
What a wonderful day that was! I am so sorry about the tumultuous finish. I hope Mrs Hughes wasn't too harsh on you. Please let me know what happened.
I spent the night in the York Railway Hotel, and was home by 9 o'clock the next morning. Darren, the stable hand, asked me about a hundred questions. I didn't answer most of them.
Is this a problem, Anna? Do you think we should just tell everyone? Sometimes when people don't know the whole truth but they do know a little bit, they start making assumptions – wrong assumptions. I don't want that for you.
Anyway, let me know how it's going your end. If it's becoming a problem for you then we should just tell everyone. I don't think it's right to hide it. Please let me know what you think.
That said, though, it really was the best day of my life, and I have you to thank for that. I am researching good places for picnics – I'll get back to you with a list of options.
I cannot wait to see you again. You really are the most perfect person who has ever walked this earth, and I will never understand how I got to be so lucky.
Yours forever,
John Bates
...
"I know Ethel can be difficult, Mrs Hughes, but she was very sorry for her mistake. Whatever it was."
"I'm sure. It's cost her her job."
"But surely it can't -"
"Never mind why she's gone, she's gone. And there's an end to it."
Putting her pen down with some force, the housekeeper turned to face Anna for the first time. "By the way," she said. "I hear Mr Bates is back in the county. Mr Carson says you know all about it."
Anna tried to keep her face neutral as her heart began to pound in her chest.
"I gather his lordship has gone to see him."
Anna nodded. "I know. He told me he was going."
"Why in heaven's name didn't you mention any of it to me?"
"It wasn't my secret to tell."
"How long have you known?"
"About three weeks."
"Did he write you a letter, or…?"
"No, I went to see him. I'd heard that he was there, and I wanted to find out for myself. Similar to what his lordship's doing now, I suppose."
Mrs Hughes looked at Anna, studying her expression, trying to figure out if this was a good thing or a bad thing, and only succeeding in frowning and becoming more confused.
Anna's expression was still neutral, but her eyes had begun to dart around the room. She remembered what Mr Bates had said about it not being right to hide it. She had great respect for Mrs Hughes, and Mrs Hughes trusted her, but she wouldn't for much longer if Anna wasn't forthcoming. And given the harsh way she had come down on Ethel…
"And how did this meeting go?" asked the housekeeper, bracing herself for the answer.
"Well. It went very well, it was a good meeting. And umm… We have met a further two times since then, on my half days." Anna took a breath and looked the housekeeper in the eye. "Including in York."
"Oh my." Mrs Hughes looked away.
"But it was just like I said. We had dinner and…lost track of time. He tried to tell me to run ahead to the station, but… I didn't want to leave him."
"And so you missed the train."
"By a whisker." Anna smiled awkwardly. "Then he let his train go as well – which was the last train for him, he let it go so that I wouldn't be left alone at the station. He waited with me on the platform until my train came, and then he spent the night in a hotel."
Mrs Hughes nodded, absorbing this. "Well. I know that with regard to chivalry and honour, you've nothing to worry about with him."
"No."
"But what about his…situation?"
"His lawyer has made a submission – submission of evidence of fault – to a judge in London."
"Evidence of fault on whose part? His?"
"No, no."
"Hers?"
Anna nodded.
"I see. Good. And what about Lady Mary?"
Anna's expression changed for the first time. It showed confusion, shock. "What do you mean?"
"Has he told you why he left?"
"Yes, but…how do you know?"
"Well, I'm not proud of this, but I was listening through the grate in the wall there. I let them have their tea in here, and…I eavesdropped."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm sorry, Anna. At the time, it was best you didn't know."
"Why?" Anna's calm neutrality had well and truly gone, replaced by indignation and anger. "What gives you the – I'm sorry, Mrs Hughes, I don't mean any disrespect to you, but when I was…why couldn't you…?"
"Did he tell you why at the time?"
"No, but -"
"He thought it was best you didn't know. We have a lot in common, Mr Bates and I. We both care about you, don't want you to be stuck in a bad situation. And it sounded like he was in quite a pickle, it didn't sound like he could get out of it. Best you not be sucked in too."
Anna regained her composure, and began staring at the wall behind Mrs Hughes' head.
"Has he got himself out of it now?"
"Well, regarding Lady Mary, he's offered Mrs Bates his inheritance from his mother, if she keeps quiet about it. And regarding the divorce, it's been submitted to a judge, and…"
"OK. I'm sorry, Anna, I'll stop asking you personal questions now." Mrs Hughes stood up, and put a hand on the housemaid's shoulder. "I'm only doing it because I'm worried about you. I don't want you to be hurt again."
"Thankyou, Mrs Hughes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"That's alright."
...
Dear Mr Bates,
It's interesting that you were wondering about whether we should tell everyone, because it seems we won't have to. By the time you get this letter, his lordship will already have been to see you. Apparently it was Thomas, surprise surprise, who got a letter from a friend who'd seen you in Kirkbymoorside, and Daisy overheard him talking about it with Miss O'Brien, she told Mrs Hughes, who told Mr Carson, who told his lordship… They didn't know which pub you were working in, so I gave his lordship that information. He asked after your health and seemed pleased to hear that you were back. Then he told me that he'd go to see you to apologise for the way he behaved when you parted. If he offers you your job back, you should jolly well take it!
So now everyone knows you're back, but they do not, as far as I can tell, know that I've been going to meet you. I did tell Mrs Hughes, though. I told her the truth about the train and everything. She was waiting up for me when I got back that night, so I thought she deserved to know. She was a little surprised, and concerned, but she hasn't told me off, because I've done nothing wrong. So don't worry about that.
I never stop thanking my lucky stars for having the privilege of knowing you either. Do you really think I'm the world's most perfect woman? I think you're the world's most perfect man! Isn't that a good combination?
The only thing that's not perfect about you is that you live so far away. So I really do hope his lordship offers you your job back. But either way, I will see you soon, my love.
Yours forever (I like that),
Anna xxx
