A/N: Anna has no idea Lady Edith is planning something for her. Mrs Hughes is shocked by the plan and Anna finds that she doesn't know anything about the woman she feels closest to in the whole world.
There was no crying in chapter nine, i am sorry, i had promised it, but there will be crying at some point, i just can't say when!
(Reviews still welcome! please don't hesitate, it is the only way for me to know if you (still) like the story!)

Why was Elsie so quiet? Charles thought as he brought a spoonful of stew to his mouth. She seemed to be in another world almost. Since she had been called by Lady Edith, she had scarcely spoken a word. She had not found a moment to catch him alone for a quick kiss and a cuddle and now she was pushing her food around on her plate. Of course stew was not that enticing, especially not if you had been eating stew for over thirty years at least once a week. But still. Elsie was not known for her lack of appetite.

He managed to lower his hand under the table and touched her knee. Her head jerked slightly and a tiny smile curled her lips. If he had not known her so well, he would not have noticed it. That little smile calmed him down considerably and he made a mental note to talk to her when they retired after dinner upstairs had been taken care of.

Charles looked around the table. He was proud to see he had a full staff again. His footmen were impeccably trained, the maids were excellent. Mrs Patmore was her usual self and Daisy was blossoming as an undercook. The girl looked better since she had come to peace with her feelings for William and the kindness of old Mr Mason. On her days off, Daisy visited him on the farm and returned with rosy cheeks and stories of lambs, piglets and of Mr Mason's range that she had managed to breathe new life into.

His eyes flew over the heads of his young staff and landed on Anna and Mr Bates. Charles still didn't know if he should call Anna 'Mrs Bates' and for now had decided to keep things simple and called her by the name that fell of his lips so easily. Anna had come to them as a young girl and she had grown into a very capable woman under Elsie's instructions. John Bates was dependable and hardworking. His time spent in His Majesty's prison had been entirely wrong and Charles felt that it said nothing against the man's character.

There had been a time he had thought John Bates would never be up to the job, but it turned out he found it hard to function without the man present. Charles had even given sliding thoughts of Mr Bates as Downton's butler after he himself would retire.

But he was not there yet. However much he enjoyed waking up with Elsie in his arms. However much he sometimes wanted to just grab bottom when she walked by, skirts swishing. However much he would like to just be able to talk about everything at any given time. It would not be long now.

Having guests come in after dinner was not unheard of, but it was certainly uncommon. Edith heard the front door and waited for Carson to show whoever it was into the room. But Carson entered the room alone and whispered something in Papa's ear. He got up from his place next to Mama and left the room with a single look at Edith.

With a jolt Edith understood.

It was Anthony.

Anthony came to ask for her hand in marriage, asking her father first because he thought that was the proper way to do it. Perhaps he was rather certain she would say 'yes'. He was not wrong. Edith knew Papa would be gracious and accepting and Mama would leap at the chance to help Edith plan the wedding.

How strange she would feel so extraordinarily calm. She drank her coffee and talked to Mama and Granny, though she did not really know what it was they were talking about. Funny how you could be calm but completely detached from what was going on. Edith kept her eyes on the door. Soon it would open and Papa would come in and ask her to join him in the library. Anthony would be there and he would pop the question. Properly.

Mama's voice somehow penetrated Edith's train of thought.

"Don't you agree, dear?"

"Oh... i am sorry Mama, i was distracted." Having nobody to deter the attention had taught Edith to be truthful. "What were you saying?"

"I was saying that it seems to take Mary and Matthew rather long to provide your father with an heir." It was a quip, meant to make Granny uncomfortable.

"I don't think it is any of our business." Edith said and turned her face to the door.

Elsie watched Charles as he hurried down the stairs towards the wine cellar. He entered it and came out quite quickly, carrying two bottles of champagne. Elsie's heart fluttered in her chest. This was it then. Sir Anthony had asked Lady Edith to marry him. Why else would he have come after dinner?

Lucky girl. Sir Anthony was by no means an exciting man, or at least not to Elsie, but he was caring and honest and decent. A traditionalist, like his lordship. Lady Edith would always feel safe and secure and cherished.

Was this why Lady Edith had spoken of her plan?

What was with all the surprises and plans all of the sudden anyway? Wasn't the world changing enough as it was? From hemlines inching up and up to show much more than a slim ankle to faster cars. Elsie did not really go with the fashions, though she was sure she could pull off a dress that was as high as just below her knee. She was confident her legs were as nice looking as those of the young ladies visiting with Lady Edith.

Why did her mind wander like this?

It was the plan. Lady Edith's admittedly brilliant plan. Elsie part in it was substantial and it would make her retirement highly different from what she had envisaged, but it would give her a chance to do something she had never thought she would be doing, something that she had pressed back the furthest corner of her mind.

There were more pros than cons, but the biggest point against the plan was that it confronted her with her own mortality. And Charles's. Of course this was a tad melodramatic, but she was a child of the Victorian era. Thinking of death was instilled deep within her make up.

Even so, Elsie leaned to agreeing. She had to thoroughly talk it through with Charles, she had to know what he thought. After all, in her mind they would retire together and live together for the rest of their days, but she was not sure what he thought. What his plans were. Perhaps he was not in the least inclined to retire.

She chuckled. Ah... who was she fooling. She knew what he was thinking, what he was brooding on. He was trying to find the perfect moment. And she would say 'yes', wholeheartedly. The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to wait. She did not want to wait for him to just envelop her unexpectedly, for him to kiss her senseless when the mood struck him, to just have a nice cup of tea in the garden and chat without having to be cautious.

But what if he did not agree with the plan? What was she to do then? What was Anna to do?

A/N: Ha! You guys still don't know what the plan is! In the next chapter: Anna and Elsie interacting (this is Kouw-speak for: this is where the plan will be revealed), Edith's reaction to her formal proposal and choccy biscuits for everyone who reviews!)