A Change is As Good

It was nice for there to be a bigger party of them in London, so much so that Grantham House had been opened up especially; it had been a good while since Anna had been there. She supposed it had a lot to do with Mrs Levinson and her Ladyship's brother coming over from America. The latter was a mystery to everyone, only ever having been talked about in fairly scandalous terms. As it was, curiosity remained; they only caught passing glances of him – he liked to keep himself to himself, and there was nothing wrong in that. Anna admired the quality. The young man who accompanied him as his valet – he couldn't have been older than twenty-two, by the looks of things – was enthusiastic and chatty, embodying more of the American manners that everybody had expected. He was a lovely lad, and talked her ear off at the table one evening about life back home. She felt rather bad for having to excuse herself part way through the conversation, but if she would have stayed any longer Lady Mary would have been left waiting all night.

Imaginings of bright lights and grander shores stayed with her for that night at least, and she cast her mind back. She had been ready and willing to do it once, in circumstances that were worse all things considered. She wasn't sure what John would make of it if she dared to mention, but she could only think that a start somewhere new, so many miles away, would only be a good thing.

It was a flight of fancy, forgotten about as soon as they had settled in properly. She thought that she liked her home comforts too much. Plus, she didn't expect that the tea would taste as half as good, and that was something she didn't reckon she could do without.

She carried her cup with her, entering the hall after leaving Mrs Hughes in the hallway. It still took a bit of getting used to, the new surroundings, but she couldn't have felt out of place for long while he was there.

They smiled at one another, and for a few moments she felt more at home than she had done back in Yorkshire for quite some time.

"Lady Mary says that they're all quite packed in upstairs," she confided to him, eyes bright as he regarded her. "I suppose it makes quite a change."

"One that they're not used to," he chuckled, making her smile again. "And yet she still managed to get a room to herself. I wonder how that was possible."

She gave a little roll of her eyes which didn't go unnoticed. "Well, that's Lady Mary for you. If there's a way..."

If the family found it a tight fit, it was nothing compared to the staff, but at least they didn't find it surprising. There weren't enough rooms to go round, and sharing was delegated in the old-fashioned way, Anna being placed with Miss Baxter and John with Mr Molesley. She had felt rather disappointed at first, but then it just made the time they spent together all the nicer.

Their time together had been easier of late. There was less hesitation on both of their parts, smiles that were more frequent and meaningful. She had packed one of her newer dresses with the sheer sleeves, expecting London to be more humid than the north, and she was rather pleased when his eyes lit, admiring her all over again – though he had never lost the look of love she knew, somehow. The other evening he had asked her if she minded him saying that she looked beautiful. His simple question had brought tears to her eyes, but on this occasion they were welcomed.

He turned over the page of the newspaper they were both glancing at. "We'll have the afternoon in a couple of days. Perhaps there's something in here that we could do."

Anna tilted her head; there was nothing in particular that took her attention. "Or you could decide that shopping is a good idea after all, while we're here."

His look spoke louder than his words, and she didn't stifle her small giggle. Some things would take a little more persuading, but there was time.

"I thought about stopping in on Mr Brook, see how the house is."

"I wouldn't stay long," she noted. "He might think you're checking up on them, and refuse to pay the rent for a month."

He laughed again, the soft rumble a delight to her ears. "I think we've got a fair bit to be going on with as it is, one month wouldn't do much harm. So much so, that we could afford to take a little break."

She tutted at the frivolous suggestion, even if she thought it might be nice. Without another thought, she moved her hand across to where his rested by the open page and beheld the smile grow on his face as she linked her fingers fast in the spaces between his, of her own volition.

"A rest would be lovely," she commented, rubbing her thumb over the arch of his hand, "but I think a change is just as good."

Things were changing, a little bit more every day.