Hi every one. So now we are going to fast-forward a few weeks into the future. We'll have to assume that the british lockdown lifting goes according to plan, because we have a party to attend. The day of the party and the following day should keep us busy for several chapters, at least three I think. Many things will be happening, both good and bad, but mostly good at the end of the day. The good news is, I've already written everything, it just needs proof-reading and editing, so I should be able to publish it quite quickly and not keep you waiting on the edges of your seats.
July 2021
- Darling, do you think you'll be ready soon? asked John, poking his head through the bathroom door.
- Hmmm, mumbled Anna, her mouth filled with hair pins.
She was finishing to put her hear up, and John entered the bathroom completely, gaping at the sight of her in her party gown.
- Jesus, Anna, you're… gorgeous. Breath-taking!
She chuckled as she poked the last hairpin into the elaborate bun she had fashioned.
- You don't look too bad either, she said graciously. I like you in that tux.
She looked at her watch and said with a cheeky grin:
- Too bad we're all prepped up and we need to go soon. I can't wait to be able to undress you.
- Don't tempt me… he replied.
- That would maybe help me feel calmer… I am so nervous… I don't think I've even felt that nervous on my first shift as a senior ICU doctor.
- Well, if you need something to help you calm your nerves, just think that whatever you do tonight, you shouldn't kill anyone.
She laughed good-heartedly.
- That's true. I'll keep that in mind.
The last weeks had kept them very busy with the preparations of the Downton charity event. John, along with Robert and Mary had spent their whole days working on the project. One day, John had come home, announcing that the Australian opera singer's presence had been secured, and that they intended to plan an amateur concert as a pre-show, and they were looking for amateur musicians or singers among both Downton's employees and the Royal Hospital's workers. John casually added that he would be performing something, and that he had put Anna's name down to play the Moonlight Sonata. Anna had looked at him for a moment, speechless, and then had completely freaked out, arguing that she had never wanted to play in public, and that she had never done that before, save for the few auditions at the music school when she was a child. It had taken about a week of persuasion and intense lobbying from both John and Mary to finally make her accept to do it. After a few more days, Anna had got caught up in the game, and started recruiting other musicians at the hospital. And she had done her recruiting job well. She had found a bunch of co-workers who had hidden talents. With the Abbey's employees, they had spent many off-work hours repeating their parts. In the end, there were piano, guitar, violin and cello players, and they had even managed to form a small choir. It felt very good to all of them to be able to see people and work on something else than always inventing new hospital beds to take in sick people.
Anna put a final touch to her make-up and started going down the stairs.
- Timmy, are you ready sweetie? she called out.
She found her son playing with toy cars on the living-room floor.
- Yes mum, he said.
- Oh look at you, how handsome you are, she beamed.
Timmy did look handsome and all grown-up with his white shirt and little bow-tie, in imitation of John's.
- And what do you say about your Mummy, asked John to the boy. Isn't she beautiful?
- She's very beautiful! agreed Timmy.
Anna smiled fondly at him, and started checking their bags, making sure they had all they needed for the evening and the following night. Mary had insisted they slept at her parent's house, so that they needn't drive their way home after the party.
- Alright, I think we're ready! Let's go then, concluded Anna.
x x x x
They had been so very lucky, weather-wise. It had been raining on and off for the whole previous week, and Mary had been despairing that her carefully-planned outdoors party would be ruined by a wet weather. However, clouds had finally lifted the evening before, and now the sun was generously shining on Downton's lawns. The Crawleys had done it well. In the afternoon, before the concert, for the children's amusement, they had put up a sort of small village fair. There were a bunch of stalls to play, a make-up artist, some more bouncy castles, trampolines, a candy floss vendor and all sort of things that children liked. All of this kept Timmy very busy, as he dragged John and Anna from stall to stall, quivering with excitement, while John and Anna tried to continue having a chat with their acquaintances they met around the fair. Mary was of course there, having a nice word for every guest, as Matthew tried to keep an eye on George who was running around with Timmy. The little Alicia had been deemed to young to enjoy that kind of fun, and had therefore been left in the care of her nanny. Sybil and Tom's two children were also joining the fun. Edith had even had the good grace to accept the invitation, despite her rather frosty relationship with Mary. But the third sister, who worked as a journalist in London, had not seen her family for almost a year, so she had agreed to take a few days off and make the journey up north.
After a few hours of fun and candy-eating, Mary looked at her watch and said to John and Anna:
- We should get going. The concert is scheduled to start at half past seven. We should go and get ready.
- You're right, said John.
- Oh sweet Lord, moaned Anna, her heart rate automatically doubling up.
John noticed her nervousness and squeezed her hand.
- Don't worry darling. It will be perfectly fine. You know your pieces like the back of your hand. And remember what I told you earlier.
- What did you tell her? asked Mary curiously.
- She said she was more nervous to play in public than she had been on her first senior shift. So I said whatever she did tonight, she shouldn't be able to kill anyone.
- Ah ah good point, laughed Mary. And anyway, all eyes will be on me, Lady Mary Crawley, she added in a mock superior tone. No one will be looking at you.
- Ah, ah, replied Anna. For the Ave Maria maybe. But not for the Moonlight Sonata, since you know, I'll be alone on the stage.
Mary had convinced Anna to play Gounod's Ave Maria too. Anna was to play the piano part, Mary was to sing, and a pediatric nurse from the hospital Anna had recruited was to play the cello part.
- Come on Anna. It'll be fun!
- Alright, she said, inhaling deeply. But first we need to find the Carsons to look after Timmy.
- I'll look after him and George, offered Matthew. You go. When I see the Carsons I'll tell them.
- Oh, thank you Matthew.
In the technical area at the back of the temporary stage that had been put up on the Abbey's main lawn, just near the majestic front door, the stage manager and the technicians were busy with last minutes checks on the sound system. The amateur musicians had gathered and were all trying to tame their stage fright by making silly jokes. Anna had just finished saying hello to all her work acquaintances, when Mary nudged her in the ribs:
- Hey, look over there, she whispered, showing her a place a little outside the technical area. That's Kiri Te Kanawa out there.
Anna looked at the dark-haired woman, who was deep in talk with a brown-haired man whose face she could not see.
- Oh, I saw her younger, said Anna.
- No, she's about seventy I think. But I heard them practice, I can tell you her voice is as good as new.
Mary then turned away to speak to the stage manager. As Anna's eyes lingered on the opera singer, the man she was talking to started to walk away. As he turned to go, Anna got a very quick glimpse of him. Her heart skipped a beat as his face stirred some very uneasy memories. But she couldn't be sure, not for seeing him so briefly and far away. She closed her eyes, shrugged the feeling away, and turned back to the musicians' group. John noticed she looked a bit shaken, and came to her:
- Are you alright, sweetheart? Stage fright?
- Yes, she smiled to him.
- What I do, to fight that, is try to forget about the audience. Picture myself playing alone in my living-room.
- Thank you, I'll try to do that.
x x x x
Moments later, the crowd had gathered in front of the stage. Robert Crawley came up on the stage and talked about the evening's program. He then gave the microphone to York's mayor, who made a speech about living through a pandemic and thanked the hospital staff for their work throughout the last eighteen months. When he was done, Robert took back the microphone and introduced the musicians for the first piece. In the backstage area, John picked up his guitar, kissed Anna's cheek and walked up to the stage with his two fellow musicians, one holding a violin, and another a cello. Under the audience's applause, the three of them settled on stage. The applause died, and Mary shot a happy and excited smile to Anna, who smiled back at her. Then the first notes of the Beatles' Yesterday were played, and John started to sing.
"Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away…"
Anna's heart swelled at the sound of his voice. He had such a gentle and beautiful voice, and he was such a talented musician. And he was hers. Unfortunately the song was short, and soon John and the violin player were back from the stage. Anna felt Mary pull on her hand, as she heard Robert's voice announcing:
- And now ladies and gentlemen, I am very proud to present Dr Anna Smith, ICU doctor at the Royal, who will, along with Heather here at the cello, play Gounod's Ave Maria on the piano. The trio will be completed by my own daughter, Lady Mary Crawley for the vocals.
Mary and Anna came up on stage while the audience cheered. Anna looked around quickly and caught sight of the Carsons at the front of the crowd, with Timmy furiously waving out to her. Her mother was also sitting next to them. She smiled to her son, and sat at the piano, exhaling slowly to calm her pounding heart. That piano piece was very easy and she mastered it fine, so there was no reason anything should go wrong, she repeated herself. She looked out to Mary who had come to stand near the piano, and to Heather who nodded to her that she was ready. Anna nodded back and started playing. She was surprised how easy it felt to her once she had played a few notes. When the cello started along and she heard Mary's voice, she relaxed, and lost herself in the music, completely forgetting the hundreds of people watching them. She almost startled, at the end of the piece, when she looked up and heard the applause. She smiled up to Mary as she got up from the piano stool and took her hand to go and bow to the audience.
- See, that was easy… whispered Mary, as they straightened up from their curtsy.
Mary and Heather made their way out of the stage, and Anna stayed alone behind, since now was her turn to play the Moonlight Sonata. As she went back to the piano, it suddenly occurred to her that her mother was out there on the front row, and that the last time she had heard her daughter play that piece, was the day seventeen years ago, when she had ended up breaking the piano with her father's golf club. She sat back on the stool, and knew that the time had come to show her mother that she was now a mentally healthy adult, and that she did not bear the scars of her father's mistreatment any more. She briefly closed her eyes, inhaled and exhaled, positioned her hands on the keyboard, and pictured herself alone with John and Timmy in their living-room.
A few minutes later, she was again bowing to the audience, and when she looked up, her eyes found her mother's, and she saw the tears on Eileen's face. She flashed her a bright smile. Yes, she felt healed now, at last. She went back to the backstage area, where she briefly squeezed John's hand. He kissed her cheek and whispered:
- Darling that was awesome. I knew you could do it.
They had no time to elaborate, since John was going back on stage for the next song. Anna cried a few tears of relief that she was done while Mary held her. When she had carefully wiped her eyes, so as not to mess up on her make-up, Mary suggested:
- Now that we're done, shall we go out to watch to rest of the show?
- Yes, sure, nodded Anna.
They silently skirted around the stage, and Anna hurried to go sit next to the Carsons, taking Timmy in her lap.
- That was so beautiful Mummy! said the boy.
- Thank you sweetie, she whispered. Now, let's listen to John.
As she focused her attention to the stage, she felt her mother squeeze her hand. She turned to look at her, and Eileen offered a shy smile to her:
- I'm so very proud of you Anna.
- Thank you Mum, she replied, before looking back at the stage, where John had begun playing the intro of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven. She felt tears prickling in her eyes again when she heard John's soft voice singing. She circled her arms around Timmy, and rested her cheek against his back, closing her eyes to enjoy the sweet music.
"There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven"
She clapped her hands with fervour when the song ended and Robert announced:
- Please make some noise for Mr John Bates!
As John bowed and put his guitar away, Robert went on:
- And now, for the last piece before we let the stage to the great Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, the highlight of our own little show, Mr Bates will come back to the piano this time, and we are welcoming Dr Thomas Barrow and his electric guitar, and the specially-formed Downton/Royal choir, to deliver to you their own version of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody! Please encourage all of them!
The musicians and singers took place under the audience's cheers. Anna was all excited, since Bohemian Rhapsody was one of her favourite songs. But she was also nervous, because she knew it was a very difficult song, and she had been there for a good part of the many many hours of practice they had all put up to prepare for that very moment. She searched John's face and their eyes met. He sent her a wink, and she concluded he was taking it much more relaxed than she was. She smiled to him as the audience quieted down and the singers started:
"Is this the real life, is this just fantasy…
Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality…"
John's hands started moving on the keyboard and Anna felt transported to another dimension. Their performance unfolded perfectly well, and she felt like she was waking from a dream when the cheering and applause from the crowd erupted. Even Timmy had been hypnotized by the music and had not stirred a hair during it. She quickly put him down and got up, saying to Elsie:
- I have to go back for the final salute. We'll be back soon with John.
- Sure, you go dear, said Elsie.
Anna hurried backstage again, and all the musicians and singers gathered on the stage as Robert boomed:
- Ladies and gentlemen, the Downton and Royal's artists, please make another round of applause for them!
Anna grabbed John's and Mary's hands and they all lined up in front of the stage, bowing to the cheering crowd. As they all made their way down, Robert went on:
- We will have now a twenty minutes intermission. I suggest every one get some refreshments from the bar, before we welcome Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who has made us the honour of her presence in the middle of her UK tour!
Anna and John, along with Mary and Matthew used the twenty minutes pause to go and deliver their respective children to the baby-sitters Mary had hired to entertain and look after the children throughout the evening. An ID bracelet was put around every child's wrist and the parents' phone numbers were written down in case anything happened. Timmy and George barely waved goodbye to their parents, already enthralled in exploring the games and toys that were on display in the nursery room.
- Well, they don't seem to be missing us, said Anna confidently. I think we can go back to the concert.
Everyone was back on their seats and holding their breath as the famous opera singer entered the stage, along with her pianist. She graciously accepted Robert's hand-kiss and adjusted the small microphone that was pinned to her dress:
- Good evening. I'm very glad to be here tonight, in support of the courageous health workers who have cared for us all through those difficult times. I listened to the pre-show and I am amazed to see that besides their professional knowledge, some are also very talented musicians. I always thought music is the food of the soul, and I think our souls will be very well nourished tonight.
Anna sighed contentedly in her chair as the singer started her performance. She smiled as she felt John's hand enveloping hers. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he asked her:
- Are you alright my darling?
- Yes, I am, she replied.
And it was true. It had been a long time since she had felt that relaxed.
As the audience applauded the opera singer, about an hour later, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa said:
- And for our last song, one of my favourites, "O Mio Bambino Caro", by Puccini, from Gianni Schicchi. And I'd like to dedicate this, to love, and to lovers.
John's hand squeezed Anna a little harder, and she smiled at him.
- This one's for us, he stated.
- Yes, it is, she replied, kissing him lightly on the lips.
Everything's going fine for the moment...