A/N : This is my participation to @miissbaxter's project on insta. I thought it was good enough so I decided to post it here as a ficlet !
John had joked that he wanted to be invited to Ms Baxter and Mr Molesley's wedding when they were in the South of France, but he would have never guessed that Joseph Molesley, the groom, would choose him as his best man. He asked him when they had met in the village, both heading to the butcher.
"You want me to be your best man ?" He asked, a little confused.
"Yes" the older man told him.
"But, why me ?"
"Because I've known you the longest Mr Bates. You have always been kind to me and I think you're the most qualified for this task" John was flattered. He considered most servants like his friends but he hadn't a strong bond with anyone. His best friend was his wife. It was true, nevertheless, that Mr Molesley had been close to him for the longest and he was honored to support this man on his most special day.
"Okay. I'm in ! Thank you for that offer Mr Molesley" He smiled and his friend smiled back. Now, deep down, John was anxious, he had never been the best man at anyone's wedding and wasn't sure what that role consisted of.
Anna was sitting at the table of the Servant's hall, with Johnny on her lap who was focused on his drawing. It was a horse -because Johnny was fascinated with horses since George and Sybbie had told him about their riding lessons- but it looked more like a dog. She was drinking tea, waiting for John to come downstairs so they could head back home. They often brought Johnny downstairs to share a quick moment with him during tea time or luncheon. She saw Miss Baxter coming her way and gave her a smile.
"Hello, Miss Baxter"
"Hello, Mrs Bates" the woman was her usual reserved self, fidgeting some mending she had in her hands. Anna sensing something was amiss, asked her.
"Are you all right, Miss Baxter ? You're worried about the wedding ?" Since everyone had witnessed their rather peculiar proposal, the whole house was only talking about that. The house had been in mourning not long after, because of the Dowager's death -Anna still couldn't believe it, she had once joked that the old lady would outlived everyone in the House-, but they came out of it a month ago and the main interest was now on the preparations of the wedding.
"It's about the wedding…"
"I hope you're not having second thoughts," Anna said, trying to lighten the mood. She was welcomed by an offended look from the other lady's maid.
"Oh no, it's just that I wanted to ask you both something" Anna gave her a quizzical look, not understanding what that was about.
"I wondered if you would accept to be a bridesmaid at my wedding and Johnny could be the ring bearer" she blurted, ducking her head. At the mention of his name, the little boy looked up from his drawing.
"Oh, I don't know what to say," Anna said, surprised. "We'd be honoured, wouldn't we, baby ?" She added, talking to her son - she knew he wasn't a baby anymore but in her eyes he would be until her last breath-.
"Really ?" Miss Baxter beamed. Anna nodded. They had had a rough start but in the end they had become friends and Anna was more than flattered that the older woman had thought of her.
The wedding was tomorrow, everything was almost done. Mrs Patmore had prepared a lot of food, Daisy had made the most amazing cakes, the flowers were to be brought in the morning, they had decorated the schoolhouse and everything was ready with the church. Mr Molesley was staying at his cottage while Miss Baxter was in her room at the Abbey. They only had to try on their clothes one last time to be sure everything was perfect. It was their first and only wedding and they both wanted it to be memorable.
Anna had helped with Miss Baxter's dress like she had done for Mrs Hughes -now Mrs Carson-. The dress was really pretty, a creamy colour who suited the brunette so well. She had added extra laces to make it look like one a woman of the family would wear. They went into her room to do the fittings.
"How do I look ?" Phyllis asked, rather anxious. She had never believed this would happen to her and she wanted to look her best.
"How does she look Johnny ?" Johnny was a real mummy's boy and liked to watch his mom work, so when she had helped Phyllis with her wedding dress, he had stayed.
"Like a Princess !!" he shouted. They both laughed. He had told his mom the same thing when they had dressed as extras for the movie, and she knew he was amazed by those beautiful gowns. He often told her he would be the brave knight for a pretty princess. A knight charming, just like his father she thought
"You're right, she does look like a Princess". Anna had a real talent for those things and she had turned the simple dress into a stunning artwork. It looked curiously similar to the dress Phyllis had worn when Mr Molesley proposed to her. At her compliment, the other woman blushed. She had never been called like that by anyone before and even if she was slightly embarrassed, she felt like one.
"Thank you, Mrs Bates. This dress is amazing. I hope Mr Molesley will like it."
"Oh, he will, I don't doubt it" She said with a little smirk but Miss Baxter's expression seemed melancholic.
"What is the matter ?" Anna asked her.
"Oh, it's just that I'm anxious, it's my first and only time being married and I don't know what it will be like"
"Everything is going to be alright, Miss Baxter."
"You think so ?"
"I know so. When two people love each other for as long as you and Mr Molesley have, there can't be anything going wrong"
"I bet you talk from experience" she smiled.
"Yes. Mr Bates and I were a lot like you two. We had a strong bond from the start and an unspoken affection which had been denied for too long" Her voice transpired a bit of sorrow from that time but she was so happy now and knew their friends would be too. "We've made it, we overcame everything that had been thrown at us, I know you will too. Marriage is not always easy but when there's a lot of love, it's easier"
"Thank you, Mrs Bates. You've been a very good bridesmaid…and friend" . The two women hugged.
Mr Molesley had everything he needed for the ceremony : the suit, the flowers, the ring. He just needed one thing that only his best man could give him : advice on married life. He had never been married before, unlike the man he had by his side, who had been married twice. Perhaps the first one wasn't an example to follow, but he had experience otherwise. He was now pacing the floor, in the room where he was trying on his wedding suit.
"If you keep on like that, you are going to dig a hole in the floor" John teased him.
"I'm sorry but I'm so anxious" he replied in a high pitch.
"Don't worry, she will say yes" John tried to reassure him.
"Oh, I'm not worried about that….not that much at least"
"What's wrong then ?"
"I've never been married before"
"You know, usually people like it better that way" John replied with a bit of sourness, reminiscing how his first marriage ended and how it had complicated his actual one.
"What I mean is I don't know what I'm supposed to do. How can I be a good husband, a good man to her. What if she realizes how an idiot I am-" he started to blabber nervously but wascut by John who held both his shoulders.
"Listen, mate, all you need to do is love her"
"Will that be enough ?"
"It will. In fact, it's all that matters. If you love her, you will be a good husband. You're not an idiot and she knows that, she knows that because she loves you and sees everything that is good in you. She knows you can be imperfect but it doesn't matter" he said, with a friendly smile which was not a common thing John gave to anyone other than his family.
"How are you so sure ?"
"I know because I have a wife, I spent a long time putting myself down and wondering why she loved me when all I was able to offer was a life of hardships. But I realized that it had never mattered to her. She had always stood by me because she loved me and I loved her. Despite everything we went through and that could have made her hate me like my first wife had hated me, she knew I loved her and cared for her." John had a serious face on but his eyes transpired the deep love he was talking about. What he wouldn't confess to his friend was that his self-depreciation had lasted a long time and that it was only his son's birth which had made it stop once and for all.
"And you think it will be the same for us ?"
"Yes I do. When we were in France, Miss Baxter told me how she was worried you would never propose. She was clear that she wouldn't marry anyone else because she had been searching for you for so long. I reassured her you loved her deeply and were just scared and she was less anxious" Those words seemed to make Mr Molesley feel better because he smiled at his friend.
"Thank you, Mr Bates. You've been a good best man… and a great friend !" He shook John's hand in a friendly way.
The day of the wedding had come and everything was ready. Mr Molesley was waiting in front of the altar with Mr Bates by his side. There were only a few people on the bench : the Servants, Mr Molesley's dad, the family, some friends from the village… It was a smaller wedding than those of the family but it was well enough for the couple.
Anna was still with Miss Baxter -soon-to-be Mrs Molesley- outside the church, rearranging her dress for the last time. She gave her an encouraging smile before going inside the church to her sit. Johnny was with the flower girls not far from her.
The music started and everyone stood up. They all looked to the door to see Miss Baxter enter. Some compliments on her dress and how pretty she looked fused in the church. She was beaming with pride at the thought that it was her moment, their moment. She was about to marry the love of her life and couldn't be happier. It had taken them far too long to come to this moment but every second with him was worth it so she had no regrets.
He turned around to look at her and when their eyes met they were filled with love for each other. She was the prettiest woman he had ever seen and was so terribly happy. His dream was coming true yet he couldn't believe it. When they were at the same level, they gave each other a loving smile. The vicar recited his usual speech and after they vowed love until death to each other, Johnny came with the ring. He looked so smart in his little suit and his parents -John was now back next to Anna- were beaming with pride. He gave them the ring and then their promise was sealed. Everyone was overjoyed for the couple. They were the last couple from Downstairs who had not wed and now it felt like the end of an era. It felt crazy to think of how things had been 15 years ago. Even Thomas had found his happiness - he had come back from America for the wedding- with Guy Dexter. They weren't in a public relationship, but his friends Downstairs and even Upstairs knew what really was.
Everyone was now gathered in the Schoolhouse hall around tables, eating and chatting. It had been a long time since they last did and everyone knew it would be the last wedding celebrated at Downton Abbey until Sybbie or George would be old enough to marry. It felt strange, everything had been like that since the death of the Dowager but life went on. The Bates family was enjoying their luncheon. Johnny was sitting on his own chair, eating by himself and Anna felt a little sad that her baby boy was growing up so fast. She cherished every moment with him. He might be their only child and there would be no way of coming back in time to get those memories back.
"I must say, Mrs Bates, that you look almost better than the bride" John told her, a wide smile on his face.
"Almost ?"
"To me you're the prettiest but a bride must feel the prettiest on her wedding" he smirked, looking at Miss Baxter -Mrs Molesley- who was sharing a dance with her husband on the floor.
"Charmer" she slapped him playfully "I did feel the prettiest at our wedding though" she added softly.
"You looked amazing…and you still do" he put her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
"You too, husband" she winked.
"Can you believe we are celebrating our tenth anniversary in less than a month ?" He stroked her knuckles with his thumb.
"I feel like I've been married to you forever and at the same time it feels like yesterday that I met you" They both smiled brightly. Their life hadn't always been easy but they stayed by each other until now and will keep on like this until death do them part. They had almost everything they had ever wanted and everyday was a blessing because they were together. They felt incredibly grateful to have their precious son and couldn't regret a second of it all.
"We are a great team" he said, nodding to the happy couple before them. "We get them here"
"The Team Bates always complete their tasks my darling husband, you should know that"
"That is true"
"It's funny to think that when we were last here, I was secretly pregnant with Johnny" she said, ruffling her son's fair hair.
"I love weddings" he replied, mirroring the words she had said back then.
Unbeknownst to them, she was pregnant with their second child.
