CHAPTER 19: THE BATMAN AND ROSE
An hour later
Thomas Barrow's Pantry
Bates knocked and opened the pantry door. "Do you mind if I sit, Mr Barrow?"
"Of course not, Mr Bates."
Bates closed the door and sat heavily. He was tired, and his head hurt.
"Are you well, John? You look a little flushed."
"It's nothing. I'm getting a cold." Bates pulled an envelope from his pocket. "You may give this to Lord Grantham."
Thomas stepped around his desk and took the envelope. In it was the corrected bill.
"And I believe this is yours." Bates took a small box from his pocket and placed it in Thomas' hand. Thomas recognized the box and knew the cuff links were inside.
Thomas felt a wave of panic. "What did you do, John?"
Bates was irritated. He didn't need a thank you, but Thomas seemed upset. "No one was hurt, if that's your concern. Well, perhaps Hopwood's pride took a beating, but that's as it should be." Bates pulled out his handkerchief and coughed into it.
Thomas slipped the box and bill into his pocket and put his hand on Bates' forehead.
"What are you doing?"
"Do you have a headache, John?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"A sore throat?"
"Yes. It was all of a sudden."
"I don't believe you have a cold, John. I'll send for Dr Clarkson." Thomas took hold of Bates chin as Bates so often did to him. "It seems it's my turn to take care of you."
The Parlour
Thomas found Lord Grantham in the parlour. "Pardon me, my Lord. May I have a moment?"
"What is it, Barrow?"
"I have a revised bill from the plumber." Thomas handed the bill to Lord Grantham.
Lord Grantham opened the envelope and examined the bill. "How did you convince Hopwood to change it, Barrow?"
"I didn't, my Lord. Mr Bates convinced him."
"Lady Mary told me that you had arranged a discount."
"Perhaps Lady Mary misunderstood.
"Perhaps."
"My Lord, Mr Bates has taken ill. I've put him in his old room. Dr Clarkson is with him now and says it's influenza."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Barrow. Wouldn't he be more comfortable at home?"
"Mr Bates doesn't want to infect the baby, my Lord."
"Yes, of course. Anna should leave the baby with Nanny for a few days. Then she could take care of Bates at home."
"I'm certain she would appreciate your generosity, my Lord, but ..."
"Yes?"
"Anna's still ..."
"What, Barrow? What's the problem?"
"She's still nursing, my Lord."
"Oh."
"The thing is, my Lord, Mr Bates has quite a high fever, and Dr Clarkson recommends that someone stay with him for now. If Your Lordship will recall, I have hospital experience."
"So you want to abandon us for Bates, is that it?"
"If Your Lordship doesn't object, perhaps Mr Carson would step in for a couple of days. Andrew could do all the serving and attend to Your Lordship. We're not expecting guests, and Lady Grantham is in London."
"You seem to have everything in order, Barrow. I leave it to your judgment."
"Then if Your Lordship will excuse me."
"Just a moment Barrow. I want to speak to you."
"Certainly, my Lord."
Lord Grantham held up the bill. "So, Bates came to your rescue."
"Yes, my Lord."
"I understand from Lady Mary that you were responsible for the plumbing debacle but that you had no malicious intent. Did she misunderstand about that as well, Barrow?"
"No, my Lord."
"Good." Lord Grantham regarded Thomas for a moment. "It appears, Barrow, that Bates has taken you under his wing. Is that true?"
"He wants me to succeed at my job, my Lord. He's older and more experienced and offers me advice."
Lord Grantham chuckled. "Advice. That's a bit tame for Bates. He and I go back a long way, Barrow. Are you aware that he was my batman years ago?"
"Yes, my Lord, in South Africa."
"That's right." Lord Grantham gazed out the window. "He was a striking young man in those days and turned quite a few heads." Lord Grantham chuckled. "We both did. That was before Bates was wounded, of course. He was an intelligent, likable fellow, but he was proud and headstrong. He hadn't acquired the humility that marks him as the man he is today." Lord Grantham looked at Thomas. "I'm older than Bates, but I was an inexperienced officer when he was assigned to me. I liked him right off, but within a few days, he knew my business better than I did and had no qualms about letting me know. By the end of the first month, I wasn't sure which of us was the officer and which of us was the batman. Do you know why I'm telling you this, Barrow?"
"No, my Lord."
"I had to set him straight, Barrow. It hurt his dignity a bit, but we got past it. It will be easier for you."
"My Lord?"
"I was his superior officer. You're his friend. He'll take it better from you."
"I don't understand, my Lord."
"I think you do, Barrow. You can't let him railroad you just because he likes you and thinks he knows what's best for you. You'll come to resent him, and it will be the end of your friendship. And he's a friend worth having, am I right, Barrow?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Think about it, Barrow. That's all I ask. You'd better go, now, or Dr Clarkson's bill will be worse than the plumber's."
That evening
Outside the Abbey
Bates was napping on a bench. It was a clear day, and when he opened his eyes, he was stunned by the beauty of the Abbey grounds in bloom. He saw a woman on the path who seemed to float towards him. Her dark hair was loose, and she was wearing an old-fashioned tea gown. As she approached, Bates recognized her. He waved, and the woman laughed and waved back. "You're the woman in the photograph. You're Thomas' mother."
The woman smiled and Bates could feel her warmth enveloping him. "So, you know who I am. Who are you?"
"I'm John Bates."
"Bates. Bates and Anna. My son harmed you and your wife."
"That was a long time ago, Mrs Barrow. We're friends now."
"You must call me Rose, and I will call you John."
"Rose is a lovely name."
"I agree. That's why I chose it." Rose laughed. She had the most charming laugh that Bates had ever heard. "My parents named me Agnes. That's an ugly name. It sounds like gagging. Ag-g-g-g-nes." She laughed again, and Bates laughed too.
"What may I do for you, Rose?"
"I want to know if my son has found a purpose for his life."
"Don't you know? I thought you'd be looking down on him from Heaven."
"John, I'm surprised. Do you believe that old wives' tale?"
"Is that what it is?"
"I can't follow what's happening in England when I look down from Heaven, John. Too much weather. Now Yuma is another matter."
"Yuma?"
"In the States. Arizona. Now that's a sunny spot. Do you know what's happening in Yuma, John?"
"What?"
"Absolutely nothing!" Rose laughed at her little joke. Whenever Rose laugh, Bates found himself laughing, too.
"We were hoping to get a wireless up there," Rose looked up at the skies, "so each of us could hear the news from home. But you know how it is in Heaven. All it takes is one person to say, It's an instrument of the devil, and there's an end to the matter."
"That's a shame, Rose."
"You said that Thomas and you are friends now."
"Yes. He's friends with my wife, too, and he's godfather to our son."
"Godfather! That's fine. Then I give you my son, John."
"What?"
"I can't help him in your world, John. I need a proxy."
"I can't be his mother."
"He doesn't need a mother. He needs someone to love him. Do you love him, John?"
"What?"
"Do you love him?"
"I don't know what you mean.
"Do you love Thomas?
"I don't know what you're asking me."
"It's a simple question, John. Do you love Thomas?"
"I can't answer that question."
"This is getting us nowhere, John. I'd forgotten that you're British."
"I'm sorry, Rose."
"There's no need for us to give up the ghost, John, if you'll pardon the expression. Tell me, John, do you care what happens to Thomas?"
"Of course I do."
"Do you want him to have a meaningful life?"
"Yes."
"Do you enjoy his company?"
"Yes."
"Do you miss him when he's not around?"
"Well, I ..."
"What's that, John?"
"Yes, I miss him when he's not around."
"When he's sad, does it make you ache?"
"How did you know?"
"Because I love him, too. He's yours now, John. He's your mission. Help him find his place in life."
"I don't know how, Rose."
"You'll figure it out, John. You won't be sorry, you know. He'll take care of you and yours until the end of his days."
"Will he?"
"Perhaps you haven't seen it yet, but Thomas is a sweet lad. When he was three, I complained about how much I missed flowers during the winter. I was working on the books for the shop, and he dragged me into the kitchen. He had lined up all the cutlery on the floor, side-by-side, and placed a lump of coal at the top of each piece. He jumped up and down and shouted, Look, Mummy, flowers!" Rose laughed. "What a mess. Coal dust everywhere. But he was happy because he'd made me smile."
"That's a charming story, Rose."
"Thomas told me that he hasn't been a kind man, but he was a kind child, John."
"He wasn't a kind man. But when you visited him ... it ..."
"Yes, John?"
"I don't know ... it opened him up somehow. It unlocked his heart."
"That's a lovely thing to say, John. Now ... Let's race to that tree."
"What?"
"Are you afraid I'll win?"
"I can't, Rose. I walk with a cane."
Rose laughed. "You don't need a cane when you're with me, John. Get up and run!"
John stood and took a step. Then he took a few more steps. He trotted. He ran. He jumped over a tree stump. He jumped over a bench. He jumped over a fence, but his shoe caught, and he tumbled over.
"John! What happened?" Bates was hanging half off the bed. He would have fallen on his head if his legs had not been tangled in the bedding. Thomas rushed to help him.
"Did you see me, Thomas? Did you see how fast I was running? Did you see me sail over that bench?"
"I saw you all right." Thomas smiled and untangled the bedding." You were dreaming, John."
"Was I?" Bates settled back on the pillow, and Thomas pulled up the covers. "Thomas, what was your mother's name?"
"Agnes. Don't you remember? I told you how she hated it."
Bates closed his eyes. He wanted to fall asleep and see Rose again so he could laugh and run and sail over benches. He wanted to tell her that he did love her son but that he could not say so because Thomas was that way, and he was not.
