CHAPTER 47: BONNIE JOHN

Later that night

John Bates' Old Room

Bates made up the bed in his old room so that he could spend the night at the Abbey. Dr Clarkson had said that Thomas was suffering from a mild concussion and had to be awakened every two hours to make certain that his condition wasn't deteriorating. The sound of that frightened Bates, and he wanted to take responsibility for the task himself.

Bates and Henry had a to-do over it. Henry insisted that Lady Mary would want him to be the one to check on Thomas because she had caused his accident. Bates replied that Henry's place was with Lady Mary during her confinement. The truth was that Bates thought Henry would be too distracted by the coming baby to take proper notice of Thomas' condition.

Bates set the alarm clock he had taken from Thomas' room and closed his eyes. As he waited for sleep, he tried to sort out the events of the night. Anna had been the one to send Bates to the pantry so he could tend to Thomas. He found Thomas at his desk asleep or unconscious, he could not tell which. He was relieved when he was able to rouse Thomas easily enough, but Thomas was pale and had a lump and a nasty scrape on his forehead.

Bates gathered a basin and soap and the other items he needed to wash the scrape, but Thomas was not cooperative. When a knock sounded at the door, it was not Dr Clarkson, but Minnie who joined them. She paused at the door and greeted Thomas cheerfully, "Hello, Mr Barrow."

Thomas smiled. "Hello, Dimples."

Bates was surprised by Thomas' inappropriate familiarity. Thomas usually was a stickler for maintaining propriety among the Abbey staff. Bates chided him lightly, "Mr Barrow, you aren't so injured that you may forget where you are."

"I know, John. Do you think I've knocked all the sense out of my head? Now get that confounded soap away from me. It stings."

"Let me." Minnie took the soap and flannel from Bates. Although the flannel was already soapy, Minnie placed it in the basin and soaped it again as she began to sing:

"Ma, he's making eyes at me!
Ma he's awful nice to me!
Ma he's almost breaking my heart,
I'm beside him, Mercy!
Let his conscience guide him!
Ma, he wants to marry me,
Be my honey bee.
Ev'ry minute he gets bolder,
Now he's leaning on my shoulder,
Ma, he's kissing me!"

The American song had been around for a few years, but nobody could sing it as appealingly as Minnie sang it in her impish voice while she bounced gaily and batted her large luminous eyes. Thomas was delighted. Minnie sang another chorus while she washed his forehead:

"Ma, he's making eyes at me!
Ma he's awful nice to me!
Ma he's almost breaking my heart,
If you peek in, Can't you see I'm goin' to weaken?
Ma, he wants to marry me,
Be my honey bee.
Ma, I'm meeting with resistance,
I shall holler for assistance,
Ma, he's kissing me!"

Bates observed Minnie and Thomas in silence. When Minnie finished washing the injury, Bates asked her to check on Dr Clarkson. He waited until Minnie was down the corridor before he turned and interrogated Thomas. "Does Minnie know about you?"

"Know what?"

"That you're not the marrying kind."

"Doesn't everyone here know that?" Thomas countered wryly. "Why are you being so cross, John? I'm the one who hit my head."

"Because that woman has a crush on you, and she's going to get hurt if you don't set her straight."

"Minnie?" scoffed Thomas, but Bates didn't smile. "Do you really think so?"

"Yes, I really think so."

"I didn't realize. I'll speak to her tomorrow, John, I promise. Now please stop scolding. My head is splitting."

"I know, little brother," Bates replied sympathetically. "I don't want to give you aspirin without Dr Clarkson's permission. Thomas ...?"

"Yes?"

"You are aware, aren't you, that Minnie used the exact same soap I did."

Thomas shrugged. "She has a lighter touch."

When Minnie returned, she reported that Dr Clarkson had examined Lady Mary and that the baby should arrive in a few hours. He had been waylaid by the family but promised to be down in 15 minutes.

Thomas was more formal with Minnie now. If she noticed, she did not let on. Thomas looked at the clock. "Minnie, shouldn't you still be serving dinner?"

"I should, but dinner was cut short."

"What?" Thomas tried to stand, but Bates held him back in his seat.

"When Lady Mary didn't come back to the dining room, Mr Talbot went looking for her. I was serving the salad course when he returned and said, 'The salad be damned! My wife's in labour!' There was so much excitement that the family didn't hear the Dowager say, 'Robert, your son-in-law's speaking French!'" Bates chuckled.

"Then Mr Talbot told about Lady Mary accidentally knocking Mr Barrow down the stairs. Everyone held their breath until Mr Talbot announced that you would live to buttle another day, Mr Barrow. The family fairly skipped up the stairs to Lady Mary's room except for the Dowager and Lord Merton. The Dowager told Lord Merton that in her day the British upper classes never would have allowed something as ordinary as the birth of a child to interrupt an orderly dinner. Then she pointed out that she had given birth to two children and never found it necessary to hurl a servant down the stairs or anywhere else for that matter."

The three shared a good laugh. "Old Lady Grantham always has the last word," remarked Thomas sleepily. "I like that I can count on her for that." Bates and Minnie kept Thomas talking until Dr Clarkson knocked.

Dr Clarkson arrived with Henry, who had been dispatched by Lady Mary to offer her profuse apologies for causing Thomas' accident. Dr Clarkson sent Minnie from the room so he could examine Thomas. "Do you remember how you hurt your head?" he asked as he checked Thomas' reflexes.

"Yes. Lady Mary had a contraction," explained Thomas.

Dr Clarkson dropped the reflex hammer into his bag. "Excuse me a moment." He stepped into the corridor, and Bates followed anxiously. He could see a tear trickle down the side of Dr Clarkson's tired face and was terrified to hear what he had to say. Dr Clarkson took a deep breath and pressed his fingers to his forehead. "That was the funniest thing I've ever heard." Without further comment, he returned to the pantry and continued his examination.

"What's your name."

"Thomas Barrow."

"Where are we?"

"My pantry at the Abbey."

"Whose estate is this?"

"Lord Grantham's"

"That's fine. One more question. What is today's date?"

Thomas hesitated. "It's summer. It's July or June ... a month with a J ... or is it August?"

Bates could see that Thomas was beginning to panic. He placed his hands firmly on Thomas' shoulders. "It's a temporary condition, Mr Barrow. Isn't that right, Dr Clarkson?"

"Most likely you'll be fine in a day or two," agreed Dr Clarkson. "Hand him the basin, Mr Bates. I do believe he's about to vomit." Bates set the basin in front of Thomas in the very nick. Dr Clarkson clapped Thomas on the back. "You feel better now, don't you?"

Thomas said nothing as he remained drooped over the basin. Bates leaned over and whispered to Thomas, "Don't be embarrassed. We've all done it." Thomas nodded.

Bates could see that Thomas was shaken as they walked up the stairs to the attic. He kept one hand on Thomas back as they climbed.

"Ivor has many female friends," Thomas muttered.

"What's that?"

"I said that Ivor has many friends who are women. Glads is one of his best friends."

"Glads?"

"Gladys Cooper. I don't see why I can't have female friends."

"Who says you can't?"

"You did!"

"You're confused, little brother. I only said that you mustn't mislead Minnie. You must tell her that friendship with you could never lead to marriage."

"Oh, that's all?"

"That's all."

"I'll tell her tomorrow, John." Thomas stopped and took hold of John's coat. "Will you remind me if I forget?"

"I will, but you don't need to worry. Didn't Dr Clarkson say your memory would recover in a day or so?"

"I hope so, John. It's a frightening thing not to remember."

They continued up the stairs, Thomas taking each step even more slowly than Bates with his cane.

"John ... ?"

"Yes?"

"I'm moving to the States, you know."

Bates felt his heart sink to the bottom of the stairwell.

"Not right away, but in a year or two perhaps, when I find the right situation. Having me go will be a relief to you, won't it, John ... you and Anna not having to be bothered by a third wheel ... you not having to rescue me all the time?"

"What a thing to say!"

"It's the truth, isn't it, John?"

"No, it's not the truth, Thomas!"

Thomas stopped climbing and turned to Bates. "I didn't mean to upset you, John. I only meant that it must be taxing to have me always at the cottage ... always causing problems ... now, for instance."

"Hitting your head wasn't your fault!"

"You didn't have to stay tonight, you know. Mr Talbot would have checked on me."

"But you're my little brother!"

"But I'm not really, John."

Bates was crushed.

"Please don't be offended, John. I'm not saying it right. I'm not saying what I mean."

"Dr Clarkson wants you to rest, Thomas. You need to go to bed. We'll talk about it tomorrow when your head is clearer."

Thomas turned, and the two plodded up the stairs. As Thomas undressed, Bates opened a drawer to retrieve a pair of pyjamas. He caught sight of the red silk pyjamas. "What's this?"

"They were a gift from Ivor. They're my London pyjamas," joked Thomas.

"But you could wear them here if you wanted!" accused Bates.

"I know, John. Why are you angry? If you want me to wear them, I'll wear them."

"No, I ... I didn't mean to snap at you. Here." Bates handed Thomas another pair of pyjamas and pulled back the covers from Thomas' bed. "I'll borrow your alarm clock, if you don't mind."

"All right." Thomas set his pillow against the headboard and sat in bed.

"You're to go to sleep, Thomas."

"I was sleepy before but not now."

"Thomas, lie down," insisted Bates.

Reluctantly, Thomas set his pillow flat on the bed and lay back. Bates eased himself onto the edge of the bed. "Thomas, when I had the flu, you asked me why I call you little brother. I didn't give you a proper answer. Shall I tell you now?"

Thomas gazed up at Bates with his soft blue eyes and grinned. "A bedtime story?"

Bates laughed. "That's right, a bedtime story. So I should begin once upon a time ...?"

"That's right. Once upon a time there was a handsome prince ..."

Bates laughed again. "I like that. Once upon a time there was a handsome prince known as Bonnie John. He was the Queen's first born, and she was so pleased with him that she decided to have a castle full of children. But a wicked witch must have put a spell on the good Queen because every baby after Bonnie John was stillborn."

"Oh, John!"

"The good King and Queen were sad, and Bonnie John grew up in a castle of sorrow. The other princes lived in noisy castles with noisy brothers and noisy sisters, but Bonnie John was alone. He loved the good King and Queen, but he longed for a noisy home and a noisy little brother."

"But, John, there was a happily ever after when the prince grew up."

"I'm not finished. When Bonnie John grew up, he married a beautiful princess, but Bonnie John felt something was missing. He still wanted to live in a noisy castle with a noisy little brother. One day Bonnie John met another prince, but the other prince was horrid."

"But handsome, John. The other prince was handsome, too."

"Have it your way. The other prince was horrid and handsome and was known in the land as Terrible Thomas. Bonnie John didn't care that Terrible Thomas was handsome, and he didn't like that Terrible Thomas was horrid. He knew that they would never be friends. Then one day Bonnie John was riding his white steed by the edge of the world when he saw Terrible Thomas sitting with his legs dangling off. Bonnie John asked, 'What are you doing?' and Terrible Thomas answered, 'I'm tired of this world, and I think I should jump off the edge.' Bonnie John thought and asked ... he asked ..." John could not continue.

Thomas took John's hand. "I know the rest. Bonnie John asked Terrible Thomas to stay and be his noisy little brother, and Terrible Thomas thought it was a good idea, and they all lived happily ever after in the noisy castle."

"That's right."

"Is that a true story, John, about the Queen and the stillborn babies?"

"Yes. There were five. I can't remember the first; I was too young. But I remember the others. My parents never gave up trying, but the doctor never had an answer."

"How awful for your mother, John ... for all of you."

Bates nodded. "Yes, that's why I married so young."

"John ... even little brothers have to make a living. The world is changing, and sooner or later Downton will have to reduce its staff. You could be a butler-valet. I'll make certain of it. But I'll have a better chance in the States."

"That's fine, Thomas, but you'll be my little brother wherever you are. You won't take that away from me, will you? I know it's a game to you ...

"It's never been a game to me John. It saved my life. But I didn't know that ... I didn't understand ..."

"What? That Bonnie John could love Terrible Thomas?" Bates laughed. "Then no, you didn't understand." Bates picked up the alarm clock and went to the door. "I'll see you in two hours. You've had your story. Now go to sleep!"