Thank you all! Here we are in the 1930s and Part 4. I hope you enjoy these two in the next decade!
Chapter 47
1930s Downton Abbey
Mary awoke to the sounds of her curtains being pulled opened and the sound of the tray being placed beside her. She groaned and opened one eye to find Anna adjusting the gown in her hands.
"Darling?" Mary asked, yawning.
"You need to get up," Anna merely said, before bending down to peck a kiss against Mary's cheek. Anna was already dressed for the day. It was also apparent that she had already been downstairs to have her breakfast.
"But I was having the most marvelous dream, darling," Mary told her. She attempted to pull Anna toward her and onto the bed. But Anna just shook her head and remained standing.
"The boys leave today," Anna then reminded her. The smile fell from Mary's lips. Oh right, that was today. The boys, their boys would be leaving to start boarding school. While it was an amazing opportunity for both, they would be missed.
Now that George was twelve and Johnny was fourteen, they decided it was time. The two could go together, so they wouldn't be alone. The house would be much quieter, well sort of. Pippa, the loudest of the three children, would still be at home. And she was very loud in her disapproval of not being allowed to leave for boarding school with the boys.
Mary sat herself up and placed her hand on Anna's shoulder.
"How do you feel about it?"
"Well, I left home when I was younger than Johnny and around George's age," Anna started. Mary nodded. She knew quite well about Anna being sent away by her mother. It still made Mary angry to think about. "And we will see them often."
"We will," Mary agreed, with a gentle squeeze. "They're only going to be a short train ride away."
"But I will miss them. However, I am excited for them too. Thanks to you, Johnny will have more opportunities than his father or I could ever have." Mary pulled Anna down to sit with her. She ran her fingers over Anna's jaw before drawing her towards her for a kiss.
"I love him as my own," Mary told Anna, when they pulled apart.
"I know," Anna smiled, wrapping her hand around Mary's. "Just as I love George."
"Our boys," Mary then said with a wink.
"Yes," Anna agreed. Their noses nuzzled, before she stood up. "But you must get ready. The boys are very excited. They got up with the sun," Anna explained.
"The train doesn't leave until this afternoon."
"I tried to remind them of that," Anna chuckled. "It's an adventure, though."
"And is Pippa awake?"
"No," Anna's laughter grew. "She is still asleep. She may have to be awoken for breakfast with you and George."
"Johnny ate with you?" Mary hated the disappointment in her voice. It was how it happened. Johnny ate with the servants downstairs and George with her and Pippa and the rest of the family upstairs. No matter how much Mary included Johnny, he was still seen as the servant's boy. She had been hoping for a breakfast with all the children just this once and maybe even Anna.
"Yes, like he always does," Anna softly smiled. Mary knew she hated it too, that they couldn't be a proper family. They handled it well most of the time, but days like today were harder than most.
"One day, we'll all eat at the big table."
"Big dreams you have, love," Anna just said, kissing Mary's crown as she stood. "Can you dress yourself this morning? Johnny wants me to go through his bags one more time. He wants to make sure he hasn't forgotten anything."
"Of course, I can darling. As long as you promise to let me undress you tonight."
"I think we can have that arranged."
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Anna walked down into the Servant's Hall and thought about how much had changed over the years. Most of the staff no longer lived at the home. They would journey in from town. It was quite the change of pace, but times were changing. They were in a new decade now.
Most of the staff was new now. Mrs. Hughes was still head housekeeper, but Anna knew she was looking to retire soon. She and Mr. Carson were getting older and Anna knew that Mrs. Hughes wished she was home with him more. Ms. Patmore had retired a few years back, now working at her bed and breakfast fulltime. Then there was Daisy, who had gone to the farm with Andy.
Of those who worked at Downton Abbey years ago, only she, Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. Molesley (now), and Thomas were left. But even Mrs. Molesley only worked part time. She, Mrs. Hughes, and Thomas were the only ones left of the originals who still worked full time. Thomas was loving his position as Butler. He very much enjoyed being in charge.
Anna didn't know what it meant for her when Mrs. Hughes retired. There had been talks about her becoming head housekeeper, but Anna wasn't sure she wanted that title. Years ago, she might have. But her job now afforded her more time with Mary. Though as head housekeeper, she would be able to sneak off easier. She wasn't sure.
"You're a fine lad," Mrs. Hughes was telling Johnny, as Anna turned the corner. Johnny was a tall boy, much like his father had been. At 14, he already was taller than Anna and Mrs. Hughes. The boy still had her fair hair and eyes, though. Anna always assumed they would darken over time, but they hadn't. It was the same with George. Sometimes, the two really did look like brothers.
"He's going to be a business man," Anna told Mrs. Hughes proudly. Mrs. Hughes brightly smiled.
"I don't doubt it. Johnny is a very bright boy, always has been." Anna placed her hand on Johnny's arm and gave it a supportive squeeze.
"He has."
"Well, we will see how school goes," Johnny diplomatically stated. He rubbed his hands together. Anna looked at her son longingly. He was such a great child. She had been so blessed with him. And she was going to miss him terribly. She knew she had been much younger than him when she went off to work as a child, but that didn't make this any easier. She wasn't ready to send him off into the world. Yet, she knew that didn't matter. He and George needed to spread their wings and learn as much as the world had to offer.
"You'll do great."
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
"Mary? Do I have to go?" Pippa questioned, sliding her arm under Mary's to grab the bread on the table.
"Of course you do," Mary pointedly stated. "You will go with Anna and me to see George and Johnny off at the train station."
Pippa looked across the table at George and then rolled her eyes with a loud huff.
"Oh wow," Cora said, chuckling. "She has your eye roll down, Mary."
At that, Mary rolled her own eyes.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Mary flippantly told her.
"She does," Robert agreed, a pleased grin on his features.
Pippa dipped her spoon into the bowl and turned it around, before looking back up at George.
"Do you want me to come?"
George glanced up and shrugged his shoulders.
"See, he doesn't care," Pippa pointed out.
"You're going," Mary stated again, leaving absolutely no room for disagreements. Pippa made a face, but didn't say anything else. Mary knew it came from jealousy. She was angry that both Johnny and George got to leave for boarding school and she didn't. Pippa and the boys got along well. However, Pippa didn't always like being the youngest. She always thought she should be doing whatever they were doing.
They finished their breakfast with her parents asking George all sorts of questions about what he expected in school and her father telling him stories of his own youth. Mary was glad that no more mentions of Johnny going to school were brought up. When Mary had originally told her parents that both boys would be attending boarding school, her parents had asked why Johnny was going. They had wrongfully assumed that now he was fourteen, that he would begin working at the house. Mary reminded her father that they had promised Bates to take care of Anna, which included Johnny. They should provide him with everything they could. Her father could not argue that and her mother, thankfully, remained quiet after the fact on the matter. Over time, she had learned that when it came to Anna and Johnny, Mary wouldn't budge.
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
"Keep each other in check," Anna told the two boys as they stood outside of the train. She wished they could travel with them, but the boys insisted they were old enough to do it on their own. And it was true that most of the older boys at the school would travel alone. They would have to know how to get on the train back and forth for visits.
"Of course we will," George answered, trying to stand a bit taller. He was due for a growth spurt and he always tried to stand as tall as possible, hoping that one day he would be taller than Johnny.
"You'll write to us every week," Mary added, brushing her hand over George's brow.
"Mother!" George groaned, stepping back. At some point, and Anna couldn't quite pinpoint when, George had begun calling Mary 'mother' instead of 'mummy.' It seemed to be his way of showing he was grown now. Anna knew Mary wasn't fond of the title, saying it felt cold. However, she allowed it. George was able to make his own decisions now as he tried to figure out who he was.
"Can we go now?" Pippa spoke up, crossing her arms contrarily over her chest. Anna looked at Pippa and tried to suppress a giggle. Sometimes, Pippa was so like Mary that it was scary.
"No, we're waiting to watch the train leave," Mary said.
"It'll be fun," Anna assured her. She knew how much Pippa wished she was going on an adventure. "One day, you'll be off and leaving us behind."
Pippa didn't respond. But she did walk up to both of the boys and quickly hugged them both, before kissing their cheeks.
"Don't be stupid," she told them both. They laughed.
Once it was time for them to board the train, both Mary and Anna gave the boys big hugs and walked them up to the steps. They watched them through the windows and Anna could feel the tears stinging her eyes.
They would only be gone for a month, before she and Mary would be visiting them for the parents' weekend. It just seemed like such a long time.
Anna felt Mary's hand brush against her and then give hers a quick squeeze, before pulling away. They stepped back and watched as the train began to ride away. For several moments they stood and Anna knew that Mary was also trying to hold in the tears.
"How long do we have to stare at the empty tracks?" Pippa's voice made them both turn.
"Oh, come on," Anna said. She wanted to wrap her arm around Pippa's shoulders, but she held herself back. They were close, in a way, but not like that.
"We'll go to lunch," Mary then added.
"What about a picture show?" Pippa countered. Mary and Anna met eyes over Pippa's head and smiled.
"Sure."
Summer 1971
Mary couldn't help but smile when she looked at the new family picture they had made recently. Johnny had it framed and hung up in the sitting room. She and Anna sat in the middle, with baby Annie in Anna's arms. Then surrounding them were the children and grandchildren. They told the photographer that they were sisters and these were their combined children and grandchildren. Ah, the lies they still had to tell. Mary did wonder if times ever would change in that regard. It had in so many others.
"It's lovely," a voice said. She turned to find her granddaughter, Zinnia, standing beside her. The girl looked like her father, Dennis, but she also had the spark of Pippa in her. She still remembered the day Pippa told her the little girl's name. It had not been what Mary expected, but it really did suit the child.
"I think so," Mary agreed. "Where's your mother? Your sisters?"
"Out back with Gran," Zinnia answered. "She forgot who I was." The twelve year old frowned, kicking her feet against one another.
"Darling, she forgets us all from time to time. She still loves you though," Mary promised, brushing a light curl off her cheek. "She loves you so much. She was so happy the day you were born."
The girl nodded, glancing back up at the picture.
Mary stepped away then and went to look out the window. She wondered where outside Anna and the girls were. Pippa was almost always here, spending as much time with them as she could. Mary and Pippa were close, but there was a special bond between Pippa and Anna that couldn't be matched. But Mary never minded it. In fact, she loved it. Anna had made many sacrifices for that girl and she was glad that Pippa understood it.
As she reached the back door, she felt a pain in her chest. Her hand clutched against it, as her head began to grow foggy. Everything began to grow dark.
"Granny! Granny!"
To be continued...
