Chapter Five

October 2, 1913

As Anna prepared her mistress for bed that night, the pair were chatting away. Mary was updating her on everything going on within the family's lives and asking Anna various questions about the goings on downstairs. As Anna slipped a robe over her mistress, Mary was finishing her portion of the conversation on a high note. "And Matthew is settling in nicely. Luckily for me, Mama and Papa have taken to him like a son. They don't see fit to fling me at him just because he's the new heir."

"That's wonderful, m'lady." Anna responded. "I mean, if it's what you want." she added, not wanting to seem impertinent but knowing that her mistress was relieved of not having another duty added to her plate, which was currently full with caring for her daughter and sisters.

"It is." Mary stated as she sat in front of her vanity, ready for Anna to braid her hair for bed. "I'm quite content to keep my focus on Ellie and have a breather. How are things downstairs?"

"Everything is running smoothly, m'lady." Anna answered. "William seems to have gotten past most of the grief of losing his mother and Mr. Carson is back in tip-top shape after his cold last week. Everything is very normal at the moment."

"I'm glad to hear it." Mary said, smiling at her maid in the mirror as she tied the ribbon to the end of her braid. "That's all for now, Anna. Thank you." Anna swiftly gathered Mary's discarded clothes and left the room.

As Mary pulled back the covers and got into bed, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. There was some sort of connection that had occurred between her and Anna just then, something that made her feel indescribably giddy. Of course she had always admired Anna's work ethic, but this feeling went beyond appreciating her maid for her work. There was something special about the way Anna made her feel so at ease all the time, whether it was in a mundane conversation like the one they had just had or in more serious moments where Mary had confided some of her deepest feelings.

Perhaps I have a crush on Anna, she thought to herself. She knew it was possible for her to be attracted to women. She had felt a certain tingling sensation within whenever she looked at the gorgeous models at London fashion shows. But this feeling she had for Anna went beyond just a single moment of tingling in her lower regions or fluttering in her stomach, it was something she felt all over and deep within her heart too. I'm in love, she realized. And with the most gorgeous, kind, and loyal person out there. With that, she drifted off into a deep slumber full of happy dreams.

The sun was shining through the window the next morning as Anna was walking around her room getting ready for the day. She couldn't shake the smile from her face as she thought about beginning her day. She wasn't usually this happy in the morning, and she didn't understand what was different about today. She had gotten up just as early as she usually did but something had put her into a bright disposition she didn't usually have at this time of day. Suddenly a thought hit her: she was excited to dress Mary. Mary was always kind and appreciative of her work, and she had very good taste in fashion. Anna was excited to see what new styles and silhouettes her mistress would want to wear each day. On one hand, she supposed maybe that was because she possessed a little bit of frock envy since she had never had clothes made of the nice silks and other fabrics Mary's dresses were made of. On the other, she realized it was more so because she just wanted to see Mary. She knew Mary would look gorgeous no matter what she was wearing. She could wear a sheet as a dress and pull it off. As she thought of Mary in all her beauty, a warm, tingling feeling spread from her head to her toes. Her anticipation grew as she got ready, thinking about how she was going to see Mary soon.

As she brought the breakfast tray to Mary's room that morning, Anna tried to push those thoughts away and focus on her work. She knew it was very improper to have these kinds of thoughts, let alone for her employer. Mary stood in front of the mirror and let her dressing gown slip to the floor. As Anna was placing the corset around Mary and beginning to tighten it, her eyes lingered on the nape of Mary's neck. It looked so kissable, and she felt desire welling up within her. She longed to caress her face, run her hand along Mary's jawline, and kiss her. Thinking about it made her blush furiously, so she fixed her eyes on her work and shook her head to clear her thoughts. She needed to snap out of this before she got herself into trouble. She could get fired, or worse, if anyone knew. She took a deep breath and focused herself on her work as best she could. Maybe I should resign, she thought, feeling anxious about getting caught. But then I'd never see her again, she realized. She figured it was better to live a life in her presence than be apart, even if she couldn't act on her feelings.

A/N: Since I feel like Mary is queer-coded in some ways, I definitely feel it is possible she could have developed feelings for Anna. Those feelings would only possibly be reciprocated in a very different AU, but I just wanted to play it out and grow in my writing skills. I'm probably one of the biggest Banna fans you'll ever meet, but in a world without Bates, there is like a five percent chance this could happen. I am exploring this pairing not because I see it as endgame but because I love exploring relationships that cross cultural and class divides. Hope y'all enjoy!