It was late as they came out of the theatre, way later than they had expected.
It was almost midnight already and as they reached the bus stop, they had to see that they had missed the last bus.
"No worries, let's take a taxi to the train station and take a train to Downton," Mr. Bates replied and Anna let out a quiet "hmm."
She was eyeing the bus schedule.
"Mr. Bates, if we take a train now and then walk back, we won't be there before half past one. Maybe even later. What if we stayed here at an Inn and took the first bus here, the one at half past five? We wouldn't have to walk as far as from the train station, so we would be there around six, which is when Daisy makes her round and wakes us up usually."
Mr. Bates stared at Anna for a while.
Staying? At an Inn? Him and her?
"What?" Anna asked with a light smile.
"You're ... you're crazy," Bates then breathed. "In a good way. But Anna, you and I staying at an Inn?"
"What -" Anna first looked confused, then she burst into giggles. "Mr. Bates! We won't be sharing rooms, of course. What did you think?"
"Of course," John answered, his mind turning. "I didn't think we would be sharing a room, of course not. Still the idea seems crazy to me. People could think we are having a secret affair. Should we stay at two different Inns, just to be sure?"
"Don't be silly, of course not," Anna replied and took his hand again, pulling him away from the bus stop. "I saw an Inn over there, we should go and ask if they have free rooms."
John let her walk her towards the next Inn, his eyes darting between their hands and her gorgeous face. Had he been crazy enough to believe she would stay with him? At the same room? Well, it would cost less and she'd be safer with him close to her.
No one knew them here ...
He could give the bed to her and sleep on the floor.
But no.
No, this wasn't right.
Silly beggar, he heard her angelic voice in his ears. Indeed.
As they reached the Pinewood Inn, he pulled his hand away from hers. "We're not ... no one should see us like this."
"You're probably right," Anna replied but John was sure she didn't like it. He could see how disappointed she was.
"Sorry," he said. "But if they start to spread rumours about a Mr. Bates and Miss Smith holding hands and checking in at an Inn during the night -"
"So let's change our names," Anna joked. "Let us be, say, Mr and Mrs Williams from London. No one will question that, Mr. Bates."
"Anna," John sighed but Anna waved it off.
"I was kidding, really," she replied with that beautiful smile she wore whenever she was amused. "I know we can't share a room if we're just friends, that's why I made that joke about being Mr and Mrs Williams. No worries, Mr. Bates."
She patted his arm and then entered the Inn.
John followed, finding Anna waiting at the reception. "Anna, wait," he said quickly and just in time, before an elder lady walked up at them and greeted them.
"Hello, how may I help you, Mr and Mrs -?"
"Williams," Mr. Bates said, ignoring the heat in his neck. He could almost feel Anna's grin behind him. "We would like a room for tonight and to be woke up at five. Is five alright, Anna?"
"Of course, darling," Anna replied with an amused sound in her voice.
The woman eyed them suspiciously, especially Mr. Bates' cane, but she gave them a key after Mr. Bates had signed - as John Williams - and paid for the night.
Anna was quiet as she helped him walking upstairs, but as soon as the door had closed between them, she asked.
"Why the sudden change of hearts, Mr. Williams?"
"Money," John replied weakly. "I thought we'd save it if we slept in one room instead of two. I'll sleep on the floor of course, or on this chair -"
"Not a chance!" Anna said and slipped out of her coat and shoes. "I'll take the chair, you need the bed more than I do."
"I doubt that. I am already old and stiff, I don't want the same for you."
"I am stiff already, Mr. Bates, as I'm not that young anymore either. But I don't have a wounded knee. Take the bed. Don't be a gentleman."
"I don't - no, it's not being about a gentleman, Anna. I want you to sleep on the bed."
"And I want you to sleep on the bed," Anna said.
For a few seconds they looked at each other, once again sharing a piece of their minds with each other.
They knew exactly what the other was thinking.
"So ... Will it work?" Anna finally asked.
"It has to. Sure. Why wouldn't it?" Mr. Bates was nervous as Anna placed herself on the bed.
"We could put a pillow between us," he suggested and Anna's flashed her eyes at him.
"Won't you be able to take your hands off me otherwise?" she asked and John swallowed.
You know me well ...
"No, I meant that maybe you would be more comfortable with a pillow between -"
"I don't mind sleeping next to you, Mr. Bates. Except, do you snore?"
"I guess so," John answered. "There hasn't been anyone to tell me ... in a while."
"Let's find out then. Come on now, Mr. Williams, I want to sleep."
John sat down on the bed. He got out of his shoes as well and placed his feet on the bed. Anna did the same and began to knead her calves.
"Do you want another massage?" Mr. Bates offered but Anna shook her head.
"I only want to sleep."
John slipped out of his jacket before he stopped and looked at Anna. "May I undress?"
Anna chuckled. "Of course. I wish I could undress, too."
"You could. I would not be looking, I promise."
"I know." Anna blushed. "You're honourable, Mr. Bates."
They smiled at each other before Anna averted her eyes to give him the privacy to undress.
After he had slipped under the blanket, Anna did the same.
"This is still crazy," Bates said as they lay next to each other, staring at the ceiling. "Mrs. Hughes would kill us if she saw us like that."
"She will kill us anyway for staying away for a night," Anna giggled.
"You're right. Oh my God, how can we explain that to her?"
"We'll tell her the truth," Anna said. "Well ... almost."
"What, we won't tell her that we slept in one bed?" Mr. Bates joked and Anna giggled again.
"You can tell her, Mr. Bates, but she'll kick us both out. We don't want that, do we?"
"At least we would be kicked out together," Bates said lowly and Anna swallowed.
"Would we look for work together, then?"
"For sure," he answered, his smile gentle. "I would not let you alone in this cold and cruel world."
"You're silly," Anna said, not for the first time today. She meant it in every best way. She liked him so, so much. "Just for the protocol, we've been to the theatre and the film ended too late for the last bus, so we slept at an Inn ... in two different rooms."
"Exactly."
"Perfect."
"Very well."
They chuckled.
Then - silence.
John reached to the nightstand to turn of the oil lamp. "Good night, Anna," he said gently as it went dark.
Anna smiled. "Good night, Mr Ba- err, Mr. Williams."
"Well, good night then ..." He smiled, "Mrs. Williams."
Anna closed her eyes, grinning lightly. She could get used to that ... only that in her imagination he called her Mrs. Bates.
It took him a while to fall asleep.
He couldn't, fearing that he'd embarrass himself with snoring. He lay awake as Anna was sleeping already, which he noticed at the sound of her steady breathing.
He closed his eyes but sleep wouldn't overcome him. He was too confused about sleeping next to Anna and the way that she just didn't mind at all. He could have done anything to her, every woman would believe something like this. But Anna didn't.
"You're honourable," she had said.
Honourable.
John wasn't sure about this. Was he an honourable man? He was married after all, married and sleeping next to a woman he wasn't married to. A woman too sweet for the world and too gentle for him for sure.
A woman he loved ... and a woman he was lying to.
"I wish I could just tell you the truth," he sighed and fought the urge to reach over and caress her head.
He turned away from her and closed his eyes once again, trying to find sleep. But suddenly Anna shifted next to him.
"No ... don't make me do this," she mumbled and Mr. Bates sat up.
"Anna?" he whispered.
"No." She moved again, slurring, "Don't make me change your hair again, Lady Mary ... I need to dress Lady Edith now ..."
Bates leaned back again. She was dreaming.
He chuckled.
She was talking in her sleep. And of course she was dreaming of her work. She was working too much.
He waited for more to come. But there wasn't.
"Oh, Anna," he sighed and finally drifted off to sleep.
The lady woke them up at five.
Anna felt drowsy as she woke up and slipped out of the bed. "Brr, it's cold," she remarked and turned around. "Are you awake, Mr. Bates?"
"I am," was his answer. "Just staying here, waiting until you're fully dressed and everything. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"I could never with you around," Anna said lightly.
"Don't say that, Anna," Bates tried but he knew it was senseless.
He watched her coming closer, her eyes filled with something he couldn't quite name. Longing? No ... it was more.
"Why not?" she asked and stopped in front of him.
"You're ..." Oh, for Christ's sake. "You're perfect, Anna. And I'm an old cripple."
"Don't say that, Mr. Bates," Anna replied mockingly and reached for his hand. "You're perfect in my eyes."
"Anna ..." he started. But then he remembered something. "Are you aware that you're talking in your sleep?"
Anna paled and pulled her hand away. "Christ, what did I say?" she whispered.
"You were talking to Lady Mary about doing her hair."
"Oh." The colour returned to her face. "I am aware. Gwen tells me every morning, if I woke her up with my blathering. It's quite amusing mostly."
"For instance?" Bates asked politely, but Anna shook her head.
"That's too embarrassing. Maybe one day I will feel comfortable enough but not now."
"I respect that," Mr. Bates answered, knowing that Anna was a woman who of course knew about the restricted topic of having sex and assuming that her dreams and what she said while sleeping might have to do something with it.
If he only knew how right he was.
And if he only knew that he was the main character in those dreams.
Anna looked at him with red cheeks, remembering how Gwen had told her one morning.
"You said his name last night," she had told her while she had done Anna's hair.
"Whose name?" Anna had asked, though she knew very well whom Gwen meant.
"Mr. Bates," Gwen replied, "even thought it was more like a Oh, Mr. Bates! It was a good dream, eh?"
She remembered how embarrassed she had been, until Gwen told her about her dreams her former employer, Mr. Nigel. He had been the reason why Gwen had started to work at Downton.
That had been some weeks ago and Gwen now knew that Anna was in love with Mr. Bates, which was alright. But Mr. Bates knowing? Anna wasn't ready to tell him.
Not yet.
And he respected her restraint.
"Now, shall we grab some breakfast before heading to the bus?" she asked him and Mr. Bates nodded, obviously thankful that she had said something to break the silence.
And really, he had been thinking hard about Anna and what could she be dreaming of, something that was too intimate to tell him?
He for sure knew he couldn't tell her the dreams he was having, the dreams about her.
To be fair, he shouldn't even be thinking about them but by now he was losing count of how many they were.
Once he dreamt of them having a picnic.
Once they were kissing.
Once he told her he loved her, and she returned it.
Once they got married.
And once ... once he remembered his face buried between her legs, looking up and seeing a glimpse of pure pleasure on her face.
If she would like that, his face between her -?
He felt the heat rise into his face once again. No! Stop! He wasn't allowed to think that!
"Are you alright, Mr. Bates?" Anna asked carefully while she was slipping into her coat.
"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry. I got carried away."
"Did you remember your dream from last night?" Anna asked cheerfully and Batss chuckled.
"No, I don't. I rarely remember my dreams and if I do it's mostly -" he went silent. He only remembered dreams of her, the beautiful head housemaid with the golden hair and breathtaking smile.
"Work?" Anna asked and grimaced. "Me too, Mr. Bates. As you've heard."
Bates chuckled. "Okay, enough now. Let's get some breakfast and make sure we won't miss the bus."
"May I, Mr. Williams?" Anna asked and offered her arm. John gladly linked his with hers again.
"Gladly, Mrs. Williams."
They shared a smile that meant a lot to both of them.