Chapter 13 – Driving About
It was two days before Dr. Clarkson decided Anna was well enough to be released from hospital.
"I've got to look for a new job, Doctor. I can't live on nothing," Anna said. She didn't feel she could go back to the Abbey. At the Abbey John was a criminal. He was the man responsible for taking Matthew Crawley's life. No one would understand her concern for his welfare. If only she could talk to him and hear his side of the story. She was sure John could straighten everything out. If only she knew where he was.
"You need rest, Mrs. Bates. You've had a shock. It is going to take time to recover and decide what you will do," Dr. Clarkson said.
"Listen to the Doctor, Anna," Mrs. Hughes said. "Why don't you go to visit your mother for a week or two. You can take some time to make some decisions. You can come back to the cottage and get your things whenever you like." She had been down to the hospital almost all day, everyday to see Anna. Everyone at the house was concerned for Anna. Mrs. Hughes was concerned as well. Anna didn't seem to accept her husband's crimes and if she did she wasn't fully registering them. Mrs. Hughes hadn't told anyone at the house that was the case. For now everyone thought of Anna as a victim as well. No one would understand the hope she was holding out of seeing John again.
"That's a very good suggestion, Mrs. Hughes," Dr. Clarkson said. "No one wants to see you anymore hurt than you already are Anna. I'm sure Lord and Lady Grantham would understand." This wasn't the first time he'd seen someone in grief not fully register the consequences of what was happening to or around them. The mind played strange tricks to protect itself. For Anna any realization would have to be a slow one, if it ever came at all.
"I'd like to go to the cottage, Mrs. Hughes," Anna said. "I don't want to burden my mother."
"I'm afraid I must insist you don't stay on your own," Dr. Clarkson said.
"Why don't I arrange for you to have the wages owing you? We can go by and pick up a few things and get you to your mother's," Mrs. Hughes said.
"Alright, Mrs. Hughes, but I really think I'm well enough to be on my own," Anna said stubbornly.
"I've brought the single horse cart so we can get about on our own," Mrs. Hughes said. "I'll just call Mr. Barrow to meet us at the cottage with your wages while you're getting dressed."
"Very well," Anna said with slight exasperation. She had been thinking about what she would do for money. She couldn't go back to the Abbey now. She had their savings account passbook back at the cottage. John's mother's house brought in a good steady rental that was paid directly to the account and there was money that had come back from Vera's accounts to John. He had put the cottage and the money in her name when he was in prison. Perhaps a lawyer could help her get the sale of the house in London underway and would know about what to do if John had any funds in his own name. They had always talked about a small hotel in Ireland maybe the time was right. "I'll go to my mother's and visit a solicitor," she decided while she was getting dressed.
Thomas Barrow was waiting for Mrs. Hughes and Anna outside the cottage when Mrs. Hughes pulled the horse to a stop. Thomas stepped near the horse and lifted an eyebrow in surprise. The nag stood there and ignored him. Mr. Branson had been right about the hair cream. He'd switched to something less smelly and the horse didn't try to bite. It was the first time it had ever happened to him.
"Hello, Anna. I hope you're feeling better," Thomas said with a syrupy smile.
"Mr. Barrow, I'm surprised to see you here," Anna replied.
"Why would you be surprised?" Thomas asked feeling a bit put out. "Mrs. Hughes asked me to bring your wages owing. I've included Mr. Bates' as well. I was authorized to include thirty pounds severance pay. Mr. Branson also sent word to take as long as you like. The cottage will remain here untouched until you've made your arrangements."
"Isn't that nice of him, since my husband and I were given this cottage for life," Anna snapped.
"Don't bite the messenger," Thomas said handing Anna the envelope. "Under the circumstances I think they are being more than fare."
"What circumstances are those?" Anna said. "Not giving my husband a chance to explain his actions? Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, even then the innocent are convicted."
Mrs. Hughes shook her head at Thomas who looked like he was about to say something. His eyes had narrowed and his face was slightly flushed with anger.
"Why don't you go in and pack a bag, Anna? I'll just have a word with Mr. Barrow," Mrs. Hughes said.
"I'll just be a few minutes," Anna said.
"She's still in shock," Mrs. Hughes said to Thomas once Anna was inside. "She's confused. She does know underneath it all you're just trying to help."
"I hadn't realized she was this bad," Thomas said letting out a breath with his anger. "We can't have her back at the main house, like this."
"I don't think we can have her back period," Mrs. Hughes said. "We'll discuss it when I return."
"Very good, Mrs. Hughes," Thomas replied. He headed back to the main house feeling somewhat disappointed with Anna's reaction, but then what had he expected. He had been trying to help and over six months wages was more than fare for a severance when by rights he should have canceled her husband's wages and any other house would have put her out on her ear to fend for herself. He had never cared for the woman. In some respects he wasn't sorry she and her husband would be gone from his daily existence, in others he couldn't feel glad it had happened like this. If they had moved on as other people did no one would have batted an eyelash after a soppy goodbye. As it was he had a distraught staff to deal with who were dealing with their own issues at having been betrayed by one of their own.
Mrs. Hughes went inside to find Anna cleaning the kitchen and bundling things out of the icebox to take along to her mother's.
"John won't like the kitchen dirty when he gets back," Anna said.
"Why don't you let me clean the counters while you get a few things together," Mrs. Hughes said.
"It will only take me a minute," Anna replied. The police made such a mess when they searched the house.
Mrs. Hughes looked around. Things didn't seem that out of place to her. There were a few books off the shelves and cupboard doors open but otherwise they had put things back in place. It wasn't too long and they had the food Anna wanted to take along loaded into the back of the cart along with Anna's cases. By the time Mrs. Hughes got Anna dropped off and was headed back to the village she was worn out. She felt terrible for Anna but dealing with her skewed view of her husband was difficult in the extreme.
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"I see you got your car back," Tom said to his brother when he stopped by almost three weeks after Kieran's car had been stolen. Kieran was going over the books at the garage. Kieran put his pencil down when he saw his brother come in the door.
"The police found it abandoned in Nottingham. We took the boys down for a bit of a day trip to pick it up. There wasn't a thing wrong with it other than being out of petrol and covered in mud and fingerprint dust," Kieran said. "Push the papers off that chair and have a seat."
"You were lucky it wasn't sold off for parts," Tom commented once he was seated.
"They said it wasn't that type of crime. I guess your crook used it as a get away vehicle."
"He's not my crook or my anything," Tom corrected.
"Sorry brother, you know how people around here talk. Bates has become the Abbey Thief these days."
"Just what I need. That will set old Lady Grantham off if she ever hears it. The entire Bates topic is off limits these days," Tom said with a groan.
"Any news from the police? I won't repeat it," Kieran asked.
"They have charges ready for arson, larceny for the auto theft and perjury so far. He can't be tried again for the murder of Vera Bates but they can get him for lying his way out of prison."
"That's enough to keep him locked up for years."
"If they ever find him," Tom said with a sigh. "I could have done without the intrigue this year. I've got enough on my plate without it."
"On a pleasanter note it looks like Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes are keeping company. She's been down to visit him quite regularly this last while," Kieran commented.
"The two of them have been pussy footing around each other for years," Tom said. "If they don't hurry up they'll be getting betrothed on their death beds. The younger Mr. Mosley is working for Lord Grantham now. He's a bit of a buffoon but he's lived in the village his entire life. There is nothing he could be hiding."
"What's happened with Bates' wife?"
"She won't be coming back to work at the Abbey anytime soon. There are too many memories for her and it would just throw everything back in the family's faces if she were around. She hasn't cleaned out the cottage yet. I expect it will be a bit before she's ready. We won't see her out on her ear, but at the same time we can't keep her on."
"You look worn out," Kieran commented.
"I am. I'm ready for a vacation. We might go for a few days the next time Rose has a horse show, just to get away."
"Let's go for a pint," Kieran said snapping his books shut and stuffing them in the drawer.
"I thought you'd never ask," Tom replied tiredly.
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"Mr. Branson's arranging a car for the staff," Mrs. Hughes told Mr. Carson when she saw him in the village a few days later. "I don't know what these younger people see in gadding about but they're all in a tizzy."
"It's all too much for me, Mrs. Hughes as you know," Mr. Carson replied. "I just can't keep with all the new innovations."
"Even Miss O'Brien has jumped on the band wagon and has the chauffeur giving her lessons in the town car."
"Wonders never cease," Mr. Carson replied. "I'd say there goes your new motor car now."
They looked over to see the chauffeur driving by in an inexpensive ABC four seat roadster that looked to be two or three years old with Tom Branson following along behind in his car with Miss Sybil in the passenger seat.
"I'll have my hands full stopping the staff from going joy riding," Mrs. Hughes said shaking her head. "It does look rather fun though and it will be nice to have it for errands when it's raining."
Mrs. Hughes arrived back at the Abbey to find most of the staff outside the servants' entrance standing around admiring the new car. Even Mrs. Patmore was outside sitting in the passenger seat while the houseboys and junior maids were taking turns sitting in the other seats.
"My goodness," Mrs. Hughes said with a small smile. "Who's getting the work done while you're all out here?" It was good to see everyone happy after the pale of gloom they had been under these last months.
"It's just a bit of fun for a few minutes, Mrs. Hughes," Thomas replied. He was grinning from ear to ear at the prospect of learning to drive the new car and not having to worry every second if he put a scratch on it the way he did with Mr. Branson's Bentley.
Jimmy who had feigned indifference at having a staff car was busy leaning over the driver's side pointing out the controls to everyone. Miss O'Brien was off to the side chatting to the chauffeur about her driving lessons and when she could drive the new car.
"Another ten minutes or so and I'll trust you'll get them back inside?" Mrs. Hughes asked Thomas.
"Certainly, Mrs. Hughes," he said before he went to examine the boot with one of the footmen.
Mrs. Hughes headed inside to hang up her hat and coat. "Now what errands do I have tomorrow that I could have Jimmy drive me for? It does look like it might rain." she wondered with a smile of excitement on her face.