Once they had settled at their hotel in Paris, Anna had less time to herself than she had imagined. It seemed that London society stretched even into France and Lady Mary and Mr. Crawley were invited to several dinners and parties during their relatively short stay in the country. The preparation kept Anna's days very full.

It was a week into the trip before Anna had an afternoon to spend how she pleased. Truthfully, she was a little frightened about the prospect of the time alone. When she was in emotional turmoil, she relished being busy. This would be the first time spent alone since they began their trip. There would be no Mr. Molesley to attend to or avoid as the case may be, and Lady Mary wouldn't need her again until late in the evening. She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves at the thought of her free time as she fixed Lady Mary's hair for the afternoon.

"Do you have plans for today Anna?" Lady Mary had been concerned for her maid during this long trip. Her husband was in prison. At home it was bad enough, but at least she had her routine to keep her busy and her letter writing campaign to find information to prove him innocent. She got to see him from time to time, to reassure herself that he was mostly alright. Here, she had none of that, and Mary was not sure that she was handling it well.

Anna tried to look cheerful. "I'm going to the Eiffel Tower today. It was one of the things that Mr. Bates suggested I not miss."

Lady Mary smiled at her more brightly than she genuinely felt, "Good. Well, have fun. Please."

Anna smiled tightly, trying not to lie to her mistress, but reasonably sure that fun was not what the day had in store for her.

Though Anna could see the tower from the hotel, it took her longer to get to the base than she had expected. The long walk allowed her mind to roam, trying to imagine the lives of the people she observed. There was no shortage of lovers in France, much to Anna's chagrin. She tried to imagine Mr. Bates walking with her on a beautiful day, exploring this new city. He had been here before, of course, and would show her all the sights that would amaze and enchant her. He knew just what she liked and their days would be spent sightseeing, trying out new tea shops and cafes, laughing and being in love.

When she reached the underside of the tower, she looked up into the massive steel beams that created the structure. So big and so strong. She had read about the tower before leaving England. It was built to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution. It was, in effect, an artist and engineer's rendering of what freedom looked like in France. The tallest building in all of Paris, meant to symbolize a hard won freedom.

Anna's heart clenched at the irony. She felt anything but free. She felt like she was in bondage. Bondage created by a woman she hardly knew, but who hated the man she loved enough to take her own life to make him suffer. Unbidden, tears began rising to Anna's eyes. She looked up at the observation deck and saw the people standing above her. How easy would it be to ascend to that platform and just throw herself off? Her death would be but a blip on the radar of French news: Heartsick wife of convicted murderer commits suicide at Eiffel Tower. The staff at Downton would mourn her for a time, but maids, even Lady's Maids, were easily replaced and a new routine would be established in no time at all.

She shook her head hard. John was counting on her, if nothing less. He needed her to continue to fight to prove he was innocent if he stood any chance of being set free. She just felt so useless, so hopeless. He was counting on her and she just didn't seem to be making any progress. All she wanted was to have a real life, with her husband, a real marriage. Was that asking so much?

The tears came uncontrollably now, taking over Anna's body as she was wracked with sobs. Feeling unable even to hold herself upright, Anna hunched over until she was kneeling on the ground, her head down, face hidden from the world. She was creating a spectacle, but she couldn't find it within herself to even care. Her life was slipping away and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Mr. Molesley was enjoying his time in Paris. Always eager to explore a new city, he had taken all of his free time to explore museums and concert halls. Mr. Matthew hadn't needed him much, just to change really. He strolled along the waterfront until he came to the base of the Eiffel Tower.

As he neared the lower observation deck, he became aware of the mutterings of the people leaving.

"Do you think she's mad?"

"Imagine, conducting yourself like that in public."

"Someone should call the police!"

Molesley looked around, trying to discern the cause of all of the commotion when he saw her. He would recognize her pretty blonde head anywhere, he had spent enough time admiring her, but this was a state in which he had never seen. Anna was on her knees in the dirt under the tower, sobbing uncontrollably. Molesley was no genius and not even the most astute person, but even he knew without a doubt, the cause of her misery. It had been just a matter of time before stable, cheery Anna would need to let her feelings out. At home, she had Mrs. Hughes to lean on and confide in. Here, she had no one.

As quickly as he could, Molesley strode up to her and knelt beside her. "Anna." He spoke quietly so as not to startle her.

Despite his best intentions, Anna whipped her head up and stared at him, wild eyed. "Mr. Molesley..."

Molesley interrupted her. "Common, let's get back to the hotel. There's no need to talk now. We'll get you back and get you some tea."

Gently, he pulled her up out of the dirt and led her by the arm away from the tower.

Back at the hotel, Anna sat in silence as Molesley moved around the servants' parlor, arranging the tea service for the both of them. Anna just sat, staring at the dirt stains on her skirt. She was mortified, how could she have lost her composure so thoroughly?

"Here you go." Molesley handed her a teacup, but had to retrieve it quickly, as Anna's hands were shaking so much that she was sloshing out the liquid. Setting the cup on the small table, Molesley sat in silence for a few moments before speaking.

"Anna, I know we haven't always been the best of friends, but I do consider you, and Mr. Bates, to be friends. I know this is hard for you, being away from him. If there is anything I can do..." he paused, not sure of what to say next. He lived a simple life and had always played things relatively safe. He had been disappointed when Anna had rebuffed his affections all those years ago, but that had been nothing compared to the heartache that she now suffered, of that he was sure.

Anna looked up at him for the first time since they left the tower. "Thank you, Mr. Molesley. That means a great deal. I have been trying to see and do interesting things while I'm here to tell Mr. Bates about, but it seems to be a little much for me to do on my own."

Molesley smiled at her slightly. "Maybe I can come with you. We can decide what the most interesting things are to tell Mr. Bates."

Anna returned his smile, tears coming to her eyes again. This time though, they were tears of gratitude instead of sorrow.