Sorry I've been absolutely pathetic lately. Exams.
Epilogue
The church was packed with most of Downton village; Lord Grantham's family, his staff and most of his tenants. It had rained the night before but the sky was blindingly bright now, despite the cold. The bride and groom had just left and the congregation was gradually milling back towards the doors.
"It was a lovely service," Gwen remarked. She had been given the day off from her new job so that she could attend.
"It was, wasn't it?" Anna agreed.
Overhearing them as they passed, Daisy chirped in from her seat beside William. Anna noted that they seemed to have been holding hands.
"The dress turned out lovely in the end."
"I should hope so too!" Mrs Patmore would have all but cried it had they not been in a reverent setting, "Had us all up sewing half the night!"
"It was worth it, though," Daisy declared, standing up to follow Anna, Gwen and Mr Bates out of the church.
"It was," Mr Bates agreed, rather to Anna's surprise; he had been very quiet for most of the morning.
Mrs Patmore, however, seemed contemptuous at the statement.
"I should blooming think so too!" Having left the church now she was free to exclaim as much as she liked, "Ten year ago, Elsie Hughes could have had any chap she set her mind to, but oh no: she was going to to be the housekeeper and that was all she needed. Pity it didn't last a few more years."
"I wouldn't let Mr Carson hear you say that," Bates warned her, "He couldn't take his eyes off her."
They settled into a companionable silence as they headed up the church path. As they progressed, Anna and Mr Bates took up their usual position and loitered away from the group a little.
"Funny that she didn't have a bridesmaid, isn't it?" he asked after a while.
Anna considered this.
"Not so much," she concluded, "Her sister couldn't make it down from Scotland."
"She wanted to ask you."
That surprised Anna enormously. She looked at him with puzzlement.
"I'm assuming she didn't tell you out right?"
He nodded.
"Mrs Patmore and I were...debating the issue in the kitchen and she walked in. She can't have not heard and she certainly didn't deny it."
"I wonder why."
He cast a very serious sideways glance at her.
"I'd have thought it was obvious."
He could be infuriating at times. She smiled at him.
"Well you're going to have to explain it to me."
Surprising herself, she linked her arm in his. It didn't seem to startle him though he decidedly paused before continuing.
"I think, aside from having great respect for you, she feels a bit guilty."
It would help if we could just say things.
"About what?"
"About warning you...us off."
He was probably right.
"There's an us?"
He sighed deeply, but smiled at her.
"I beginning to think that that would be the simplest solution."
Not another word was spoken as their linked arms were straightened and lowered until they were holding hands- until they returned to the house and were questioned at length about it by Gwen.
End.