If you are wondering why this story is frequently updated, its because I am on annual leave this week. Thanks for the reviews and thanks again to my editor in chief :-)

This is Saturday night.

Bates POV

Today has passed in a mixture of yawns and stolen glances at my beautiful wife. On a number of occasions I have looked to the heavens and prayed for our situation to be different. I am not even an excessively religious person, I guess I am pleading with some sort of higher power to ensure things go our way. After the funeral on Monday, we can tell whoever we like, we'll have our own cottage which Lord Grantham still promises to us and we can begin the rest of our lives. Looking over my shoulder, however, has become a habit. There is a niggling at the back of my mind that something is going to happen, the police are not finished with me. At the moment I am living by the principle that no news is good news. We carry on as normal.

Dinner arrives and I am quick to get to the servants hall and to Anna. On my arrival, I am caught off guard by Dr Clarkson hovering by the piano. Breathing in deeply, I continue into the room.

'Mr Bates, Mrs Hughes tells me you have a cough.' he begins, walking towards me with his medical bag.

'Oh, it's fine, Dr Clarkson. I am the epitome of health,' I hold my hands up to the doctor and take my usual seat at the table.

'Now, now Mr Bates, it's best we check you over, just to make sure. We can use your room.'

'Please, Dr Clarkson, I am fine.' By now, the rest of the servants are filing in, including Anna giggling amongst them. 'If I take a turn for the worse, you will be the first to know.' The doctor appears to take the hint and leaves the servants hall then as Anna sits beside me. 'We need a new code.' I whisper under my breath.

'You should really get checked Mr Bates, we don't want to have the flu passed around down here.' Thomas says.

'I haven't got the blasted flu,' I snap before instantly regretting it. I sigh before looking at Anna. 'Sorry.' She shakes her head, smiling weakly before looking away from me.

'Let's eat shall we?' Mr Carson suggests.

Having excused myself from the table early, as soon as dinner was finished, I am sat on a pile of crates in the courtyard, cursing myself for my outburst. My temper got the better of me earlier and I swore to never let Anna see me like that. That's the old me. The person I was before we met. I like who I am when I am with her. She's my calming influence, the part of me that was missing all these years until she walked into my life.

My personal barracking is interrupted by soft voices at the back door to the house just to my right.

'Go and see that he's alright. It's been a stressful time for all of us.' That's the unmistakable sound of Mrs Hughes.

I am relieved to see Anna appear and look around the courtyard for where I might be dwelling. Sitting there watching her, I allow myself a few minutes to take her in before revealing my location.

'Over here, my love,' I call out. She turns to look at me and proceeds to move towards me, arms folded, clearly not enjoying the cool air against her body. Standing up, I remove my jacket and as she approaches I move to the back of her and rest it on her shoulders. She wraps it tightly around her, affords me a smile before sitting on the crate. I sit beside her and now it's me feeling the effects of the chilly breeze that whistles around us. I don't mind, rather my Anna was kept warm than me.

'I'm so sorry for my outburst,' I admit, looking down at the floor. 'It's just if one more person...'

'Sssh, it's alright.' Anna interrupts me. 'Is it wise to give me your jacket, you already have a cough as it is.'

Turning our heads almost in unison, our eyes meet and, not for the first time this weekend, we descend into laughter. It's amazing how this sweet young woman sitting beside me can make me laugh in one moment, then want to cry when we are forced apart. There are some emotions she makes me feel that I never knew existed until I started to love her.

'Mrs Hughes sent me out here to check on you.' Anna explains.

'Oh right,' I say in disappointment. 'Well don't let me keep you. It's freezing out here.'

'Don't be daft you silly beggar,' she playfully pats me on the arm. 'Even if it's as cold as Siberia I'd rather be out here with you.'

Without saying a word, I take her hand and lead her further into the shadows, beyond the haze of the lights shining outside through the windows. There are yet more crates back here and, being careful of my knee, I drag myself up on top of them and lean against the wall. Encouraging Anna to join me, she does so and sits between my legs on top of the crates. I am quick to put my arms around her waist and pull her to me. Using her body heat for warmth is the official line I use however it is primarily to feel her close to me once more.

'Warm enough?' I whisper into her ear, her golden hair tickling my cheek as it brushes against it. I am drawn to her neck once again and she groans as she feels my lips upon her skin. 'I needed this.'

'God knows I did too.' Anna replies, with a perfect amount of desire in her voice. It's reassuring to know she needs me as much as I need her.

I pull away from her neck now and she settles against me. Sitting in silence, my mind wanders to us in our little cottage. 'I can't wait for evenings like this. In front of a fire. The world shut away outside. Just me and you.'

'But not always, eh?' Anna says.

'My love, I'd be happy for the rest of my days if you were the only other person I saw and spoke to.' And I think I mean it until Anna begins speaking again.

'But what about when we start a family? It won't be just us then, will it?'

And she's right. It won't. It is obvious from the way she holds Ethel's baby that she loves children. Something inside her comes alive when she bouncing little Charlie on her knee. The fact that I am going to be the man to give that to her fills me with an immense feeling of pride and satisfaction. On the other hand, becoming a father was something I never even contemplated until I met Anna. Not even after years of marriage with Vera. Parenthood is a challenge as well as a blessing and I realise I wasn't equipped for that challenge until I met Anna. She makes me want things I never knew I did.

'Any child with you as it's mother will be the luckiest child in the world.' I whisper. 'You'll make a great mother.'

'Oh John,' she sighs, pressing her cheek to mine.

'And any father with you by his side can't fail to make a good job of raising a child.'

'Anna!' Mrs Hughes shouts, interrupting our moment of solitude. We are out of view and I know if Anna moves from our current position we will be open to a line of questioning we will both find pretty awkward.

'What do we do?' Anna whispers. We both carefully jump down from the crate and Anna hands me back my jacket.

'There's nothing we can do.' I reply, putting on my jacket before gripping her hand in mine. Taking my cane which has been leaning against the crates, I lead her back towards the back door and as Mrs Hughes comes into view we reluctantly let go of the others hands.

'Anna. Mr Bates. What are you doing back there?' Mrs Hughes asks, hands on hips.

'Nothing, honestly Mrs Hughes.' Anna replies. I can't stand the lies anymore. Part of me wants to tell everyone else what happened yesterday.

'We were talking,' I chip in, putting a hand on Anna's back. 'About the future. We moved away from the back door as you never know who is listening.'

Expecting a backlash, I am surprised when Mrs Hughes smiles at us. 'I agree. Thomas and O'Brien do like to eaves drop.' With a nod in our direction, Mrs Hughes walks back inside before calling back to us. 'Don't be much longer.'