May 11,1927 ~

The clock just hit six and I'm unable to sleep. Although the reason is good! I am excited. It's been a while now, that I've had this idea, but only three days ago was I able to make it happen.

Last Saturday I went to London alone. I told Anna that I was going there on some hotel matters and that it probably wouldn't be wise if she came with me in her state, plus dragging William along…but of course, my wife being her curious, smart self I'm still not sure if she believed me. Of course it had nothing to do with the hotel.

As I write this I must keep in mind that once I finish I have to hide the journal until night comes else I'll spoil everything. I went to London to buy Anna the vanity table she deserves.

For so many years I've heard her talking about Lady Mary's vanity table. How big the mirrors were, and how pretty it looked in the room. One time she told me, when we were no more than secret sweethearts, that every wife should have one just like her mistress'. Of course, I couldn't agree more. A wife likes to have a place where she can embellish herself for her husband and for the day ahead. So, when we began planning the furnishings for this cottage my first thought was that Anna would have a proper vanity. Surrounded by mirrors and with enough drawers for her things, makeup, brushes, fragrances, etc; things that didn't fit in her tiny old hand-me-down one.

As I said before, I found the perfect one in a store in London. It was everything I had imaged for Anna and I am sure she will love it. She had been eyeing one in a decorating magazine so I took that page with me to be sure I would get the right one…and I hit the jackpot, I must confess!

They are going to deliver it this afternoon and I can't wait to see the look on her face. I'm sure she'll spend the rest of her day organising her things and making a list of new ones to buy.

I'm writing this as she sleeps. I can't quite understand how I got so lucky to have a wonderful woman like Anna love me. I don't want to miss anything that this life has to give. For now, I'm going downstairs to prepare something for breakfast before my Anna and William wake up, and I'm taking this journal with me, of course. Today is going to be a long one…I have some steps to fix and the stove is a bit rusty but in the end it will be a wonderful day.

~ John Bates

Oh my goodness! And here was I thinking that John couldn't surprise me anymore. I couldn't be more wrong.

I see now that he wrote about my vanity, and that's why I couldn't find the journal all day. He just gave it to me so I could share my thoughts. The silly beggar.

So, I have a new vanity table and it's the prettiest I've ever seen. For many years, as John said himself, I've wanted to have one of my own, and I've always been envious of Lady Mary's. In my room at Downton we didn't have one of course, just a chest of drawers with a mirror, and after John and I started living together, Lady Mary gave me an old one from the attics that was falling apart, from when she was a girl, so I never really had one I could call my own and that I actually loved. I did always dream that I would buy one myself but I could never imagined that my wonderful husband would do it first!

He saw me eyeing one in a magazine the other day and he took that page to London with him to buy a similar one. And he managed to do it! The one he bought is dark wood to match our bedroom furniture but the rest is exactly the same as the picture.

When I saw the two men carrying it up the stairs to our room I almost cried. John, of course, had his usual cheeky smile and I had to stop myself from kissing him right then and there in front of the delivery men. Honestly, I've never been so excited about a piece of furniture! I am so happy about how our bedroom turned out and now with this beautiful piece…my dream home is so close from being done and I couldn't be happier. Even William was excited about it! Only the nursery and the bathroom and some tweaking on the kitchen to go.

Now, I'll spend the rest of the night organising my drawers and the tabletop, and John was right when he said that I might want to buy a little something, to go with my new vanity. I was also thinking, because our room has so much light, that a vase with fresh flowers would look perfect there as well, and we have plenty popping out in our garden. I am so thrill about it I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight. It just looks beautiful in our room. All I want to do is look at it, and at myself too! I'm sure to turn into a vain woman now! It's one of the good things of not being a maid anymore, I can wear what I want and do my hair as I wish. John will be to blame if I spend too much time in front of the mirror now.

And I can wonder the same…how did I get so lucky to be worthy of a perfect husband like John. I shall compensate him, no doubt!

~ Anna Bates