AN/ Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read our stories. We don't own John & Anna. We gently use them. We do own Eamon, Will, Percy and the twins however. If you enjoy what you read please consider leaving a review. It makes our day. :) Handy&Terriejane

From the Journal of John Bates ~

July 26th, 1928

It's busy around here, and that's good. That was our dream, to have a small hotel and be surrounded by our family. We still have a month left before Percy and Will start school, and we intend to put every minute of that month to good use. To that end, we've given Sarah and Caleb a raise and more responsibility. We still won't be able to take extended time off for a trip, but we can take day trips. London to visit the museums, back to the beach for a day. Taking the boys to a matinee on a Saturday morning. They love those cowboy serials, and I have to admit I do too. So this is how we'll spend what is left of our summer days.

Before I forget to mention it, tomorrow is a very special occasion in our house - it's our girl's first birthday. We'll have a small celebration, just family and our closest friends. Anna and the boys are baking them a cake. It's hard to believe it's been a year.

After a couple of excruciating days, and I do mean excruciating - Anna has compared it to childbirth, Harmony Hollander is no more. I have dismissed her and according to my father, the dismissal came just in the nick of time. He swears our very lives were in danger. I don't know about that, but I'm certainly relieved to have her gone and my family back in order.

The final straw came when she made my Anna cry...

x

The previous day ~

'My darling, what's happening?'

Anna walked into the office in a rush, and immediately he realised she had been crying.

'Oh, John…' She wept, her hands covering her face and sat on his lap as soon as she reached for him.

'Whatever is the matter, my love?' he asked worriedly, holding her tight against his chest before cleaning away a few tears. 'Tell me, please.'

'That bloody witch!'

'What did she do?' His tone became extra serious, waiting for an answer, as he held her face tenderly between his hands.

'She keeps saying this and that about the way I raise the children. They're dirty, they're spoiled, the girls shouldn't be nursing anymore, they're too old, too dependent, too needy…'

'You know that's not true, love.'

'And she insinuated that I'm not a good housewife either,' Anna continued, her bottom lip quivering. Oh, it broke his heart.

'She couldn't be more wrong!'

'But...what if she's right? Maybe other people are thinking that too.'

'Stop right there!' he told her, wiping away her tears with his thumb and replacing them with soft kisses. 'She's a mad woman, Anna. You are the best mother, wife, and daughter-in-law we could have, and the best housekeeper, else how did you hold that position at the Abbey for so many years? I'd like to see her spending one hour under Mrs Hughes' employ.'

Anna giggled through her tears at the very thought of that.

'She doesn't know you, she doesn't know us...she's been with us for all of two days,' John declared.

'She said the girls are too spoiled.'

'And what's wrong with that?' John chuckled, trying to cheer her up. 'They are our girls, our babies. What could she know about children if she doesn't have any of her own? She's just jealous of our beautiful family, of our beautiful, sweet girls. Of you.'

'Do you think so?' she wondered. There was a lot to be jealous of.

'I know so! Have you looked at her? Ugly as a mad cow.'

'John, don't be cruel…'

'I know, I know...but maybe that's why she's so bitter. And then, she comes here to serve a creature of grace and beauty like yourself...' he smiled, kissing the tip of her nose. 'She sees that you have everything she does not - four amazing children who adore you, an ornery old man who would tread on hot coals to defend you and a husband who worships the very ground you walk on - of course she's jealous.'

'You silly beggar.'

'Be that as it may, but you know I'm right. Now, where are the children?' John asked, looking outside to the garden where he last had seen them a few minutes ago.

'They're with Father. And the girls are napping in their room, away from that witch,' she replied.

'Good.'

'I should go check on them...it's almost time for them to wake up all hungry and fussy.'

'Do that, and I'm going to inform the old battle axe we no longer require her services. What do you think?'

'Are you sure?' Anna asked. 'The boys will be so sad about it -'

'Mum, Mum!'

'Mama!'

The two boys came running in the office as fast as they could, taking both by surprise.

'What's the matter now?' John asked as Percy and Will wrapped their arms around him and Anna. Their little faces red from crying.

'That mean old witch! She won't stop yelling at us.' Will cried.

'We only said we were hungry,' Percy sniffed.

'Oh my, what did she say?' Anna frowned in fury.

'She said for us to leave her alone because she was no maid for no spoiled little brats,' Will told her.

'And then I told her she was nothing but a nasty bitch, and she threatened to slap the devil out of us,' Percy confessed. 'I know I shouldn't have, but she makes me say bad things.'

'No, you shouldn't have…' John said, looking at both boys. 'But, you're right.'

'John!'

'All right, all of you, let me get up,' He shooed them away from his lap. 'I'm going to settle this once and for all.'

'Yeah, kick her out, Dad!' Will cheered.

'Yes, Papa! Kick her out to the street!' Percy added, and the two boys followed him, ready for a good fight if need be. Anna only hoped that Harmony wouldn't make a fuss about leaving, but then she seemed to hate working for them, anyway, so why would she?

xxx

July 25, 1928 ~

'Good bloody riddance to her and to everything she's done!' The old man laughed as they all sat around the dinner table. 'Her food was disgusting; she didn't let me take my naps, always complaining about the little ones. Harmony? More like Agony!'

'I'm sorry, Mama. We wanted you to have you rest and instead you got a witch for the prize.' Percy and Will sighed in unison.

'What matters is that you darlings meant well, and I appreciate that more than anything,' Anna said, placing a kiss on each of their foreheads. 'Now, let's eat, shall we? I made roasted goose with potatoes and greens.'

There was a round of applause as Anna voiced the menu with great pride and soon enough everyone had a plate of food before them. Apple pie for dessert. Yum!

'Good Lord! Just like Sunday dinner.' John closed his eyes, enjoying the taste of his wife's food. 'It feels like weeks since I last ate something so good, not two days.'

'Don't let Archie hear you!' Anna giggled. 'We've been having lunch there.'

'Archie's no Anna Bates, and that's a fact,' Eamon stated, a dribble of goose grease running down his chin. 'He's a good cook and all, I reckon the best one for the business, but there's nothing as good as a meal made with love by the hands of a woman.'

'Now, you're right there, Father. I have to agree,' John smiled.

'Thank you, you spoil me.' Anna blushed, feeling so appreciated.

'Mum!' Will cried a moment later, as a piece of carrot flew through the air stuck to the side of his face. 'Finn's throwing food at me!'

'Finnie!' Anna caught her daughter just as she was getting ready to lob another carrot. 'Don't do that,' Anna told her, reaching to pry it out of her chubby hand. 'Naughty girl.'

Finn only laughed, looking at her brother who had a mushy carrot stuck sliding down his cheek. It was Fee's turn then to grab some potatoes and throw them at Will, but before she could do it, John stopped her. That only made the girl whimper in frustration.

'You two…' John said under his breath. 'Where are you learning these tricks?'

'It's Percy's fault,' Will tattled. 'He's been teaching them to throw things at me.'

'I have not!' Percy defended himself. 'I've just been teaching them to throw things, not at you.'

'Percy, you shouldn't teach them that. They don't understand what's right and wrong yet.' Anna explained.

'I'm teaching them that too! I said you can't throw things at stuff that moves, like animals, and like people…like granddad.'

John laughed, looking over at his father.

'What?' Eamon asked. 'I'm not a people. I'm a mighty sailor who's sailed the seven seas. And also a great detective who happens to have done some investigating this afternoon. And just wait until you hear what I've found out.'

'Investigating? About what?' Anna and John questioned.

'About that witch, Hollander, that's what!' the old man chuckled. 'Hear this; rumour has it she worked for the Wallenbergs and, well…' he eyed the boys before continuing in a lowered voice. 'Ended up in bed with the boss.'

'Goodness,' Anna gasped, covering her mouth with her hand and looking to see if the boys comprehended what was being said.

'What? I don't believe it!' John scoffed at Eamon. 'That woman wouldn't heat up any man. She's cold as - what?'

Anna cleared her throat and was looking at him to hush himself.

'What I mean is she's not a man's woman, I reckon. I don't know. It's hard to believe.'

'You didn't know her when she was a young, maybe she's changed,' Anna reasoned.

'Born ugly that one, through and through, I bet!' Eamon exclaimed. 'But listen, there's more. She also worked in a Miss Rush's house, and they said that's what killed the old woman.'

'Oh! I remember hearing about Miss Rush when I first arrived at Downton. It was all the talk up at the big house. She was from Thirsk, I believe. She died after eating hot soup, or so they said,' Anna told them, shrugging her shoulders. 'It seemed ridiculous to me. Who dies from eating hot soup?'

'They said it was the poison in the soup, not the temperature. Scuttlebutt was, the maid murdered her to steals her jewels, which happened to have disappeared at the same time,' Eamon continued.

'Well, if Mrs Hollander had stolen jewels she wouldn't need to be a maid anymore, would she?' John wondered.

'Maybe she spent it all,' the old man said.

'Or maybe it's a rumour, and she's just a mean witch,' John insisted.

'What about this? Gary was supposed to marry her, but then he backed out.'

'Gary? Gary who?' Anna asked.

'I hear tell that old Gary Lemon asked her to marry him a few years back, but a week after he called it off because she began to act strangely. Same time she was sleeping with old man Wallenberg...maybe it's connected, anyhow Wallenberg offed himself within the month.''

'Gary told you that?' John persisted. 'Are you sure?'

'He told me everything! This afternoon, sitting down at the pub as old friends. I know what I'm talking about. Harmony Hollander is from Ripon, forty-seven, never married. Unemployed after the supposed poisoning, had to iron and do laundry for years until she recently when she started picking up these little jobs now and then. Don't see how they still hire her, though.'

'Why can't you just tell us everything at once? Always dragging things out for show.' John eyed him, 'Now it all makes sense.'

'So…' Percy scratched his head. 'We had a killer woman in our house?'

'Whoa,' Will grinned. 'That's so dangerous.'

'Bloody hell! She could have killed us too!' Percy popped his eyes.

'Maybe that's why her food tasted so bad,' William grabbed his throat, making retching sounds.

'Yeah, maybe she tried to poison us too!' Percy joined in, the two finding their macabre ideas quite thrilling.

'Stop, you two. Enough of poisoning stories in this house,' Anna shot them a look. 'Now eat before it gets cold. And you,' she turned to the girls, taking away the remains of food from their highchair trays. 'Enough playing with food and making a mess. Here, take your toys, chew on them. Go on.'

'Anna's right. Let's eat! This wonderful food is too good to waste. Enjoy everyone,' John said, smiling down at his plate. Soon enough they were onto dessert and later an early bedtime when John caught the boys reenacting Mr Wallenberg and poor Miss Rush's death scenes.

xxx

July 26th, 1928 ~

Another day, and more paperwork to do. The hotel was booked full again, much to John's delight, and there were bookings for the next couple of weeks. Summer always brought so many people to their business, even though they were not any kind of resort village, people seemed to enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside, and Downton had that aplenty.

After a day of threatening clouds and wind, the sun was shining brightly. Through his open window, John could hear his children playing, laughing, chatting about this and that. He spotted Anna, in her straw hat tending to her raspberry bushes. He smiled contentedly and turned back to his work.

'Hello, my darling.' It was his wife, poking her head through the open window. 'How's work going?'

'Wonderful! We're fully booked for the next six weeks!' he told her with a big smile. 'And what about your work?'

'It's wonderful too. I picked a little basket of strawberries, and I think I have enough to use them in the girl's birthday cake. Our raspberries are coming on strong too. And this breeze makes it a perfect day for drying clothes on the line.'

'Indeed, it all sounds like a housewife's dream.'

'Oh yes, and the boys helped. Father said he would, but I put him in charge of the girls. He fell asleep, though. Imagine that?' she said with a smile. 'So they've been following me around, getting their hands in the dirt.'

'Then I'm sure they're enjoying their day too. They love being Mummy's little shadows,' John chuckled.

'Do you want tea? I'm going to brew some. Oh! And I made some biscuits too! Vanilla and lemon.'

'Hmmm...my favourites. Do you want help?'

'They're all your favourites, Mr Bates,' she wrinkled her nose. 'And no need, I have my little helpers. I'll call you when it's ready.'

Anna blew him a kiss, and he pretended to catch it in his hand and hold it to his heart. With a cheeky smile, she left heading toward their backdoor. John turned in his chair and went back work again.

But not five minutes later, something called his attention outside. Little, chirpy voices by his window. What on earth…?

'Dada!'

He heard it once.

'Dada!'

And then again.

'Dada! Dada! Dada!'

In a rush, John stood and stuck his head out of the window. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. A big smile was already playing on his lips.

'What's this?'

The scene made him teary. The two prettiest little girls he had ever seen smiling up at him, wearing their pretty matching summer dresses and bows in their hair; one blonde, one the image of Anna, the other his very own. They had crawled through the grass until they now sat beneath his office window for calling out until he acknowledged them.

'Dada!' Finn repeated.

'Dada!' Fee added, laughing like the happy little girl she was.

'Oh, my babies!' John smiled, a tear sliding down his cheek. Hastily, he exited out of the back door to be with his girls. 'My smart babies,' he sniffled, picking both up in his arms. 'You're the most precious little girls in the world.'

At that moment, Anna came outside carrying a tray with their tea, and placed it on the table. Eamon was still napping in his chair, with Mr Sunshine sleeping on his legs. The boys were in their tree house, playing pirates and sea monsters.

'Anna! Anna!' John called, walking to her with a girl in in each arm. 'You won't believe what just happened!'

'Oh my! Something exciting, I'm sure. Tell me.'

'They crawled to my window, and they started calling me. Calling me, Anna! They said Dada and only stopped when I came out for them.'

'Oh my goodness!' Anna exclaimed taking Fee from John's arms. 'Did you two do that, sweetie?'

'Dada!' Fee answered her mother, pointing to her daddy.

'Dada!' Finn repeated, patting John on his chin.

'Oh my! My babies are so grown up.' Anna held the girl close, squeezing her gently against her chest. 'And on the day before your first birthday! I'm so proud of you, my darlings!' she bragged, running a hand along Finn's cheek.

'Dada!' the girl said again, wrapping her arms around John's neck. 'Dada…'

'Where's tea?' Eamon's voice came to their ears as he sat up in his chair. Mr Sunshine shifted to a more comfortable position.

'The bell has rung, Father,' Anna giggled. 'Let's have tea. Boys?! Come and eat some biscuits while they're still warm.'

'Yay!' the boys cheered as they came running from their tree house. A perfect family picture right there, in their garden. Before tea was over, the twins had repeated their new word multiple times. And by bedtime even John was growing a bit weary of it.

xxx

July 27th, 1928 ~ Finn & Fee's 1st birthday ~

It was around five in the afternoon when their closest friends began to arrive. It was to be a small party. The twins were turning one and to say that they had been looking forward to this day...well, they couldn't care less about it. So, instead, Anna decided to make it a tea party.

That's exactly what it was. There were two long tables in the garden, one with food, tea and a small bowl of fruit punch, and the other set up for the guests. The girls were enjoying themselves, crawling around the garden and trying out their first steps, as they had been doing for the past week. Their vocabulary was increasing as well. Cat, dog, chair, yum, no, yes, yuck. But their favourite word was Dada, and it seemed like they hollered it out at any time, for no reason, or so that's what the adults thought.

The two were wearing new dresses. Finn in yellow, Fee in blue, and although at first Anna had cringed when they started crawling around the garden, now she had given up, and let her daughters free to do whatever they wanted. No bows in their hair this time though, as they were just bound to pull them out anyway.

'Mrs Carson, Mrs Patmore! I'm so glad you could come.'

'Of course, we wouldn't miss your girl's first birthday, Anna,' Mrs Carson said.

'And who am I to miss a good tea party held by Mrs Bates?' the cook chuckled. 'Where are the little ones?'

'Oh…' Anna looked around. 'There they are, with Father and the boys. They've been encouraging them to walk today.'

'And where's your handsome husband?'

'Over there, talking to Mr Molesley,' Anna pointed out.

'I'm just going to go see them. I have the urge to pinch a chubby cheek,' Mrs Patmore gushed.

'Oh, Mrs Patmore! Eamon frowns on having his cheeks pinched,' Anna teased.

'Ah! You silly girl, you'll make me blush!' She and Mrs Carson moved off.

'Oh look,' John walked up to her. 'Lady Mary, Master George and Miss Sybbie.'

'How nice!' Anna ran over to them to welcome the three. 'I'm so glad you could come, milady.'

'Papa sends his regrets, Anna. He and Mama are in London,' Lady Mary smiled. 'Everything looks lovely. As soon as George heard your boys had a treehouse, there was no way I could keep him away.'

'Whoa! It's big!' Master George exclaimed when he saw the treehouse. 'Let's go, Sybbie! Let's go find Will and Percy!'

Anna grinned watching the two running away. 'It'll be a fun day for them.'

Everyone was in high spirits, as they sat around the table or mingled in the garden - old friends coming together again. The birthday babies having found a comfortable place on their parent's laps, enjoying an occasional treat they shared with them.

'Dada!' Finn shouted, looking up at her father. 'Dada!'

'What? I'm giving it to you, aren't I?' John told the girl, a piece of cheese between his fingers. 'Sorry, I'm not fast enough.'

'Dada!' it was Fee now, on Anna's lap, who was holding onto his sleeve and pulling his arm to her.

'Fee, darling,' Anna soothed, brushing the girl's hair back. 'Mummy's giving you cheese too.'

'No!' Fee shook her head with a pout. 'Dada! Dada!'

'Oh my, you've got your hands full, Mr Bates!' Mrs Carson laughed.

'They learned how to say, Dada, yesterday and now they're about to wear it out,' Anna chuckled trying to give Fee a bit of cheese, which the girl refused.

'All right! All right!' John said playfully. 'Here, Fee, I'll feed you.'

'No, Dada! No…' Finn cried when she saw her father feeding her sister too. 'No!'

'You know what? I'm going to get the cake.' Anna decided it was time and handed Fee to Eamon.

'Oh! I'm no good with fighting babies,' the old man said.

'Give her to me then.' Mrs Patmore reached out for the girl. 'I've broken up more fights in my lifetime than I'm ashamed to admit.'

The cake was vanilla with chocolate frosting and topped with strawberries from the garden. It was delicious, and the girls enjoyed being the centre of attention while everyone sang Happy Birthday to them, and their brothers helped with blowing out the candles. The girls even got their own small pieces of cake to destroy, er...eat.

Now, everyone was digesting the food, sitting back at the table, talking. The girls were cleaned off and sleeping on a blanket under a big tree. The other children were playing in the treehouse. Miss Sybbie was heard yelling, 'Save me, Captain Percy! Don't let them make me walk the plank!'

'Mr Molesley,' John approached the teacher who was resting on the ground, leaning against a tree. 'I didn't know you were a cat man.'

'Oh!' Molesley smiled, as he petted the kittens and their mother who were sleeping in the shade - apart from Mr Sunshine, who was, as usual, hanging around Eamon. 'I do, very much. Always had cats when I was a boy.'

'Well…' John had just had an idea. 'Why don't you take one of them?'

'Are you serious?' Molesley looked at John with a longing expression.

'Yes! We won't be able to keep them all. Mr Sunshine, over there, is my Father's cat, and, well, the white one...Percy loves her very much; I think Anna will want to keep her for him, but the other two...'

'The grey one! I like the grey one,' the teacher said at once, picking the kitten up and nuzzling him on his neck.

'Oh, wonderful! That one is a girl.'

'Lola. That's her name, Lola. Thank you, Mr Bates.' Mr Molesley shook John's hand with great intensity. 'Thank you so much!'

'You're most welcome, my friend. I'm sure you'll be very happy together.'

'Oh, we will. Let's go, Lola. Come with Joseph, you'll love your new house, I'm sure.'

The sun began to lower in the sky, and soon, one by one the guests left, bidding the Bates family a good night. The twins had been sleeping since after eating their cake. Capt. Percy and first mate Will, at their father's insistence, were swabbing the deck of their treehouse where Miss Sybbie had dropped her cake, frosting side down, so as to avoid an infestation of ants.

One year of their lives with Finn and Fee, one less kitten to worry about, enough leftovers for dinner. It had been a very good day. Simple and happy, just the way they liked it.

xxx

From the Journal of Anna Bates ~

July 27th, 1928 10:45 p.m.

It's hard to believe my babies are a year old already. I know it's cliche to say, but where does the time go? And I'm feeling a little down too, because tonight, for the first time they refused my breast. Actually, if I'm to be honest they've had little interest in my milk for the past couple of weeks, so much so that it's drying up. I'd hoped to nurse them for at least another six months. I swear, Will would have still been nursing now if I'd let him. I guess all babies are different, but it does burn me up that the odious Harmony Hollander had the nerve suggest such a thing to me. As if it were any of her business. Thank the Lord she's gone!

In an effort to console me tonight, John suggested that it might make my life easier not having to breastfeed the girls, but my goodness! Let's be honest, he's never done it before, has he? He doesn't know what a wonderfully fulfilling experience it is. Maybe they were just filled up with cake today. I'll try again tomorrow.

We've been talking and decided there's more than enough time left this summer to take the train to London. We'd like to take the boys to the museums before school starts. And if I'm not to be nursing the girls we can leave them home. Traipsing around London with two little ones would not be enjoyable for anyone. Lady Mary has offered the nursery and nanny to us on many occasions in case we ever wanted to get away for a couple of days. Maybe it's time to take her up on that offer. We'd only be gone for a day and a night.

Here comes John, with a smirk on his face. It's that looks he gets right before he pounces. I'm a very lucky woman. Yes, I am.

~ Anna Bates