Chapter Twenty-Eight

It was just before luncheon would be served that John finally got to the library where Tom and Robert were working. "Good afternoon, Bates," Robert greeted with a large smile. "How did the first drop off go today?"

"It went well enough, m'lord," John replied, their professional personas firmly in place. "Johnny was a little nervous, but there were only a few tears. Anna, on the other hand, didn't do as well. I admit, I choked up myself."

"That is something I haven't had to experience," Robert replied. "Sybil was a grown woman when she went off to nursing school. Six years old, they seem so small to be leaving even for a few hours, don't they?"

"I'm not certain you are making him feel better," Tom offered. "Come sit, we'll have some tea and sandwiches, then we'll go over to the hotel."

The work was progressing well, if not a little too slow, for John's liking. They had to make some selections regarding the floors and window ledges today before the crew could continue. "I can see to the hotel myself if it's too much trouble, m'lord, Mr. Branson," John offered.

"No, no," Robert said quickly. "It's a partnership, a full partnership, we share the work."

They spent most of the rest of the day at the hotel. There was a lot still to oversee before Anna, Cora, and Mary would begin to select things like wall coverings and furniture. John wanted no part of that, neither did his two partners. "We will all get stick if we make the wrong choice," Robert counseled. "The aesthetics are best left to the women."

As it turned out, John ended up getting his fair share of "stick" that night. He showed up long after tea was served and cleaned up to two very tired children and one disgruntled wife. Johnny had fought to stay awake and Elizabeth was crying on Anna's hip. Only Maggie was sound asleep having been delivered by Mary and Mr. Stark after tea had been served in the Downton nursery.

Anna had carried her to bed, she barely stirred. "What on earth did you do with my little girl?" Anna asked her friend once Maggie was tucked into bed.

"We give them warm milk with their tea when it's served late," Mary replied. "Caroline was down for the count too. We had them down before their tea tonight because Mama was waiting on Papa to come home. He's still not back, so she assumed he'd be eating with Bates and Tom at the Grantham Arms or such like."

Anna wasn't upset that John was working late, she was upset that he was late. The hotel didn't have phone service yet, but the Grantham Arms did as did many other places along the road. He could have stopped off and let her know he'd been detained instead of letting her worry.

As soon as John walked through the door, Johnny launched himself at his father's legs. John was tired from standing all day without the aid of the crutches or his brace, he wobbled a bit when Johnny ran to him.

Anna had expected John would scoop the boy up for a hug, but instead he led him to the settee by the hand and placed him on his left knee. "Did you have a good first day, son? Did you learn new things?"

Johnny told John all about his time in school. "I know how to do a lot already, Daddy," Johnny bragged. "The other kids can't read yet or make their letters, but I can because you showed me and Fraulein Josephine!"

"I told Johnny he mustn't make the other children feel badly that he had advantages they didn't," Anna supplied. She was angry with John but wouldn't show it to their children. Instead, she fixed him a cup of rose hip tea and provided an aspirin without even discussing the matter.

"Thank you, my darling," John smiled and took the cup and pill without a fuss.

"It's time to go to bed, Johnny," Anna told their boy after a few minutes of his visiting with John. "Say goodnight to Daddy and go get ready for bed. I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in."

"I can tuck him," John began, but Anna overruled him when she handed him Elizabeth. "No, Mr. Bates," she countered. "You have a different job tonight."

John saw through Anna's attempt to make sure that he rested his legs and back by giving him the job of rocking Elizabeth, but he was glad of the care. He had been up a lot that day and had climbed the long, winding staircase at the hotel more times than he wanted to count. He had priced, along with Robert, the cost of installing a lift, but he discounted it as too much of an extravagance. Robert was still on board with acquiring one, but John's pride for both his physical and financial ability stopped the conversation before it started.

As they settled further into the fall, work on the hotel picked up in earnest, as did work around the estate. John found himself up and out early, even too early to see Maggie up to the abbey. Tom or Mr. Stark would retrieve her three times a week for her time at Downton and usually bring her home unless Anna fancied the walk with Elizabeth for the fresh air. Some days, Anna would take the baby into the village to collect Johnny, then head for the abbey to collect Maggie. It was once such trip that had her pushing John to remember where he lived.

"You'll be home for tea tonight?" Anna pressed. "Johnny has his first marks and he wants us to open them all together. Please don't disappoint him."

John gave Anna a kiss on the cheek. "I won't. I only have to drop by the inn for a few minutes to make sure the workers secured everything for the weekend. It feels like we're in for a good storm."

"Well, make sure you hurry," Anna directed. "The table will be ready by six straight."

"Yes, dear," was the only appropriate reply.

As it would happen, life and work got away from John, and he didn't have the opportunity to leave Downton until nearly 5. If he went by the inn to check on the rain shutters now, he'd definitely be late to tea. He'd simply have to trust the lads there had closed up as they'd been directed to do and go home to his family. It wouldn't do to incur the disappointment of his son and subsequent wrath of his wife.

John was seated at the table by half five. Johnny stood by his father's side as John looked over his card from school. "Excellent!" John praised. "These are all very excellent marks, son! Mummy and I are very, very proud of you. Look at this report card, Mummy!"

Anna looked over the high marks and notes of praise from Johnny's teachers. "Yes, Johnny, we are indeed quite proud of you. What's more, you should be proud of yourself."

Johnny beamed and was told by his father he had earned an extra biscuit that night for his hard work.

Johnny ran off to play as John took Elizabeth from Anna so she could start to lay the tea.

"Looks like it's going to storm," John commented as he fed Elizabeth her tea time bottle. "I hope the lads shuttered the windows at the hotel or we'll be running a boat show instead of an inn. I never made it over there today."

"They are responsible, they secured everything surely," Anna replied. "Johnny and Maggie, put your toys away and go wash for tea."

The children obeyed Anna quickly and tidied up their games before going to the bathroom to wash. Anna took their meal off the stove and began to let it cool. "Do you want regular tea, John, or the rose hip?"

John shifted in the chair. He hated that herbal tea, but it did help a bit and it made Anna happy when he drank it once a day. "Regular now and the rose before bed," John replied as Elizabeth finished her bottle and the older children began to get into their seats.

When the family was gathered, Anna usually left Elizabeth in the pram so she was around her family. She was a happy baby, though she had only started to roll over while both Johnny and Maggie did it younger. She didn't babble much and couldn't reliably reach out and touch something she was looking at. Anna and John both felt the more she was socialized the better.

"Here we go, Elizabeth," John settled her in the pram then hauled himself out of the chair. "Come and sit with us while we have tea."

Anna began to serve the stew as the sky grew darker and a cold wind started to rattle the top of the stable style door. Anna looked at John and he nodded to Johnny to say the blessing. "For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen."

John tucked into the stew with a solid appetite as did Johnny. Maggie was trying to get herself a crust of bread and failing miserably. John reached over to help when he noticed Anna looking out the window.

"What's wrong, love?" John asked as she hadn't touched her plate.

"Now, I'm worried the lads didn't shut the windows," Anna replied. "And we just got up most of the rotten flooring. The cost…Can you ring Mr. Branson and ask if he can drive by and check?"

"I can do that," John replied. "I'll walk over after we finish. The walk will do me good."

"Unless it starts to rain and you catch a cold," Anna sighed. "Is your leg sore?"

"My hip is stiff, but my knee isn't being much of a bother," John replied. "That's why I'd like to walk. It does help."

"A soak and rose hip tea after," Anna bargained. "Johnny, elbows off the table."

"But…" Johnny began to argue. "I don't…"

"Johnny, manners," John reminded their son. "And yes, Anna, that sounds quite delightful especially once the children are in bed."

Anna laughed at the subtleness or lack thereof of John's statement, thankful it went over the children's heads.

Anna sent the children to get ready for their baths while she cleaned up from tea. John put on his hat and coat then gave Anna a kiss. "I'll be back before bedtime stories. Tomorrow, I'll get their baths too."

Anna smiled, "I never mind their bath time. Do you think this is necessary or am I a worrier?"

"Yes," John replied with just a touch of cheek and gave Anna another kiss on the lips before heading out.

John relished the air before it rained though his knee didn't foretell bad weather. He loved how it felt, how it smelled, even how it sounded. His cane clicked along the road, its rhythm steady against the unsteady step. The hotel was only a short walk from the house, a convenience while under construction. He wasn't worried about shutters, not really. Half the floors still needed more finish and most of their walls needed to be stripped and repaired. They had selected a quite elegant set of sills and woodwork, that would set the opening date back a few months. Still, all three men had agreed anything worth doing was worth doing right.

As he walked John found himself whistling. Everything he had wanted in his life was within his grasp and for once he wasn't afraid of losing it.

John let himself into the hotel and started to walk through. The shutters were closed, but two of the windows themselves were partially ajar. John secured them and made a note to speak to the crew about being more careful.

John inhaled the scent of the wood and looked around. He ran his hand along the fine woodwork near the back of what would be the lobby. They must have finished this portion today. Tomorrow he would have to bring Anna and the children by for a look.

The wind outside let out a gust and rattled the shutters and the old door. John saw that while he had been lingering and daydreaming, it had gone dark. Anna would be worried on the good side and furious on the bad. He best put a good foot under him and get on.

John hurried toward the front door not wanting to have to deal with his wife. The darkness had cast a shadow on the floor and in his haste John didn't see the edge of a floorboard that hadn't been nailed down firmly enough. The foot of his bad leg got caught underneath the edge of it and threw him off balance sending him down the last seven steps of the large staircase leaving him prone on the floor, his bad knee twisted at an odd angle and a stream of blood running from his head.

A/N: Things are firing on all cylinders now. Hope everyone had a Happy New Year.