Downton Christmas Countdown!

Dec 19: New Beginnings

1912

Anna walked down the stairs with O'Brien and Gwen, a normal day in April.... but then.... At the bottom of the stairs was a man.

He wasn't very handsome, with broad shoulders, dark hair, and twinkling brown eyes. He was dressed nicely, yet he was supported by a cane.

"Hello." He said, a soft Irish lilt affecting his tones. "I've been waiting at the back door. I knocked, but no one came." He set his case down.

"So you pushed in?" asked O'Brien, irritated.

"I'm John Bates.." He said. "The new valet. Anna couldn't help but watch the exchange.

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"The new valet?" asked O'Brien, her eyes flickering to the cane.

This isn't going well." He thought. "That's right." was all he said.

"You're early." The woman commented.

"Came on the milk train. Thought I'd use the day to get to know the place and start tonight." He said.

The young blonde maid took pity on him. Shifting the bedding to her other hand, she held out her hand, saying. "I'm Anna, the head housemaid." She said with a smile.

"How do you do?" he asked, shaking it. The instant their hands touched, he felt a spark. A connection. Had she felt it too?

He shook it off, holding out his hand to the older woman.

"And I'm Ms. O'Brien, her Ladyship's maid." She said cooling, not accepting his hand. "You better come along with us." She said, and walked off. The housemaids, the redhead, and... Anna? Yes, Anna followed. But as they followed Ms. O'Brien, Anna smiled at him, and he couldn't help but smile back. He found that even though he was apprehensive about the job, it was nice to have someone smile at him.

1919

As John and Anna sat on the bus, on the way back from Ripon, he couldn't help but look over, and stare at Anna, his wife. He looked around, realizing that it was April.

"Anna." He said gently.

She looked over at him, her blue eyes wide, trusting, and filled with love for him. "What is it, Mr. Bates?"

"I was only thinking that it's April. It seems fitting that we should be married in April, doesn't it?"

"Why do you say that?" She asked curiously.

"Because." he said with a smile. "It was a fine morning in April when a blonde Yorkshire sprite walked into my life, and changed it completely."

Her hand rose to her mouth, covering it in awe and shock. Then she replied with a smile. "Yes. And it was a lovely morning in April when I walked downstairs, and found a handsome man with a cane. Little did I know we would end up together."

He leaned over and kissed her softly. No one was watching them, and no one on the bus knew them. Once he pulled away he said. "It was a new beginning in April when we met. and It's April now, the new beginning of our life together as husband and wife."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, taking his hand in hers, and they sat like that the whole bus ride back to Downton.