2 September 1912

My dear Cousin,

I am sure I am quite the last person you would expect to hear from after our meeting in June. However, I find that I can keep silent on the subject no longer. Forgive me; I am jumping ahead of myself. You will recall, I think, that I told you of the unfortunate loss of my heir, James, and his son Patrick, when the Titanic sank in April. What I did not mention at our meeting was that with the deaths of James and Patrick, you are now made my heir. You are to inherit my title, my estate, and everything that goes with them.

I would like to invite you and your mother to come to live here in Downton Village. You would be able to get to know the area and the estate and to learn the duties that will befall you once you inherit. The estate owns several smaller abodes, one of which is Crawley House. There are three bedrooms, a drawing room, dining room, kitchen, and a small library, in addition to servant's quarters. I assure you, you will be comfortable there.

My family and I will be leaving in two days to spend the next ten days at the estate of my cousin in Scotland. We will be returning here on the fifteenth of September and will be able to welcome you on the twentieth, if that is amenable to you and your mother.

Sincerely,

Robert Crawley

"You wanted to see us, milord?" Bates and Anna entered the small library, standing a respectful distance from His Lordship's desk as he finished his letter.

"Yes, Bates, Anna, please come in," Grantham sealed the letter and addressed it, placing it on the corner of his desk to be taken with the outgoing mail later before turning his attention to his valet. "We are leaving, as you know, in two days' time for Duneagle Castle, which is the estate of my cousin's husband, the Marquess of Flintshire. Ah, here's her Ladyship with the details for you, Anna," he added, gesturing to Cora. "Bates, in addition to daily suits and evening attire, I will also be joining Lord Flintshire in his deer stalking, so will need my hunting suits brought down. You might also pack my fishing waders and my rods."

"Very good, My Lord," Bates acquiesced.

"Anna," Cora turned to the housemaid, "the girls will need their usual traveling, daily, and evening attire. In addition, we will probably have a picnic; Lady Flintshire usually plans at least one for the ladies. There is also going to be the Gillies' Ball, so be sure to have ballgowns and appropriate jewels."

"Of course, Your Ladyship," Anna nodded.

"You will both – in addition to O'Brien – have the rest of today and all of tomorrow to pack and to mend whatever needs mending," Robert added.

"Thank you, Your Lordship," Anna and Bates said in unison as they left the library.

Once in the corridor, Bates turned to Anna. "Meet you in the attics after luncheon?" he inquired.

"I look forward to it," Anna grinned cheekily, scurrying off to find the three girls to see if there were any specific frocks they wanted packed for the trip to Duneagle.

An hour later, Anna had finished her inquiries and headed back to the Servants' Hall. Nobody else was around, so she settled into her regular seat and pulled a couple of cups and saucers out of the hutch just as Daisy brought in a pot of tea and a crock of milk for her. She added sugar to the pot and stirred absentmindedly until the familiar click of a cane on the floor pulled her out of her reverie. She removed the spoon from the pot and set it on the table, replacing the lid to the pot just as Bates entered the room.

"Hello," he murmured huskily, thinking to himself what a beautiful picture she made, sitting there preparing tea for the two of them.

"Hello," she smiled, pouring tea into a cup and setting it in front of his place. She poured her own cup and turned to him. "Do you know what you need to get out of the attics?" she asked him, taking a sip of her tea.

"I have to find his hunting and fishing gear," Bates replied. "You?" He gave her a knowing smile. He was sure she would have to find more than just some rods and waders.

She didn't disappoint.

"Well, there are all of their colors to be brought down from the attics, and their mourning and half-mourning frocks to put back," she began, "then I should really wade through the colors to determine day frocks, evening attire, and the like. And ball gowns, and they each have their favorite things that they want me to pack for the picnic. Oh, and Lady Mary wants me to get her riding habit out of mothballs."

He laughed as the other servants entered and Daisy came in, carrying a stack of plates and placing them on the table. A few moments later she returned with a large platter of bread and a couple crocks of butter. One last trip to the kitchen and she was returning with a tureen filled with vegetable soup. Mr. Carson entered the room a moment later and all talk ceased as everyone stood.

After lunch, Anna headed to the attics alone while Mr. Bates went to the luggage room to fetch the cases for Lord Grantham and the girls. While alone, Anna pulled Lady Mary's riding habit out of the case it was stored in and set it aside, then began pulling the clothing Lady Mary had recently purchased in London and placed them with the habit, and pulled her evening attire and the ball gown that had been selected. Wanting to avoid having to carry the clothing of all three young ladies at once, Anna heaved all of Lady Mary's things into her arms and headed to Her Ladyship's bedchamber. She laid her burden on the bed, then went to the wardrobe, took down all the mourning and half-mourning frocks and headed back up to the attics with them. She made a similar trip back downstairs and up to the attics with Lady Edith's frocks, and was putting away Lady Edith's mourning things in the attic when Mr. Bates finally made his way up to her.

"Sorry it took so long," he murmured, opening the wardrobe that held His Lordship's sports clothes. "It took forever to find small cases enough for shoes for the girls."

They worked companionably for several moments, the only sounds the squeak of a wardrobe hinge or the scrape of a case across the floor.

"Do you know where I might find his fishing rods?" Bates asked after a short time.

Anna glanced up at him before turning her attention back to the last of Lady Sybil's color wardrobe. "There are various sporting paraphernalia in that small storeroom over there," she replied, gesturing to a door in the back corner. "I would imagine that's where he keeps his rods, as well as his waders and his stalking sticks. I'll just take these things down to Lady Sybil's bedroom then I'll come back up and help you with the stalking and fishing things."

"Don't be silly," he insisted. "You still have mending to do, as well as the packing for all three girls. I'll be fine. Go on, I insist. I'll see you in the Servants' Hall later on."

"All right, then," she acceded.

Three hours later, Anna had sorted through the piles she had left on the girls' beds. The frocks and gowns were placed carefully in the wardrobes, to be packed into the cases on the next day. The shoes she had moved down to the boot room, where Mr. Bates had taken the small cases earlier. She had just finished placing the last case in the corner of Lady Sybil's bedroom when the gong rang, just as the youngest daughter walked through the door.

"Oh, Anna!" she exclaimed, surprised. "I didn't know you would already be in here."

"I was just getting things ready for tomorrow's packing, milady," Anna explained, laying out the frock Lady Sybil had chosen for that evening.

Once all three girls had been dressed, Anna hurried downstairs. Mr. Bates was already waiting for her in the Servants' Hall. Also there was Miss O'Brien, who was studiously mending one of Her Ladyship's blouses.

Bates placed a cup in front of the seat beside him, pouring some tea into it, just as she had done for him so many times. Grinning privately, she took the offered cup and the seat. "So," she stage whispered to him, "you found everything you needed for His Lordship?"

"I did," he nodded. "And you?" he countered. "Did you get all your packing done?"

"Oh no, I'll start the packing tomorrow; it's too late tonight." She grabbed a piece of bread and spread some butter on it, starved since she had missed the servants' tea time.

"Oh," he muttered, dejected. "So that means that you won't be able to meet me in the courtyard tonight."

"Why not?" She looked at him in surprise.

"Won't you be packing your own bag so you won't have to do it tomorrow?" he asked.

"Oh," she understood suddenly what he was getting at. "No. I'm not going since I'm not a proper ladies' maid. Lady Flintshire will have her own arrangements made for the young ladies," she reminded him.

"Of course, how silly of me," he shook the disappointment off. An entire ten days without seeing her or talking with her? He thought to himself. To her, he added, "Well, we shall have to keep our news in our minds so we will have things to talk about when I get back, won't we?"

"Of course we will!" she responded, brightly. Inside, she was as upset as he was.