Summary: When Lord Grantham's shaving brush goes missing, Bates must travel into Ripon to find a replacement.

Disclaimer: I don't own Downton Abbey.

A/N: This is sort of a companion piece to Housemaid's Holiday, written for those who asked for something from Bates' perspective. Set early S1. Props to a friend for inspiration on this one. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated.

The brush had gone missing.

It was not the first time something had been misplaced, only to be found a few days later in the most unlikely of locations, but this was something Bates needed today. Or rather, Lord Grantham would need it when he shaved before dinner. There were other brushes in the house which he could use for the task, but Bates hated the necessity of borrowing such an item for his Lordship.

"That is disappointing. It is quite the heirloom," the Earl said, obviously more upset than he left on. "I expect it will turn up, but in the mean time you can go to Ripon and get a suitable replacement. Badger hair, of course, and none of that dreadful boar hair."

Bates nodded. He also hated having to buy a new brush considering the history behind the one which was lost. It had a handle made of ivory and silver, and Bates knew without asking that it had value beyond monetary considerations.

"Of course, milord. I can go this afternoon and be back before the gong."

His Lordship hesitated. It was only momentary, but the valet could see it in the stiffening of his shoulders and the way he paused before suggesting thoughtfully, "I could send you in the car, so you don't have to walk so far."

The suggestion stung, another reminder of the doubts over his injury. While the Earl had chosen to keep Bates on despite the lameness, he still hated it when there was some attempt to lessen his duties or mitigate his work.

"I can walk, milord," he answered with a jovial tone to show he took no offense. "And the exercise would be beneficial."

He did not mention that after the walk into Ripon a week earlier his leg had ached for a full day. Best to keep such details to himself.

Lord Grantham nodded, letting the matter drop. Bates assisted him with finishing to dress for breakfast before taking the worn clothes down to the laundry. By the time he had finished shining his Lordship's shoes for the evening, it was time for the servants' luncheon.

He considered eating before his long walk into Ripon, but in the end decided to skip it for fear he might arrive back at the house too late. Best to get what he needed and be a little hungry than risk losing his position over a lost shaving brush.

On the walk in, he wondered about the location of said brush. It seemed far too valuable of an item for Thomas to purposely misplace just to get him in trouble. If it did not turn up soon, he worried that they would suspect thievery, and Bates would be under an uncomfortable amount of scrutiny. He decided to check in a variety of places for the brush once he returned from his errand.

But his distracted thoughts were interrupted as he heard a sound from behind him. Looking around, he saw that the noise was actually footsteps, and he smiled as he recognized the source.

"I had forgotten today was your half day," he noted with pleasure as Anna caught up with him.

"Is that why you didn't wait for me?" she asked in return, her tone just shy of teasing. He noticed that her hat was new, or rather she'd done something to fix it up since the last time he'd seen her. As well, her dress was not one he recognized.

Noticing his appreciative glance, she looked down at herself. "One of Lady Mary's," she said with a shrug. "I had to take it in a bit, but I think it turned out nice."

Bates nodded in agreement, stating, "You are an excellent seamstress."

"I wouldn't go that far. But I do enjoy getting to make things for myself."

Her comments turned into her asking about his mother and the sorts of work she had done when he was a boy. Anna supposed he'd learn to sew from the woman, and she was right.

"When I was old enough, she'd ask me to use my young eyes to thread needles for her," he explained. "From there I learned how to do hand stitching and repairs."

Anna mentioned that her own mother took in washing, but she'd learned only very superficial skills from her. "I had to pick things up here and there when I first began as a housemaid."

"In your abundance of spare time," Bates joked.

Her answering smile lit up her entire face, and he observed her shoulders relax as she let out a small laugh. He'd noticed that about the woman - she was easy to be with. Most people required more energy and thoughtfulness to converse with, but not Anna. Every conversation with her flowed naturally and without the usual awkwardness he so often suffered through. Even when he fell quiet, his thoughts turned elsewhere, she made up the silence with her own muted chatter or walked beside him without speaking.

He realized suddenly that Anna was the first friend he had made in quite some time, and it had been almost entirely her reaching out to him. Bates tried to be polite and friendly, but he knew that his company was not as light as hers. And yet... She sought him out anyhow.

"So what takes you all the way back to Ripon so soon?" he asked.

"Lady Edith needs some things from the shops," Anna answered carefully. "I told her I enjoy the walk anyway, so she asked me to run a few errands."

He nodded cautiously, wondering whether he should condemn the Earl's middle daughter for impinging on her maid's time off or if it would sound too much like prying. But before he could say anything, she asked him, "And what about you? I know it isn't your half day."

"I need to get something for his lordship. An item of his has gone missing, and it needs to be replaced as soon as possible."

Arching an eyebrow, Anna said, "Nothing too important, I hope."

They both knew the implications. If a possession of their wealthy employers disappeared, eyebrows would start to be raised and fingers would start to be pointed. Missing possessions - especially valuable ones - could cost servants their positions and any hope of a good reference. At the same time, no one wanted to be the talk of the county for having a thieving servant, so such matters could sometimes be hushed up and smoothed over.

"Important enough," he said with a sigh, "but I'm sure it will turn up. Until then, I need to find a replacement."

It would do well for Lord Grantham to have a backup anyway, especially for when he traveled. And if Thomas had hidden the old brush in an attempt to get Bates sacked, so help him...

Anna kept pace with him as they walked, although she made no show of it. In fact, he could almost pretend that his slower stride coincided well with her naturally shorter steps. If he were being honest, he would admit that she tended to move much more quickly, but she slowed herself to be with him. His conscious mind recognized a metaphor there, but he put it aside without examining it too closely. Anna was only a friend, a fellow servant and pleasant conversationalist. He had no business letting his mind wander to other, impossible places.

To keep the conversation from lagging entirely, he asked about the Crawley daughters, not knowing much about them. The girls had all been young children when he served with Lord Grantham in Africa, and no doubt they had all changed from the girls his officer had described.

With a smile, Anna gave him a brief account of each young woman's personality, her likes and dislikes. Though not a lady's maid, she kept a tight lip like one when it came to the secrets of each, never saying anything one of them might chastise her for if they overheard. She even spoke kindly of Lady Edith.

"I've heard that she and Lady Mary don't get on," Bates commented, such being far from a secret in the servant's hall at Downton.

"That's true," she admitted, "but they've always been that way, really. With Lady Sybil they are a little kinder, but to each other..."

Anna stopped, realizing she was saying too much. Instead, she smiled at him, letting her silence complete the observation. Eventually, she said, "Being a sister is a unique and challenging role. Especially with the estate entailed away."

Ah yes, the entail. Bates had heard talk of little else since his arrival. The untimely deaths of James and Patrick Crawley had thrown everything into chaos as far as the future of the estate was concerned. Below stairs, the maids speculated on whether Lady Mary might inherit after all, careful that Mr. Carson did not hear them.

"And why shouldn't a woman inherit?" he'd heard Anna declare forcefully to Gwen and Miss O'Brien only a week or two earlier. He smiled at the memory, picturing her with one hand on her hip and an expression of daring.

"I imagine they often find themselves in competition," he said.

The two older sisters were "out" in the sense that they'd been presented at court, but the youngest, Lady Sybil, still went to dances and socialized with her peers. All three daughters were attractive, but Lady Sybil was universally considered to be the kindest, or so was the impression Bates received from those around him. the youngest daughter also seemed to hold a special place in Lord Grantham's heart.

"I'm sure they do," she agreed. The way Anna smiled, he imagined that she had many stories she could share with him if she had a mind.

They parted upon reaching the town, and this time they made plans to meet in an hour so they could walk back to Downton together. Bates fretted over them being seen in each other's company, especially so soon after the last time, but Anna mentioned a parcel she might need help with carrying and begged his assistance. Of course, he could not deny her.

He found what he needed at a small shop Mr. Carson had mentioned to him and after spending some time being shown the appropriate wares by a shopkeeper eager to provide something for the Earl of Grantham, Bates selected a brush which would do for the time being. He picked a badger hair brush, although the handle was polished wood rather than a more ornate substance. The shopkeeper tried to sell him other shaving accouterments, but he quickly paid what was required and left before being drawn into a long-winded sales pitch.

Anna would need longer for her errands, so Bates contented himself with posting up near the building where they planned to meet and watching as the townspeople went about their day. Men and women walked by him or rode past on bicycles, none paying him much obvious attention, although he could feel their eyes on his cane when he wasn't looking. He'd felt a stabbing pain in his knee as he went to pay for the badger brush, but the shopkeeper had said nothing at his grimace, simply taking his money and providing the item.

Bates hoped he could make it back to Downton without another such incident as Anna would show more concern than the shopkeeper. Not for the first time, he wondered if he should see a doctor again about his leg. The pain and his limp had gotten progressively worse in prison until he'd been forced to begin using a cane once he was released.

Not that he had any desire to mention either the periodic pain or his time in prison to anyone. If he was very lucky, they might never find out at all considering that Yorkshire was far enough away from London. Or perhaps if they did find out, he could have made himself indispensable in the mean time...

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

Bates looked up as the sound of Anna's voice penetrated his thoughts. He smiled at her near apology before answering, "Not at all. I was enjoying the scenery."

As they set off back towards Downton, he automatically reached for her parcel - a fairly plain hat box bearing the insignia of a local milliner's shop. His taking the box made it easier for Anna to carry her basket, which was likewise full of other sundry items.

"I imagine it is very different here than in London."

"It is," he agreed, "although I was never very fond of living in the city."

It held too many memories, too many reminders of times long past, of half a lifetime squandered.

"I've only been a few times," Anna remarked. "There isn't usually much call for a housemaid to travel with the family."

Travel. Bates reminded himself of the amount of traveling he would be required to do with his Lordship. Trips to London for regimental dinners, and then there would be the London season, not to mention visits to family elsewhere in the country. He seemed to recall that the Crawleys had relatives in Scotland.

Sighing, Bates fortified himself for the tasks facing him. He did not mind the work or the walking, as he'd just walked all the way to Ripon, but he did not relish the thought of even more sets of disapproving eyes settling on his cane and sneering at his limp. Lord Grantham had determined he was to stay, at least for a time, but disapproval from his social circle might accomplish what Carson and Lady Grantham's misgivings could not.

If only there were a way to at least minimize his limp so that he did not need the cane...

"Did you find what you needed, Mister Bates?"

He realized he'd gotten lost in his own head again, completely ignoring whatever Anna had been saying to him. Refocusing on his walking companion, he gave her an apologetic smile and answered, "I did, thank you, or near enough. It will have to do until I can find what is missing. But what about you? Did you buy out the shops for Lady Edith?"

She chuckled. "Near enough, although I also got some things for myself."

"Rightfully so. It is your half day."

As he said the words, he felt a strange sort of protectiveness towards the housemaid, a genuine concern that the Earl's middle daughter might be taking advantage of her. And Bates knew how kind and good-natured Anna was, that she would give up the small bit of time allotted to her for an errand performed on another's behalf.

But she flashed him a smile, observing, "And I am thoroughly enjoying it."

While he thought to make a self deprecating comment about her spending time with an old cripple, her quiet enthusiasm stilled his tongue. Anna did not view him the way the others did. She did not see a used up charity case who was less than or found wanting for a servant. She simply saw a man, a bit battered and beaten by circumstances, but a man nevertheless, and one worthy of her friendship. He could not help but revel in the casual normality of her treatment, as though he were just anyone else.

But there was more there, he sensed, than a kindly regard for a fellow servant. Sometimes when Anna looked at him, he got the sense of something deeper. She certainly wished to continue with their friendship, but was there something more?

Setting the thought aside, Bates dedicated himself to their conversation for the remainder of the walk back to Downton. By the time the house's familiar form came into view, his knee was smarting fiercely, but Bates ignored it. The only thing he could do was continue on through the dull ache.

As they neared their destination, his limp had become more pronounced, and to distract Anna from noticing, he asked, "What exactly is in the tower? I have never been up there."

Anna glanced at the building, momentarily confused until she realized he was asking about the house's central edifice which stood higher than the rest. With a smirk of humor, she answered, "Well, you wouldn't have, then, would you? That's where they store the luggage. William and Thomas always take it up when it has been unpacked. The staircase is rather narrow. They say a footman almost died once, when he slipped and nearly broke his neck."

Uncomfortable with the reminder that he could not help carry the luggage, Bates simply nodded. "That explains it, then," he agreed.

"I'm sorry I don't have a more exciting answer," Anna apologized.

"You needn't be," he told her, giving her a tight-lipped smile even though the pain in his leg had grown much worse. He really needed a rest after their long walk, to sit and take the weight off of it. But he still had much work yet to do. "Not all mysteries have satisfying conclusions."

She waited a beat before offering, "I can take you up there to see it sometime. If you like. There are just come cupboards and such, but…"

They had finally reached the courtyard at the back of the house, and Anna paused just outside the back door. She seemed so different when not in her maid's uniform, as though she were a carefree young woman rather than a fellow servant. Bates rather liked the look of her in a hat in gloves.

"I'd like that," he told her truthfully.

So far, he preferred Anna's company to anyone else in the house, and he felt every desire and need to reciprocate her friendly treatment. In some ways, she reminded him of his mother, and in others she put him in mind of Vera, before she'd grown so harsh and demanding.

They said a brief goodbye before Bates entered the house, and as he made the long trek up to the family rooms, their quiet afternoon faded from his mind. It was replaced by concern over the missing brush and a need to complete his afternoon's work despite the trip into Ripon. His leg ached as he took the stairs, a deep and continuing discomfort which was very distinct from the flashes of pain he periodically felt. He could live with the ache and work through it, putting more weight on his cane and keeping his mind fast on his duties. But the periodic moments of agony could come at any time, and he worried that overtaxing his system would bring them on more frequently.

Thankfully, he found some time to rest while waiting for his Lordship before the dressing gong. The new shaving brush was installed in the place of its predecessor, and Bates hoped it would do the job for the time being.

Lord Grantham said nothing about it as he shaved, and Bates stood back, waiting in case his employer had need of him. Some men had their valets shave them, but Major Crawley had never been one such.

His Lordship, Bates reminded himself of the title. It would not do to slip into old familiar forms of address, lest his former commanding officer might suspect him of drawing too heavily on their earlier connection. He wanted to earn his place, not to use emotional blackmail to keep it.

"So you haven't found it yet?" the Earl asked, finishing up with the razor before wiping it off. He toweled off his face before turning towards the valet.

"Not yet, milord, but I'm sure it will turn up."

"I hope so. It may just be a brush, but it is quite valuable, both monetarily and on sentimental grounds."

"Indeed?" he prompted on the second point.

"Yes. My father gave it to me when I commissioned in the army. It was his uncle's before him."

Bates felt his heart sink as he heard the full history and determined again to give the room – the whole house, if it came to it – a thorough search. But before he could say more, Lord Grantham looked down at Pharoah as he sat a short ways away on the floor.

"What do you have there, boy?" he asked the dog.

Pharaoh turned away from him but did not run, a strange behavior for the usually happy canine, as though he were trying to hide. But his Lordship persisted, reaching down to wrestle something from the dog's mouth. His body obscured Bates' view during the reveal, but it immediately became apparent what had happened.

"I seem to have solved the mystery," the Earl declared with a jovial laugh. And as he turned back to Bates, the missing shave brush was in his hand.

"He had it?" the valet asked, never having considered such an option.

"It must have rolled onto the floor and Pharaoh retrieved it. Unfortunately, he was never much of a hunting dog, never wanting to relinquish his prizes." Lord Grantham spoke with amusement, and it was clear he did not blame Bates in the matter. "It isn't damaged, although I think I'll have you get the badger hair replaced… But that can wait for a time as we already have a secondary. Perhaps the next time you're in Ripon, or maybe Leeds..."

As he listened to his Lordship speak, Bates finally relaxed. The missing brush had been solved, and he was not at fault. As much as his aching leg did not relish another long walk, he thought about the enjoyable nature of Anna's company and her enthusiastic conversation. It might be a bit of a holiday, if their errands coincided again.

But before his imagination could run away with itself, he refocused on dressing Lord Grantham for dinner and collecting his clothes for washing. There was a spot on the right sleeve of his jacket which his Lordship could not place, although Bates suspected it was ink. He still needed to lay out the Earl's robe and pajamas for after dinner and then start on his clothes for the next day.

Bates put his mind into his work, happy to no longer have the looming threat of the missing brush hanging over him. And in odd moments when he had the opportunity to daydream, he thought about the blonde housemaid with such a brilliant smile. His unlikely friend.

fin