Disclaimer: I don't own Downton Abbey, neither the fictional house in Yorkshire nor the real place in Oxfordshire where it was filmed. I wish I did. And that it came with Tom Branson and John Bates.

Spoilers: Through Series 1 episode 7.

Author's Notes: I really liked Mr Bates' mother, and I wanted to know how he knew she liked Anna. Obviously she wrote him a letter, and I was curious about what that might have said. After a couple drafts, this was how it came out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~DOWNTON ABBEY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear John,

Although I'm sure she's already told you, I received a call last week from Miss Anna Smith, who informed me she worked with you at Downton. I invited her in for tea, and she began making inquiries about your past. Since she seemed a sweet girl who was quite enamoured with you, I answered her as honestly as I could. We talked for a long while about you and Vera, your career in the army, and you in general.

She is a very nice young woman, John; I'm glad someone so worthy is looking after you in Yorkshire. Please don't keep her at arms' length with secrets and those tortured stares of yours. I truly don't believe this girl could help loving you, no matter how much of your unscrupulous past you revealed to her. Have faith, my dear.

Eagerly awaiting grandchildren,

Your mother

John Bates read the letter from his mother again, folding the thin paper and tucking it into his vest pocket. Obviously telling Anna that his mother 'liked' her was a gross understatement, but he wasn't ready to show her the letter yet.

He felt badly about warding Molsely off Anna at the garden party, but he'd referred to her as 'his Anna' mentally for an embarrassingly long time. John entered the servants' dining room, his eyes going directly to her. She watched him with her kind soft eyes, a secret smile playing around her lips. He limped over to his regular seat beside her, and he could feel a ridiculous smile pulling at his lips. Anna handed him a cup and saucer, their fingers brushing 'accidentally'.

Their gaze held, but then John turned more forward in his seat. Anna followed suit; just because they were secretly flirting didn't mean they had to lose all propriety.