Disclaimer: I own nothing at all related to Downton Abbey –if I did, 4.03 would never have happened. All characters are property of Julian Fellowes and ITV.

(Spoilers if you haven't watched 4.03 yet)

Mrs. Hughes watched wearily as the Bates' trudged away from the Abbey. It had been 2 weeks and still Anna turned slightly away from her husband as they walked down the path, appearing curled into herself even as she walked. Not for the first time that fortnight, Mrs. Hughes watched Mr. Bates' hand reach out towards Anna and Anna's almost imperceptible flinch away from him.

That poor man, she thought, regretting even more her impulsive vow of secrecy to Anna. At the time it seemed like she had been doing the right thing, but as she watched Mr. Bates grow more and more bewildered about his wife's sudden, unexplainable personality change, she grew more convinced that Mr. Bates would have to be told. But she couldn't go back on her word to Anna. No one must ever know.

"Mrs. Hughes?" Mr. Carson's voice behind her made her jump, and she turned to find that the last few stragglers had cleared out of the servants' hall.

"Oh, Mr. Carson, you made me jump," she said as lightly as she could. "Is something the matter?"

"Actually," Mr. Carson said, settling himself into one of the chairs, "I believe something is the matter with Anna."

"With Anna?" she repeated, wondering how she could get through this conversation without breaking Anna's confidence.

"Yes, Mrs. Hughes, Anna," Mr. Carson repeated, impatient with her feigned ignorance. "I thought you might know why Anna jumps at every sudden sound, only plays with her food and turns white at any mention of the boot room. Mr. Bates came to ask me today, he wondered if you or I had reprimanded Anna –I told him we hadn't, although even if that were the case, that would be no reason for Anna's sudden withdrawal into herself."

"I can't tell you," she said, though she knew that would not stop him from asking. "Yes, something is the matter with Anna, but I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone. She would be mortified if she knew I had told someone."

"What secret could you possibly be keeping for Anna that not even Mr. Bates knows?" Carson pondered aloud. "Mr. Bates is very worried about her, says she's even more subdued and skittish at their cottage than she is here, if that's even possible."

At this, Mrs. Hughes felt even more guilty about her promise of secrecy to Anna. But whatever horrors Mr. Bates was imagining, they were nothing compared to what that poor girl had endured.

"I came across Anna in a moment of distress and she told me," she explained, hoping that detail would satisfy Mr. Carson. "I promised I would keep her secret for her –she would be mortified if anyone else found out."

"And are we to find out what this secret is eventually?" Mr. Carson persisted, wondering if Anna's sudden change was down to a suspected pregnancy –and if so, whatever was the protocol for a pregnant ladies' maid?

"Not if Anna has anything to do with it," Mrs. Hughes muttered, remembering the terror in Anna's face as she begged her never to tell Mr. Bates or even Dr. Clarkson.

"Mr. Bates did wonder if it had anything to do with that friendly Mr. Green," Mr. Carson went on. "He was afraid Anna might be regretting her wedding vows."

"She doesn't," Mrs. Hughes replied automatically.

"But it does have something to do with Mr. Green?" Carson persisted, noticing that she hadn't denied that part of his query.

"I can't tell you," she repeated, wondering whether he could piece the story together himself.

"But whatever it is, it's enough to have you worried about Anna too," he continued. "Someone or something scared or hurt her so badly that she can't tell Mr. Bates, but was all right for her to tell you. Am I correct?"

"I don't think she'd have told me if she didn't need my help," Mrs. Hughes admitted. "She was adamant that no one must ever know, especially not Mr. Bates."

"Especially not Mr. Bates?" Mr. Carson enquired. "Whyever would Anna keep a secret from Mr. Bates of all people? He adores her!"

Mrs. Hughes stood up to make them both a cup of tea, while Mr. Carson went on ruminating about Anna, Bates and Green. When Mrs. Hughes sat down again, placing a biscuit barrel betweem them, the look on Mr. Carson's face had changed from one of bewilderment to one of determination and –was that pity on Mr. Carson's face?

"Mr. Green hurt Anna," Mr. Carson said as soon as he caught her eye. It wasn't a question. "Hurt her badly enough that it would kill Bates if he found out."

"She's afraid Mr. Bates would kill Mr. Green," Mrs. Hughes corrected him. "And then he would hang."

From the look on Mr. Carson's face, she could see that he understood exactly what had happened.

"Please don't tell Anna that you know," Mrs. Hughes pleaded. "She doesn't want people to know and pity or judge her for it. You know as well as I do that many people would believe it was her fault."

"The bastard," Mr. Carson went on, "that bastard raped our Anna –and she doesn't want him punished for it?"

"She doesn't want anyone to know it happened," Mrs. Hughes repeated.

"Not even his Lordship?" Mr. Carson went on. "If only she had spoken up, that monster would have been arrested, or at least dismissed without a reference!"

"Would you put Anna and Mr. Bates through the torment of a public trial?" Mrs. Hughes replied acidly. Anna was enough of a wreck as it was, subjecting her to public scutiny –even if it were just to his Lordship and Lady Mary –would be too much for her to bear, she was sure.

"Poor Bates," Mr. Carson went on, echoing her earlier sentiments. "He's imagined so many things that could be wrong, but never this!"

"If he ever finds out," Mrs. Hughes reminded him. "Anna intends to take this secret to her grave –and we won't go behind her back to tell him. She'd never forgive us!"

"We won't tell him," Mr. Carson agreed, "but eventually Anna will have to tell him. And the thought of that vile Mr. Green getting away with it..."

"As long as he stays away from Downton, I am willing to let the matter die," Mrs. Hughes said reluctantly. "It's far more important to me to get Anna back to us than to chase for justice –and a trial may very well go in his favour."

"I suppose you're right," Mr. Carson had to agree as he stood up to return the biscuit barrel to it's place.

As he and Mrs. Hughes left the servants' hall, both lost in thoughts of Anna and Mr. Bates, Mr. Carson wondered what was happening in Anna and Mr. Bates' cottage. Anna would tell her husband soon, he was sure of that.

One look at Anna's pale, drawn face and Bates' worried look the the next morning told him that Bates was still in the dark.