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“Oh, Anna, you’re here,” Mary sat at her vanity, brushing her fingers through her hair and smiling as her lover entered her room, “Fetch me that deep blue gown won’t you? The one I got in London.”
“Of course, M’lady,” Anna replied, disappearing momentarily.
“How many times must I tell you to drop the formalities when we’re alone?” Mary asked, a soft smile playing on her lips, “Doesn’t sound like how my future wife should speak about me.”
Anna giggled as she returned, “I don’t know if that will be in the cards for us, my love. Not with the way the world treats people like us.”
Mary rolled her eyes, “Maybe, but that shouldn’t stop me from hoping, should it?”
Anna smiled, setting the dress down on Mary’s bed and wrapping her arms around Mary’s shoulder, “I should hope you never stop dreaming for us.”
Mary flushed, always becoming soft in Anna’s hands, “You look beautiful tonight, darling.”
“I look the same as I always do,” Anna replied, nuzzling herself into the crook of Mary’s neck.
“True, and you always look beautiful.”
Anna scoffed playfully, “Don’t flirt too much or I’ll never let you go to dinner. I’ll keep you here in my arms all night.”
“In that case I shall have to keep flirting,” Mary chuckled, “I don’t wish to go to dinner anyways.”
“Any reason?”
“Only the usual,” Mary sighed, “More conversation of men when all I can think about is a certain woman…”
Anna flushed, “Well, you know I’ll be here to undress you after supper, so you won’t have to wait too long to see me again.”
“Good,” Mary smiled, leaning over to place a kiss on Anna’s cheek, “We’d better get going or I will be late. Mama would never forgive me for that.”
“Daisy!!” Mrs. Patmore yelled, “Hurry up with the vegetables!”
“Yes, Mrs. Patmore!” Daisy breathed out, rushing over to the cook’s side with a bowl of freshly cut greens, tossing them into the pot which rested on the stove.
“What’s got you all in a tizzy, Mrs. Patmore?” Thomas asked, leaning against the wall and pulling a cigarette from his pocket.
“Isn’t that how she always is?” Anna chuckled, as she returned from dressing Lady Mary. That statement earned her a glare from Mrs. Patmore and several quick nods from Daisy.
“Lord Grantham’s told me to take extra care with this dinner,” Mrs. Patmore said, rushing to fetch something from across the kitchen, “There’s some grand duke coming and I suppose they’re looking to impress him. As if my cooking isn’t always impressive…”
“Oh? I hadn’t heard that there would be a guest for dinner,” Anna commented, wondering why Mary hadn’t thought to mention this visitor.
“Presumably another one of Lady Mary’s suitors,” William chimed in.
“I’m sure he’ll be flinging himself at her like all the rest of them,” Thomas mumbled.
“I heard he’s incredibly handsome,” Daisy commented, looking at the ceiling dreamily, “Lady Mary couldn’t possibly turn him down…”
“He can’t be that handsome,” Anna scoffed, feeling a surge of what she could only describe as jealousy.
“What’s with you?” asked Gwen, “We should be happy if Lady Mary finally picks out a good suitor.”
Anna’s mind felt jumbled. Why hadn’t Mary said anything? Did she intend on breaking things off to live a normal life with a man? She was probably overthinking, but what if Mary-
“Anna?” Gwen cut off the maid’s increasingly nervous thought processes, “Are you alright?”
“Perfectly,” Anna smiled crookedly, clenching her fists slightly behind her back, “I just know Lady Mary doesn’t enjoy being harassed into romance. I feel sorry for her.”
“Honestly, what’s it to you,” Thomas grumbled.
“Less talking, more serving!!” Mrs. Patmore yelled, “William, Thomas, get the stew and bring it up!!”
“Yes, Mrs. Patmore!” William replied, Thomas not even bothering with a word.
Anna spent her evening trying to pretend as if nothing was wrong, although she was really just stewing in her jealousy. She probably would have gotten over it well enough had it not been for the conversation that was had after the footmen returned from dinner.
“You were right, Daisy, he was handsome enough,” William said, setting the dishes down beside the sink.
“Was he? And what did Lady Mary seem to think?” Gwen asked.
“Always a bit hard to tell what Lady Mary is thinking,” William replied, looking slightly sheepish to be gossiping.
Anna crossed her arms from her place at the servants’ dinner table, trying to pretend as if she wasn’t listening very intently.
“Hard to tell what Lady Mary was thinking, but certainly not what was going on in the duke’s mind,” Thomas smirked, “I don’t believe he took his eyes off her the entire night.”
“He did seem rather taken,” Mr. Carson commented, “Though it is not our place to assume anything.”
“Taken?” Thomas laughed, “More like-”
“That’s enough of that,” Mrs. Hughes entered the room, cutting Thomas off mid thought, “Mr. Carson is correct, it is not our place to gossip.”
Anna breathed a sigh of relief at Mrs. Hughes’ ending of the conversation. The very last thing she wanted right now was to hear more about how this so-called handsome man had been ogling Mary. Her Mary. That’s right, Mary was Anna’s! Anna grumbled to herself, slouching down in her chair.
That’s when the bell rang, signaling that Lady Mary was ready to be dressed for bed. Anna didn’t hesitate in getting up, making her way upstairs with a rather grouchy look on her face (one that didn’t go unnoticed by Mrs. Hughes, but the housekeeper decided not to comment on it at that moment.)
Mary looked positively ecstatic at Anna’s entrance, leaping up the second the door was closed behind her lover.
“That dinner was horrid,” Mary muttered, pulling Anna flush against her.
Anna felt her irritation melt slightly at the lady’s touch, “Was it? I heard talk that there was a duke come for supper…”
“You heard right,” Mary sighed, “Papa didn’t think to tell me beforehand…are you alright, darling, you look a little peaked."
Anna smiled slightly. At least she didn’t need to worry about Mary’s motives for keeping the information concealed anymore. “I’m alright…I just didn’t like the talk in the servant’s hall.”
“Oh? And what was that pray tell?” Mary sat down on the edge of her bed, patting the spot beside her.
“They said this ‘duke’ had his eyes on you all evening,” Anna said, flushing with slight embarrassment, “I can’t deny the thought made my blood curdle.”
Mary’s eyes widened slightly, “Is my Anna jealous?”
“Just a little bit,” Anna looked down at her feet.
Mary chuckled, “Oh, darling, there’s certainly nothing to worry about. You know how devoted I am to you.”
“Yes, I know,” Anna replied, “But I wish everyone else could know it too.”
Mary thought for a moment, “As much as I wish the same, I don’t believe I can make that happen, but…I can prove to you how devoted I am.”
Anna perked up slightly, making eye contact with Mary, “Meaning?”
Mary didn’t respond, simply slipping onto her knees on the ground, gazing up at Anna like she was god themself. Mary set her hands on Anna’s legs, fluttering her beautiful eyelashes.
“I worship the ground you walk on, Anna,” Mary whispered, leaving hot kisses along Anna’s thighs, “And if my darling is ever jealous I must leave her with no doubt that I belong completely to her.”
Anna felt her heart skipping a bit, reaching her fingers down to tangle in Mary’s hair. Anna was the only one who got to see Mary like this…like she would do anything for Anna. That thought was incredibly intoxicating.
“Mary,” Anna muttered, pulling Mary’s head back gently, “You’re gorgeous like this…”
Mary smiled teasingly, “Am I?”
Anna’s fingers tightened slightly in Mary’s hair, feeling her heart beating faster as she began to play into Mary’s little game, “Certainly. Are you really so desperate to prove yourself to me?”
Mary nodded, nuzzling her nose against Anna’s knee sweetly.
“Good, because the thought of someone having their eyes on what’s mine really doesn’t sit right,” Anna teased.
“The other servants shouldn’t get suspicious for another fifteen minutes at least,” Mary commented, the fire in her eyes heating up, “Do you reckon that’s long enough for you to stake your claim on me?”
“Plenty long,” Anna grinned, pulling Mary to her feet.
“Well then, I’m at your mercy, my darling,” Mary whispered, licking her lips.
Anna simply couldn’t resist, her earlier embarrassment flying away as she brought her own lips to Mary’s, kissing her with the hunger of two lovers who had to keep their relationship hush hush.
“Gods, do I love you,” Mary mumbled, her hands toying eagerly with Anna’s dress.
“I love you too,” Anna replied, her voice light and teasing, “But I do think actions speak louder than words. Mind if I show you how much I love you?”
Mary giggled (a sound Anna never tired of hearing), “By all means go on~”