Barrow's Boy - A Downton Abbey Fanfiction

Playing the Right Cards

     People were starting to hate the colour black. Lady Mary had been stuck in it for the past six months, despite Anna's attempts to bring her back to wearing some colour. Theodore was indifferent to the colour. He never saw Lady Mary anyway, apart from the occasional glimpse of her around the Abbey or the village. He wasn't sure if that even counted. 

     What Theodore did hate was growth spurts. Not because he was having them, but because everyone else was. 

     He was thirteen, which was apparently the prime time for boys to be growing, appearing more like the men they were becoming. And yet, Teddy seemed to have been left behind by it all. Despite the attempts of many members of the Downton staff to assure him that he still had time to grow, he was beginning to wonder if this was the tallest he would ever get. 

     "Think of it this way," Jimmy was saying to him from his seat at the piano bench. Teddy sat at the table, close enough to the piano that they could have the conversation. He looked up from the homework laid out in front of himself and at the footman. "Would you rather be as tall as Alfred?" 

     "Alfred reminds me of a giraffe." 

     Jimmy laughed, turning back to the piano and flipping through the sheet music. 

     "And I'm more like a leprechaun," Teddy added, turning back to his own books as well. 

     "No, I don't think so," Jimmy replied, deciding on a song and pressing on the book so that it would stay open to the page. "You're not Irish." 

      Jimmy looked over his shoulder and smiled at Teddy, at which the younger boy couldn't help but smile back. He had to admit, Jimmy's attempts to cheer him up were very appreciated. 

     As music started coming from the piano, Teddy continued to work on the question put out in front of him. If he could finish his work, then he wouldn't have any work to do that weekend. As long as Carson didn't pull him into doing one job or another, that is. 

     Teddy ended up finishing his work even sooner than he had expected and, with an hour before he had to be back at the Abbey, he started to head into the village. 

    Everett's telephone call hadn't only been regarding his feelings for his classmate, but a request as well. Teddy truly wanted to help his friend, but he wasn't too keen on the thought of doing this alone, so he made one stop on his way to the Baron of Holclair's home. 

     "Is Abigail available?" He asked, looking up at the woman who had answered the door. Charlotte Bennett smiled at him and nodded, moving aside. 

     "Why don't you step in? I'll ask Alice to go and find her." Teddy quietly walked a few steps into the house, enough that the door could be closed behind him. He took a look around the entry as Mrs. Bennett went to find either her maid or her daughter, taking it all in. 

     There was no doubting that the Bennetts were richer than Teddy had ever been, and he doubted that that would change over time. But, he often found that, when it was his friend group, money didn't seem to matter. 

     Teddy looked up at the stairs at the sound of footsteps and smiled as Abi came hurrying down them. 

    "Hello Teddy," she said as she hopped down the last few steps. "How are you?"

    "I'm well, thank you. And yourself?" 

    "Wonderful," she replied, walking towards the hatstand. Teddy reached over to it and grabbed her coat before she could, holding it for her to put on. "Oh, thank you. So, where are we headed today?"