the princess and the pauper ♕ tommy shelby

chapter ten

Ophelia had been working most of the time while she was at Downton, moving all around the house. Tommy had promised to try their scheme on Patrick, which was now more suspicious when Murray confirmed there was indeed a man found with amnesia and lived the past years in Canada.

"Are you sure about this?" Tommy asked when he saw Ophelia walk by again. "I am. Because if it's not him, and we believe it is. Everything goes to him. He'd become my father's heir again, and our money and houses would go to him when my father dies" Ophelia said. Tommy nodded, his family never had to deal which such extremes, but staying at Downton had made Tommy open his eyes about the worlds he didn't know.

He started his scheme by looking for Patrick, when he saw Ophelia's sister, Edith, speak with him he followed and observed. He couldn't expose the plan to Edith so he'd wait when they could be alone. While he was walking around, he found Mrs. Hughes, trying to speak to a soldier. "You don't intervene with my business" the soldier said and walked away from Mrs. Hughes. "Everything alright, Mrs. Hughes?" Tommy asked. "Why are some men so stubborn?" she asked looking at Tommy. "Because, society makes us believe we can be" Tommy said. "Anything I can do to help?" he asked.

"He fathered a child with a former maid, but he won't take responsibility for it" Mrs. Hughes said, walking closer to Tommy. "Then he's not a real man" Tommy said. Mrs. Hughes was surprised by his words. "You think he should acknowledge the child?" Mrs. Hughes asked. "If there is a possibility it is his, he would need to, yes. Even if it's just providing for the young woman" Tommy said. "Who taught you to think like that? Men around here don't" Mrs. Hughes said. "My aunt Polly, she raised me and my brothers. I also see it how I'd want if it were to happen to my sister" Tommy said. "Then she raised you well" Mrs. Hughes said.

Their conversation was interrupted by an angry Mr. Carson and Barrow. "Who does he take orders from?" Mr. Carson asked Mrs. Hughes. "I told you, either Mrs. Crawley, Lady Grantham or Dr. Clarkson" Barrow said. "Any one ranked higher as well, unless you forget you're a soldier" Tommy said. "I'm Lance Sergeant" Barrow said, trying to impress Tommy. "Sergeant Major, perhaps you should listen to the butler of the house you are currently living in for free, lance sergeant" Tommy said, which shocked Barrow, and also made him angry. He assumed Matthew was the highest ranked man here, besides him.

Tommy left their company and looked for Patrick, who finally was on his own. "Patrick? So, what they say is true, you are back and alive" Tommy said. Patrick turned to Tommy, trying to recognise him from pictures around the house, which is how he recognised Edith in the first place, because like Mary and Ophelia suspected, his name was not Patrick Crawley. "Yes, I am" he said, not saying the man's name. He feared it was someone he needed to know, and if he got it wrong, it would ruin his plans.

"It has been years, where did they have you stationed?" Tommy asked, sitting down next to Patrick. "France mostly, that's where they send the troop I was with." Patrick said. "Did I see you at the Somme?" Tommy asked. "Because I thought I did, but then thinking you're dead I assumed Death was coming for me as well" Tommy said, trying to remain light-hearted. "Yes, well, I suppose it was me" Patrick said, but the tremble in his voice made Tommy suspicious of him.

"When did you get that accent, it's strange" Tommy said. "I spend the past 6 years in Canada" Patrick said. "Canada, eh?" Tommy said. "How about you and I go for a smoke, so we can speak more, you know like the old days" Tommy said. "I don't smoke" Patrick said. "You quit?" Tommy asked.

Ophelia had told Tommy a secret none of the others knew. When she was 13 years old, Patrick and she smoked a cigarette behind the stalls, no one knew, only them. "I never smoked" Patrick said. "Hmm" Tommy said.

After their talk, Tommy went to look for Ophelia who had been walking around helping where she could. "Did you have a chance yet?" Ophelia asked. "Yes, I don't think it's him" Tommy said standing near her. "What's your proof? Or is it a gut feeling I just have to believe?" Ophelia said. "Your secret. He claims he never smoked" Tommy said. "Hmm" Ophelia said. "Could you... would do me one more favour" Ophelia asked. "Of course," Tommy said. "There are only few photographs of myself when I'm older, given I have not been home since the war started, but there are enough of me younger. I wondered if you could look at them and say if I still look the same" Ophelia said. "of course," Tommy said. "They are in the library, even the half the soldiers are allowed" Ophelia said, and Tommy nodded. He went to see it immediately.

She looked happy in the photographs and much younger. She had matured in the last few years, and he felt blessed he could see the growth from these photos to the young woman she was now. He walked back to her. "Only someone who truly knows you, would know how you'd look like now" Tommy told her. "Thank you" Ophelia said.

While she was working her father came into the room. "Can everyone who is able join me in the hall?" Lord Grantham asked. Freddie and Tommy helped the soldiers who could walk to the hall where all the servants and the family was waiting. Ophelia stood between her sister, Mary, and Tommy, looking at her father. "As of today, November 8th, we are officially done with the war. On November 11th, at 11 o'clock the peace treaty will be signed" Lord Grantham said.

Everyone cheered and hugged each other. It was finally over, and soon everything would be going back to normal. Ophelia then realised this meant she would see less of Tommy again. She felt her sister's eyes on her back before she left to celebrate with everyone.

If Tommy Shelby had the choice to either end his relationship or continue it, he would have chosen to continue it, if it had not been for her status. He noticed her sister's looks, and he could almost hear what she would have to say. He knew it, and how he hated the world for it.

When Tommy left to gather his belongings, because with the war over, he had no more business here. "Were you planning on leaving without saying goodbye" Ophelia said when she entered the room Tommy resided in. "Of course not, I could never" Tommy said. "I'm needed in London, to sign papers saying I served until the end, and I'm available for nurse work after as well" Ophelia said. "So, if you are in London, find me" Ophelia said before she left the room.

Tommy finished grabbing everything, he decided he would walk to the nearest station and buy his ticket to London, which he assumed was also the place where his friends and brothers would arrive. And he couldn't give up on the chance, his last chance to spend time with Ophelia. Just before he left, he found Lord and Lady Grantham. "I wanted to thank you, for all you have done for my fellow men, Lord Grantham, Lady Grantham." Tommy said when he found them. "My good man, you saved my cousin, I should be thanking you" Lord Grantham said. "I did what any man would do. I hope Captain Crawley recovers soon, and healthy" Tommy said. "Thank you, Sergeant Major" Lord Grantham said. "Hope your brothers get home safely, Sergeant Major" Lady Grantham said. "Thank you, my lady" Tommy said before he took his leave.

When he was finally stood outside, he lit up a cigarette and looked at the clear sky. "I may be old, but I know exactly what is going on" a voice behind him said. When he turned around, he saw the Dowager countess. "I wouldn't suspect anything less from you, my lady" Tommy said. "Officially, it's ladyship, or Dowager countess" Violet Crawley said. "Of course, my apologies, my ladyship" Tommy said. "You didn't know better. Besides, that's not why I came here to talk to you about" she said.

Tommy looked at the Dowager, waiting for her to continue to speak. "I want what's best for my granddaughters, and for Ophelia, she needs someone who can give her anything she would want, I hope you can see what I'm saying" she said. "It's because I can, that I'm stepping away" Tommy said. "I do hope so" the Dowager said, looking at Tommy. "Trust me, Dowager. You will not see me again until I've made myself worthy to your granddaughter" Tommy said before he threw his cigarette on the ground, crushed it with his shoe into the gravel.

...
will tommy keep his promise? Or can't they resist each other, only time will tell