the princess and the pauper ♕ tommy shelby

chapter thirteen

Ada and Ophelia spend the night just gossiping, until Ophelia noticed a look in Ada's eye. "Who have you been seeing?" she asked. "Can you keep the secret?" she asked. "Of course," Ophelia said. "Freddie Thorne" Ada said, smiling like a schoolgirl. "I see, and no one knows?" she asked. "No, Freddie's a communist, would mean only trouble" Ada said. "Sometimes trouble is worth everything if it means love" Ophelia said.

There was a knock on the door. "Ophelia, a telegram!" John yelled as he ran back down. Ophelia got up and went to the living room where Polly, John, Arthur and Tommy were sitting. "Thank you" she said and opened the telegram.

"Carlisle threatens to leak the story if I don't marry – MC"

"Oh no" she said as she read it. "Everything alright?" Polly asked as Ada also came down. "No, actually. But I shouldn't burden you all with my family drama" Ophelia said. "You could never bother us" Arthur joked. But he stopped his laughing when he saw the fear on her face. "Perhaps we can help" Polly said, when she saw thunder in Tommy's eyes. "Before the war, a man named Mr. Pamuk from the Ottoman Empire came to stay with us, he was in England for a meeting with the Embassy for an independent Albania" Ophelia started, and everyone watched her.

"In the night he visited my sister Mary, and while they were both naked in her bed he suddenly died" Ophelia said. "Mary asked me, our lady's maid and our mother for help to carry him back to his room, and we pretended that's where we found him. But a maid had seen us and told our sister Edith she saw Mary and I, Edith told the Embassy and luckily, we were able to contain the rumour, however Mary's fiancé is now threatening to expose it if she doesn't marry him" Ophelia said, "And if this story gets out it ruins both you and your sister?" Polly asked. "Yes, and then our family" Ophelia said. "Oh dear" Polly said and hugged the girl. "What's the man's name?" Tommy asked, speaking up for the first time.

"Sir Richard Carlisle, he owns a newspaper in London" Ophelia said. "Perhaps some of our men can speak with him" Arthur said. "Perhaps we could, I'm dying for a fight" he laughed. "Please, don't. I couldn't let anything happen to any of you" Ophelia said and tried to lighten the mood.

In the early morning, at around 3.30 am, she woke up and went to get some tea, she would leave and get the train at 10. "If this is truly bothering you, tell me" Tommy said as he walked down, the sound of digging keeping him up. "I will. But for now, you should go back to bed, you look like you haven't been visited by the sandman in months" Ophelia said. "I have not slept since we parted" Tommy said. "You should" she said. She held out her hand and took him back to his room.

She took him in her arms as he wrapped his around her body. "It's just you and me, Tommy" she whispered and kept stroking his hair until she felt him fall asleep in her arms and breathe much easier. "Just you and me" she whispered again. At 8 o'clock she sneaked out and went downstairs where she was met with Polly. "Tommy told me'A~~~~" she said. "I'd do nothing to harm or hurt him" Ophelia said. "I know it's not you that doesn't want this, I could never understand your family's way of life" Polly said. "The moment there is a solution, I will take it" Ophelia said. "And I think there will be one soon" she said before she got ready for the train.

When she arrived at home Mary told her Sybil would be leaving for Ireland with Branson soon. "Papa has allowed it" she said surprised when they had lunch. "Yes, and I know that it's going to be difficult, but I don't mind, I love him I'd do anything." Sybil said. "And this may be a chance for you, and your soldier" she said. Ophelia blushed. "What soldier is she talking about?" Lord Grantham asked. "Ada's brother, Tommy. He was stationed in my nurse unit, and he helped save Matthew" Ophelia said as she fought against her blushing face.

"What does he do?" Lord Grantham asked, and her mother seemed trilled she was blushing. "He's a bookmaker in Birmingham" Ophelia said. "His brothers are as well" Ophelia said. "Hmm, very respectable in the army?" her father asked. "I believe so, Tommy held the Sergeant Major rank and received the Military Metal, a distinguished conduct metal, the 1914 star and British war medal" Ophelia said. "That's quite impressive." Lord Grantham said and put his food down for a moment. "Do be sure as well, and it may be quite the change for me" Lord Grantham said.

"I do have another request" Ophelia said. "I would like to be a nurse again. I can't stay here and do nothing not when I have the skill to help people" Ophelia said. "Where did you plan on going?" her mother asked. "Ada found a hospital just outside of Birmingham which is looking for military nurses like myself, I would like to apply. I would visit as much as I could I promise" Ophelia said. Lady Grantham looked at Lord Grantham. "As much as you can?" he asked. "Yes, every weekend at least" Ophelia said. "And every special dinner we ask you for?" Lord Grantham asked. "Of course," Ophelia said.

"Then write to them and ask for the job" Lord Grantham said. "Really? Oh, thank you Papa!" Ophelia said and went to hug her father. "But do wait to marry Mr. Shelby to save me from a heart attack" he said.  "Oh, he said he won't marry me until he made himself worthy" Ophelia said. "A quite determined man, I like it" Mary said. "So do I" Lord Grantham said.

Ophelia immediately made the arrangements and send the letter to apply for the job. After she finished, she saw Mrs. Hughes rush upstairs. "Everything alright?" Ophelia asked. "No, my lady. They've just arrested Mr. Bates for the murder of his wife" Mrs. Hughes said. "Good heavens" Ophelia said and went to find her father for her. "Papa you must come quick" she said when she found him in the library. "What happened?" he asked, immediately standing up. "It's Bates, they've arrested him, they think he killed his wife" Ophelia said. "And he just got married to Anna which made them more suspicious" Ophelia said, and he called Murray immediately.

Lord Grantham made sure Bates would get his lawyer and Ophelia heard back from the hospital, getting the job. "When will you leave?" Lord Grantham asked his daughter. "Tomorrow, but do keep me updated about Bates, please" Ophelia said. "Of course." He said.

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'just you and me' is their okay, their always, their 'i love you'