The Life of Viscount Downton [Book 1]

LIII

"Barrow, why is the Alex not down for tea today? Has he not come back from his ride?"

Robert Crawley asks as he entered the library, where he saw the rest of his family already there...except for Alex

"The Viscount said that he wanted to rest after a long ride all over town, milord" the butler politely replied

"But Alex isn't usually tired from his rides" Mary said "He's also usually here first, playing with the children"

"Perhaps he took more rounds around town than the usual?" Rose suggested

But Cora had already sense that something was off, and stood up from the settee she was sitting on

"I'll go check up on him upstairs" she said to them "Just to make sure he's alright"

As soon as the Lady of the House had left the Grand Library, Thomas Barrow was already silently praying to whoever it was above that they will guide his master and help him in facing his mother

***

"Come in!"

Cora Crawley heard her son say aloud from inside his room after she placed a gentle knock on the door

And as soon as she entered, she saw Alex, whose back was facing her as he sat on his bed and gently touching some of the small bandages in his chest. He was also holding a towel with ice to his cheek, healing his bruise

"Mister Barrow, thank you for bringing up some juice to m–"

The Viscount's jolly expression slowly faded away and his body froze almost entirely...

...when he saw his mother's figure standing inside his room

Cora's expression, on the other hand, was both of shock and disappointment. She saw the other small bandages across his chest, as well as the small bruises across his face

"H-Hello, mother" Alex then finally managed to say

"What in the world had just happened to you?!" Cora asks

"My bicycle...it almost got stolen today by a group of boys from another town" he went straight to the point "I tried to be polite, I promise. Violence was the the last thing on my mind"

"Were you with Miss Lewis at that time?"

"Not at the Church, no. But I accompanied her to Mr. Bakewell's when the stealing happened. She then went back here, and saw Mister Barrow and Andy on their way out to the village"

"And you persuaded both Barrow and Andy not to tell us?"

"I did, yes. It's because...all of you might get very angry at me" Alex said, painfully taking a deep breath to control his emotions "Especially you and Papa. I don't want the two of you to worry so much about me"

Cora's expression then slowly soften as she heard his last sentence. Alex, from the very beginning, has always try to be the best around his family. He had a duty to uphold after all: to become a good English gentleman who will one day be the next Earl of Grantham and the caretaker of the Downton Estate

But as any young man would experience, there would be a lot fights and tussles along their way. An English gentleman like him should stay away from things like that

Which is why since he was almost beaten up to death months ago, Alex has been ever so conscious in not getting into any more fights. He resorted to sarcasms and arguments, not going any further than that. It worked most of the time, but it didn't help in his reputation, as he was called 'weak', 'lame', and 'cannot fight like a man'