Barrow's Boy - A Downton Abbey Fanfiction

What Happens at the Party

     The cot that had been placed in Leo's room for the week was not what one could call comfortable, but after twelve years of sleeping on the servant beds in the Abbey, Teddy was not one to complain.

     "Hey, Teddy?" Leo's voice broke through the darkness one night. Teddy had already been staying with the family for days, yet he and Leo had not had any late-night conversations. So far, there seemed to be a mutual agreement to just let each other sleep. Yet, Leo had spoken, and Teddy would not leave him without a response.

      "Yeah?"

     "Do you think-?" Leo stopped mid-sentence, then let out a sharp breath. "Nevermind, it's stupid."

      Teddy shifted on his cot, creaking sounding through the room as he did so. 

     "I doubt that. Ask me."

     "Do you think anyone can have the chance to go to university? Like you're working for?"

     "I think everyone deserves the chance," Teddy replied, smiling at the ceiling. "But they have to either be very rich or work hard to actually have it."

     "Huh." Leo was quiet for a moment. "Thanks."

    With that, they both tried to sleep.

     The next day, Teddy and Leo stood together by the front door, waiting to head over to Hartford's with the documents that Oscar had forgotten on the dining room table. Hazel, who was supposed to come with them, was upstairs, still working on getting ready.

     "Come on, Hazel," Leo called up the stairs. "It's eating crayons easy!"

     "Eating crayons easy," Teddy repeated, turning to Leo with amusement. "I don't think I ever ate crayons."

      "Oh, I'm willing to bet that Hazel still does, if she can't do this-" 

      "Leo, stop talking! I'm coming!"

     Hazel came down the stairs in a pink dress, much like one that Teddy could expect to see on Rose. This observation led him to ask where she'd gotten it.

     Hazel turned to Teddy, surprised, but she smiled wide. "I made it. I got the fabric from a store not too far from the restaurant."

     "Wait, really?" Hazel nodded. "Hazel, that's incredible. You could do this professionally."

     "Well, that's the hope," she replied, looking down and smoothing out the layered skirt of her dress. 

     "That's incredible."

     With that conversation having been had, it was no surprise for Teddy to learn that Hazel's outfit for the party that night was also a work of her own, which she had apparently been working on for some time. 

      Teddy found himself glad to have brought his blue suit with him, which he now wore with the tie gifted to him by Thomas. He stood in the kitchen with Diana, conversing with her as he waited for Hazel to be ready. Though she hadn't said it in so many words, Teddy had grasped that this was a wealthier family, so they both should attempt to impress. 

     Eventually, Hazel appeared in a teal dress with intricate beading at the bodice in a vegetative design. The bodice had two straps which, as Hazel turned to show the entire dress to her mother, Teddy learned joined together at the back to clasp onto the low back of the dress. 

     Diana eyed it, then smiled. "It looks very nice, Hazel."

     Hazel grinned at her mother, then turned to Teddy. He was about to offer his own compliments, but Hazel beat him to speaking.