Downton Abbey: The Risk Of Love

They Make My Heart Swoon

Downton Abbey,
February 1920

Mrs Hughes sat in her sitting room as evening fell upon Downton. It had been relatively calm this past month, which she welcomed. Ever since the war there had been something happening, maybe not in her life, but around her. Thomas was back to his old self, though perhaps a tad kinder, Maud had finally stopped her pestering about the valet and they were back to full staff — Ivy was the latest addition with Daisy's promotion. Downton seemed to have finally found its peace.

Mrs Hughes took a deep inhale as she stirred her tea and then there was a knock on her door.

"Mrs Hughes?" Thomas' face peeked in from the door and he walked into that familiar room he had spent the better part of 1919 inside of.

"Mr Barrow." Elsie said brightly and beckoned the valet inside "I am glad you accepted my invite, it's been too long since we had a cup together."

Thomas sat down in the armchair that had been his while he had told Mrs Hughes his story — the story he had thought to have an unhappy ending. " — Of course Mrs Hughes, but I thought I had requested for you to call me Thomas in private, I believe it's far too impersonal to be called Mr Barrow by you."

Mrs Hughes pursed her lips together in a smile "Alright lad, alright." She poured the valet a cup of tea as well. "So, I see you have taken quite the shine to James — if I didn't know you I would tell you to be careful, but I might as well tell you that regardless."

"It's alright Mrs Hughes, he's just had some slip-ups with dinner services." Thomas said and took a small sip from his tea. " — and I'll gladly help him if it means that Alfred won't become first footman."

"Ah, yes, Alfred is — " Mrs Hughes fell silent as she tried to find a polite word to describe the footman " — quite the character, is he not?"

Thomas let out a snort "O'Brien thinks he has what it takes to be a valet."

"I take it you don't care for him at all?" Mrs Hughes asked.

Thomas shrugged "I was rather indifferent — though annoyed — towards him, but ever since O'Brien and he went snooping in my room I've decided to become petty as well."

Mrs Hughes choked on her tea a little bit and dabbed her chin with her handkerchief "They did what?"

"Got no proof—" Thomas admitted " — but I know it was the two of them, O'Brien has had it out for me for a while now."

"Yes, I could tell that friendship had gone sour — but watch yourself, Thomas, both you and O'Brien are quite cunning in your ways." She looked at him over her teacup "I seem to remember a ploy to frame Mr Bates for stealing."

Thomas pursed his lips together "Not my proudest moment, but I am not about to let her get away with going through my letters."

"Thomas Barrow, she did what?" Mrs Hughes was absolutely horrified because she knew what some of those letters contained.

"Don't worry, Mrs Hughes, they didn't find anything and the letters are now hidden away with Matthew." Thomas said but Mrs Hughes still stared at him with deep concern "I promise, everything is alright."

"Well then — " Mrs Hughes said even though she wasn't entirely convinced, but she put it out of her mind for the time being. "So, my dear lad, how was the Manchester trip, really?" She asked and grinned into their cup of tea.

"Oh, Mrs Hughes." Thomas said and shone like the sun itself "I don't know how to describe it."

But Thomas did describe it to her, excluding certain hotel room parts and, and Mrs Hughes felt warmness in her heart from hearing a happy story of Thomas and Matthew for once.