A Lady and her Footman (a Downton Abbey Fanfiction/Thomas Barrow)

Chapter 21

1919

I stood in the doorway as the officers packed up the last case of equipment into the truck. I sighed a sigh of relief as they drove away.

Mrs. Hughes came to stand beside me, I smiled at her, her doing the same. "That's the last of the equipment gone" I told her.

"The maids have put the drawing room back to normal" I grabbed her hand. "Thank heaven" she chuckled, as did I. I let go of her hand as I walked into the drawing room.

I walked in to see the beds gone and the sofa was put back in its original place, along with the chairs, table and the baby grand piano in the back corner of the room.

"I'm walking down to the village. I want to have a word with Travis" Robert said as he walked in behind me. Isis barked as I bent down and pet her, she licked my face and I giggled.

"You know that Richard will be here any moment" Cora told her husband as she fixed the pillows on the sofa.

"That's why I'm telling you. Give my excuses. I'll see him at dinner" he told her as he started to walk out.

"Is there any news on the Bates situation?" She asked, he turned back around and walked back into the room. "Not that I'm aware of" she stood up from fixing the pillows.

"So you still want to keep him on?" She asks again. "Cora, Bates's wife has commuted suicide. It's very sad, of course, but not, when I last looked a reason to sack him" he scolded his wife.

She gave a disproving look as she glanced around the room. She sat on the sofa. "They've taken the last of the beds" she told him happily.

I sat down in one of the chairs as I pet Isis. "So that's the finish of it" he said looking around the room. "Not quite; we still have Matthew. And I wanted to ask you, isn't it time he went home?" She asked with a little bit of urgency.

"I see, you want to throw him out" he said snappily. "Robert...I want him to learn to be as independent as he can. And I want Mary to get on with her life. What's wrong with that?" She asked.

He took a few steps towards her. "Is there something you're not telling me?" He asked starting to get angry. "What do you mean?" She asked confused.

I got up out of the chair and decided to leave, and let them talk alone. I walked into the library with Isis by my side to see Edith putting away all the books as Lavinia sat on of of the sofas with Matthew in his wheelchair beside her.

They looked up from their conversation to me and smiled. I smiled back as I sat down on the sofa across from Lavinia. I leaned back against the sofa with a sigh.

Matthew chuckled at me, I looked to him. "What?" I asked in a teasing manner. "Why are you so tired?" I raised a brow at him.

"I helped them load up all the equipment, thank you very much" I told him playfully. "She did" Edith confirmed.

"Thank you, Edith" Matthew shook his head at me as well as we all laughed. Just then Mr. Carson walked in carrying a tray of cups.

"You shouldn't be doing that" Matthew told him as he sat the tray down. "Let us hope the end of the war brings the return of the footman, Mr. Crawley"

Mr. Carson told him, Matthew smiled. "Do you think they will return" Lavinia asked him. "I certainly hope so" he said as he looked back to the table that held the cups.