Princess Darrel Crawley | A Downton Abbey Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty-One | Heated Discussion

"I can't let you do this," Thomas informed, "I will not let you throw your life away."
    "What's brought this on?" Darrel demanded, "Yesterday, you were perfectly happy to assist me."
    "I was never happy about any of this. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that you won't be happy with this if you go through with this. You will be miserable, knowing that you've torn apart your family."
    "You don't know anything about me!" Darrel snapped.
    "You're kidding," Thomas gasped, "you tell me everything. I'm sure I know you better than you know yourself!"
    Darrel didn't reply and crossed her arms across her chest.
    "Get out of my way," Darrel ordered.
    "No," Thomas said sternly.
    "Thomas Barrow, you get out of my way right now."
    "If you leave, I will go tell his lordship as soon as you are out of sight. You'll never be able to leave the country. Their majesties will have all boarder patrols on high alert before you can ever make it to Mr. Jacob's farm."
    "You wouldn't."
    "Oh really? Do you want to try me?"
    Darrel scoffed and began to pace back and forth.
    "If you were to do this, and I doubt that you would," Darrel said warningly, "do you really think that you'll find an ally in me after you've betrayed me?"   
   Thomas did not reply, unsure about where she was going with her threat.
    "Besides me, you have no allies, anywhere. Whereas people view me as the innocent poor child, who's the result of an affair, and going to be the Queen of England. They'll believe anything I tell them," Darrel said dangerously, "they would never think I could come up with such scheme."
    "What are you talking about?" Thomas asked, almost shaking.
    "If you go to Papa, I will turn the tables on you, once I am caught. I'll tell him that it was all your idea. That, I came to you when I was upset, and you suggested that we run away together."
    "You wouldn't..."
    "Watch me. If you ruin my life, I swear to God, I will take you down with me. And you know what? I have some very...personal information that can get you locked up."
    "How dare you!"
    "I mean it Thomas Barrow! I am going to run away! If you dare try to stop me, I will ruin you!"
    "Shut up!" Thomas roared, slapping her across the face, so hard, that it caused her to fall to the ground.
    Thomas gasped, horrified at what he had done and ran out.

    As Thomas headed back to the house, he was breathing so heavily, and was so ashamed of his actions. Even though Darrel had just threatened him, he knew that it wasn't truly her that was saying so many terrible things. She was simply upset at what happened, and she took it out on him. Thomas was still determined to alert his employers the moment he learnt that Darrel had run away. Even if it meant her spilling his secrets, he would never be able to live with himself if he let her go off on her own.
    Thomas took a deep breath, wiped his eyes, and entered the house through the servants' entrance.

    Meanwhile, Darrel had gotten over the initial blow, and managed to sit up, where she began to sob.  Thomas' slap had gotten her out of her own head, and back into reality. Who had she become? She just threatened to send her best friend to prison, simply because he had her best interests at heart. How could she had been so cruel? He had every right to slap her, and he was even in the position to have done so much worse.
    Darrel placed her head into her knees and continued to cry.

    A couple minutes later, Thomas was in his bedroom, lying on the floor, weeping.