The sun was bright and a dash too warm for walking about but Thomas and Jimmy both had a couple of afternoon hours to themselves and no better ideas. It was late spring; birds chirping, flowers blooming, the air almost dizzyingly sweet. They were down to waistcoats, and it was still a little stifling. They distracted themselves with chat.
"I wish we could go to London," Jimmy said, kicking at a pebble in the dirt. "Ah, the family I mean. Everyone. Hardly got a look last year."
"That was a perk of valeting," Thomas admitted. "More travel. Maybe next time his Lordship plans a voyage I ought to trip Bates in the hall."
Jimmy gasped and then seeing Thomas's expression burst out laughing. "It's not even a joke. You would do that."
"Mmm, that sort of violence was more O'Briens's purview."
Into the wilds of the estate, they came upon a cherry blossom tree- blooming bright pink and casting a nice shade. Jimmy abruptly plopped down in the grass, dropping his jacket and hat beside him. He folded his hands behind his head and squinted up at Thomas.
"This is comfortable," Jimmy declared.
Thomas sat down beside him, tentative. He fanned himself with his hat, sighing in relief. "Looks comfortable."
"Let's a have a nap," Jimmy said. "Just a for a bit. Then we'll walk around. Do you want to?"
"A nap?" Thomas said. "What, right here?"
"Yeh, this is comfier than my bed," Jimmy said. "And the heat makes me sleepy. Come on, Mr. Barrow. And later maybe we'll have a bathe in the pond."
That did make Thomas blush, just the thought. He lay down beside Jimmy (but not too close). He rested his head on his gloved hand and laid the other across his chest. He glanced over at Jimmy who was smiling, his eyes closed.
"There we are," Jimmy muttered. "We'll have a nice snooze."
Thomas thought he couldn't possibly manage sleep with Jimmy beside him, but soon enough he felt the sultry sun pleasantly dragging him under.
Jimmy, however, was wide awake. After counting rhythmic breaths, he decided Mr. Barrow was definitely asleep and he sat up to lean on his elbow and gaze down at the man who was usually so poised now lying in the grass and flowers under the sun- his pose just a little bit wanton (or so Jimmy thought anyhow).
Jimmy edged up so that his body was up against Mr. Barrow's. He lay his hand across that broad chest to rest it on Thomas's hand and held him close.
Mercifully, Mr. Barrow did not wake up.
It was just as he'd planned
