the princess and the pauper ♕ tommy shelby

chapter five

Fall 1913

Ophelia Crawley was always a kind and sweet girl, but ever since Mr. Pamuk died, she had matured a lot more. Mary and her mother knew why, but others wondered what had happened to the young girl who still enjoyed to childishly tease her sisters. Daisy had been vague enough about it for O'Brien and Barrow to start snooping.

Lord Grantham, who assumed his daughter maturing was also simply because of her age, had hired a new chauffeur, Tom Branson, an Irish man. Who would rather not work for such a family, but it was still good employment.

"There is going to be a fair soon" Sybil said, reading the papers, and showing it to her sisters. "Should we go?" Ophelia asked. "I believe so, perhaps your friend can come" Edith said. Ophelia had trusted Ada to keep her words about what happened, and Ada had. With her brothers being the Peaky Blinders, she had heard and seen enough to understand how Ophelia may have felt, yet Ada never feared ruin or scandals like a family like the Crawleys did.

"Would you mind, Papa? She's not used to this life" Ophelia said. "She's a good and dear friend but do remember your grandmother is visiting soon as well" Lord Grantham said. "If her aunt agrees to it, then she may stay here, Anna can make sure she borrows some of your clothes" Lord Grantham said. "Thank you, Papa!" Ophelia said and kissed his cheek before writing Ada a letter.

Ada Shelby, who came from an Irish and Romani family on both sides, had never been in a more expensive house than when she first entered Downton. When she told her aunt Polly about the letter, she was quite surprised. Her family had never before been invited to such a place. John had laughed at the thought of his sister in such a fancy house, as did Arthur, but Tommy had no words. He knew how good of a friend Ophelia was to his sister.

Ada had been giving a short course on how to act by Anna, given the Dowager Countess would be present, when they got dressed for dinner. "You do this, every night?" Ada asked as her hair was being tidied. "Yes, sometimes it's tedious but most of the time it's fine. Our cousins and grandmother will also be there, so not all attention will be on you" Ophelia said smiling. Ada smiled back, Ophelia had been kind to her, even though she could feel the judgement of the staff at Downton Abbey, especially O'Brian, and Barrow.

"You must be Ophelia's friend, Ada?" Cousin Isobel said, smiling at the young girl. "Yes, my lady" Ada said, something she had learned. "Oh, no, I'm just Mrs. Crawley, but you can call me Isobel" she smiled. "Thank you" Ada said. "This is my cousin Matthew" Ophelia introduced. "Pleasure" Matthew said smiling. "Hello" Ada said. "And my grandmother, Dowager Countess Grantham" Ophelia said. "You can call me Lady Grantham" her grandmother said, even though she didn't think it was right for the working class to dine with them, she was a friend of Ophelia's.

"Let's go through" Cora said. At dinner no one really paid mind to Ada, who seemed to handle herself well. "So, what do your parents do, Ada?" Isobel asked. "My mother passed away after my younger brother was born, and my father disappeared to America" Ada said. "I'm so sorry" Isobel said. "It's alright, I still have my brothers and aunt Polly" Ada said. "What do they do?" Lord Grantham asked.

"My brothers, Arthur, Tommy, and John, run a betting shop, for horse races" Ada said. "Oh, do they know much about horses?" Matthew asked. "My brother Tommy does, likes horses more than people" Ada said. "Ophelia used to as well, rather ride her horse than face the guests at fancy balls." Mary said.

After dinner, Ada and Ophelia went back to her room, to be like any other teen girls. They had fun, and no one seemed to understand just how their friendship was such a strong one, but Lady Grantham had pointed out to her husband and mother-in-law how Ophelia would never come close to inherit anything, nor would she be as important as her sisters had been, this was a good solution to her future. A friend, one who didn't judge and whom she trusted.

After Ada had left, Downton was preparing a flower show, like they did every summer, but this was the first one Isobel would attend. Ophelia liked helping to set everything up, but that's all she did and was allowed to do from her grandmother who basically ran the show. This year, with Cousin Isobel also involved, she noticed her grandmother may have finally met her match. "My mother is giving Cousin Violet a run for her money" Matthew said. "She has met her match, finally" Ophelia smiled. She loved her grandmother, but the woman could be very high and mighty. Yet, when it came down to crown the winner, the Dowager chose Mr. Molesly rather than her own flowers.

"Sir Anthony Strallan is coming for dinner soon; he would make a good match" Lady Grantham said. "Sir Anthony is almost as old as Papa" Mary complained. "So? Perhaps he's kind" Ophelia said. "You didn't want Matthew, now you must look elsewhere" Ophelia said.

Ophelia was at the stables before she would go get dressed when Sybil returned with the new Chauffeur. "Oh, Elia. Look" Sybil said and showed her some pamphlets. "We must go" Sybil said. They were pamphlets for women's right meetings. "Oh, we must. How did you find them?" Ophelia asked. "Branson gave them to me" Sybil said, before she already went inside. "Secret socialist?" Ophelia asked. "Nothing secret, my lady" Branson said. "Don't let Lord Grantham find out" Ophelia said before she went to dinner.

At dinner, with Sir Anthony Strallan, she noticed how bored Mary seemed to be, and kept speaking with Matthew. She knew it would happen. Once she couldn't have Matthew, she'd want him. Because of Mary's neglect on Sir Anthony, Edith started a conversation with him, and Ophelia did her best not to laugh. Because once again, the moment the attention was away from her, Mary tried to grab it again. In the drawing room she suddenly showed Sir Anthony great interest, leaving Matthew behind who decided it was best if he went home earlier.

"Do you think she will learn one day, Papa" Ophelia asked when her father noticed the same thing. "Perhaps" he said. "What are you two talking about?" Lady Grantham asked, looking at her husband and daughter. "Mary needs to learn that her toys won't wait for her to come back once she has abandoned them" Ophelia said as she saw Mary look at Matthew leaving.

The following morning, Mr Napier came for a visit for Mary, wanting to know if the rumours he had heard were true. "How can I help you?" Mary asked, still cheerfully not knowing what news he brought. "I wanted to ask something. There has been a rumour going around London about you and Ophelia" Napier said. "Heavens, what have we done" Mary asked, not even thinking of that awful night. "Is it true, Mr. Pamuk died in your bed, and you and Ophelia carried him back to his bed?" he asked. Mary's face turned pale, paler than she had already been. "Who told you?" Mary asked. "Someone at the Embassy received a letter with the rumour, the only reason it's credible, is because it came from Edith" Napier said.

After Mary had send Napier on his way, she went to find Ophelia, who was pleasantly reading her book. "They know" Mary said when she entered her sister's room. "Who know what?" Ophelia asked. "Edith told the Embassy about Mr. Pamuk" Mary said. "What?!" Ophelia said immediately getting up.

She walked over to where Edith was and looked at her older sister. "How could you do that" she said. "What do you mean?" Edith asked confused, looking at her youngest sibling. "Tell the Embassy that story" Ophelia asked. "O'Brien was the one who brought Daisy to me, she told me she saw Mary" Edith said. "Yes, Mary, Mama, Anna and I" Ophelia said, and Edith's face dropped. "It wasn't just Mary you hurt, it was me too, but you never think about that" Ophelia said before running back to her room. 

*a/n; i always hated that edith did that to mary