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

Chapter 19

"Downton is comfortable enough for me. I can't wait to have it back" he admitted. "That's if Cousin Isobel allows it" Robert stared at Jane as she helped the Dowager with her coat.

She stared at him also, I furrowed my brows at them. "She turned up today with a hideous list of projects that stretched to 1920 and beyond" Robert hummed in response.

"Well, surely you can put her off?" Lady Violet asked her. "I don't know how, once the bit is in between her teeth" she stated.

"Well, change the bridle. Find a cause that needs her more than Downton" she told her as she adjusted her coat collar.

"She's such a martyr" Robert was staring at where Jane had disappeared off to. I nudged his arm, he looked down to me. I raised a brow at him as she looked away and clears his throat.

"Then we must tempt her with a more enticing scaffold" she said as she walked out. Cora and Robert looked to each other.

I started to walk toward the stairs with Isis by my side, when Anna came up to me. "Lilly, I hate to be a bother, but I have to be downstairs. Do you mind taking my button box up to my room?"

I smiled "I don't mind" she touched my arm. "Thank you" I smiled again and walked up the stairs to the servant's wing.

I opened the door to the Women's courtiers as I walked down the hall to Anna and Jane's room. I opened the door and walked in to set her button on her dresser.

I closed there door along with the door to the women's wing. I started to head for the stairs when I heard whimpering coming from the men's wing.

The door was open so I walked passed it and down the hall. The further down the hall I went the louder it got. I saw one of the bedroom doors cracked, I looked at the name slot on the door.

Thomas Barrow.

I looked through the the crack to see him sitting on the edge of his bed wearing his uniform as usual. He sat something on the bed beside him.

He put his head in his hands as he shook from crying. He sniffled every now and then, I looked closely at the object on his bed, it was a book...oh, it was my book.

He still cared. Just then Isis barked. My head jerked around to her. "Isis, shush" I looked back through the crack to see Thomas looked quickly towards the door.

I moved away from the door and ran down the hall toward the stairs, Isis behind me.

~~~~

After I changed I went downstairs like usual. I smiled at everyone as I went to go sit in my usual seat beside Anna. She was mumbling something to Mr. Bates, but it was none of my business so I kept out of it.

"Not sure about what?" Mrs. O'Brien asked as she walked behind Mr. Carson's chair. Anna glared at her after she said this, Mr. Bates doing the same.

"What about you, Sergeant? Have you started planning for after the war?" Jane asked Thomas as she sewed from across the table.

"Not really. Not yet" he told her as he flipped through the paper, cigarette in between his fingers.

"I know what you should be doing. I know what we all should be doing" Mrs. Patmore said from my right at the other end of the table.