New Year's; 1919->1920
On December 31st, everyone joined the Crawleys. From family to Lord Hepworth, Tommy and the Marquess of Daventry. Tommy arrived in the afternoon, and Lord Grantham had another talk with him that if he ever hurt his daughter, he would hear from him personally.
At the party, just before midnight Ophelia and Edith helped give out glasses of champagne. "Once again, the servants are downstairs, and we fend for our own" Carlisle said. "In the whole year we only fend for ourselves twice; during Christmas lunch and during New Year's Eve." Mary said. "Which is a lot less than I fend for myself" Tommy said as he stood next to Mary looking at Carlisle. "Twice doesn't seem much to me either" Mary said. "You haven't had to fight for what you've got, I assumed Mr. Shelby would have agreed with me" Carlisle said. Which made Lord Grantham look.
"It's because I am fighting for all I've got and all that I want to have, that I know fending for myself twice in a year is hardly much" Tommy said. "If you run a household where everyone has to work 24/7, no one would want to work for you, Sir Carlisle" Ophelia said, and Mary tried to hold in her smile. "And do try to get past that, it makes you sound angry all the time" Mary said and walked over to Matthew.
"Oh, here we go!" Rosamund said when she saw it was almost midnight. The clock started to chime when it was finally midnight. "Happy New Year" Lord Grantham said. "Happy New Year" everyone said holding their champagne glass up. Ophelia and Tommy gave each other a kiss on the cheek, like all the couple did before they went to speak to others. "Happy New Year, mama" Ophelia said and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek as well. "Happy New Year, I can't wait what 1920 will bring us" Cora said and also wished Tommy a happy new year.
"1920, is it to be believed. I feel as old as Methuselah" the Dowager said when Lord Grantham and Ophelia stood with her. "But so much prettier" Lord Grantham said and smiled at his mother. "When I think what the last ten years has brought, God knows what we're in for now" she said. "Let's hope all things good" the Marquess said.
In the early morning everyone got ready for the hunt. "Have you done this before?" Matthew asked Tommy. "I'm afraid not" he said. "I have seen enough, I can help" Ophelia said. "Well at least I'm not the only one inexperienced" Matthew said and smiled at the two of them. "I also believe a congratulations are in order" Matthew said. "Thank you, Matthew" Ophelia said. "I do hope I'm invited" he joked. "Of course, couldn't have the wedding without you" Tommy said.
"Given there is only four of you, you must all divide to charm us" Lord Hepworth said. "Lady Mary will stand with me" Carlisle said, and Ophelia looked at Mary. "Well, I—" Mary said trying to go against it. "I thought you said you'd stand with me for the first drive" Matthew said, walking over to them. "Yes. I think I did" Mary said. "Lady Ophelia then?" Carlisle asked. "I am joining Mr. Shelby; he has no experience in a hunt" Ophelia said.
They all walked into the woods, with some of the local men and their hunt dogs. "You could have asked for a loader" Ophelia said to Tommy. "I'm used to loading my own guns, besides if anything goes wrong, I won't have witnesses" Tommy joked. "I'm your witness, perhaps I will tell" Ophelia joked. Tommy shot better than she had expected. "You seem better at this than you let on" Ophelia said. "Comes with the business, darling" Tommy said as they walked to their next spot.
Mary changed from Matthew to Carlisle and Matthew joined Ophelia and Tommy. "How are you going?" Matthew asked. "Better than expected" Tommy said. "I have tried, Mary, I've done everything I can to please you" they heard Carlisle yell. "You mean you bought a large and rather vulgar house?" Mary shot back. "Don't talk to me like that! What have I done to deserve it? What?" Carlisle shot back. Ophelia looked at Matthew, and with her eyes she pleaded him to rescue Mary, because she doubted Carlisle would listen to her or Tommy.
Matthew soon came back after Carlisle loader arrived, Mary having to pretend that that's what the conversation was about. Without thinking and with much anger Carlisle shot in the direction which was much closer to Ophelia and Tommy than it should have been. Tommy, who has always thought quick on his feet, pulled Ophelia down with him to avoid the gunshot. And when Ophelia wanted to get up again, she saw it affected Tommy more than he'd lead on.
"Tommy, listen to my voice. It's alright" she said. She knew some things could still set him off, and even though it happened more often during the night, sometimes it was gunshots as well, which isn't the best thing especially since he was still working in the illegal business where people would pull out a gun. "It's me. It's you and me" Ophelia said as Matthew walked over.
"Everything alright, were you hit?" Matthew asked. "No, it's the sound. Sends a person right back to France" Ophelia said as she knew Matthew would understand. "Alright how about we try stand, breathe in the smell of the leaves and meadow" Matthew said, and they all stood up. Tommy took some deep breaths and listening to Matthew's words helped. "Thank you" Tommy said. "Of course," Matthew said, and Ophelia and Tommy decided to go back already. The rest followed them soon after.
They had a quick lunch with everyone. "This happens every New Year's Day?" Tommy asked. "Yes, although sometimes we go on the 2nd of January, depending how everyone's schedule works" Ophelia explained. "And people from the village are also always invited?" he asked. "Yes. We like to have everyone able to be here" Lord Grantham said. "Do I understand right, you'll join us for the trial as well, Ophelia?" Lord Grantham asked. "Yes, I will be with you a day before since I'm coming from Birmingham" she said. "And Shelby, are you joining?" he asked. "I'd like to be, in support of Ophelia" Tommy said. "Good, thank you" Lord Grantham said.
After lunch they had a dinner at the house. Ophelia walked over with Tommy to her grandmother and aunt. "I don't know if Mama or Papa has already told you, but I'm engaged" she said with a smile on her face. "Oh, how lovely dear" Rosamund said. "And you'll be living in that tiny house?" her grandmother asked. "No, my ladyship, I have recently bought a house in Birmingham, few blocks away from the betting shop." Tommy said. "Oh, and you plan to stay there?" she asked. "No, I'm saving money to buy a place for my aunt and sister, and then a bigger house for us" Tommy said. "Sound like quite the plan" Rosamund said.
They went into the dining room, and she was seated next to the Marquess. "How have you been?" he asked. "I have been well, my lord. And you? You mentioned you were still learning everything" Ophelia said. "Yes, it's getting better, finally have my office running smoothly" he said. "Birmingham, right?" Ophelia asked. "Yes, you still live there?" he asked. "Yes, Small Heath" she said. "Why there again?" he asked. "I took a job offer as a nurse for veterans who still needed care" she said. "Still working there?" he asked. "No, recently started a new job" Ophelia said. "Still a nurse?" he asked. "No, Head of marketing" she said. "That's a career change" He said, "Well it's sounds very much like Ophelia to do so" Edith said who sat next to Ophelia. "What kind of company?" the marquess asked. "Mine" Tommy said from opposite of the Marquess.
"Ah, that's why you're here? You invited your boss?" van Doren asked. "No, I invited my fiancé" Ophelia said, looking at the Marquess like he should have known. "Oh" was all he said, and Ophelia thought it was odd, and continued speaking to Edith.
Just before they separated Sir Richard Carlisle walked over to her. "I wanted to apologise for the mistake during the hunt" he said, referring to almost hitting her and Tommy. "An apology quite late and should have been unnecessary" Ophelia said. "It's not my fault you reacted the way you did" Carlisle said, and the men started to watch the two. "I reacted the way I did because the last time someone shot near me like you did, was in fucking France during the war" Ophelia said. "Just because you were too coward to serve doesn't mean others were too. And it's not me you owe an apology, you hit Tommy almost too" Ophelia said.
Sir Richard Carlisle, who had been even snobbier than Mary, hated Tommy Shelby. And he hated the fact that people liked him even more. Lord Grantham actually spoke well about the man, and Matthew was also friendly with him. And none were friendly to Carlisle, but then again, Tommy knew about the blackmail and Carlisle wasn't exactly helping himself either.
Ophelia kept staring Carlisle down, until he finally looked over at Tommy. "I'm sorry" he said. "Is alright" Tommy said before Ophelia left to join the women. "I do not understand how you can stand Carlisle" Ophelia said looking at her sister. "I don't either, but what did he do now?" Edith asked, looking at the youngest, she who wasn't one for conflict usually. "His loader was late during the shooting and when he finally arrived, he shot too low, almost hitting myself and Tommy" Ophelia said. "Good heavens, are you alright?" Edith asked. "I am, but it shocked Tommy" Ophelia said.
"He's still dealing with the war?" Edith asked. "He is, it's mostly nightmares he says but this started him as well" Ophelia said. "Those poor men" Edith said. "I know, Arthur is even worse, gets the bad case of the Flemish Blues." Ophelia said. "Wish there was something we could do" Edith said. "Me too" Ophelia said.
"I have actually been planning on visiting Anthony Strallan, he's all alone and with his injury" Edith said. "You should, I know how much you like him" Ophelia said. "No one would like it; they think he's too old for me" Edith said. "Well, that's none of their business is it now. Besides, Carlisle is older than Mary as well" Ophelia said. "Thank you, Elia, I appreciate someone in my corner" Edith said. "Of course," Ophelia smiled at her sister before the men joined again.
The Marquess of Daventry stood near Edith and Ophelia trying to strike a conversation with the younger. "Did you invite him to make Ophelia doubt her love?" Mary asked her grandmother. "I did not. But it wouldn't have been that bad if she did fall for the Marquess" the Dowager said. "Mama, how could you" Cora said shocked. "He's a very handsome man, and he's got a title" Dowager said. "Granny, you truly don't know Ophelia if a Marquess was your way of trying to marry her to someone else" Mary said. "Why?" the Dowager asked. "If anyone was running from this life, it wasn't Sybil, that simply happened. It was always Ophelia who would not have been happy with a title" Mary said.
"Our kind don't live for happiness" the dowager said. "But Ophelia does, and she would have run away if she had too" Mary said. "If you drive away my baby, then that's the last thing you'll do" Cora said and walked over to her husband to tell him what she had learned about the dowager. "Is that why the Marquess is hanging around here?" Lord Grantham asked his wife who nodded. "Yes, and unfortunately it was your mother's idea" Cora said. "Well, she's engaged now, let's hope the Marquess can take a hint" Lord Grantham said.
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as much as i hate the marquess now, wait until you meet someone else...