Emma was thrilled when she found out that Tom would be dining with them. It had been far too long since Tom sat with them.
"I'll stay here and keep watch," announced Tom.
"Don't tell me you're not coming with us," Edna exclaimed in horror, "I thought you could drive us," she corrected her statement. Thomas looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"There's no need to be rude," Mrs. Hughes remarked.
"You're right. I'm happy to drive you, but who will stay here?"
"I'll stay here," Carson declared, bringing cheerful smiles to Alfred and Jimmy's faces.
"Tom, can you tell me more leprechaun stories later?" Emma asked curiously. Carson grimaced slightly but didn't comment on Emma's question. Emma should have said Mister Branson instead of Tom, but the child had a long-standing friendly bond with the former chauffeur. It couldn't be blamed for disregarding social norms.
"Of course," smiled Tom. And that's exactly what he did. He told her the new adventures of the leprechauns, and later they talked about Sybbie and how much the little girl would soon love the stories. Emma kept asking when Sybbie would be old enough to play, but it seemed like ages until the little baby was old enough.
The fairground music rattled up and down. Carousels spun. Children jumped around joyfully. Emma wasn't sure when she last visited the fair. It must have been after the war, so it had been at least three years. She reached for her father's hand. With an eyebrow raised, he looked at her surprised. At first, she didn't understand why because she often grabbed his hand, but she felt that Thomas' hand felt different. It was his gloved hand. The hand Emma was never supposed to reach for. She didn't squeeze his hand tightly and saw no reason to switch sides.
"Can I ride the merry-go-round?" she asked excitedly, "Oh, and I want to ride that one too!" pointing to the carousel with the horses. Internally, Thomas wondered if it was such a good idea to take a 9-year-old child to a fair. Knowing Emma, the girl would simply want to try all the attractions, which in turn meant spending half of his hard-earned money. But Jimmy had already made a bet and entered the Downton team into the tug-of-war competition.
"We'll win, and then you can ride as much carousel as you want, alright," said Thomas, tipping his hat to his daughter. Emma nodded in agreement as he also placed his jacket in her slender arms.
Emma stood between Daisy and Ivy. Together they cheered on the Downton team and cheered for their victory when the referee loudly announced, "I hereby declare the Downton team the winner!"
"Dad," Emma looked at him with her legendary puppy eyes. Thomas immediately knew what she was getting at, "Which carousel first?" he asked. Emma looked at him with a 'You-know-exactly-what-I-want' look. "Of course, the merry-go-round," he answered the question himself.
Together they made their way to the carousel, sparkling in the sun and filling the air with the sound of turning wheels. As they sat on the colourful seats of the merry-go-round and prepared to conquer the sky in circles, Emma beamed with joy. Thomas couldn't help but share her joy as the carousel slowly started to move. Emma laughed and gripped the handle, while the carousel spun faster and faster. Thomas couldn't help but laugh too, seeing the radiant face of his daughter.
After an exhilarating ride, they landed safely back on the ground, and Emma beamed with excitement. "That was amazing!" she exclaimed, pulling Thomas along to the next carousel. It was followed by a fun day filled with drinking soda, snacking on sweets, and carousel rides. Thomas enjoyed every moment to the fullest, watching Emma soak up the joy and fun of the day. Nevertheless, he remained vigilant, frequently observing Jimmy, who was consuming vast amounts of beer.
"Do you see anyone you know?" Thomas suddenly asked. Emma looked at him confusedly.
"Not really," Emma replied, looking around the fairground, "We still have to go to the swing boat, and I haven't tried duck fishing yet."
"Do you really see no one you know?" he wondered, but he couldn't spot Mrs. Hughes or Daisy in the crowd either.
"I do," Emma said, pointing her finger towards the tent, "Mrs. Crawley is sitting over there."
"Okay, then you go to her," he said, pushing his daughter in that direction.
"Why?" Emma asked, puzzled. "We still have to go to the swing boat!"
"Go to Mrs. Crawley. I'll be back in a moment to pick you up."
"But Dad..."
"Just do as I say for once," he said. "Go to her and ask her to look after you."
Emma had felt like she was intruding on Mrs. Crawley and Dr. Clarkson, and an uncomfortable silence followed between them.
"I'll get some lemonade," Dr. Clarkson cleared his throat after some time.
"That sounds good," Mrs. Crawley agreed. While Dr. Clarkson went to get the lemonade, the older lady tried to start a conversation with Emma, asking her about school and life among the servants. Emma had never exchanged so many sentences with the woman before.
"Here it is," the doctor said as he returned with three glasses, and another moment of silence ensued until they heard the voices of an agitated man.
"Doctor, Doctor!" Jimmy called out, "You need to come right away!"
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"It's Thomas, come on!" Jimmy explained, gesturing for Dr. Clarkson to follow him. Emma immediately jumped up from her seat. Mrs. Crawley managed to catch the girl by the sleeve just in time. "I think you should stay here," she said.
Emma shook her head. "Not when it's about my dad," she replied and hurried after Dr. Clarkson.
"Thomas, what happened?" Dr. Clarkson asked, shocked. With a handkerchief, he wiped the dripping blood from Thomas' nose and began examining him for injuries when he saw the child rushing towards them out of the corner of his eye.
"Jimmy, do me a favour and take Emma away from here," the doctor said.
Thomas now looked in the direction Dr. Clarkson was looking and saw Jimmy intercepting his daughter. Emma didn't like it at all and fought against the servant's grip with her fists. "Lemme go!" she hissed angrily, while she looked at her dad painfully. "Dad! What happened to my dad?" But then Mrs. Crawley came, followed by Mrs. Hughes, Tom, and Edna.
"Come here, Emma," Mrs. Hughes said, reaching out her hand to Emma and enveloping the girl in a hug. Emma only heard half of what the adults said. She was too focused on her father, who was bleeding on the ground. Beaten up by strangers.
"But why were you involved in a fight? That's not like you at all," Mrs. Hughes remarked.
"What did they steal?" Tom Branson asked.
"Every penny I had, but there weren't many left."
"Looks like someone's been riding the carousel too much," Tom remarked with a smile.
"Is anything broken?" Mrs. Hughes asked more concernedly. Her hand rested on Emma's shoulder. It was evident that she didn't consider this a suitable place for Emma. She would have preferred if Emma hadn't witnessed the incident.
"No, I don't think so," Dr. Clarkson replied.
"So he'll be okay then?" Jimmy asked.
"We need to get him home," Mrs. Crawley said. Hardly had she finished her sentence when Tom Branson already rushed off to get the car. Alfred and Dr. Clarkson helped Thomas to stand up and supported him.
"I'm fine, little dwarf – don't worry about me," Thomas gasped. "Mrs. Hughes, would you...?" Before Thomas could finish his request, the housekeeper had already nodded. "I'll take care of Emma. You go with Dr. Clarkson."
"Thank you."
Mrs. Hughes took the 9-year-old by the hand. "Your father is in good hands," she explained. "Shall we ride the carousel a bit more? Come on, I'll treat you to a few rounds," and she led the child back to the fairground. Indeed, Emma had plenty of fun with the old housekeeper. They rode several rounds on the carousel together, ate licorice, and drank apple juice.
Emma returned home tired and completely exhausted, but her eyes sparkled with excitement as she entered the bedroom. She couldn't wait to tell her father about the fun time with Mrs. Hughes.
"Daddy, you should have been there! It was so much fun. Mrs. Hughes..." she exclaimed enthusiastically, rushing towards Thomas to hug him enthusiastically. However, Thomas suddenly winced in pain, a soft groan escaping his throat.
Emma immediately let him go, a worried expression filling her eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Daddy."
Thomas fought through the pain coursing through his body, trying to play it down. "It's not so bad," he said, struggling to sit up and looking at his daughter with a weak smile. "What did you want to tell me?" he asked curiously. Emma bit her lip, seeing her father's injuries up close for the first time.
"She didn't catch a single duck at the duck pond," Emma said hesitantly. Suddenly, she didn't feel like talking about her experiences at the fair anymore, realizing that her dad had been seriously injured and was in pain.
"How is that possible? Was she playing blindfolded?" Thomas asked amusedly, but Emma just shrugged silently. "I'm very tired."
Just two days later Emma went home from school when she meets Mister Matthew.
"Hello, Emma," greeted Matthew cheerfully as he encountered the girl on the sidewalk outside the Downton Hospital in the village.
"Mister Matthew!" she replied with a happy smile on her face. "Has the baby arrived yet?"
"Oh yes, he's absolutely delightful and charming," Matthew replied proudly.
"He," Emma repeated in amazement. A little boy. "What's his name?"
"George," announced Matthew with a radiant smile.
"I'm so happy for you and Lady Mary."
"Thank you, Emma. It means a lot," Matthew said warmly, his eyes shining with happiness.
"When can I visit the baby?" Emma asked eagerly, her eyes wide with excitement.
Matthew chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately. "I'm sure George would love to meet you but you have to wait til he is coming home."
"Okay. But can you tell me what's George like?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.
Matthew smiled warmly, his eyes twinkling with pride. "He's a little bundle of joy, Emma. He has these big, bright blue eyes that seem to take in everything around him."
Emma grinned, imagining the adorable baby in her mind. She couldn't wait to hold or play with him.
Emma felt a warm feeling of joy in her heart. Matthew proudly told her about George and how he was already charming his parents with his charisma.
"Shall I take you to Downton Abbey?" Matthew asked, gesturing towards his car.