Barrow's Boy - A Downton Abbey Fanfiction

Reputation

     "I've an odd question for you." Abi looked up from homework she was working on at the sound of Teddy's voice. She smiled, then motioned for him to come out of the doorway and into her room. Teddy did so, hoping that he wasn't intruding.

     "Hello, Teddy. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming,"  she said, to which he quickly shook his head.

     "No, it's alright. I can't stay for long."

     "Alright," she replied, glancing down at her work and writing something else down before closing the book, "what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

     "You didn't happen to send me anything for Saint Valentine's Day, did you?" Theodore pulled the envelope out of his pocket, then looked back up at Abi, who was frowning and shaking her head.

     "Not me, no," she admitted, looking down at the envelope. "I don't think that Eleanor and Katherine did either. It doesn't look like their penmanship."

     Teddy hummed, glancing at the envelope as well. At least that narrowed it down a bit, although he couldn't even start to think of who else might have sent it, other than those three girls. 

    "I didn't think it was your writing, but I figured I would ask anyway."

     "Of course." Abi smiled and seemed about to say something else, then paused, her eyes landing behind Teddy. The boy turned and was met with Alexander Bennett, looking down at him disapprovingly. 

     "What are you doing here?" Teddy couldn't fathom what had happened to the man who had once had him, Percy, and Everett over to eat cake. 

     "I just had a question for Abi, Sir. I'll be going now." 

     "Yes, I think you will."

     "Papa-"

     "We will discuss this later, Abigail."

     Why did he always get the jobs that no one else wanted? Surely a hall boy should be doing this, or someone else who actually got paid. But no. Isis' mess in the main foyer was left to be mopped up by Teddy. And what would he get out of this? Absolutely nothing. 

     Teddy mopped the floor, muttering everything that he wished he could say to Mr. Carson, who had sent him here in the first place. Honestly, he was really starting to get fed up with being treated as free labour.  

    As he continued his fuming, dunking the mop in the bucket of water, he failed to hear the footsteps coming down the stairs behind him.  His attention was only moved to the new person in the room when she spoke. 

    "What are you doing here?" Teddy turned to look at Nanny West, who stood looking down at him with an expression almost similar to the one that Carson had had when sending him up here.

    "Mopping," Theodore replied, then turned back to the wet spot on the floor. It seemed clean now, but he wondered-

     "I do hope you're finished soon," Nany West said, causing Teddy to look back at her. He was just about to ask what she meant when she continued. "We don't need a bastard up here for any longer than necessary."

     "Excuse me?"

     "You heard me. I don't understand why the family would even let you in here, contaminating their home and reputations as you are."

     Teddy opened his mouth to respond, but he found that no answer came to mind. Nanny West continued.

     "They should have dropped you in some orphanage while they had a chance. You're a disgusting little misbegotten scoundrel-"