Downton Abbey: All Is Fair In Love And War

I Do Enjoy A Challenge

Downton Abbey,
June 1919

It had been a few months since Mrs Hughes had invited Thomas for tea but the preparations for the Crawley's to enjoy a few days up in Scotland had begun taking place. The war had kept them from doing so but now they could finally go up and have a week of shooting. Lord Grantham still did not have a valet so Mr Carson would accompany them and act as valet in Mr Bates' place, who was still imprisoned. Mrs Hughes suspected that Lord Grantham wanted to escape the talks around town — about how his youngest had run off and married a chauffeur, and a socalist at that.

It would mean some peace and quiet for the staff that remained, which weren't many since the war had yet to return the footmen. It would only be Thomas, Mrs Hughes, Daisy and Mrs Patmore along with the maids in the house.

Thomas was lifting the baggage onto the cars that would take the Crawleys' to the station when Matthew's car came into view and parked on the pathway.

"Dear boy, have you decided to join us after all?" Lord Grantham asked.

"I came to see you off, but mother convinced me to come and join you after our visit to Manchester" Matthew said and exchanged a quick glance with Thomas' as he finished loading the car.

There was a lie in there that Thomas caught, but he could not tell which one of Matthew's words held the lie. Had he not come to see the Crawleys' off? Perhaps he did not intend to join them, or maybe there was no Manchester trip at all. Thomas took a shallow breath and tried to stand rigid as a tree and await the Crawleys' to leave. As soon as the family was out of sight his body began to tremble and Thomas vanished back into the house because if he caught one more glance of Matthew he would break down.

Mrs Hughes went through the rooms, ensuring they were tidy enough. She did wish to hear another story tonight, while they had the chance. Mrs Hughes had become quite invested; not that she wanted to be involved further than lending an ear to Thomas, but she was quite taken by the stories. What a foolish lad Thomas had been , Mrs Hughes thought, how could he have expected to be enough? An heir needs an heir and, no matter if their courting was right or wrong, Matthew and Thomas were unable to produce one — they could not even marry. That did sadden Mrs Hughes, when she thought about it further, how restricted Thomas' love was and had to be.

Thomas came walking past, giving Mrs Hughes a nod and then disappearing down to the servants' hall for supper.

"My, is it that late already?" Mrs Hughes said and looked at the clock, it indeed was so she followed in the footman's steps and joined the servants' by the table.

"It'll be nice to get a break, won't it?" Mrs Patmore placed a pot of stew on the table.

"Speak for yourself." Thomas said, leaning back in his chair.

"Oh, come on Thomas, now you can enjoy — whatever it is that you enjoy" Mrs Patmore said, wiping her hands on the towel.

"Oh, there isn't much that I enjoy Mrs Patmore" Thomas said with a smirk and began serving himself the stew.

"Why doesn't that surprise me." Mrs Patmore said with a roll of her eyes before returning to the kitchen.

"There is a summer fair tomorrow. I saw them setting up in the village, Mrs Hughes, do you think we can go to it?" The maid Maud said.

"I don't see why not?" Mrs Hughes said and sat down with everyone else "Just make sure all work is done beforehand."

Maud smiled and then looked at Thomas who did not acknowledge her glances. "Would you care to escort me to the fair?" She asked the footman.

Thomas raised an eyebrow, looking up at the maid through his eyelashes and gave her a false smile; causing Maud to grow a hopeful look. Thomas then stood up, leaving his food half-finished. "Now that question caused me to lose my appetite" He made his way to leave the room but before disappearing out the doorway he stopped "No Maud, I would much rather escort a warthog" He added and vanished.

"Don't you bother with Thomas" Daisy told Maud "He can be really nasty when he wants."

"I do enjoy a challenge," Maud said, seemingly unfazed by Thomas' words and returned to her stew happily. She didn't notice the glances Daisy, Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore threw at each other — as they all knew things about Thomas that this new maid did not.

"Well that will be an impossible one" Mrs Patmore snorted and leaned against the archway between kitchen and servants' hall.

Mrs Hughes threw Mrs Patmore a stern look, pleading with her to say no more. Mrs Patmore was not wrong, but they did not speak of Thomas' preference, no one in the house did even if most suspected how he was inclined. Maud had an entitlement to her, one Mrs Hughes had seen in other maids that had come and gone; very much like Ethel — but worse.

"Don't go making trouble for yourself, Maud, Thomas is no one to take up company with." Mrs Hughes warned her.

"Now why did you have to go say such a thing to Maud, Thomas?" Mrs Hughes sat and stirred some honey into her tea in her sitting room, which they now had returned to using for the grand story.

"I needed to put her off, didn't I, Mrs Hughes?" Thomas answered.

"She now thinks it a challenge to win you over" Mrs Hughes sighed and shook her head "would it have been so bad to accept her and let her down easily? You took Daisy to the fair once."

"Mrs Hughes, with all due respect, I keep my preferences to myself, I do not speak of them" Thomas said with, contrary to his words, very little respect in his voice "but I was under no impression I had to accept a woman's invitation solely to let anyone down easy and keep up a facade."

"I suppose so" Mrs Hughes said "but be wary of your tongue, Thomas, it'll get you into trouble one of these days."

"It already got me into trouble when my tongue got into Mr Crawley" Thomas said but caught the eye of Mrs Hughes who looked utterly horrified, but Thomas just grinned.

"I ought to smack the back of your head." Mrs Hughes said but there was a strange warmness in Mrs Hughes' heart that Thomas had got some of his cheek back. He was, somewhat, returning to his former self. It was not something she had wanted before knowing the sad story of Thomas' and Matthew Crawley but maybe this meant that Thomas could start moving on. "Go on Thomas, continue, even though I fear where this part is taking us."