"So have you paid the man yet?" asked O'Brian
"No, and I don't think I'll have to" answered Thomas
"What do you mean?"
"He skipped town. Police must have caught on to him or something. I haven't heard from him."
Thomas Barrow, former army Sergeant, was referring to the man who had, a few months ago, swindled him out of everything he owned in exchange for black market supplies that had turned out to be useless rubbish. This experience had brought Thomas to the brink of despair, and forced him to be truly helpful for the first time in his life, in order to try to win back his old job of Footman, and eventually valet, at Downton Abbey.
Thomas had originally left Downton to join the Army Medical Corps, in the cowardly hope that it could keep him out of the trenches, but Lady Britain had proved more desperate then he had anticipated and he had been forced to become a stretcher bearer in the War. The horrors of battle and constant death had made a dent in the nasty outer shell that had been all anyone had ever known of Thomas for most of his adult life. Afterwards, he had taken up duty in a hospital under Major Clarkson, Downton's former doctor, helping take care of wounded soldiers alongside Lady Sybil Crawley. It was there that he was changed the most. He met Edward Courtenay, a young lieutenant who had been blinded by mustard gas and made bitter by the thought of life without sight. And this is the tough part to explain, because it is the nature of human feelings that they are never easily separated from what we think they aught to be, what makes sense to us. Thomas had loved men before, mostly handsome dukes and lords whom he had seduced quite easily with his handsome face and caressing hands. But although those secret affairs had been passionate and lustful, they had never really touched his heart; they had merely been exciting alternatives for what was really wanting. Mr. Courtenay was different. Thomas felt compassion for him; Sympathy, sorrow, genuine affection. Not in the way that he wanted to have a love affair with him as much as he wanted him to get well and have a happy life. Edward didn't mind talking to him, opening up to him. For the first time in years, Thomas didn't feel like a freak. That was why Edward Courtenay's suicide hit him so hard, because he lost his first real friend.
And so, Mr. Barrow returned to Downton Abbey not a different man, but the seed had been planted inside him. And watered with a bit of desperation and care (the latter of which he may or may not receive- we shall see) Thomas may change for the better. But not yet.
Thomas and O'Brian continued their conversation in low voices. Thomas lit a cigarette and added a breath of smoke to the mist that was gathering in the kitchen courtyard. His cold grey eyes swept the surrounding area as they always did, suspicious and watchful as a cat in a stiff tuxedo. They saw a girl in a long black coat walking through the courtyard towards the back door, the wind tugging at the rather messy knot of dark hair that was clinging to the back of her neck.
"Who do you guess that is?" Thomas murmured
"A new maid maybe? There's a position open since Jane handed in her notice." O'Brian answered "Coming in though the back door, who does she think she is?"
Thomas gave her a thin-lipped grin and tossed his cigarette onto the ground, grinding the ashes into the cobblestones with the toe of his shoe.
"Lets go see how she gets on, maybe we can help her settle in." he said and strode towards the house.
-A Few Seconds Later-
When Thomas entered the house, followed by a very innocent-looking O'Brian, he came upon the usual new-servant-in-the-house scene. Everyone had stopped their work in order to leisurely make their first impressions of the new maid. Mrs. Hughes stepped forward and shook her hand.
"Thank you for coming. I hope you won't mind jumping right in; we need all the help we can get. I had a feeling you would be a good match for this house when we met in London, and now my opinion will be tested."
The new maid gave the room a sweeping half-smile and brushed a loose strand of hair out of her eyes with a hand that was almost covered by the large cuff of her coat.
"Everyone, meet Lydia Harrison" Mrs. Hughes addressed the room "She will be taking over Jane's position."
O'Brian gave Thomas a knowing look, which, unfortunately, Anna Bates caught, before she turned her attentions to Miss Harrison.
"I'm Anna Bates, head housekeeper" she said, with a pleasant, if somewhat wan smile.
"And I'm Mr. Carson, the butler." said the tall, large featured man who stepped out from behind the ladies. "Mrs. Hughes speaks very highly of you, so I am sure you will be able to live up to the level of service Downton is used to."
Miss Harrison shook his hand, cleared her throat, and spoke for the first time.
"I believe so, sir"
No sooner had she said it, and everyone had more or less finished polishing their opinions of this new maid, then Mrs. Patmore, the cook, startled them all with an exclamation of her trademark sarcasm.
"Well? Are we going to serve dinner or not? I'm sure the folks upstairs wont mind eating a few hours late because we've hired a new maid."
At this Mr. Carson acquired a somewhat fierce expression.
"We certainly shall serve dinner on time." He said "Thomas, you must be sure not to delay."
With that the kitchen exploded into its usual dinnertime chaos, and Anna led Miss Harrison up the servants' staircase to the room they would share. As they made their way up, Ms. O'Brian made an interesting observation; the new maid had brought hardly any luggage with her. She had no trunk or boxes of any sort, only a small traveling bag slung over her shoulder.