Thomas yawned as he idly clambered down the stairs and into the kitchens. He had a little time yet before the long day of work. He stood just outside the door smoking and waiting for his paper. Time was he used to wait for the Duke's letters, but, well after their argument he hadn't spoken to him. Frankly he didn't want to, he was quite comfortable trying to re-instate himself as the head footman. Thomas had decided to play it cool, making sure he was nice to everyone without being suspicious. It wouldn't be long before Miss O' Brien would be sniffing around his plans demanding an explanation as she usually did. He didn't mind that so much, she had been good to him, not only as an accomplice in all things sneaky, but as a friend - a surrogate parent at times. Thomas considered her more like his father than his mother. His mother Imogen Barrow was a very docile woman and let his father, Edgar, push her around both physically and mentally. When he was a boy, Thomas got on well with his father. They had spent a lot of time together fixing clocks and father taught son and everything was all rosy. When he was older Thomas spent a lot of time with friends getting up to all-sorts, sleeping around, gambling, drinking - the lot. It wasn't till he came home drunk and shouting that Edgar decided enough was enough. Thomas who was in debt from all the gambling tried stealing and selling stuff from the house, but was caught by his mother who ratted him out when Edgar came home. Not out of spite, but fear of what would happen to her if her husband discovered that she knew. Of course Edgar being a strict Edwardian Father; took it upon himself to teach his only son a lesson. Thomas being young and foolish announced his departure in a bid to get his parents forgiveness and in spite of Imogen's pleas Edgar kicked him out and declared that he didn't want to see him till he had grown up and learnt to be a man. Thomas had then gone searching a job and worked at a farm for a while where he met the farmer's niece Sarah O' Brien, who then travelled with him to work in Downton.
He breathed out his cigarette smoke and threw the fag-end to the floor to crush it with his foot, he gave a nod to the postman as he handed out letters and various papers to the staff. Paper under arm, he sat down at the table were O' Brien had kindly put his tea. "Anything new?" She sat beside him with Lady Grantham's stockings and returned to repairing them. Thomas straightened the paper, "Nothing of interest, just the usual boring day to day news." Although he had about an hour before shift he still felt like he didn't have time for idle chit-chat. All the staff at Downton were grabbing as much time as they could before the engagement party, which would be a week of activities before the initial party. As it was winter there would be a Christmassy theme to it all, so Thomas was imagining a lot of guests would be coming, so a lot of running around. Plus with all the guest staff, they'd all be crammed together. Thomas finished his tea and the rest of his breakfast, got dressed in his full livery and went upstairs to lay the breakfast table.