"Six o'clock!" Shouted a hall boy as he knocked on Jimmy's door. The footman groaned and buried his face on the pillow. He breathed in the smoky, soapy, manly scent of Mr. Barrow. "Mmm," he moaned and smelled it one more time. Strange, the scent is fading away, now his shirt smells like me. But there's still a hint of smell... Bloody hell! Now it's my scent and his together! Jimmy inhaled deeply. Oh fuck, this is our scent together. This is what we would smell if we wake up in the same bed! Oh, Jimmy, you've lost your head, you've gone mad! Now you're thinking about sleeping with Mr. Barrow! Get yourself together, you stupid idiot! Jimmy felt the front of his pants tight and looked down. Great, I'm hard again! He groaned in frustration.

-o-

Jimmy rushed to the servants hall and sat down. He was panting and kept trying to put his hair together.

"Where have you been to?" Asked Mr. Molesley. "You look agitated."

Jimmy felt himself blush. "I, uh, found myself in a tight situation!" And you had to use that word, didn't you, Jimmy? Pun intended indeed!

Mr. Molesley didn't seem interested. He just shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat his breakfast. Mr. Carson came in and everyone stood up. "Right," he said. "Lady Grantham has informed me that Lady Hardwick will be in this afternoon along with her daughter. So I want this house presentable enough so that they can forget anything that they saw in New York." Jimmy couldn't help but roll his eyes.

-o-

The morning went by smoothly. Everything was dusted, the carpets were clean, the guest bedrooms had fresh new sheets, and the silver was neatly polished.

Everyone stood outside of the Abbey at four in the afternoon when they saw a car come by and stop by the entrance. Mr. Molesley opened the door and out came Countess Emma Hardwick. Her brown hair was pulled high. She was a middle aged woman but beautiful at the same time. "Hello," she told Mr. Molesley who couldn't help but smile back (much to Mr. Carson's horror) and then her daughter, Annie stepped out too.

"Ah, Emma. Welcome," Cora said as she extended her arms to receive the Countess. "How are you? Did you have a good trip?"

Lady Hardwick grinned and nodded. "Oh yes, quite nice. We had a lovely breeze, didn't we, Lizzie darling?"

Elizabeth Hardwick who was in her late teens or early twenties, was the mirrored version of her mother. She went to take Cora's hands in greeting. "Quite lovely. No storms whatsoever."

While the ladies and the rest of the servants went inside, Jimmy and Mr. Molesley were unpacking the car and were taking everything to the guest bedrooms.

Jimmy was still in thought of what had happened earlier that morning. He was late for breakfast because he needed to find relief because of an intoxicating shirt... that belonged to a certain under-butler... who was starting to consume Jimmy's waking thoughts. He did dream about Thomas' hands, which didn't help his fragile situation. And after smelling that shirt in the morning, he just needed to find release or else it would have been one hell of a day. So he tried to not think about Mr. Barrow for the rest of the day.

-o-

Dinner came upon them too soon for Mr. Carson's liking. Lady Rose was more excited than anyone to hear what New York was all about. How the fashion was and how were the people. Lady Hardwick had said how things were changing in the New World. "And this alcohol prohibition is outrageous, I was dying for wine the entire time I was there."

Yes, yes! Enough of the bloody wine! I want to know about Mr. Barrow! Give me something, lady! Jimmy tried his best not to make faces at the ridiculous conversation.

"So, Emma," said Cora. "You did say you had some entertaining stories about Robert. I'd love to hear them!"

"Mhm," said Lady Hardwick into her drink. "Ah yes. As I was visiting your mother, she decided to take all of us to this theater or something where they play this new type of jazz music with waltz, if I'm not mistaken. And since times are indeed changing, I suggested that the servants should take the night off and come with their employers to this club sort of type," she laughed.

"What amused me the most was Robert's valet..." Lady Hardwick was lost in thought.

"Mr. Barrow," said Edith.

"Oh no! Not, Mr. Barrow, Thomas!" She giggled.

Mr. Carson made an uncomfortable face and Jimmy raised his eyes.

"Ah yes, dear Thomas... Robert was hesitant about asking him to join us, so I did it for him! And not to mention, I gave the lad a decent suit for the evening. He looked so... dashing! Women had his eyes on him all evening. The poor lad looked uncomfortable but what a great dancer! I've never seen anyone dance as lovely as he did!"

"Barrow? Our Barrow? Are you sure this was him?" Cora implied.

"The same," laughed Lady Hardwick. "He's so handsome, so charismatic, so charming. I cannot believe that he is not taken!"

"That's because Thomas has a preference for men," Mary blurted out.

Cora gasped. "Mary! Please!"

Emma Hardwick looked dumbfounded. "Is that right? Oh my word! How disappointing! But he's got all the qualities of a heartbreaker! He is the best dancer partner I've ever danced with in my entire life. Well, then... I do hope he makes another lad happy with those qualities." Mr. Carson made a choking sound and everyone gasped. Lady Rose kept giggling the entire time. Jimmy wanted to fall down.

-o-

After the dinner and everything was done and over with, Jimmy needed to leave the house for a minute. He sneaked out and walked down the front path. He walked to the familiar tree that was by the road to sit on the bench that was behind it. He sat down and sighed. He couldn't believe Lady Hardwick's described Mr. Barrow. He closed his eyes and tried to picture the now valet in his mind. "I wonder what you're doing now."

"I'm standing right here," said a voice.

Jimmy yelped out of the bench and looked alarmed to find non other than Lady Rose. "Oh, James! I didn't mean to startle you."

"Milady," panted Jimmy as he had a hand on his chest to calm down. "Shouldn't you be inside?"

Rose smiled and shook her head. "I wanted to get out of the house to get some fresh air, but I did follow you here."

Jimmy drowned, "why?"

Rose smirked. "Because I think you and I need to have a conversation."