Chapter 4 Lavender Place
The next morning after breakfast Thomas, with Andy happily assisting him, opened up and began cleaning out his father's clock shop. There was only one large garbage bag of stuff to throw out, but his father had been gone about a year, so the store, as well as the small workshop in the backroom, were covered in dust.
They finally decided to open the front door to the shop and sweep out all the huge piles of dust in a large grey cloud onto the street.
This obvious activity led to a young male servant from the fine townhouse across the street coming over on behalf of the butler in charge there.
"My name is Henry," he greeted them with a wide smile and shining blue-green eyes. "The butler from Lavender Place sent me. He wishes to know if the clock shop will be reopened?"
"Thomas Barrow," Thomas spoke, setting aside his broom, as they had just finished with the sweeping. "Yes, I will be reopening the shop in two weeks. We first have to give our notice at Downton Abbey. Andy will be selling plants."
"I see," Henry replied with a nod of his blonde haired head. "Francis will be pleased to know. Many of our master's clocks are in disrepair, but the closest clock shop is too far away to be able to check up on the progress with any regularity. The butler always brought the master's clocks here."
"Then I look forward to your business," Thomas said politely.
"It is good."
At the end of Thomas's and Andy's week of vacation, most of which was spent either readying the clock shop for it's reopening in two weeks or visiting with Thomas's, and now Andy's family, the two of them reluctantly packed up their things to head for the train station.
Amelia, Julia and Rose accompanied them to see the two men off back to Downton.
"We'll be back in two weeks, mother," Thomas promised her where he stood beside Andy on the platform, both of them holding their suitcases.
"Good," Amelia said, Julia and Rose standing on either side of her. "You take care of my boy, Andy."
"Of course, Mrs. Barrow," Andy replied with a wide smile. "I promise."
"Call me Amelia, please, Andy," she requested of him, briefly hugging them both.
"Of course. ..Amelia. I will never allow anything bad to happen to my Thomas. He is all that matters in the worlds to me. My light in the darkness."
"That is so romantic.." Julia whispered in reaction with stars in her eyes.
"Yes," Rose agreed with her sister, inclining her head toward Andy. "Our new brother knows how to speak well of emotion and love. A trait rare to be found in a man."
"Yes, Julia said, moving to hug them goodbye, followed by Rose. "It is rare. You are lucky, Thomas. You have one of the good ones here."
"It was not luck," Thomas disagreed, returning their hugs before reaching out to take hold of Andy's free hand with his own. "It was fate. We are fate."
The two men became lost in each other's eyes for a moment that felt like eternity, and the three women had to shoo them both onto the train with words of teasing affection.
Thomas and Andy arrived back at Downton in the late afternoon, each of them putting their suitcases away in their separate rooms upstairs before changing so that they could get right to work assisting the servants of the Abbey.
After the usual afternoon chores had been completed, dinner had been prepared, laid out and eaten by the family; Thomas and Andy requested to speak to mister Carson in the butler's office.
"Oh, yes," Carson said, looking up when Thomas lifted an elegant fingered hand to knock lightly on the partially open door. "Come in. Well, despite likely being fatigued by your travel, you both did a wonderful job this afternoon and evening. Thank you, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Parker. Now, what was it that you both wished to speak with me about?"
Thomas inclined his head slightly in response, stepping into the room with Andy following after him and pushing the door closed quietly. Neither of them wished to be overheard and likely become the subject of cruel gossip before they left again in two weeks time.
"Thank you, mister Carson," Thomas replied, he and Andy standing shoulder to shoulder in front of his desk while the older man stood behind it. "We appreciate it. Andy and I wanted to let you know we'll be leaving again in two weeks to go back. My mother and sisters need me to move back home and reopen my father's clock shop."
"I see," Carson said to Thomas, his expression unsurprisingly stern. He then turned to study Andy with a look of genuine concern. "And Mr. Parker? Are you sure this is what you want? May I ask what your plans are?"
"Yes, mister Carson," Andy replied firmly, reaching out boldly for Thomas's hand, holding onto it tightly. "It is. I want to be with Thomas. I know your opinions on this subject, but I really do love him. He's my best friend, and my soul mate. As to my plans for the future, besides being with Thomas and our family, is to sell plants and flowers. Nature is what I know. It's how I was raised."
"Hmmm," Carson hummed, inquiring, "I don't suppose I can convince you to remain here at Downton instead?"
"No," Andy answered, shaking his head. "I am sorry, mister Carson. But I have to follow my heart. I also promised my mother, father and siblings that I would introduce them to my Thomas. They are very eager to know him."
"Very well," mister Carson said, his expression clearly revealing his disappointment with Andy's choices. "The circumstances being.. what they are, would either of you object to departing this house on the early train tomorrow? The money you are both owed will, of course, be sent on to your new residence."
The pair of young men blinked, a bit surprised at the inquiry, though they probably should not have been. They looked at each other for a moment, then back to Carson.
"You mean we can leave?" Andy asked him politely. "Tomorrow?"
"Yes. Tomorrow," mister Carson confirmed. "I believe that would be for the best."
Andy's face transformed into a wide, clearly excited smile as he turned to look into Thomas's dark eyes while noticeably still holding his hand with his. "Did you hear that, Thomas? We can leave in the morning! We can go home! Can you imagine their faces when we show up tomorrow afternoon?! Julia and Rose! Amelia!"
"No, Andy," Thomas said simply, staring back into his mate's beautiful brown eyes. "But I can not wait to see all their faces, no matter the expressions they wear."