A/N: So this is one of my attempts at an OC in the Downton Abbey verse, so I hope you enjoy this piece.
Disclaimer: I don't own Downton Abbey, and any Irish Gaelic that appears in this fic is the product of Google Translate. And I'll address other minutia as we get to chapters where it's important.
*"my little love," a term of endearment
February, 1916
It was cold enough outside that Tom could see his breath as he strode away from the train platform, determined to get away before the platform became crowded with departures and arrivals once more. He'd never been fond of the clamor of train stations, nor was he overly fond of the sudden drop in temperature, and he hated to leave the car unattended for too long.
He knew he didn't need to rush his journey back to Downton, but he would rather spend the remainder of his day in the garage than out in this cold, and thus his strides became quick and deliberate, almost soldier-like. His attention was fixed above the crowd, towards where he had parked the car, and the people who milled past him adjusted their course to avoid colliding with him.
Well, all but one.
"Pardon me, sir," the young woman said, her hand flying to catch the brim of her straw traveling hat before his shoulder could send it flying. "I wasn't watching my step."
"No worries, miss," he said, catching her gently by her elbow to help steady her. "Neither was I."
She let out a small laugh, and Tom could hear something like uncertainty in the sound, as if the young woman were laughing to cover up some insecurity.
"Is everything alright?" he asked, furrowing his brows in confusion at her laughter.
"You wouldn't happen to know the way to Downton Abbey, would you?" she asked, speaking with a lilt that Tom recognized, though he could tell she was speaking around it, trying to minimize it as best she could.
He nodded. "It so happens that I'm headed that way m'self," he told her. Realizing that he hadn't introduced himself properly, he added: "I'm Tom, by the way. Tom Branson."
The young woman's eyes lit up with recognition, but, as if she'd caught herself in the act, she glanced away until her expression settled into one of calm neutrality. "Tom?" she said, the joy in her voice unmistakable.
That was when something inside Tom clicked into place, and he realized that he knew her.
"Mairead!" he exclaimed, perhaps a bit louder than he intended to, but the sight of his cousin was enough reason for his sudden excitement. "Dear Lord, Mairead, it's been ages! You've grown since we last saw each other- quite a bit. You're...nineteen years old now?"
"Almost sixteen," she corrected, color rising in her cheeks. "But close enough, yeah?"
He shrugged and led her to the car, shocked by his unexpected reunion with his young cousin to the point that he completely forgot to offer her help with loading her valise into the boot of the car. "I suppose," he said, helping her in beside him up front. "How's your family? Sam? Will? Lisabeth?"
"Sam's married now- about a year and a half, to Isibéal O'Donovan. You remember her, right?"
Tom grinned. "How could I forget her? Sam had his heart set on her the day he saw her coming from Mass. I'm glad he finally married her."
"Will's head groom for a family in Manchester, the same one Mam's been working for since you were born, or even before. Lisabeth's eight now, and living with Aunt Bridget, like the rest of us did. Da's helping Aunt Bridget on her husband's farm," she continued. "How've you been keeping?"
"Alright, I suppose," he said, deciding against bringing up Lady Sybil, at least for now. "So what brings you to Downton? Last I heard, you were working in Manchester with your mam."
Mairead's lips settled into a tight line- she was thinking, Tom realized, recognizing the expression as one he'd often seen on her brother Sam's face- and it was a while before she spoke: "It just wasn't working for me, I suppose," she said. "Mam suggested that I apply for the empty post they had here, see how that worked out."
There was something more to it, Tom could tell by the startled spark he saw in his cousin's eyes, as well as the rehearsed feel of her words. Still, he didn't press the issue. "You'll do brilliantly, I'm sure a stóirín*," he assured her. "Everyone's kind, well, as kind as you'd expect, given the circumstances."
He half-expected her to cock her head to the side and ask "What circumstances?" like she might have done when she was younger, listening to Tom and Sam discuss politics over luncheon after Mass, as they often did, before Tom took the job of Lord Grantham's chauffeur, but she didn't. She only gave him a brisk nod- She's old enough to understand what you mean, Tom, he chided himself. And it was good that she understood, that what he'd explained to her when she was ten or twelve years old made sense to her now, perhaps because she'd experienced the world as a young Irishwoman, and, if her speech was as free as it'd been when she was younger, she'd probably struck out and been labeled just as radical as Mr. Carson and some of the other staff members at Downton thought him to be.
He'd have to keep an eye on her, to make sure she didn't land herself in trouble. If she'd grown up to be as politically-interested as Sam joked she would be, Tom could only pray that she knew well enough to keep her mouth shut, and he would make sure she didn't fall in with the likes of Thomas and O'Brien. Surely there was nothing worse that could happen than that, was there?
"May I present to you Downton Abbey, home of the Lord and Lady Grantham," he said, somewhat dramatically, as they pulled up the drive. "Do you need help with your valise?"
She shook her head, dislodging a dark auburn curl from its hairpin. "No thank you, Tom," she said, stifling a laugh at her cousin's dramatics. "I can get it myself, don't worry."
A/N: So I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of A Patch of Clover, and reviews are certainly most welcome. I really look forward to exploring the relationship between Tom and Mairead, especially in relation to everything that goes on from S2 and all the way up to S5 and beyond. Other characters will feature later (to name a few: Thomas Barrow and Mrs. Hughes), so we've got that to look forward to, yeah?
Thank you so much for reading, and please feel free to leave a review, it means the world, especially with an OC.
Thank you~
