a/n: I don't own any characters of downton abbey, not about downton abbey at all. This story is just pure fun. I'm trying to keep the events of the show entwined with the story the best I can but there will be some difference with timeline and scenes to fit the story and plot. Please also note that English is not my first language so even after proofreading there is bound to be mistakes, especially when it comes to sentence structure. I hope you enjoy this regardless, and there will be a sequel to this story (if not even a third part) later on.

Downton Abbey
June 1919

It had been a few months since Mrs Hughes had invited Thomas for tea but the preparations for the Crawley's to enjoy a few days up in Scotland had begun taking place. The war had kept them from doing so but now they could finally go up and have a week of shooting. Lord Grantham still did not have a valet so Mr Carson would accompany them and act as valet in Mr Bates' place, who was still imprisoned. Mrs Hughes suspected that Lord Grantham wanted to escape the talks around town, how his youngest had run off and married a chauffeur, and a socalist at that.

It would mean some peace and quiet for the staff that remained, which weren't many since the war had yet to return the footmen. It would be only Thomas, Mrs Hughes, Daisy and Mrs Patmore along with the maids. It was Mrs Hughes' own vacation when the family went away.

Thomas was lifting the baggage onto the cars that would take the Crawleys' to the station when Matthew's car came up the driveway.

"Dear boy, have you decided to join us after all?" Lord Grantham said and Matthew seemed to look confused in Thomas' eyes.

"I came to see you off, but mother convinced me to come and join you after our visit to Manchester" Matthew said and exchanged a quick glance with Thomas' as he finished loading the car.

There was a lie in there that Thomas caught, but he could not tell which one of Matthew's words were the lie. Had he not come to see the Crawleys' off? Perhaps he did not intend to join them, or there was no Manchester trip at all. Thomas took a shallow breath which caused his chest to tremble where he stood rigid like a tree. Then the scene faded, all the Crawleys' left, Matthew only lingered for a second and that was when Thomas walked back inside. For another glance of Matthew, Thomas would spiral.

Mrs Hughes went through the rooms, ensuring they were tidy enough. She wished to hear another story tonight, while the chance was there. Mrs Hughes had become quite invested; not that she wanted to be involved further than lending an ear to Thomas, but quite taken by the stories the head housekeeper was. What a foolish lad Thomas had been, Mrs Hughes thought, how could he have expected to be enough? An heir needs an heir and, no matter if their courting was right or wrong, Matthew and Thomas were unable to produce it — they could not even marry. That did sadden Mrs Hughes, when she thought about it further, how restricted love Thomas felt had to be; at least he was liberated from pressures of marriage and family by being a servant like the rest of them — just like Mrs Hughes who never had either.

Thomas came walking past, giving Mrs Hughes a nod and then disappearing down to the servants' hall for supper.

"My, is it that late already?" Mrs Hughes said and looked at the clock, it indeed was.

"It'll be nice to get a break, won't it?" Mrs Patmore sat down a pot of stew on the table for the servants' who had not gone up north with the Crawleys'

"Speak for yourself." Thomas said, leaning back in his chair.

"Oh, come on Thomas, now you can enjoy — whatever it is that you enjoy" Mrs Patmore said, wiping her hands on the towel.

"Oh, there isn't much that I enjoy Mrs Patmore" Thomas said with a smirk and began serving himself the stew.

"Why doesn't that surprise me." Mrs Patmore said with a roll of her eyes before returning to the kitchen.

"There is a summer fair tomorrow. I saw them setting up in the village, Mrs Hughes, do you think we can go to it?" The maid Maud said. She was the newest addition after the Spanish Flu had taken one of the older ones.

"I don't see why not?" Mrs Hughes said and sat down with everyone else "Just make sure all work is done beforehand"

Maud smiled and then looked at Thomas who did not acknowledge her glances back but instead with his eyes darting over . "Would you care to escort me to the fair?"

Thomas raised an eyebrow, looking up at the maid through his eyelashes and gave her a false smile; causing Maud to grow a hopeful look. Thomas snapped the book shut and stood up, leaving his food half-finished "Now that question caused me to lose my appetite" He stood up to leave the room but before disappearing out the door way to the hallway he stopped "No Maud, I would much rather escort a warthog" He added and vanished.

"Don't you bother with Thomas" Daisy told Maud "He can be really nasty when he wants."

"I do enjoy a challenge," Maud said, seemingly unphased by Thomas' words and returned to her stew happily. She didn't notice the glances Daisy, Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore threw each other.

"Well that will be an impossible one" Mrs Patmore snorted and leaned against the archway between kitchen and servants' hall.

Mrs Hughes threw Mrs Patmore a stern look, pleading with her to say no more. Mrs Patmore was not wrong, but they did not speak of Thomas' preference, no one did in the house but most suspected how he was inclined. Maud had an entitlement to her, one Mrs Hughes had seen in other maids that had come and gone; very much like Ethel.

Mrs Patmore snorted again and shook her head before she and Daisy returned to the kitchen to eat their supper there.

"Don't go making trouble for yourself, Maud, Thomas is no one to take up company with." Mrs Hughes urged her.

"Now why did you have to go say such a thing to Maud, Thomas?" Mrs Hughes sat and stirred some honey into her tea.

"I needed to put her off, didn't I, Mrs Hughes?" Thomas said as they had now returned to having tea in her sitting room.

"She now thinks it a challenge to win you over" Mrs Hughes sighed and shook her head "would it have been so bad to accept her? You took Daisy to the fair once."

"Mrs Hughes, with all due respect, I keep my preferences to myself, I do not speak of them" Thomas said with, contrary to his words, very little respect in his voice "but I was under no impression I had to accept a woman's invitation solely to keep up a facade."

"I suppose so" Mrs Hughes said "but be wary of your tongue, Thomas, it'll get you into trouble one of these days."

"It already got me into trouble when my tongue got into Mr Crawley" Thomas said but caught the eye of Mrs Hughes who looked utterly horrified, but Thomas just grinned.

"I ought to smack the back of your head." Mrs Hughes said but there was a strange warmness in Mrs Hughes' heart that Thomas had got some of his cheek back, returning to what his former self had been. It was not something she had wanted before knowing the sad story of Thomas' and Matthew Crawley but maybe this meant that Thomas could start moving on. "Go on Thomas, continue, even though I fear where this part is taking us."