Later after taking a well earned break for lunch, Richard got back to work in the shop. Having been satisfied with the cleaning they had all done that morning, he got back to actually doing his job instead of Chris doing most of it for him. Chris never seemed to mind though, he never complained if Richard left him too it and Richard suspected it was because he liked to be busy and useful. The shop was looking brilliant. Chris and David had done a fine job of removing any dust from the shelves, polishing the wooden countertop and cleaning the windows. The only thing left to be done in terms of appearance was to touch up the side door with a bit of paint. Wilde had an annoying habit of scratching at it with his claws if they took too long to let him in. He would do that a bit later though as now the books and his shop had to come first in his list of priorities. He had pulled a footstool out from under the counter and set it below a shelf hidden from view from the window by another shelf. He encouraged his customers to browse through the books they had, to take their time. He even had a couple of chairs and a small table if people want to sit down for a bit and flick through some pages at their leisure. Other shop owners didn't always as it was not the way things were done generally and perhaps they were afraid of shoplifters. But people like to be able to look at what they are interested in buying, before they buy it. It made the atmosphere friendlier too. That being said, it had the one disadvantage of books not being put back in their original place or put back the wrong way around. Not everyone was careful enough to do that, so every so often either Chris or himself would have to rearrange some into their correct sections and positions.
Richard was busy carrying some books down from the top shelf so he could sort through them when the bell above the door rang. He looked through the gap in the shelf to see who it was. Back again, he thought as he saw David enter. This was the third time he had been here today. First when he was helping Chris with the cleaning, secondly to do a favour for Mr Tomlinson and pick up the latest copy of a magazine he subscribed to, and now again. "Good afternoon Mr Mortimer," Richard said from behind the shelf and he stepped off the stool.
"Mr Ellis," David said.
"What can we do for you David?" Richard asked, though dropping the formalities whilst seeing that no other customers were present.
"Oh, well I got back to the farm and then I remembered, I meant to pick up a few books for myself. Farming related ones. I think it might be a good idea to read up on the gaps in my knowledge. There are quite a lot of gaps to be honest," David said. It was a bit of a lie. It was true that he wanted to educate himself, but he didn't forget at all. He just thought he could visit again so he could see Chris again. He was a little disappointed that only Richard was present and Chris didn't seem to be around.
"Ah well that is a good idea," Richard agreed. "Do you know which books you will need or the subject of them? I could see what we have?"
"Thank you, but I spoke to Chris earlier and he said he'd put some aside for me. I hope I've left enough time for him to do so. Is he around?" David asked hopefully, but trying to remain neutral in his tone.
Richard wasn't fooled for a second but decided not to say anything. He didn't want to make either Chris or David uncomfortable or give any reason for either of them to back down from this obvious new blossoming relationship that was forming in front of him. "Oh well that is handy isn't it?" he asked rhetorically. "And yes he is, I'll ask him where he put them." Judging by the expression of more disappointment that David was trying very hard to hide, this was not the answer he had wanted to hear. Richard was secretly teasing him though, it was hard to resist that. Of course I'll get Chris to give them to you! Richard didn't need to say another word as Chris, ever sharp especially lately when it came to David, had obviously heard everything from the office. He appeared behind the counter at that moment.
Chris's face lit up when he saw David. Richard thought he must have been a bit hesitant though, as otherwise he would have come out into the shop as soon as David first spoke. "Oh you're back again? Can't keep away can you?"
David was over by the counter in an instant so he and Chris were on opposite sides of it, separated from each other only by a couple of feet of now polished wood. "Doesn't seem like I can." David was now leaning on the counter casually, resting one elbow on its surface. Richard could tell that Chris was being well and truly taken in by David's charming yet mischievous smile. He decided to make himself busy over near the front window so he could keep an eye out should anyone else come in. "Seems like there is a lot to attract a man to this little corner of Downton."
"We aim to please. I hope since you have come by here three times today that we are doing exactly that?" Chris asked.
"You are, and I mean you, in particular. Well worth the trip from the farm to here," David flirted.
"You've moved in then?" Chris asked.
"Yes, I think I forgot to mention that this morning. Must've slipped my mind, I was distracted by someone perhaps?," David suggested.
"Yes, I think your mind must have been on other things. How is your place there? At the farm," Chris asked. He could exchange words like this all day if he could. If David was flirting, then he was going to enjoy it.
"Oh great. Not big but it's only me so that is fine. Unless I decide on having company of course," David said.
"Yes. Though, you could make room?" Chris asked.
David grinned. "I like to think I am good at adapting to situations, so yes I think I could do that."
Over by the window Richard shook his head and smiled to himself, wondering if he and Thomas were like this, and being reminded of all the times when they had been at the table in the servants hall at Downton and spoke in similar ways to this. He then saw a woman who was in the shop a few days ago crossing the street towards them. "Mr Webster," he said to Chris, which was code to let Chris know they were about to be interrupted. "I believe Mrs Price, who ordered that recipe book, is on her way in. Shall I deal with it?"
Chris, grateful for the warning, stood up fully, after he had been sitting down behind the counter leaning in towards David opposite him. "Yes thank you," Chris said to Richard.
"Good afternoon madam," Richard said as the woman entered the shop. "Are you here to collect the book you ordered?"
"I am, thank you. Is it ready?"
"It is. Arrived this morning. If you'll excuse me, I'll fetch it for you," Richard said politely. "You are welcome to sit down while you wait."
"Thank you. Mr Ellis is it?" Mrs Price asked.
"It is, I'm honored that you remembered," Richard said. From behind the counter, Chris resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Richard's effortless efforts at charming the customers.
"Oh, I love this little shop Mr Ellis. It is well worth the bus journey to visit, so of course I remember!"
"That's wonderful to hear madam," Richard said. "I'll just be a moment." Richard slipped around the side of the counter and took out a few parcels and found the one he was looking for. "Mr Webster, you have found Mr Mortimer's order I take it?"
Chris had completely forgotten about the books he had found for David earlier and David hadn't actually asked for them. Neither of them had been thinking much about books in the last few moments. "Oh yes, of course. I'll just fetch them for you Mr Mortimer," Chris said to David.
Richard brought the parcel over to Mrs Price. "If you could just check this is what you ordered," he said, handing her the book.
"Yes, that's the one."
"Good, I believe you paid for this a few days ago?"
"I did. I have the receipt here," she said, handing Richard the slip of paper.
"Thank you, I'll just sign this off for our records," Richard said, returning to the counter where Chris automatically handed him the record book, whilst he put David's books through the till register.
"Thank you, hope to see you again soon Mrs Price," Richard said, holding the door open.
"Good day, Mr Ellis," Mrs Price said as she left.
Back at the counter, David now had several hardback books in his hands. "I should be getting back. I'll see you later okay?" he said to Chris.
"Yes, looking forward to it," Chris said.
"Likewise," David smiled as Richard opened the door for David too, his hands too full to be of much use. "Bye Richard."
"Good bye," Richard said, closing the door after him, so now it was just him and Chris again.
"Thank you for the warning," Chris said.
"No problem, you do the same for Thomas and I. He's coming back later then?" Richard asked, putting the records book back in its draw.
"Yes. We're off out again. Not sure where, we haven't decided. He'll be back here after closing. I'll try and stay long enough to say hello to your parents though, after what they did for me, I think I should. I want to," Chris said.
"Maybe they can meet David?" Richard suggested.
"They could but I don't know what we are yet, him and I. If we indeed are anything like that. So I can't make any introductions," Chris said.
"Well he's definitely a friend. I'd say you can start with there, they will be happy to hear that," Richard said.
...
"Chris! If my parents arrive can you let them in and call me? I'll be upstairs," Richard called to Chris as he went upstairs later that afternoon.
"Sure, no problem," Chris replied from the shop where he was just finishing tidying up for the day. It was almost five O'clock and they would be closing soon. David was already here though, waiting for him and keeping himself occupied by reading an exact copy of one of the books he bought earlier. "Mr Tomlinson didn't need you at the farm then?" he asked David who looked up from his book.
"Well I told him my plans to see you and he told me to go and enjoy myself. I'll make it up to him tomorrow though," David said.
"Well we should be able to go soon. But I want to wait until Richard's parents arrive if that's okay?" Chris asked.
"No problem, but should I stick around or wait for you elsewhere?"
"Stay please? I would like to introduce you. And they're friendly enough," Chris said.
"That's fine, I'd like to. Richard has spoken highly of his parents and all this effort he and you all have gone too with cleaning this whole building today proves that. They know about him and Tommy though right?" David asked.
"Yeah, and me. Richard is lucky to have a family who still want him. I would like to stay to say hello as well. You know I told you I got attacked in York? Well, it was Richard's parents who found me. I was extremely lucky that they happened to be in the right place at the right time. Richard's mother used to be a nurse and she was very insistent on helping me, despite my initial reluctance and her husband telling her not to. Mr Ellis, that is John Ellis, he was only concerned about his wife's safety. Understandable as I could have been anyone, but helped me also after being, shall we say, persuaded by her."
David was no longer sitting reading his book. As Chris had been explaining his connection to Richard's family, he had walked over and was now standing behind the counter with Chris, facing him. When he first met Chris several days ago, he got the impression that he did not like to talk much about himself. He felt like he preferred to keep it all locked away, every fact about his life, every secret about him. But this kept happening. They would find themselves alone and he would just talk. Completely open up. He talked around the other's too of course, but more so around him. Is it just me? David thought as he looked at him. "A very happy sequence of fate then?" was all he could say.
Chris followed David's gaze right back at him. "I should lock up," he said, breaking the moment before either one of them did something stupid, or maybe that was just me? he thought. The shop bell rang and Chris jumped, which made him feel ridiculous. He immediately recognised the couple who entered the shop.
"John, have you got the tin?" Marion asked as she walked into the shop followed by her husband who was carrying a couple of metal cake tins.
"Yes dear," John said, balancing his hat on top of one of the tins.
"But have you got the one with the brownies in? They are his favourite. I hope we didn't leave it in the car with the picnic," Marion asked.
"It is this top one. I checked earlier," John said. He shut the door with his foot behind him.
"Oh I hope I baked enough," Marion thought.
John, weighed down by cake tins, had no doubt that she did. "I think we have enough here dear," he said.
"Do you need a hand with those?" Chris asked.
"Oh hello Chris! How are you doing?" Marion asked kindly.
"I'm well thank you. In a lot better condition than when you last saw me for sure," Chris said lightly.
"I would appreciate a hand thank you Chris, my usual two don't seem to be enough!" John joked as Chris took the top tin.
"You have enough here to feed a crowd I reckon?" Chris remarked.
"Well I didn't want Richard to have to worry about dessert since he's cooking," Marion said. "Are you staying? Richie says sometimes you do after closing."
"I do sometimes yes, but I will have to decline today sorry," Chris glanced back at David behind him. "I'm going out tonight. In fact I should have introduced you. This is a friend of mine, David Mortimer. He's recently moved to Downton. David, this is John and Marion Ellis."
"Very nice to meet you," David said.
Marion took note of how eager Chris was to introduce his friend. She remembered how Chris had been when they last saw him a few months ago. Aside from being physically bruised and broken, he had been emotionally drained too, lacking in companionship. She shouldn't read anything into it based on only an introduction, but she reckoned Chris looked happier. She hoped that her instinctive thoughts that she couldn't stop herself from thinking were, or at least will be, right. "Have you two known each other long?"
"Um no actually, just a few days. I'm a friend of Thomas, from a while ago," David said. "I came to visit and now I'm staying. That's just how things have turned out. I've just started working at a farm near here."
"Oh you're a farmer then?" John asked.
"Technically now, yes. But not before, I lived in the city most of my life. This is a huge change but a welcome one," David explained. He felt Chris standing next to him, comfortable and relaxed in their company.
"I should tell Richard you are here," Chris said, but before he could make a move to go into the kitchen, Richard appeared in the doorway.
"Hello mum, dad," Richard greeted as he hugged his parents in turn. "Oh did you bring cake?" he asked looking at the tins on the counter.
Marion chuckled. "I thought you'd notice that. Made a few of your favourites so you don't need to worry about dessert."
"This is a lovely little shop you have here Richard," John said. He had been impressed the moment he walked in (or at least the moment he had been relieved of the cake tins so he could actually see the shop). There was a neat window display which he saw after he walked in, and every shelf was neatly arranged into labelled sections that reminded him a little of a well organised library. He particularly liked the little seating area by the other window. He'd never seen that in a book shop before. "You've made good use of a small space."
"Thank you, glad you like it. You're welcome to look around," Richard said. "You've met David I assume?"
"We have dear yes, Chris introduced us," Marion said. "We don't want to hold you two up though if you need to leave," she said to Chris and David.
"We should be going, but it was great to see you both again," Chris said.
"Pleasure meeting you," David said as Chris fetched his jacket, before they opened the front door.
"Goodbye," John said as Chris and David left.
"Well he seems nice Richie, Chris seems to like him. Anything more to it than that?" Marion asked.
"He's only been here a few days mum! I shouldn't say more," Richard said, but he knew by his mum's smile that she knew what he was really thinking. "Thomas won't be back for a few an hour or so yet. He said he'd try and get back earlier," he said changing the subject. He led the way into the kitchen, "I suppose I should give you a little tour. Won't take long, like you said Dad, we've made a lot out of a small space."
At that moment, Richard heard the familiar patter of tiny paws descending the stairs. Wilde walked in wanting to know who the new guests were to his home. Immediately wanting to make new friends, he wasted no time in turning on all of his cat charm. Padding gracefully over to Richard he rubbed himself around Richard's legs and then proceeded to do the same around his parents, before sitting happily at Marion's feet, looking up at her with keen eyes and a hopeful expression whilst purring. "Oh you must be Wilde!" Marion exclaimed, bending down to stroke the cat who was only too glad to accept the fuss and attention, pushing his head into her hand as if to say 'more of that please!' "Oh Richard, he is lovely!"
"He is trouble sometimes, especially since he is an avid hunter, but that is worth it. He is very popular with both of us, as well as Chris and David, as well as the customers actually. David has a way with animals I think and Chris is always sneaking him pieces of food off the table so obviously has won Wilde over there. Thomas though, he was the one who saved him," Richard said. It was just one of the many things about Thomas that Richard loved, he had a soft spot for creatures and people in need. He has demonstrated that many times, with Wilde and also with his insistence on helping Chris a year ago and most recently, with helping David out too. It was also why he found it near impossible to imagine Thomas being cold and unfeeling, as he said he was many years ago. He just couldn't see that in the man he loved.
Wilde left Richard's mother and then sat in front of his father. When John didn't immediately respond Wilde, gave a loud 'meow'. "You must tickle him dad, he won't take no for an answer or leave until you do," Richard said.
"Fine," John said, giving Wilde a gentle rub behind his black and white ears. "You are a typical cat aren't you? You crave attention." After giving Wilde the satisfactory amount of fuss, John turned his attention to the door behind him. "What's in there?" he asked Richard.
"Oh, the office stroke store cupboard," Richard said, opening the door.
John looked inside. "Cupboard is probably the right word for it. Tiny, hardly room to swing a cat!" John then looked in Wilde's direction. "No offence." If Wilde understood or noticed, he didn't give any indication of it. He continued washing contently behind his ears under the kitchen table.
Richard chuckled at his dad's humour. "It does us well enough. Not room for Chris and I to work in there at once but room for one of us happily enough. Chris is the one who uses it the most and he rather likes it I think."
"You have a decent kitchen though," Marion remarked.
"Yes, I think so and it's the only part of the flat that is downstairs. Everything else is upstairs," Richard said as he mother had a look around.
"Oh and I love what you've done with the garden. Lovely rose border," Marion noted as she looked out the window over the kitchen sink.
"It was not in the best state when we first moved in, this whole building had been empty for quite a while and so had become neglected," Richard said. "The garden was mainly my job. Thomas is not into gardening really, he wouldn't stop teasing me about how I will end up spending my days turning the lawn into a vegetable patch."
"That is what other halves are for Richard, to tease us," John said.
"Yeah I know. Of course I don't mind," Richard said.
"You've done a great job with the whole place. Must have been a lot of work," John said.
"It was, but I had a lot of motivation to do it," Richard remembered. No motivation is better than being spurred on by how this would be our home not just my home, he thought. "I got a lot of satisfaction out of it. Thomas, when he could, helped too. We painted the ceiling and the walls together." Marion loved to see how happy her son was. His tone was reminiscent, brought on by telling his and Thomas's earlier memories of living here. "I'll show you upstairs. We will have to eat up there tonight, the table can only really comfortably fit two, when Chris and David were here a few mornings ago for breakfast it was a bit of a tight squeeze."
"Oh that will be nice actually," Marion said as she and her husband left the kitchen and followed their son upstairs.
...
After Richard had shown Marion and John the remaining rooms upstairs, they all sat down in the living room. Marion sat on the sofa with John and Richard in an armchair opposite them, a small table between them all in the centre. Wilde had come upstairs to join them too, and had settled on a little nest of jumpers that Marion assumed was one of his many beds. Having had a few pet cats in her life, she knew that cats always had several napping spots and Wilde was no different. Richard had shown them around the two bedrooms and had explained that one was really just for show, 'to keep up appearances', as he put it. He didn't need to say more, as the official story to anyone who wanted to be nosy was that Thomas was Richard's lodger and that he used the other bedroom in the flat. It was a story that she reckoned, since they have thankfully had no trouble, that the locals accepted long ago. It was a shame they needed such a cover story, but she was glad that her son and Thomas were sensible and cautious, if it kept them safe. "I noticed you used the vase I gave you," Marion said as she pointed out the arrangement of flowers on the window sill.
"Oh yes, well you told me how you liked flowers inside. Thomas picked them," Richard said.
"You cleaned the rooms before we came today didn't you?" John asked.
"We may have tidied things up a bit," Richard said humbly.
"You didn't need to but it looks very neat and welcoming. Everything does," Marion said.
"Well I wanted you to like it," Richard said.
"You don't need to impress us dear. We are more than impressed with you taking such a leap and starting a new part of your life here with Thomas, we're proud of you Richie. Aren't we John?"
"That we are," John agreed. He did notice though that his son was now looking a bit embarrassed, but this situation and conversation was rather personal he supposed. Richard stopped looking down at his hands, though when he heard the door downstairs close, he looked up. John watched as he saw his son look at the clock on the mantelpiece, and then back towards the sound of the door, a little smile finding its way onto his face as his mind made the connection between the time and the noise.
...
Thomas smelt cooking as soon as he walked in through the door. He was earlier than he would normally be, but had managed to get away from Downton sooner than he normally would in order to be able to spend a few hours in the company of Richard and his parents. He looked at the time as in the kitchen and was a little surprised not to find Chris still around. This was not the first time since David had come back into his life that Chris was not here when Thomas came home. He knew that Chris would wait for him sometimes. He had never asked why he was still here when he could be home and Chris had never told him why, but he knew he was a big part of his reasoning. It was probably something he was going to have to get used to. It was becoming more and more obvious that Chris and David were growing closer and closer by the day. Part of him was a little jealous that Chris was starting to focus his attention on someone else, but Thomas reminded himself that Chris has every right to find his own companionship. Maybe Thomas didn't want to lose Chris's devotion? But a devotion born out of unrequited love for someone Chris couldn't have wasn't right. Thomas nodded to himself as he accepted that if the price of Chris's happiness was to give up his devotion to him to someone else who can be loyal to him back, then it is a worthy price to pay. He would rather have Chris's friendship in a way that meant he wasn't causing his friend any pain.
Thomas had been standing in the kitchen for longer than he realised, as he heard Richard come down stairs and walk up behind him. "Hey," Richard said, enveloping Thomas from behind with strong arms around his waist and kissing his neck on the spot where he had been tickling him with the feather duster earlier this morning. "Heard you come in several minutes ago. You okay?"
Thomas nodded and let Richard kiss him again just above his shirt collar, before he turned around to face him. "Just got caught in a few thoughts, that's all."
"Nothing the matter then?" Richard asked.
Thomas let his hands link together around the back of Richard's waist. "No, I think it's good actually." Richard let go of his hands on Thomas's back, leaving Thomas momentarily disappointed, but that neglect was short lived as Richard then pushed Thomas's butlers jacket off his shoulders, forcing Thomas to let go of him as he let Richard slip it off him. Richard, without saying another word, then loosened off Thomas's black tie and tossed that expertly onto the back of the chair a foot or so behind Thomas, so that it landed without slipping onto the floor. He then loosened two of the top buttons on Thomas's shirt. "Richard what are you doing? Not that I'm complaining but, aren't your parents upstairs?"
"I just thought you could do with loosening up your clothing Mr Barrow, you normally do when you come home. I don't know what you were thinking I was doing? Not sure what was going on in that lovely head of your's," Richard teased with a smile that twitched ever so slightly at the side of his mouth.
"Oh Richard! You always make me sound so... so needy. I say something innocent and as a response to an action by you that you know perfectly well is nothing anywhere near innocent in your mind," Thomas said, replacing his hands around the lower part of Richard's back.
"You know me Mr Barrow! I tease you when I can't resist you, which is most of the time," Richard said grinning at him, as he appreciated how he could feel Thomas better now that only his shirt was in the way. Maybe if his parents weren't just upstairs waiting for him to finish checking the food, like he said he was, then Thomas's shirt might not be in the way by now after all.
"You're impossible sometimes," Thomas said. And tempting, so hard to resist.
"Sorry, if you want-"
Thomas stopped him. The last thing he wanted was for Richard to tone it down. "-No. I like it. You may send my mind in circles but I like it so no, don't apologize and don't stop," he said as he stepped back with Richard as he kissed him touching Richard's lips and then coming back for more immediately as he closed his eyes, feeling his back hit the chair behind him as he let Richard kiss him in return. Thomas clung onto him and Richard likewise as they kissed each other in succession with more eagerness than each one before. The chair at the table behind Thomas scraped loudly along the floor as they both pushed it involuntarily into the table. With the sudden moment of the chair they both lost their balance a bit and Richard instinctively put one hand on the table behind Thomas. We should get upstairs, my parents won't keep waiting forever, Richard thought. Aside from Thomas's cologne, Richard was aware of the strong smell of chicken that was telling him that it was ready to be taken out of the oven. Should just take it out, he thought before Thomas shuffled his feet, the result of the change in position being Thomas's hand gripping onto the top of Richard's belt of his trousers. He immediately forgot about the chicken.
"Richard that smells like it's-. Oh-."
Richard and Thomas both jumped. Thomas looked over Richard's shoulder, still willingly stuck between the table and Richard, to see Marion at the doorway. Only Thomas saw Richard's smile at them being caught red handed by his mother (not for the first time either) as he closed his eyes briefly before opening them and letting go of Thomas and turning around as casually as he could. "Mum. I was just about to check it," he lied.
"Of course you were," She said, finding the oven glove in the drawer, even though she had never set foot in this kitchen until an hour ago, and taking out a deliciously smelling chicken that was indeed cooked and would have become overdone if not rescued soon. "That looks done, potatoes aren't though so we'll keep it warm until they are."
In spite of the interruption (Thomas was getting used to interruptions from Richard's parents now), Thomas couldn't help but smile at Richard taking over in his kitchen. Her reaction was perfect though. Not many people would just carry on with normal things like taking food out of an oven after walking in on them. "Hello Marion," Thomas said, straightening out his shirt whilst she had her back turned.
"Hello again dear," she said. "John is upstairs. Sorry about just now. We thought you were home and neither of us believed Richie's excuse to check if the food was ready. We were going to leave you two I promise, but I could smell the chicken from upstairs."
"That's quite alright," Thomas said. He was not sure if he would ever get used to how normal Richard's parents treat them, but he was more than willing to try.
"I think we can give the vegetables another fifteen minutes," Marion said.
"Good," Richard nodded, surrendering command of the roast dinner to his mother. "Shall we go up?"
...
John had been sitting upstairs with Wilde for company while his wife went to check on the food, as their son had clearly found himself a distraction in his partner. They had heard muffled talking, a laugh and then a bit later the scrapping of a chair on a stone floor. He may not know everything about life but he could put two and two together. They hadn't wanted to interrupt as it might make them feel uncomfortable or even worse it might scare them, especially Thomas who had taken a while to get used to their open mindedness at first. But when the three of them came upstairs, he could see no harm was done. His wife came over to sit back down beside him on the sofa before she stopped as if having second thoughts. "Actually, we should all swap places," she said. "John, you swap with Richard and I'll sit in the other chair. Then these two can sit together."
"Oh you don't need to do that mum, we're fine," Richard said.
"Oh no, I insist," Marion repeated.
Thomas saw that John was a bit reluctant to get up as he looked comfy as he was. "You don't need to, you are both the guests here," Thomas said to him.
"Yes but you both should sit together. John, you can survive changing chairs I'm sure," Marion insisted.
John gave in and got up. "Never argue with the head of the household," he sighed.
Marion sat down. "Not so bad there is it?" she said to him.
"No dear, whatever you say dear," he said, though Richard could see the little glint in his eyes that showed he didn't mind his wife bossing him around really.
Thomas sat down next to Richard on the sofa. Wilde, maybe being influenced by the sudden reshuffling of seating arrangements, got up from his place near the fireplace, stretched, yawned, turned two full circles and then sat down in exactly the same place.
...
Later on they all sat and tucked into a delicious roast dinner. Richard didn't usually cook something that involved so much work on an evening where they would both be working the next day, but this was a special occasion so he liked to make the effort. They ate off plates on lap trays and Wilde had a little plate of chicken pieces that he ate in no time, but was topped up by all of them a few times more. Thomas listened to Marion and John telling them about how they had arrived in Downton in the early afternoon so they could take some time to have a picnic lunch by the river upstream, after Richard had recommended the spot. They had then gone for a walk and had found themselves a little lost as not all the country lanes are signposted. Marion said they were given directions by a young woman who had told her, after they made friendly conversation, that she worked in the kitchens at Downton Abbey. John told them how pleased the woman was to meet them when they introduced themselves as Richard's parents. Thomas reckoned Daisy will be asking him tomorrow how this evening went.
"Richard was telling us about the decorating that you both did when Richard first bought this place," John said to Thomas.
"Well Richard did most of the work. He moved most of the furniture and fixed some doors and pipes in the bathroom. He moved the table downstairs in on his own and he was so proud of that. I'm afraid I mocked him when he told me," Thomas said.
"You did, I was telling you about how this was one of the biggest achievements of my life and you said something like 'yes well done for moving a table in all on your own'!" They all laughed at that, as did Thomas despite him being part of the joke.
"Of course I knew Richard was talking about moving in here with me and not just the table. I was in a good mood and the joke was inevitable," Thomas admitted freely.
"I meant to ask earlier," Marion began as she finished her plate of food. "the lovely red duvet in your bedroom, where did that come from? Did Izzie buy it for you both?"
"It would be the sort of thing she would give us but no, that was another friend of mine, of ours," Richard said. "Do you remember Larry? I know you never met him, but you remember me telling you about him?"
"I do, you were into him ages ago," Marion said.
"Yes, well he gave that to Thomas on his birthday. I did tell you about how he visited me in May didn't I?" Richard queried.
"Oh yes of course! I remember. Yes you did. He paid for your holiday," Marion recalled. She and John didn't know too much about Larry. They knew that Richard had a brief relationship with him many years ago, but they never met him as Richard was still hesitant about introducing them to any men he was seeing. They did know how rich Larry was. She remembered being worried that he would end up using her son and hurting him but he never did as far as she knew. They just parted ways but had remained friends, albeit at a distance until recently it seems.
"He is the one with the good taste in cars isn't he?" John asked. "He loaned you his green Aston Martin?"
"Yeah he did. Of course you heard about that," Thomas answered. "Richard had to tell everyone who would listen about that!"
"I understand that. I remember him telling us, several times. I was jealous," John admitted.
"Well it is a lovely gift from him," Marion said, bringing the subject back to the duvet.
"Shall we fetch the cake?" Richard asked. "That's if you aren't full."
"Oh I can always fit in some of your mother's cakes Richard," John said.
"How long can you stay?" Thomas asked.
"Oh probably for another hour. We would like to leave before it gets too dark so we aren't driving in the dark all the way home," Marion said. She observed her son and Thomas who she basically considered to be her son-in-law. She had ulterior motives when she made John move places in order to have them seated together. She didn't want to just experience them being together in moments like in the kitchen when they are unexpectedly interrupted, she wanted to see them together without having to hide. She smiled, she was happy. Them both together, on their sofa in their own home. This is how it is meant to be.