Later on that day, after a very quick lunch, Thomas was running around like a mad thing trying to make sure everything was ready for the evening. The family were having a buffet dinner upstairs in the evening, which made things slightly easier for everyone downstairs, allowing them all to have some of the evening free for their own New Year's celebrations before the fireworks began at midnight. Thomas had of course organised a few christmas and new year's celebrations since becoming butler, but that didn't mean it got any easier. However, he liked to be kept busy. As did Richard apparently, who despite technically being on his own holiday, insisted that he could help.
"You don't need to you know," Thomas said, after quickly finishing off his last few mouthfuls at lunch. "We have plenty of people to do everything."
"You look exhausted already Thomas," Richard said, touching Thomas' hand on top of the table for a moment. "Just by the fact that everyone seems to be eating lunch at separate times today, shows that you could do with a little extra help and since I'm here..." Despite it being the middle of the day, they were the only two sitting down for lunch at that moment. "Besides, what else am I going to do? I can't just sit here reading the paper while you lot are all rushing around, it wouldn't feel right."
Thomas of course, couldn't resist the way that Richard spoke to him or smiled at him. He was his weakness so had to accept his help. "Fine, if you insist, but you don't need to do anything major like serving lunch or anything. We can leave that to Andy. After they have eaten, the table settings need changing. Apparently, Lady Mary wants a red table cloth for the tables. More fitting with the time of year she says." Thomas rolled his eyes at that, making Richard laugh. "I know your a valet technically, but you could help with that?"
"That will be fine, thanks."
"I should be thanking you I guess," Thomas said standing up from the table before adding, "I suppose it's the least you could do for keeping me up all of last night."
"Hmm, I reckon that's fair Mr Barrow. I'll see you around," Richard said, after running his hand across the back of Thomas' waist as he left the room, making Thomas shiver.
...
"Ah Barrow. Good to catch you, how are the preparations going for this evening?" Lord Grantham asked Thomas, as he was coming downstairs from the main gallery.
"Very well, M'lord," Thomas answered, putting on his more professional butler look on his face. "Mrs Patmore and Daisy are organising a buffet style dinner in advance and the men responsible for the firework display will be here a couple of hours before to set up and make sure everything is ready."
"Wonderful, good to hear things are running smoothly," Lord Grantham said.
"Yes M'lord. No need to bring Mr Carson back this time," Thomas said without thinking. "I'm sorry M'lord I didn't mean to say that."
"Don't worry about it, Barrow. Carson will be coming back but only as a guest, not in a professional capacity I assure you. It wasn't right that we passed you over so easily on the day of the royal visit. I'm sure you would have been very capable of running things during those days."
"It's alright M'lord, after all things worked out for the best in the end," Thomas said, thinking about his time out with Richard during the royal visit.
"Speaking of which, I heard that we have a guest from Buckingham Palace staying downstairs, one of the royal servants?"
"Yes M'lord. The royal valet, well one of them anyway," Thomas answered trying to keep his voice neutral. "I hope you don't mind M'lord, I realise that I never asked your permission for him to stay for a few days."
"No it's quite alright, Mrs Hughes asked on your behalf. It only surprises me that our staff are happy having a visitor from the royal household. From what I understand, they didn't exactly get on well during the royal visit," Lord Grantham said.
That's one way of putting it, Thomas thought, remembering what plans they all hatched to get rid of the majority of the royal staff. "That is mostly true M'lord. Although Mr Ellis was more of an ally to us in truth."
"Well I hope he has a pleasant stay and enjoys the firework display. Should be quite a show," Lord Grantham said cheerily. Just at that moment, Richard walks out of the door that leads to the servants stairs, carrying a pile of red table cloths.
"Good afternoon M'lord," Richard says, greeting Lord Grantham.
"Ah you must be Mr Ellis, the King's valet?"
"Yes M'lord."
"I hope you don't feel obligated to help out, you are a guest afterall," Lord Grantham says to Richard.
"It's no trouble. I offered, Mr Barrow was looking a little tired, and there was a lot to be done. Besides, I don't like to sit idle," Richard said, shooting a quick smile to Thomas, which Lord Grantham noticed. He had heard the rumours that Barrow had a secret relationship with a man from London, and judging by the way that Thomas glanced back at Mr Ellis, he'd wager that this must be that man.
"Well thank you, and enjoy the rest of your time here," Lord Grantham said, before turning and walking off in the direction of the library.
"Does he know about you?" Richard asks Thomas once Lord Grantham was out of sight.
"I think he does. I think they all do, and have done so for a while," Thomas replies.
"So do they know about us?"
"The upstairs folk? I reckon they may have their suspicions."
"And that doesn't bother you?"
"No, strangely it doesn't. I know that if they had a problem with who I am, who we are, that they would have sacked me years ago. But they haven't. In fact, I learnt that it was Lord Grantham himself who was partly responsible for stopping me from being arrested after the incident with Jimmy years ago."
Richard smiled, "You don't know how lucky you are to have such liberal employers. Not many men like us can say that they have this relative safety,"
"I'm not sure what Lord Grantham would say at being called a liberal," Thomas said, raising an eyebrow. "But yes, I do realise how fortunate I am. In many ways."
...
Later in the afternoon, Thomas had finished everything on his list of preparations for the day, apart from a few last minute things. He had also finished arranging a surprise for Richard, that he had in mind for a few days now. "Richard, you got a minute?" Thomas said leaning around the corner of the door of Richard's room.
"Always have time for you Mr Barrow," Richard said, following Thomas out of his room and downstairs to Thomas's office. Once they were both inside, Thomas shut the door and stood in the middle of the room, a huge smile plastered on his face.
"Look up at the lampshade Richard," Thomas said. Richard looked up and laughed, hung underneath the light fitting was a neat bunch of mistletoe.
"Mistletoe!"
"I remember how you said you've never kissed anyone underneath it before. I know it's a little late after Christmas but I thought why not?" Thomas said, taking Richard's hand and pulling him slowly towards him underneath it, before letting go again and stepping backwards on his own until his back reached the wall, a few steps away.
"Well I can't kiss you underneath the mistletoe from over there," Richard said still standing underneath the lampshade.
"No. You'll have to come and get me," Thomas said, teasingly. Richard indulged Thomas' idea of a game and stepped slowly towards him, taking Thomas' hands and placing them on his own hips, before walking backwards towards the mistletoe again.
"This better?" Richard said, pulling Thomas in closer.
"This is perfect," Thomas said quietly, before closing the gap between them and giving Richard his first under-the-mistletoe kiss.