Downton Abbey:

Guy(s) Night

by Mirwalker

Chapter Twenty-seven: Tickets to Ride

Saturday, 30th November 1912

"Thomas, are you well?"

"Mam?" he turned back so abruptly, he surely confirmed that he had not been paying due attention. No sign of Ian, he worried to himself, I shouldn't have left him to get here alone… "I'm fine, mam. Just a little… pre-occupied," he tried to recover.

Isobel chuckled, "You needn't be. I do appreciate your help with the luggage, and with selecting some gift items for Mr Crawley. So, unless you've said something more to the family or staff, we've not actually offered any falsehood about today's trip."

"True enough, mam," he forced a smile. Half-true, anyways…

"And I was quite clear with her Ladyship that I meant to make this trip on my own, your able assistance excepted. And, my staff is busy decorating Crawley House for its first Christmas in some years."

"As you say, mam," he smiled.

Isobel tutted once again at how beaten down the servants could be, so worried about doing anything the least bit wrong. Or at least being caught doing so. She hoped her own, new staff weren't so skittish, and that, should Matthew become the full heir to Downton, he shouldn't forget his upbringing in supervising his staff.

Respecting the status quo to a point, she nodded her acceptance, and turned to the logistics of their travel. "If you'd be so good as to see to the trunks, I'll get us tickets. And don't you argue," she cut him off, "You're doing this as much for me and Lady Edith, as for your cousin. So it will be my pleasure to get your ticket. That is my final word."

Thomas opened his mouth to argue, but knew better than to question her, and appreciated even the small savings to his own wallet. He nodded his thanks, and hoped she knew enough to buy them tickets for separate classes.

But before he could open his mouth to make that critical reminder, a voice called out from the station entrance roundabout behind them. "Cousin Isobel!"

They both turned to find Lady Edith clambering out of the Abbey's horse carriage before the driver could dismount himself, with O'Brien coming 'round from the far side.

Casting an irritated glance his way, the senior woman also layered a smile onto her shock, reaching out to clasp hands with the beaming new arrival. "Lady Edith, what a surprise!"

"I know!" Edith continued to grin, with a wink to them both. "But I hadn't been to Manchester in so long and happened to mention so this morning, when I heard you were going. And dear O'Brien pointed out that all one really needs to travel there by train… is a ticket!"

Behind her, the helpful lady's maid nodded with an excess of modesty at the credit she was being given for the simple observation. In equal measure, she relished the quick glares both Thomas and Mrs Crawley shot her.

"So your mother permitted you to join us?" Isobel asked with every morsel of pleasantness she could muster.

"Oh I didn't ask… She'd made it clear none of us was to accompany you. But, she said nothing of happening to travel to the same place at the same time..." Edith winked again at the stone-faced duo, glancing back at the differently smug O'Brien, expecting them to see her as clever for devising a way to 'not' join them on the expedition for which she'd provided all the clues.

"Well then," Isobel smiled with a sigh, "we should buy our tickets…"

Grinning, Edith took her arm; and they headed toward the station office.

Picking up a trunk, Thomas explained, "Mrs Crawley has offered to purchase mine, as I'm along at her request." The implication that his colleague was on her own, was clear.

"Oh, I'm happy to get me own ticket," O'Brien assured, before stepping quickly after the other women with her own wide grin. "I wouldn't miss this traveling circus for the world."

Having moved the few Crawley trunks nearer the platform, Thomas left the two nobler ladies in the small, but still wind-protected, First Class lounge, and returned to the luggage, ever watchful for the still absent Ian. Instead, it was O'Brien who was waiting for him in the chill; and she looked quite warm.

"Don't look so unhappy to see me," she smarmed, as he again inspected the bags and the larger surroundings. "You told me yourself that you were in cahoots with her. I thought it'd help her get 'round her Ladyship's prohibition, and having all your conspirators along would help you. Oh," she gasped over-dramatically, "Was that not useful for your plans for the day? I'm so sorry; if only I'd known more…" Her contrition manifested as a wicked a grin that didn't fade as she straightened her coat and looked up the track expectantly.

Once again, he knew he could best sate her wicked curiosity with at least a portion of the truth. "You're wasting your time, you know, as there'll be nothing to see… Mrs Crawley is going to visit her house and local friends, and do some shopping, as she honestly indicated. I'm along to help with that, truly… and to check with some contacts about the north road robbery, that her Ladyship thinks are connected to her ghost." Having snorted his unfortunate duties, he heard the train whistle up the track; but still no sign of Ian…

O'Brien seemed unsurprised by the daughter's obsession, but not entirely convinced that Thomas was along simply to placate her naught-else-to-do curiosity. She knew he had more at play, just not what. "There's no trouble then, is there? We're all in for a nice trip to the city."

He smiled at her, the mutual respect and suspicion palpable, but balanced. For now. "Well, if you don't mind seeing her Ladyship and Mrs Crawley into their car, I'll make sure the luggage is aboard, so we can all enjoy it. Save me a seat in the closest Third?"

Nodding, she slowly made her way up the platform as the steam-billowing engine came into view.

Glancing quickly at the stack of trunks, Thomas darted down the side of the station building, growing frantic for the party's final, unaccounted for, and most critical member.

"Psst," a whisper caught his ear, as something touched his arm.

There in the shadows of side door he passed, a bright face beamed up at him proudly.

Without thinking, Thomas threw his arms around the younger man, in a spontaneous expression of relief. "You made it!"

"'Course," Ian seemed confused as the surprised reaction. "Just like you told me, I waited 'til there was no one about, and then bought me ticket –third class, and was waitin' to join you once the lady was aboard," he reported, waving the slip of paper in evidence.

"Change in plans," Thomas hurriedly explained, happiness quickly shifting to nervousness. "Lady Edith has arrived with my nosy coworker, to take our train to Manchester. If any of them sees you… So, I'll keep them busy, but am going to have ride in another car."

"But this is me first train ride ever…"

"You'll do fine. Just get into the last car once I'm in the next car up. Present your ticket when asked, and don't get to chatty with anyone…"

"I know how the trains works," Ian scolded. "It's just… I wanted you to ride with me, for us to share me first time."

For the first moment since the unexpected companions appeared, Thomas really stopped, his frenzy interrupted by the need to confess a simple truth. His shoulders settled, his face grew warm against the morning chill, and the frenetic stress of sorting everyone safely melted away. "I adore you, Ian Colson."

The whistle blew.

Resisting the urge to take Ian's face into his hands, he instructed, "But for now, I just need you to enjoy the ride; keep your head and hands in; and I'll hear all about it later. The plan remains the same once we're in Manchester."

Ian nodded resignedly.

"I've got to get the luggage on. But," Thomas smiled, "En route, I'll see if I can't figure out some way we can come back together."

That earned him a smile, if a sad one. Confident he'd fixed things for at least the moment, he tapped the chilly nose, and returned to ensure the trunks were being loaded correctly. "Careful with that now!"

"Her Ladyship and Mrs Crawley squared away?" he asked up to his coworker, before pulling himself up beside her in the half-empty carriage and closing the door behind him.

"Of course," she squinted at his doubt, as he settled across from her. "I was more concerned you weren't going to make it. And what a shame that would've been, you missing your big, mysterious adventure."

He smiled insincerely at her smug concern, before they both broke into more honest grins—the day's game underway.

The conductor's whistle signaled just that.

But then, the car door flew open, and in scrambled an apologetic figure, "Sorry! So sorry. Last car's full."

O'Brien was clearly put out as the man pushed past her abruptly, as the train lurched into motion.

Thomas was even more shocked at the man who settled beside him, recognizing the blushing face that emerged as the man's cap came off.

"Sorry," Ian repeated genuinely, with a sheepish smile. "Hope you don't mind if I take the window seat?"