Shades of Grey

Rory's time in London was a flurry of activity. Lord Grantham had shown up with Rory in tow and left him in the care of Tom and Sybil while he went to stay with Lady Rosamund. The next afternoon, Lady Rosamund's chauffeur had arrived with instructions for "Mr. Lester" to accompany him.

Rory had balked at going with the man until Tom stepped in.

"They're going to a lot of trouble for you. Be gracious and accept it," Tom said.

"I can never pay them back," Rory said woefully.

"They expect you to work hard and be a better man. The money isn't important to them."

Rory squared his shoulders and dutifully did as Tom instructed. Later that day he showed up wearing a new suit and shoes with another box under his arm. His hair was freshly cut.

"You look very handsome," Sybil said. "All set for your interview?"

Rory nodded with a huge grin on his face. Lauren, the girl from Ireland, Tom and Sybil had hired to help with the baby, giggled and blushed when she saw Rory in his new suit. He was the first Irish boy she had seen since her arrival in England and she thought he was dead gorgeous. Rory blushed at her attention but he was much too worried about his two interviews to pay her much mind.

On the day of the first interview Tom accompanied Rory to the university. Rory was so nervous his hands shook. When they were together away from other people they fell into the habit of speaking Irish.

"Calm down," Tom told him while they were sitting in the waiting room. "You made it through tea with my in-laws. After that this will be nothing. Old Lady Grantham could put the PM to shame."

After the interview they left the building. There was a large crowd gathered in the courtyard. Boos and hisses were coming from the crowd.

"Let's get out of here. I don't like the look of it," Tom said in Irish.

One of the men in the crowd who looked to be around twenty years old or so turned to him and yelled, "Dirty Irish Pig, what are you doing here. You have no business taking the seats in this university. Go back over the sea where you belong."

Rory's hands balled into fists and he made to lunge at the other man. Tom was too fast for him and reached out and grabbed Rory by the scruff of the neck before he could take another step. Rory was fighting against Tom's grip, but Tom was older and heavier set. He couldn't break free.

"Let me go!" he demanded.

"No," Tom stated. "You settle down and get ahold of yourself."

"What's the matter, your big brother doesn't want you getting hurt?" the young man taunted.

Rory went to lunge at him again.

"Stop it," Tom said still in Irish. He gave Rory a shake. "Think about this. You're better than he is. You're here with a personal recommendation from my father-in-law. Do you think that kind of scum can say that? There are other ways to fight."

The fight went out of Rory, Tom kept his hand on Rory's shoulder as they turned to make their way through the crowd. The young man who had been taunting Rory moved to grab Tom's arm. His mouth was open to make another remark. Tom turned to look at the younger man who had grabbed him.

"I suggest you remove your hand from my arm or I will summon the constable and have you arrested for assault," Tom said. His face was like stone and his eyes were like two glowing blue sapphires.

"And who do you think you are?" the belligerent bully demanded.

"The person who will prosecute you under the law and have you barred from this university," Tom stated.

The man paled slightly at the threat and removed his hand. Tom turned and strode out of the crowd.

"You should have hit him," Rory said.

"Now why would I do that? I'm not going to prison for scum like that."

"But he called us names and grabbed you!"

"So what? It's not the first time."

"I thought you stood for something! I thought you fought for Ireland!" Rory was getting more upset by the minute. The stress of the interview and the confrontation in the courtyard were pushing him towards a breaking point.

"I do. I just pick my battles."

"No, you acted like a coward!" Rory was getting more and more upset by the minute. The tears were running down his face. He turned and ran off down the street.

"Rory!" Tom called after him. "Dammit," Tom swore to himself. He hailed a cab and headed for home. Today he didn't feel like taking the tram.

"Where's Rory?" Sybil asked when Tom got home.

"Not here," Tom replied. "There was a bit of an incident at the university. He got upset and ran off."

"Oh no," Sybil said.

"He'll be back when he cools down."

Sybil worried and fretted the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.

"He has to learn to control his temper if he's going to make it," Tom said. "We've done all we can. It's up to him now."

"He's come so far in a short time," Sybil said.

"I think that's part of the problem. He needs to process it. I had years to realize your family wasn't the ogres I expected them to be. He's only had a few months."

"I guess your right," Sybil said. She went out in the back garden to get some air for a few minutes. Rory was sitting on the low stonewall by the garage the picture of dejection.

"What are you doing out here?" Sybil questioned him.

"Thinking."

"Have you been fighting?" Sybil asked looking directly at him.

"No. I wanted to but Tom stopped me."

"Is that the problem?"

"Part of it."

"What's the other part?"

"I don't belong here."

"What makes you say that?"

"The way people look at me when they hear my voice and the things they say."

"Like the way people look at me in Ireland when they hear mine?"

Rory's head shot up.

"Do remember the day you got shot? What your mother said about me?"

"She didn't say it in English."

"I understand most things in Irish, even though I don't speak it very well. It still hurt, M'éan - My bird."

Rory remembered almost every second of that day. He definitely remembered his mother calling Sybil an English slut. Sybil hadn't let it deter her from what she was doing.

"Tom's worried about you," Sybil said.

Rory remained silent.

"How was the interview?"

"All right I guess. They asked a lot of questions."

"Do you want to go there to study?"

"Maybe."

"What's changed your mind about the place?"

"There was a crowd outside. They were not overly friendly."

"The entire crowd or one or two people."

"One or two."

"You're going to have to live with it. Not everyone is going to like you where ever you go."

"I guess you're right," Rory sighed.

"The world isn't black and white, Rory. You're getting too old to think it is. Now I suggest you go in and take care of your suit. My father went to a great deal of trouble to make you presentable, as Granny would say. " Sybil had imitated her grandmother's accent perfectly.

Rory hopped off the fence.

"Do I look presentable, Lady Sybil?" he said with a chuckle.

"Sometimes," Sybil said looping her arm through his as they headed into the house.

"So, you're back," Tom said to Rory, not looking up from the transcript he was reading.

"Yeah. Sorry I acted like a fool," Rory said sheepishly.

"It happens. Be ready for seven-tomorrow morning and clean your room. Your Ma isn't here to pick up after you and Lauren isn't going to do it."

"Yes, Sir," Rory mumbled feeling foolish.

"Rory," Tom said, he waited until Rory was looking at him. "Tomorrow I'll show you how I fight."

Rory ran up the stairs two at a time.

Parliament was an imposing sight from the outside. Rory gulped as they approached the press entrance. Tom was carrying a small leather satchel over his shoulder with his notebook and papers inside. He signed Rory in then joined a line up of men being frisked.

"Some of them are just walking right in," Rory said.

"Technically we're foreigners. We aren't the only ones."

Once they were inside Tom headed towards a room where a press conference was about to begin.

"You will remain silent and hold your temper, no matter what," Tom said to Rory before they went in. "Do I make myself clear."

Rory gulped and nodded. He followed Tom into the room and took a seat at the back of the room. Tom moved up and took a seat in the second row. One of the Tory ministers came in who was highly vocal in his stand against Irish independence. Rory recognized his name from the papers. Even though he didn't read the newspaper everyday, the man's name was well known. The Tory read a prepared statement that made Rory's ears burn with suppressed rage. He glanced at Tom who sat taking notes and looking impassive.

At the end of the statement each journalist in the first two rows was allowed two questions. Rory listened attentively. He had to grab the edge of his chair to keep from leaping to his feet and striking the man at the front. When it came to Tom's turn he got up and asked a question that left the Tory blabbering and searching for answers. Tom's second question was no kinder than the first and the man was left looking like a fool. The other reporters were like a dog onto a bone and didn't let up in the line of questioning Tom had started. By the end of the conference, the Tory was sweating and wiping his face with a fine linen handkerchief.

"That was incredible," Rory exclaimed when they were back in the hall. "You had him eating his words."

"If I had hit him what would have happened?" Tom asked him.

"You'd be in jail."

"How would I be portrayed in the papers?"

"Not well."

"Half of the reporters there work for the Tory press but the other half will report what an ass he made of himself. How many people will read about it?"

"Hundreds, maybe thousands."

"One thing politicians hate is being made to look stupid. If he looks stupid enough he won't get re-elected. His case against Irish independence just got a lot weaker. Now I have more work to get to. I'll see you outside. Do you know how to get back to the house?"

"I'll figure it out."

"Good. Tell Sybil I'll be back around three."

Rory finished his second interview and took the train back to Downton and his job at Drake farm. He had instructions to telephone the minute he got the results from his interviews. Lord Grantham had been over to visit before he left London and told Rory that he had his permission to come to the Abbey and use the telephone in the servants' hall to contact Sybil. The question of Rory's tuition and living expenses was still not answered, as he had to be accepted before he could begin the process of applying for scholarships.

Rory's first night back at the farm was spent relaying every detail of his trip to London and showing off his fancy new clothes.

"You'll be a fancy city doctor by the time you're done," John Drake told him.

"No, I don't think so," Rory replied. "I like the country much better. The people are a lot nicer."