Adult-FanFiction.org : Television / Streaming

Footman in Training	By : imdirty Category: 1 through F > Downton Abbey Views: 2654 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Downton Abbey and am not making money from this story. And I'm hoping I'm doing this disclaimer thing right :)

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Lord Grantham stood in his silk pajamas holding a telegram loosely in his hand. Mr. Carson ran it up to him as soon as it arrived. He excused Mr. Bates and walked slowly to Lady Grantham’s room. The look on Lord Grantham’s face made Lady Grantham put her book down at once.

“What is it? What’s happened?”

Lord Grantham looked down at the paper in his hands. “You remember my cousin Gil passed away a month ago?”

“Yes, of course I do.”

“And you remember how he had a little girl?”

“Vaguely, yes. I don’t remember ever meeting her, but I recall he had a child.”

Lord Grantham handed the telegram to Lady Grantham. She read it over twice and looked up at him, bewildered. “How can this be? Is it even legal? Did you ever sign anything?”

“No, of course not, I never signed a thing. And I doubt it’s legal, I’ll investigate tomorrow of course. In the meantime time, as the telegram states, they’re already sending her here tomorrow.”

Lady Grantham handed the paper back to Lord Grantham and let her hands fall into her blanketed lap. “I just can’t believe it. How could he leave a little girl to us who we’ve never even met? Surely he had other family who would have taken her? And what of his estate?”

“I don’t know. I know no details other than the short words on this page.”

“It doesn’t even say her name. Do you know it?”

Lord Grantham shook his head. “I don’t think I could have recalled whether he had a boy or girl, in fact. ‘Eight-year-old girl,’ for now, that’s all we know.”

“I’ll prepare Nanny Rebecca in the morning. I wonder if they’re sending a governess with her, or if they’ve left that to us, too.”

“This is temporary until we can find a suitable place for her. He must have named someone other than us, or there’s a grandmother. Uncle. Aunt. Anybody.”

Lady Grantham sank under the sheets and rested her head on her pillow. “Poor creature, on her way to live with strangers after losing her only living parent. What happened to her mother? I don’t remember.”

“The flu, I believe.”

“Just awful. Nothing we can do about it tonight, though. Tuck in, Robert, we’ll need rest to handle things tomorrow.”

The news spread throughout downstairs quickly the next morning. Housemaids rushed to fix up a room near the nursery. The kitchen staff prepared a special basket of food fit for an eight-year-old’s lunch. Price took the bicycle to the village with pence in hand to fetch a teddy bear, per Lady Grantham’s request. The family gathered in the library after all ate a hurried breakfast. The Dowager Countess was driven up to Downton early to join them.

“Granny, do you know anything of this little girl?” Lady Mary asked while bouncing George on her lap. The news made all the young Crawleys want to hold their children near.

“Not more than your father knows from the telegram, I’m afraid. Something must be wrong with the executor’s interpretation of the will. This simply cannot be.”

“I agree,” Lord Grantham said. “But for now, we must welcome this little girl, and make her feel at home until we find her a true home.”

Mr. Carson let himself into the library. “The girl’s car is arriving, your Lordship.”

Staff and family headed out into the cold to greet the child. It took four men, including Thomas, to collect the girl’s numerous pieces of luggage. Mr. Molesley opened the back car door. Two small patent leather-clad feet swung out, followed by a dainty gloved hand. The girl held her hand out for Mr. Molesley to take, which he did while easing her out of the vehicle. In her other arm, she clutched a stuffed rabbit tight to her coat.

Lady Grantham approached the girl first, bending at the waist to see under the brim of the girl’s burgundy-colored wool hat. Two striking little violet eyes looked up into hers, though they gave no hint of emotion.

“Hello there. I’m Lady Grantham. Welcome to our home, Downton Abbey. What’s your name, sweet little girl?”

The girl surveyed the gathered family and staff behind Lady Grantham, then looked up again. “Nora.”

“Isn’t that funny? My name is Cora.”

The girl cocked her head slightly. “Why would that be funny?”

Lady Grantham looked at Lady Edith, who had joined her side, for assistance with what to say next.

“It’s cold out here, isn’t it?” Lady Edith asked Nora with a nervous smile. “Why don’t we go inside?”

Nora walked between the two women, past the servants and family, and entered the house alone.

Anna followed behind the Crawley women. “Let’s get you settled in your room,” Anna said. She led Nora up the main stairs as Ladies Grantham, Mary, and Edith followed.

“May I help you remove your hat and coat?” Anna asked as the men laid the luggage out in Nora’s bedroom.

“Yes,” Nora said flatly, but she didn’t move to assist Anna with removal of either item.

Nora’s thick, wavy brown hair sat loosely on her shoulders once her hat was taken, and beneath her coat was a white and navy dress so well made that it rivaled the quality of any of Lady Mary or Lady Edith’s dresses. She was near pretty as Lady Sybil had been as a child, Lady Grantham thought.

“Does your rabbit have a name?” Lady Mary asked.

“Frank.”

“How… very grown up of him,” Lady Mary replied.

Nora looked dubiously at Lady Mary. “He doesn’t age. He’s an inanimate object.”

The room was quiet. Thomas coughed to stifle a laugh.

Anna smiled. “That’s a very pretty dress you have on.”

“It is compared to a black and boring frock, I suppose,” Nora replied. She stared at Anna until Anna looked away.

“Once you’re settled, we can introduce you to the other children,” Lady Grantham offered.

Nora ignored the offer and approached the vanity. She picked up a brush and ran her fingers across the bristles. She made a face and placed it back on the glass surface harder than was necessary.

“Are you hungry?” Lady Edith asked.

“I am.” Nora looked behind her at Thomas and the other men. “Can they go now?”

“We don’t require anything else right now, thank you,” Lady Grantham said, giving an apologetic look to all four servants.

Thomas found Price in the great hall with some of the other servants and the rest of the family. “I would hold off on giving her that teddy. She'd probably sacrifice it to her devil gods.”

“This is probably a hard day for her. Maybe she just needs some time alone,” Price said.

“She’ll get plenty of alone time, the way she’s acting up there.”

Lady Mary descended the stairs, astounded by her first meeting with Nora. “David, can you fetch the basket from the kitchen? I doubt any of its contents will be up to Nora’s standards, but we can try.”

“How would you behave if you were in her shoes?” Lord Grantham asked.

“Papa, first, I don’t know that I’ve owned shoes as fine as the ones on her little toes. Second, I have always been respectful of my elders. I think Nora is respectful of no one.”

Thomas followed Price to the kitchen and shared the news from upstairs with the kitchen staff.

“She must be scared and lonely, she’s probably just acting out,” Daisy said.

“I think you’re right, Daisy,” Price said, taking the basket from her and leaving quickly to bring it to Nora’s room.

“He wasn’t in the room with her,” Thomas told Daisy. “Parents or no parents, that is one nasty little brute.”

“I should hope you’re not speaking that way about a child,” Mrs. Hughes said, appearing behind Thomas.

Thomas took a freshly peeled carrot from a pile next to Ellie and bit off a hunk. “Spend two minutes with her and we’ll see what kind of things you say.”

The basket was, of course, unacceptable to Nora and she demanded to eat luncheon with the adults.

“Maybe we should let her, she only just arrived,” Lady Edith suggested in a hushed voice to Lord Grantham.

“It sets a bad precedent,” Lady Mary said. “Plus I already need a break from her.”

“I can eat with her,” Price offered, holding the rejected basket by his side.

“I say go for it, and best of luck to you,” Lady Mary said.

Price knocked on Nora’s door and entered after a length with no response. “I know you don’t want to eat, so I’ll eat for you. Everyone will think you ate lunch and they won’t bother you about it anymore.”

Nora sat on a chair by the window and stared out onto the gray landscape. “I don’t care what you do with it.”

“I better eat it in here or they’ll know it wasn’t you.”

“I said I don’t care.”

Price sat on a chair opposite Nora and placed the basket on the floor between them. He picked out a sandwich wrapped in a cloth napkin and laid it on the flap of the open basket. He took one of the four pieces and left the others.

“Thank you for sharing. This is actually quite good.”

Nora watched Price eat the piece, and then leaned forward. “What’s in it?”

“Ham and cucumber.”

Nora leaned forward further. “Did you touch the other pieces?”

“No, not one bit.”

Nora reached down and picked up the corner opposite the one Price had eaten. She nibbled it while looking out the window.

“There’s an apple in there, too, and a chocolate biscuit. And something else.”

“What else?” Nora said, her eyes darting to Price’s.

“Have a look.”

Nora slinked off of her chair and knelt by the basket. The little button eyes of the teddy looked back at her.

“Where did he come from?”

“I don’t know. I looked inside and there he was. You should give him a name.”

“What’s your name?”

“My name is David.”

Nora pulled the bear from the basket. “I’ll call him David, then, because you found him.”

Price stood. “I’m not really hungry any more, that filled me up. So you’ll have to finish everything yourself.”

“Alright. You can go, then. Don’t send anyone else in. I only want to eat with Frank and David right now.”

Price stood and bowed to Nora. “I’ll tell the others. You can put the basket outside of the door when you’re finished, and then we’ll all know it’s okay to come back inside.”

Price left and relayed his experience with Nora to the family.

“Are you some kind of wizard?” Lady Mary asked.

“I think she’ll be more open to one-on-one interactions, at least for now,” Price replied.

A half hour later Thomas walked through the gallery, and Nora’s door cracked as he passed. She pushed the basket into the hallway, then looked up at him.

“You can take that, it’s empty,” she told him.

“How kind of you, I’d be honored,” Thomas said, lifting the basket from the floor. He noticed the teddy under her arm as he bent down. “And where did he come from?”

“He was inside the basket.”

“I see. Did he eat the food inside?”

“Teddy bears don’t eat.”

“Right, of course. I’m always forgetting that.”

Nora switched the bear to her other arm. “What an odd thing to forget.”

“So they say. Do you need anything else? Or does Mr. Bear need anything?”

“His name isn’t Mr. Bear,” Nora said, pulling her thin shoulders back. “It’s David.”

Thomas rubbed his lips together to stamp out a smile. “Does David need anything?”

“No.”

“And you?”

“Some water.”

“I’ll send the news that you need water. Goodbye for now, Nora. And goodbye, David.”

Nora backed into her room and shut the door.

“So, David the bear?” Thomas asked during the servants’ tea.

“What’s this?” Mr Carson asked.

“Little Nora named her bear after David,” Thomas informed Mr. Carson, and the rest of the listening table.

“She said since I found the bear, the bear should be named after me.”

“How sweet,” Anna said. “I wasn’t sure she was capable of sweet.”.

“I’m shocked at everyone today,” Mrs. Hughes said. “She’s just a little girl.”

Those around the table who met Nora looked down at their teacups.

After tea, Mr. Carson handed out the mail, and several letters arrived for Price. Nothing arrived that day for Thomas, however. He felt his letters from Eric were fewer and farther between, but began to shrug it off, assuming Eric may be going the way all his friends go, eventually.

Mr. Molesley went to his room after the mail call and came back to the servant’s hall. “Bad move on my friend’s part,” he told Price. “Check and mate.”

“You beat me and now him,” Price said while sorting through the pile of letters on his lap. “You really are a chessmaster as you said.”

Mr. Molesley beamed in response.

“You let him win, didn’t you?” Thomas asked once Mr. Molesley was out of hearing range.

Price winked and looked back at his letters.

“Who are all of those from? Do you get fan mail now?”

“Yes. My adoring public.”

Thomas eyed an envelope that was similar in coloring and size to the kind Eric sent. “What about that blue one?”

“My grandmother,” Price said quickly.

“May I see it?”

“May you see a letter my grandmother wrote to me? Before I even open it?”

Something in Price’s tone disquieted Thomas. “Just let me see the envelope.”

“You’re being weird. I’m going upstairs before you get weirder,” Price said, gripping his letters tight as he left the servant’s hall. He locked himself in the bathroom and opened the blue envelope.

Dear David,

I’m being sent to Bombay for a story, the man who was scheduled to go fell ill. I won’t be able to visit Downton as soon as I hoped. I’m thankful neither of us informed Thomas as I would hate for him to be disappointed. I will send him a letter before I leave, and then once I return I will let him know I intend to come see him.

I’m glad Thomas is helping with your brother’s watches, and not surprised at all to hear he’s picking it up quickly. I hope it helps keep his mind busy.

Do wristwatches exist with two faces for two timezones? I would love to have one like that for when I travel.

Yours,
Eric

Price went to his room and stuffed the letter into the bottom of a drawer. He opened the rest of his letters, including one containing payment for the first set of watches he sent to Marie.

Price found Thomas in the stairwell on his way to bring tea to the library. “Come to my room tonight. I got our first payment and I have your half.”

Thomas continued walking, and Price followed. “Who was that letter from, David?”

“Are we still on that? I told you who mailed me. I was coming to talk to you about more important mail from today. You worked so hard, aren’t you pleased to see a pay off so quickly?”

Thomas stopped and looked down at Price. “I’m not pleased at all right now, because I can tell when you’re lying.”

“You say that like I do it so often.”

“Who knows, maybe you do,” Thomas said, walking away from Price swiftly.

Price felt nearly ill over the interaction. He was lying, but felt it was in Thomas's best interest to do so. It would be an hour before he was needed an earnest, and he asked Mr. Carson for permission to go down to the stables. He took some carrots from the kitchen, bundled up, and rode out on the bicycle.

Thomas watched Price ride away and decided he would take the opportunity to see for himself exactly who sent the letter. He entered Price’s room and shut the door. Everything was tidy and put away, no envelopes lay on his dresser. The only things left out were watches mid-repair. He slid a drawer open as quietly as he could and looked under the items in it, and then another drawer, and another, until finally finding the letters from the day’s mail. He picked out the blue envelope with shaking fingers. There was no return address and the address was typewritten instead of written by hand, but it was stamped in London.

Thomas lifted the flap, but the writing was folded inward and he couldn’t tell if the penmanship was familiar without opening it fully. What would Eric be doing writing to Price, anyhow, he wondered. His mouth was dry and he could hear blood rush in his ears. If it wasn’t from Eric, he was blatantly violating Price’s privacy. If it was from Eric, and it wasn’t innocent, it could destroy the only two friendships he had in the world. He put the envelope back where he found it and nearly slammed the drawer in his haste to get out of the room.

The stables were empty of people, only the horses were inside. Price greeted each one with a pat on the nose before reaching Lady Mary’s. “Nice girl,” Price said, stroking the horse's long face. He fed her a carrot and smiled when she licked his hand. It was cold in the stables, and Price eyed an extra blanket in the back of the horse’s stall. He fetched it and added it to the one across her back, then put his head on her side.

The stable doors opened and Price stepped out of the stall to see who was there. Lady Mary was a silhouette until the doors closed behind her. Price raised his hand to remove his hat, but Lady Mary stopped him.

“It’s cold, keep that on,” Lady Mary said, approaching her horse’s stall. “It looks like we had the same idea today,”

“I was looking for a break from people for a bit,” Price admitted.

“Like I said, same idea,” Lady Mary said, running her hand over her horse’s mane.

Price handed Lady Mary a carrot to feed the horse. “A break from a little person, no doubt.”

“Quite. How did you manage to have a pleasant time with her?”

“Imagine you’re eight years old. Your mother passes, and then your father passes, and you’re whisked off to live in a new home with people you’ve never met. It must be overwhelming for her, and she’s being rude as a way to protect herself. That’s why I think one person at a time is a fair approach with her. It’s safer for her to let her guard down.”

Lady Mary accepted another carrot from Price and eyed him thoughtfully. “You’re right. Maybe we should hire you as a governess instead of a footman.”

Price smiled, “If I were born a different sex I think that should have been a good job for me. Will you really hire a governess? I just assumed Nora would be sent to boarding school.”

Lady Mary straightened the blanket Price had laid on the horse. “I don’t think anyone’s thought that far ahead. We’re just trying to make it through the day.”

“I’m happy to help where I can, though keep in mind she’s a child, and she may like me one day and change her mind the next.”

“Is it only children who do that? I can think of many adults who fit the same description.”

“As can I, your Ladyship. Can I help you with anything while I’m here?”

“No, but thank you. It’s nice to see you here. Becoming comfortable around horses?”

“I am,” Price said, tipping his hat to Lady Mary. “And I have you to thank. I should go back before I’m missed. Shall I leave the bicycle for you?”

“No, I don’t mind the walk.”

“I must say, I mind the thought of you walking back in the cold.”

“I can take care of myself, don’t you worry. I’ve survived many a winter here.”

Price considered leaving the bicycle anyway, but worried Lady Mary may find it disrespectful after giving clear direction. He peddled back quickly, and slowed in the courtyard when he saw Thomas having a smoke break. He returned the bicycle to its home and headed for the door.

“You ignoring me?” Thomas called from his spot in the least drafty corner he could find.

“Thought maybe it was the other way ‘round.”

“I suppose the family won’t be going on their trip now that Nora’s descended upon them.”

Price crossed his arms to keep warm. “No, but we won't need that extra time with the watched. You’re picking things up so quickly you shouldn't need much direction from me. Just keep practicing.”

“You don’t have to flatter me, I can accept the help. I trained you, now you can return the favor.”

“So you talked with Nora? You must’ve if she told you about David the Second.”

Thomas squinted as the sun made a rare appearance from behind the sea of clouds. “Not too much, though she didn’t throw me out of her room like the first time.”

“I feel so badly for her.”

Thomas shook his head. “How hard can things be in her life? She has her every need met and every whim catered to. One of her suitcases alone is worth more than my yearly wages.”

“I’m sure she’d trade all of her things to have her family back.”

“Yeah, well, I have no things and no family, so excuse me if I remain unsympathetic.”

Price frowned. “Picking on me earlier, and now you’re being mean about a child. What’s gotten into you today?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Well if it suddenly becomes something, find me and tell me,” Price said as he headed for the door.

The family’s dinner that evening was delayed due to the arrival of the lawyer Lord Grantham had summoned that morning. Thomas took the opportunity to work on a pocket watch he was struggling to repair. He sat on the edge of his bed holding the watch to the light, cursing as his tweezers slipped from a gear for the fourth time in a row.

“Those are bad words,” a little voice said from his doorway.

Thomas looked over his shoulder at Nora. “What’re you doing here? Shouldn’t you be off playing with the other children?”

Nora let herself into Thomas’s room and stood next to him. “They’re not children, they’re practically babies. What kind of games am I supposed to play with babies?”

“Careful what you say,” Thomas warned lightly, “I quite like those babies.”

“What are you doing?” Nora asked, looking at the watch with its exposed gears and springs resting in Thomas’s palm.

“I’m trying to fix this watch. I’m close, but I keep messing up.”

Nora lowered her face to the watch and touched a spring with the tip of her finger. “Is this stuff in all watches?”

“All of them. Clocks, too.” Thomas looked at Nora’s face in the light. “Are your eyes purple?”

Nora looked up. “Are yours gray?”

“Grayish. Blue I suppose. Not as pretty as yours.”

“Pretty is boring, it’s nicer to be smart.”

Thomas laughed. “Well you seem smart, too.”

“I am smart. I know a lot of things.” Nora pointed at Thomas’s head. “Can I touch your hair?”

“My hair?” Thomas asked, sitting up straight. “Why?”

“It looks like lacquer. I want to touch it.”

Thomas leaned forward and Nora ran her fingers from his forehead to his ear.

“Does it feel like you thought?”

“More slippery.”

Thomas laughed again. “Little lady, we better get you back before they send a search party.”

“I don’t want to go back.”

Thomas placed the pocket watch on his nightstand carefully and stood up.
“I don’t want to!” Nora protested, stamping her foot. “I don’t want to play with stupid babies. I don’t want to eat alone. I don’t want to sleep in that big, dark room for adults.” Nora grabbed Thomas’s sleeve. “Can’t you hide me somewhere here?”

“Everyone would be very worried.”

Nora pulled her hand from Thomas’s coat and balled it into a fist. She raised it over the watch, then looked up at Thomas. “I could smash it right now.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because you won’t help me,” Nora replied, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

Thomas lowered himself to one knee. “Why do you want my help?”

Nora held her fist above the watch a few moments longer, then slowly lowered it to her side. “My only friends at home are the servants. I thought it would be the same here.”

“Your bunny, was he named for someone at home, like your bear was for David?”

Nora’s face crumpled and she began weeping into her hands. Thomas put his hands on her shoulders.

“It’s not so bad here. You should give the other children a chance, they’re a lot like you. Master George has no father, Sybbie has no mother, Marigold has no parents at all.”

“Everyone’s saying mean things about me,” Nora said through her hands.

“Well, Nora, you weren’t very nice when you arrived.”

Nora pulled Thomas into a hug, resting her head on his shoulder. She cried into his neck, wrapping her arms around him. Thomas lifted her, carrying her to the library where the family was meeting with the lawyer.

“I have a delivery,” Thomas told Mr. Carson, who was standing outside the closed door to the library. Nora lifted her tear-stained face and looked at Mr. Carson.

“They’re meeting with the lawyer now,” Mr. Carson told Thomas. He gave Nora a sympathetic smile.

“I know, but she left her room and found me in mine. I didn’t think bringing her back to her room was the best idea.”

“What can we do for you while the family is in their meeting?” Mr. Carson asked Nora.

“I want to see downstairs. And I would like some biscuits and milk.”

Mr. Carson nodded. “I think we can arrange that. Mr. Barrow, will you take Miss Nora on the tour she requested, and then help find her some biscuits and milk?”

“And I want to eat them downstairs, I don’t want to eat them alone.”

Thomas lowered Nora to the ground and took her hand. “Let’s get going then. And don’t worry. You won’t have to eat them alone,” he said as they headed to the stairs.
- 15
- 16
- 17
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Footman in Training