Between Thomas Barrow and Phyllis Baxter and Richard Ellis as romantic.
The amber glow of morning seeped through the grand windows of Downton Abbey, heralding the start of another day. The house stirred awake, a symphony of clinking china and the shuffle of servant's footsteps painting the air with expectancy. Thomas Barrow, the newly appointed butler, adjusted his cufflinks with meticulous care, his gaze hardening as he reviewed his mental checklist. The Abbey, though still great, hummed with the subtler rhythms of an era on the brink of modernity.
In the servants' hall, Phyllis Baxter enjoyed a fleeting moment of tranquility before the hectic day ahead. Her fingers brushed against a crisp, white envelope tucked beneath the fold of her napkin—an anomaly in the otherwise spartan setup of their breakfast table. With a fleeting glance to ensure none of her fellow servants were watching, she slipped the envelope into the pocket of her apron.
As the day unfolded with its usual demands, Baxter found no moment's peace to examine her secret treasure. It wasn't until later that evening, under the dim light of her shared room, that she carefully opened the letter. The handwriting was a delicate script, the words beneath crafted with an earnest fervor that sent a rush of warmth through her veins:
'In the quiet moments I find you, like a melody in the din of daily life. Should you wish, meet me in the moon's embrace, where the flowers sleep and the world whispers soft.'
The invitation was cryptic, poetic, and utterly unlike anything Baxter had encountered in her years of service. Her heart fluttered with a mixture of excitement and fear. In Downton Abbey, where the lines between 'upstairs' and 'downstairs' were unspoken laws, such dalliances were not only frowned upon but could mean the ruin of one's reputation.
Meanwhile, in the stewards' room, Thomas Barrow ruminated over his decision. Sending the note had been an impulse, one spurred by the romantic notions of the novels Lady Mary had left behind. The kind that Baxter sometimes read to Anna and Mrs. Hughes during their scarce leisure time. Would Baxter suspect him? Could she ever entertain the idea of him as more than her stern superior?
To complicate matters further, that evening saw the arrival of Richard Ellis, his presence a striking echo of the royal visit that had turned the Abbey on its head. Though his stay was to be short, there was an unspoken understanding between him and Barrow—an acknowledgment of a shared truth discovered during the King's sojourn. His sudden appearance could unravel Thomas's carefully laid plans, or perhaps solidify them.
The moon’s ascent brought a chill that settled upon the slumbering gardens. Yet, there Baxter stood amongst the slumbering dahlias, her heart a timid bird in her chest. Whether due to folly or a yearning for something more than the lot life had served her, she had ventured out, compelled by the enigmatic promise of the note.
From the shadow of a great yew, Thomas watched her, his resolve teetering. Coming forward would mean stepping into the unknown—a risk that set his soul alight with both hope and trepidation. Quietly, he took a step towards her and the future unknown.