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It was the first time Thomas had visited him in London since the King’s visit to Downton Abbey. It had taken months for their schedules to align and for them both to have a couple of days off with no other commitments. Richard was so happy to see Thomas again, the letters hadn’t been nearly enough.
He was happily listening to the latest escapade the staff at Downton had gotten into as they walked to the pub Richard had recommended, a couple of drinks before dinner seemed like the things friends did even if all he wanted to do was have Thomas somewhere private.
Suddenly there was a shout across the street, “Thomas!”
They both looked towards the sound in time to see a man being pulled from the path of an oncoming motorcar by his larger companion. He grinned at said companion, checked for traffic more thoroughly this time before running across the road to them.
“Thomas, it is you! How are you? It’s been so long!” The man babbled before pulling Thomas close for a quick hug. Thomas grunted in surprise but Richard could see the smile on his face as he patted the man on the back. As he stepped back Richard could see he was a little younger than them, with boyish features and dark hair though the most surprising thing was what looked like faded red paint across his forehead and one eye. He was dressed smartly, though without a tie, and based on what he and his companion were wearing, who was dressed even smarter than him, they had to members of society. How on earth did he know Thomas?
The young man’s larger but not that imposing friend cleared his throat to get his attention.
“Oh sorry, where are my manners! Thomas, you remember my brother-in-law Frank,” He gestured to the man beside him as he held his hand out for Richard, who took it automatically, “And I’m MacGregor Houghton,” he said, shaking Richard’s hand enthusiastically, “Any friend of Thomas is a friend of mine.”
“Richard Ellis,” Richard said as MacGregor finally let go of his hand so Richard could greet Frank, who looked amused but not surprised by his brother-in-law’s antics.
“What are you doing here Thomas? And not telling me you were in London?” MacGregor asked.
“Had a few days off, thought I’d see the sights and visit a friend.”
“And that friend wasn’t me?” MacGregor said with mock outrage, hand on his heart as if wounded, “I see how it is. Well now I’ve spotted you, you both must come home with us for a drink!”
Thomas shot a look at Richard as if trying to gage his reaction to all this, Richard couldn’t tell what he saw on his face as Richard wasn’t sure what he made of it himself. “We actually have dinner plans,” Thomas said.
“That’s fine! Drinks round ours and then you go to dinner – why pay for alcohol when you can have it for free? I know you’re a butler now but they’re still probably not paying you enough.”
So, MacGregor did know Thomas’s standing and didn’t care. Anyone else who was apparently of the upper classes would never talk to a member of the working class as a friend on the street but here was MacGregor doing just that. And Frank didn’t seem to see anything odd about it either.
Thomas looked at Richard as if asking for permission, and how could Richard say no when he’d seen how relaxed Thomas became when MacGregor threw his arms around him, even if part of him wished he hadn’t. Richard smiled and nodded.
“OK then, but only for a couple. We’ve got reservations at seven.”
~*~~*~~*~
There was a jaguar in MacGregor’s home. An old and apparently friendly jaguar but a jaguar all the same.
“This is Proxima,” MacGregor said crouched down next to the sofa she was lying on, “Technically she’s Frank’s but she likes me best.”
“No, she doesn’t!” Came Frank’s voice down the hall where he’d gone to tell Lily, his wife, that they had visitors. On the walk to the house, he and Richard had talked and the realisation that Frank was American made the fact he doesn’t follow English class norms make sense, unlike whatever MacGregor’s reasoning was.
MacGregor grinned, “Yes you do,” he whispered to her as he scratched her between the ears. “Now, you remember Thomas, and this is his friend Richard who we don’t bite because we’re a good murder cat right?” MacGregor beckoned them closer and Richard had no intention of going anywhere near the big cat.
But then Thomas grinned at him and took his hand. Richard couldn’t help but blink at surprise at the action. They had to be so careful around other people and Thomas always seemed so reserved and here he was taking Richard’s hand in the Houghton’s living room, in front of MacGregor. “She’s a sweetheart really. I promise I won’t let her bite you.”
And Richard might be a lovestruck fool because he believed him. He let Thomas pull him closer to Proxima and watched as he held his hand to her. She gave it a sniff and a lick, then tilted her head so he could pet her between the ears. Then it was Richard’s turn, MacGregor and Thomas both looking at him encouragingly.
Richard slowly held out his hand. Proxima sniffed it and yawned, showing off her impressive set of teeth for an elderly big cat, before showing her neck so Richard, after some enthusiastic head nodding from MacGregor, could scratch her chin. He could feel the rumbles of her purrs beneath his fingers. Richard let out the breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding and smiled.
“She likes you!” MacGregor seemed to be delighted. “Chin scratches are a great honour. Now,” he said as he got to his feet and made his way to the large drink’s cabinet in the corner, “What can I get you both?”
As MacGregor made their drinks and Thomas pulled him to the sofa not currently occupied by a jungle cat, Richard studied them both. He liked to think he knew himself and as he watched Thomas chat with MacGregor, he soon realised what he was feeling was jealously. Thomas was casual with him in a way he was with very few people, and he hadn’t even seemed that comfortable with Richard yet.
Until now that is. He still hadn’t let go of his hand, even when MacGregor handed them their drinks. That’s when it finally clicked; MacGregor was like them. Richard thought he was pretty good at picking up on this kind of thing but MacGregor’s attitude and appearance had thrown him completely. He had the speech of a posh public-school boy and the clothes of upper society but his demeanour was equally relaxed and confident and the mark across his face didn’t fit what a gentleman should look like at all.
Just then a woman with long blonde hair pulled back in a messy bun, strode in. She was wearing burgundy suit trousers but not the jacket, instead her white shirt sleeves were rolled up to her elbows. Frank followed after her with an adoring look on his face.
“Thomas! What a lovely surprise,” she said. Richard tried to quickly pull his hand from Thomas’s grasp but Thomas wouldn’t let him, forcing Richard to his feet as Thomas stood to greet her. Like her brother she pulled Thomas in for a hug, even though he was almost a foot taller than her.
Thomas finally let go of Richard’s hand in order to hug her back, “Lily, looking dashing as always.”
She punched his chest lightly and smiled, “Charmer as always. And who is this handsome fellow?” Lily asked as she turned to Richard, holding out her hand.
“Lily, this is my dear friend Richard Ellis,” Thomas laid a hand on the small of Richard’s back as he looked between the two of them, looking almost nervous.
Richard suddenly had the uncomfortable feeling that this was him meeting the family. “Pleasure to meet you ma’am,” he said as stood up straighter and shook her hand.
“Oh, don’t start with that proper nonsense, call me Lily. Thomas used to drive MacGregor up the wall when he insisted on calling him ‘Mr Houghton’.”
“That’s why I’d call him that,” Thomas whispered in Richard’s ear with a grin.
Lily’s reaction to him seemed to loosen the sudden and unexpected tension in Thomas’s shoulders as they sat back down with their drinks.
Lily took the drink her brother was holding out for her, kissing his cheek as she passed before sitting on Frank’s lap as he’d taken the only free chair. MacGregor rolled his eyes at the two of them before gently lifting Proxima’s head and front paws so he could sit on the sofa and laid said paws and head on his legs. Who were these people?!
“So, Richard, how did you meet our Thomas then?” Lily asked.
“At Downton Abbey, I work at the palace and travelled with the King and Queen when they visited a few months ago.”
“He’s the King’s Royal Dresser,” Thomas interjected, almost as if to show him off. Lily and Frank looked suitably impressed while MacGregor was studying him closely.
Richard smiled at him, “Well I soon got pulled into the staff’s plans to hijack the Royal visit from the Palace staff and we bonded over a prank call to Mr Wilson, the Royal Page of the Backstairs.”
“Fancy title,” Frank commented.
“Oh!” MacGregor suddenly exclaimed, eyes darting between Richard and Thomas like he’d just realised something. “It’s him!”
“MacGregor,” Thomas said in a low, cold voice, as if warning his friend. Richard shot him a confused look. “Don’t.”
“But I think it’s very heroic–”
Thomas stood up suddenly, “MacGregor, a word in private please.” He glared at him until MacGregor sighed and moved from the sofa, apologising to Proxima for disturbing her and followed Thomas out of the room. Richard could hear low bickering until a door down the hall shut with a click and then there was silence. What was that about? He looked at Frank and Lily to see if they knew but neither of them looked very forthcoming.
Before he could ask about MacGregor’s outburst, Lily sat next to him on the sofa, “Richard, what are your intentions towards Thomas?”
Richard blinked in surprise, a quick glance at Frank saw him leaning forward in his seat, very interested in Richard’s answer. “Excuse me?” Richard said in the hope of delaying this line of questioning while also trying to figure out how much they knew about Thomas.
“What do you want from Thomas?” Lily said intensely.
“Friendship,” Richard said slowly, gaging their reactions. Frank nodded, encouraging him to continue. He took a breath, “And anything more he would give me.”
Lily considered that answer, “And what would you give him?”
“Everything I had,” Richard said without hesitation.
She studied him for a moment longer before nodding as if satisfied.
“Good answers there Richard,” Frank said with a smile, “Both Lily and MacGregor throw a mean swing so be warned.”
“Yes, Frank should know. We both punched him a couple of times when we first met,” Lily winked at Richard.
Richard swallowed, “I’ll keep that in mind.” After a quick glance at the still empty hallway he continued, “But I’d never do anything to hurt Thomas, I can promise you that.”
“She believes you,” Frank said, “We all believe you. Just know that Houghton’s are very protective.”
Before anyone could say anything else, Thomas and MacGregor returned. Thomas froze in the doorway as he looked between Richard, Lily and Frank as if just realising he’d left Richard with the wolves. MacGregor and Lily meanwhile appeared to be having a conversation just with their eyes.
Frank cleared his throat, snapping the siblings out of their silent conversation, “You have to excuse them, they have no manners.”
MacGregor stuck his tongue out at Frank like the adult he was. “Apologies Richard, we were just deciding whether or not you were good enough for Thomas.”
Richard felt himself tense, awaiting their judgement. Which was daft really as he and Thomas were adults and he didn’t even know these people. But clearly they knew and cared for Thomas, and Thomas cared, at least in some small way, about what they thought of him.
“Give me strength,” Thomas muttered, eyes towards the ceiling.
“And we’ve deemed that you are so you can relax Thomas and stop glaring at me,” MacGregor said with a grin, nudging Thomas’s shoulder with his own.
Richard caught Thomas’s eye and smiled.
~*~~*~~*~
A long time later, after drinks at the Houghton’s which went on longer than planned and instead of their dinner reservations, he and Thomas picked up fish and chips in newspaper as they walked back to Richard’s lodgings, Thomas told him about how he’d met MacGregor and his family. How besides from Miss Baxter they were the closest he had to family, and while he hadn’t really thought of introducing Richard to them yet he was pleased Richard had met them and they all got along so well.
Richard learnt more about Thomas in this one evening at the Houghton’s than he’d ever have expected to. Seeing Thomas so relaxed, feeling the love the four of them had for one another, it made Richard’s heart swell. From Thomas’ letters Richard knew he wasn’t in touch with his family in Manchester so to find that Thomas had made his own family elsewhere was wonderful. Yes, MacGregor, Lily and Frank were all a bit odd and adventurous, but they had welcomed Thomas into their lives and now seemed to already be ready to welcome Richard into it too.
Richard couldn’t wait to introduce him to his own mother.