The Thomas Barrow Show: Episode 5 teaser
Episode 5 is finished! Before I get to your teaser, I could use a beta for the series. I'm looking at writing 6 and 7 next week, and 8 the week after that. If possible I'd like to post before the Christmas special airs, since it might end up Jossed. If someone is willing to beta, I could start sending the earlier episodes right away. They're running around 8000 words apiece.
Note that the teaser is set early in the episode, before the big spoiler thing happens, so it's not depressing.
Thomas was lingering over a cup of tea when Daisy came into the servants' hall with one of her own. “That girl!” she said, sitting down next to him. “If I don’t watch her every minute, she spends more time flirting with footmen that she does on her work.”
“I’d noticed,” Thomas said, lighting a cigarette. She still wasn’t quite carrying off Mrs. Patmore's stern tone, but Thomas thought he would encourage her.
“We weren’t like that,” she continued.
Thomas supposed they weren’t, but only because she hadn’t quite realized William was alive, and he’d only encouraged her to keep William from thinking he was cock of the walk. “It’s raising the school leaving age that did it,” he said sagely. He’d read a newspaper editorial the other day that said so, anyhow. “Stops them developing a decent work ethic.”
Daisy nodded. “I’d be working for years when I was her age. But,” she added, “I thought you didn’t go into service until you were fourteen.”
That was hardly the point. “Yes, but I knew I was lucky. I didn’t think I had a right to go on amusing myself as I liked indefinitely.” Before she could argue that two more years was hardly “indefinitely,” or any similar nitpicking detail, he went on, “Perhaps things will improve once Mr. Carson settles on a first footman. James has a much more serious attitude.”
“Alfred’s serious,” Daisy said.
Thomas gave her a scathing look.
“Or he would be if Ivy didn’t keep turning his head,” she amended.
“Perhaps,” Thomas said generously. “In any case, they ought to have more on their minds than the opposite sex.”
“Right,” Daisy agreed, with a firm nod.
Before they could further discuss what was wrong with the Youth of Today, Mrs. Patmore came in. “Daisy! You said you were having a cup of tea, not a mid-morning nap. We’ve got to finish the marketing list.”
With a world-weary sigh, Daisy got up, taking her teacup with her.
Note that the teaser is set early in the episode, before the big spoiler thing happens, so it's not depressing.
Thomas was lingering over a cup of tea when Daisy came into the servants' hall with one of her own. “That girl!” she said, sitting down next to him. “If I don’t watch her every minute, she spends more time flirting with footmen that she does on her work.”
“I’d noticed,” Thomas said, lighting a cigarette. She still wasn’t quite carrying off Mrs. Patmore's stern tone, but Thomas thought he would encourage her.
“We weren’t like that,” she continued.
Thomas supposed they weren’t, but only because she hadn’t quite realized William was alive, and he’d only encouraged her to keep William from thinking he was cock of the walk. “It’s raising the school leaving age that did it,” he said sagely. He’d read a newspaper editorial the other day that said so, anyhow. “Stops them developing a decent work ethic.”
Daisy nodded. “I’d be working for years when I was her age. But,” she added, “I thought you didn’t go into service until you were fourteen.”
That was hardly the point. “Yes, but I knew I was lucky. I didn’t think I had a right to go on amusing myself as I liked indefinitely.” Before she could argue that two more years was hardly “indefinitely,” or any similar nitpicking detail, he went on, “Perhaps things will improve once Mr. Carson settles on a first footman. James has a much more serious attitude.”
“Alfred’s serious,” Daisy said.
Thomas gave her a scathing look.
“Or he would be if Ivy didn’t keep turning his head,” she amended.
“Perhaps,” Thomas said generously. “In any case, they ought to have more on their minds than the opposite sex.”
“Right,” Daisy agreed, with a firm nod.
Before they could further discuss what was wrong with the Youth of Today, Mrs. Patmore came in. “Daisy! You said you were having a cup of tea, not a mid-morning nap. We’ve got to finish the marketing list.”
With a world-weary sigh, Daisy got up, taking her teacup with her.