#crowbarrow

[mugenmegami]

Mr Barrow & the Duke of Crowborough

Some of you might already know this, but Downton Abbey has played an important role in my life and, especially, during my academic years. My Master's thesis was on the show! I love this series with all my heart, and I will always keep wonderful memories of it!

This illustration is a little AU where Mr Barrow and the Duke finally meet again after WWI (that's why Thomas is wearing his glove).

[crowbarrower]

they could have been bitches forever 😔❤️

[laolafi]

would you share the writer thomas headcanon please and thank you 🙏 i’m SO curious

Ohhh thanks for asking! <3 It's one of my favourite headcanons, set in the Predicament AU. Here goes (under a cut because it's gotten long & there's some spoilers for the future of The Predicament ahead):

Thomas has always been a voracious reader and a prolific writer too. He's not the imaginative type to come up with stories of his own, but he's a keen observer and diarist, bitching and gossiping analysing and giving commentary on everything that's going on around him. For a long time, that's what keeps him grounded. And as we know (due to Philip's letters), he's not afraid to put things in writing and keep evidence around (even less so later on, when he's safe living at Crowborough; only Alix Crowborough is not amused).

And then the children come along and he becomes their Baba. The bonus father disguised as their father's valet who (among other things) reads them bedtime stories every single day. Eventually making up his very own ones to keep his dearest darling rapscallions entertained.

Have a snippet from an upcoming chapter:

“Of course, Your Grace,” Thomas responded smoothly, not a twinge belying his true emotions. “I hadn’t been made aware of your arrival. But I trust your trip went smoothly and things are well at home?” “Very much so. Though Lady Carrie’s rather anxious to know if Prince Teddy’s gotten himself devoured by the Wild Haggis after all?” Now, his servant’s mien dropped for a blink of an eye, or maybe one more. At the corner of Mary's mouth, the tiniest of smiles tugged in response. “Of course not. Pip and Squeak managed to avert that particular fate. Turns out the Wild Haggises are cannibals … or vegetarians, I haven’t decided quite yet.” It had long since become a cherished tradition in the Crowborough household and nursery: Thomas telling the children tall tales of Pip and Squeak, a pair of intrepid ravens who were trailing naughty Prince Teddy, heir to the kingdom of the bears, on his many adventures, keeping him out of trouble. Fairytale characters he’d invented on a whim one night when Carrie’d declared both the Brothers Grimm and Beatrix Potter’s imaginary worlds terribly boring, only no one – least of all Thomas himself – had thought they’d be here to stay. Oddly enough, new stories always tended to make an appearance after Philip and Thomas had been away travelling with the Prince of Wales, or indeed after he’d come visit at Crowborough.

Mary and Philip encourage Thomas to do something with that talent. He finally gives in, but insists on anonymity for their family's safety. So they invent a pseudonym and an author persona: a Mrs Thomas who lives in Sussex with a husband and seven children ... and due to a few friends and relations they have in the literary and publishing world (iykyk), he gets his first book deal.

Mrs Thomas's children's books become an instant success and later, beloved classics. Later in life, he ventures into writing for adults under his real name, building upon his experiences in service and the war. No one ever figures out that Mrs Thomas and Thomas Barrow are the same person.

And much, much later, after their parents' deaths and after homosexuality has been decriminalised, Sophie and Carrie find another manuscript in his desk: the story of a lonely young lord who falls in love with his handsome and ambitious valet, only everything goes to hell after a panicky, misguided, and ultimately failed blackmail attempt. That story basically follows Thomas's canon show storyline and an imagines an equally bleak and miserable future for Philip with a ghastly American heiress. Basically the "what if our Predicament had been entirely different" horror story that had haunted Thomas every time he felt he was too happy with his marriage and family. (In The Predicament, the blackmail attempt still happened, only they were able to reconcile and build a life together ...)

After some heated debates in the family council, they decide to publish it posthumously, and it becomes a scandalous success. (This last part of the headcanon draws heavily from the origin story of Portrait of a Marriage by Nigel Nicolson, son of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson. Predicament readers know Sir Harold as the one with the aeroplane ... ;)

So, yeah, that's my take on writer!Thomas. Sorry for the shameless self-promotion, it couldn't be helped to make this make sense. In any case, I'm not the only person to have that idea: off the top of my head I'm thinking of @citharaposts' Softly and this lovely oneshot where Thomas is a poet and Philip a complete cunt, but I'm sure there's more!

[adamsvanrhijn]

"What shall we do? What would you like to do?"

[charliethomascoxuniverse]

The Duke of Crowborough + text posts

[andrasta14]

Ugh, I swear every time I see that pic of Thomas it has my Crowbarrow hindbrain pointing and going, “Look, big-ass sideburn buddies!” 🤣

[diningwiththeasquiths]

Found a Downton Abbey ficlet of mine on an old external hard drive. It made me laugh, so I decided to upload it here. Posting it exactly the way I wrote it more than a decade ago. 400 words. Set during season 2, it features banter between Thomas and O'Brien, and appears to be setting up Thomas getting back with the Duke of Crowborough 👀

“I don't care 'ow many times she asks me, I'm not holding that bastard brat of 'ers.”

“You and me both, I never cared much for children.”

“Is that so, O'Brien? You make for a lousy woman.”

“An' you an even worse bloke.”

Thomas' eyes squint in amusement as he releases the smoke from his lungs. He takes another deep drag while thinking of something witty to reply. The only thing that comes out of his mouth, though, is a wild coughing fit. 

“The 'ell's wrong with you?”

“... Nothing,” he finally mutters with watery eyes, not even bothering to look back at her. “Just remembered something.”

O'Brien is left with a half-smoked fag on the ground and the sound of Thomas' boots on the gravel.

His mind is focussed entirely on the oh so familiar figure walking past on the distant pathway that goes around the abbey. Of course he could very well be mistaken. But no, that voice coming through the front doors...

“- just as in my memories. Very fond ones, I must say.”

Leather creaks slightly as his fists clench. His mouth tightens as well. The urge to walk away is overwhelming, but he seems frozen in place. Fixated on the man that looms in front of him. 

Then Mr. Carson notices Thomas. “Ah! Thomas! I do believe you met this gentleman before. The Duke of Crowborough will be gracing us with his stay.”

He tries not to flinch, and succeeds, as the Duke turns around slowly and smiles at him. His expression gives away pleasant surprise and also shows some uncertainty, which in turn puzzles Thomas.

“Hello.”

It almost sounds apologetic. Yet Thomas does not reply, instead he gives him a curt nod and a long glare until he finds the strength to walk past them. 

Miss O'Brien is already in the kitchen, reading the newspaper. She looks up when he enters. 

“You look more cross than usual.”

“It's the Duke. He's back at Downton.”

“Why? Did he get his arms blown off or something?”

“Seemed fine to me. Pity.”

He never really told her why he hated the Duke with such a passion. She probably figured it had to do with his snobbish ways. That was only half of the story though. But he'd rather die than tell her about his humiliation. 

“So what's the plan?”

“... Avoid him.”

“Really, is that all? You disappoint me.”

“Give me time.”

“Don't worry, we'll get him out of 'ere. There's more than one way to boil a slug.”

“...”

[neroushalvaus]

An important poll number two. Read the answers before answering. Some of the answers can coexist but choose the one that feels the most true to you, and elaborate if possible.

Did Thomas love Philip (the Duke of Crowborough)?

Yes, and he told him.

Yes, and he never told him.

Yes, but he never realized it.

Yes, but he only realized it after they broke up.

Yes, but he fell out of love before their break up.

No, but he thought he did.

No, but he told Philip he did.

No, but he did care about Philip.

No, and he never cared about Philip.

I don't go here and I don't have a dashboard osmosis -based opinion.

Voting ended onJan 22, 2024

Answer "Did Philip love Thomas?" -poll here.