Tom was never quick to retire for the night. Even as the Crawleys were surely not in need of a drive this late into the night, Tom remained in the garage. Whether it be tinkering with the engine, over polishing the hood of the cars or nicking a drink from Patmore’s cabinet and listening to the dead of night, he enjoyed having hours to himself.

Truthfully, it wasn’t a routine until one night he had to stay up fixing a busted engine. It was that night he caught you, the curious rogue of the Crawley siblings, sneaking into the garage to “borrow” the car yourself. He never told Lord Grantham about the incident.

What transpired from this were frequent visits from you on your restless nights. You’d prod him with questions of his travels, his ideologies, his interests. He relished being able to ramble, vent, curse and let loose around a Crawley. But it was more than that. More than he’d dare say… for now.

One night, you wonder into the garage, sneaking in quietly hoping to startle him as he lean over, under the hood of a car as if to check it.

He smirked, without looking at you. “Good evening to you too.”