I always loved the idea of someone getting sucked into a TV show, since there are so many ways the story can be changed because of an unknown person entering it. I absolutely LOVE Downton Abbey, and thought I would write a story where a girl is tossed into the show. I wrote this story some time ago, maybe around six years ago, and had it on another site, I'm just now posting it here. Enjoy!

~ ~ ~

She heard voices nearby and smelled earth. She didn't fall asleep near the oak tree in her backyard again, did she?

Mandy opened her eyes to see a red brick wall and blue wood. She sat up. "What the...?" she muttered groggily. "Where's this?"

She stood up, but suddenly, her head throbbed at her temple. She put a hand to her head, brushing past some of her stark orange curly hair, and noticed that she stood next to a picnic table that sat on stone. She looked around a bit at the little courtyard.

"Okay, I have to be dreaming."

Mandy realized that she recognized this area. She just saw it around an hour before when she was watching Downton Abbey.

Those same voices came to her ears again, and two people walked out a door, cigarettes in hand. Mandy hid behind the table and crouched down, noticing that she wore her long, tan, billowy skirt, and lavender blouse. She never changed from church earlier.

"There's no way we can get rid of 'im," a woman said in an accent, maybe Irish, and stood tall and prim. "His Lordship has a soft spot for 'im."

"There is always a way, no matter the circumstances," said the man, also with an accent. Mandy gasped when she recognized those voices. O'Brien and Thomas! This isn't happening!

"Did you hear something?" O'Brien asked.

"No. You starting to hear things? Told you you're gettin' old."

"That's not what I mean," she said tersely. "I really heard somethin'."

She walked over to where Mandy was. Mandy held her breath. Why was she even hiding? She shouldn't be afraid of anything if this was a dream. She stood up before O'Brien got to her. The woman stopped and stared at her, her cigarette falling from her fingers to the cobble-stone ground.

"What have we got here?" she asked, looking Mandy up and down.

"I'm sorry," Mandy said, heat rising up her neck. "I just..."

"An American," O'Brien commented. "With hair like that, one would mistake you for an orange Irish."

Mandy fingered her long, wavy stark-orange hair and looked over at Thomas. He stood there tall, dark-haired, and handsome, staring at her with his brows creased, and his mouth pulled into a frown.

"Why are you here?" O'Brien asked, and Mandy looked at her again.

"I just... I'm sorry. I..."

A thought came to her. If she dreamt up this Downton Abbey world, which seemed all too real, she could join the staff, or do whatever she wanted. Right? But what if this all wasn't a dream? Regardless, she should say something.

"I was sent here for work," Mandy finally said. "I traveled a long time and a long way to get here, and wasn't sure if this was the right place to enter."

"Oh," O'Brien said. "If you were here for work, why in the blazes were you hidin'?"

"Like I said—I wasn't sure."

"Obviously." She looked Mandy up and down again, and her nose twitched. Mandy was thankful that what she had on could pass for what women wore during that time. "Pull that hair back and come with me. Don't want it flailing everywhere in front of Mr. Carson."

"I don't have anything to pull it back with."

O'Brien eyed her again, and her nose twerked. "Oh well. Can't do anythin' 'bout that."

She started walking and Mandy followed. Mandy caught Thomas's gaze again, and noticed that he still stared at her with that same mean expression. He must be thinking that I'm an unkempt, unknowing girl who doesn't know what she's doing. But boy, he's so hot!

Mandy entered the back blue wooden door and walked on into the servants' area with O'Brien, and Mandy eyed everything. She couldn't believe it—everything was the same as in the show! As they walked down the hall, the teen-aged hall boys walking by eyed her. A maid walked by and eyed her as well. Mr. Carson came into view in the hallway, and Mandy recognized him instantly.

"Mr. Carson," O'Brien said, and the older, taller man turned to them.

"Yes, Mrs. O'Brien?" came Mr. Carson's deep voice.

"This young lady claims that she is here for work. Found her outside in the back loiterin'."

Mr. Carson looked at Mandy, his scrutinizing gaze, grim mouth, and large nose intimidating. "I had no knowledge of this. What is your name, young lady?"

"Mandy DeMont, sir. I've traveled a long way to get here, and... I was told in town by some locals that I would be able to find work here since there is always a post open." She didn't like to lie—she tried to tell the truth all her life—but she had to lie her way through this one. Who would believe that she was was from an alternate reality and this was all a TV show?

His brows creased a little, not seeming to believe her tale. "Where are you from?"

"America, sir."

"I gathered that, on account of your accent. New York? Washington?"

"I'm from Washington, but not the capital. Washington state, on the other side of the country from the capital."

"My, you traveled quite far."

"I did, sir."

A tall, blonde young man passed by, and Mandy recognized him. It was William! He went inside the room with a long table—the servant's dining room or servants' hall. He looked at her for a moment and his eyebrows rose. She noticed Thomas sitting in a chair at the table across from William, his beady blue eyes on her. Her heart jumped at that, and she looked back at Mr. Carson.

"We sent no advertisement for a new maid," he said. "And his Lordship did not expect anyone to come."

"Yes, that would make sense," Mandy said, "since I came here straight from the village."

"My apologies, Miss DeMont, but we can't take in staff like stray cats, even if we do have positions open."

She feigned sadness. "Yes, sir."

"Surely there is a post open," they heard and found Thomas standing next to Mandy. Her eyes widened when she saw him. Regardless of the fact that he was gay, he was still her main celebrity crush of the show.

"You heard what I said, Mr. Barrow," said Mr. Carson.

"I don't think his Lordship would mind. Let the girl stay here a minute while one of us lets His Lordship know."

Mandy stared at him for a moment, wondering why he was suddenly wanting her to stay. He met her eyes and she instantly looked away.

"Why are you so set on this, Mr. Barrow? Do you know Miss DeMont?"

"No, sir. I just know what it's like to be bantered around, looking for a job after first moving here. Plus, you know another maid is needed."

It was O'Brien and Mr. Carson's turn to stare at him. Where did that kindness come from? Or was it kindness?

A middle-aged woman with brown hair and a black dress showed up next to Mr. Carson. "What is all this?" she asked.

Mandy eyed the chain of keys at her waist. This was Mrs. Hughes! Mr. Carson explained the situation and Thomas's idea. Mrs. Hughes said, "Well, if we can give this young lady an interview, and His Lordship and I agree that she is suitable, then I don't see a reason why we should kick her out the door."

"Very well," Mr. Carson said and Mandy smirked. He always listened to Mrs. Hughes.

"Will you come with me, Miss DeMont?" she said, and Mandy followed the head housekeeper to her sitting room. On the way, Mrs. Hughes said, "That is quite the head of hair you have. Are you of Irish descent?"

"Yes, Ma'am. My grandmother was full Irish."

"I see."

Mandy let out a breath in exasperation. What is going to come of all this? She glanced back at Thomas, who was the only one standing in the hallway. He was always up to something. He wouldn't convince Mr. Carson of having her stay and work if it didn't mean he was planning something.

~ ~ ~

An hour passed, and Mandy became one of the new maids after an interview, and an acceptance from Lord Grantham. She was surprised that it happened that fast. She walked on with Anna, who was asked to get her a uniform, and who looked just as she did from the show—blonde hair, brown eyes, greenish maid's dress, and white apron and hat.

"You must be worn out from your travels," she said as they walked into a small room full of tall cabinets, probably wardrobes—the livery room. "Traveling across the whole of the United States and the Atlantic Ocean."

"Yes, it was rather tiring," she fibbed. "I slept for a full day when I got here."

"I don't blame you. Where did you stay? In the village?"

She quickly pictured the village in her head, loving how her extensive knowledge of the show came into good use. "Yes, at a pub down by the main square."

"I see."

Anna pulled out a dress from a wardrobe cabinet and sized it on Mandy. "This one should do for you. You're rather a small thing." She pulled it off the hanger and gave it to Mandy and went to a wardrobe full of aprons. "If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?"

"I'm twenty-two."

Her brows rose. "Golly, really? I thought you were around eighteen. You have a baby face on you."

She smiled, recalling how many times she had gotten that when she was at home. When she got her job at the law firm as an accountant, people thought that she was a maintenance girl fresh out of high school. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

"It's a good thing to appear young, especially when you're getting older. I won't even bother telling you how old I am."

Mandy giggled. She always liked Anna—she was one of her favorite characters who was so friendly and kind.

"Alright," Anna said and gave an apron and cap to Mandy. "Here's your apron and cap. I also found this for you to tie back your hair."

Mandy looked at the long gold pin, which looked well-used, and had a little flower designed on the end. They didn't really use those in 2017. "It's pretty," she said and took it. "But you may have to help me with it. I've never worn one of these before."

Anna smiled, not questioning her, strange since most girls during this time probably wore these. "Of course. May I?" Mandy turned around and felt Anna's fingers in her long hair as she pulled it back. "You have beautiful orange, curly hair, and beautiful blue eyes, I noticed. I'll bet you were chased by all the lads back home."

Mandy chuckled. "Not really. But people do comment on my hair and eyes. From what I've heard, red hair and blue eyes together are rare."

"Are they?"

"From what I've heard."

Her hair was pulled and her head tugged as Anna twisted her hair in the back. She felt the pin being put in.

"There you are. Lovely," Anna said.

Mandy felt the bun on the back of her head. She turned around. "Thank you. Where I'm from, a lot of women wear their hair down, so I'm not very good at buns and things."

"Not a problem. I enjoy doing hair—it's part of my job."

Anna tidied the room a bit after finding Mandy the right size of shoes, and Mandy walked on with her to the bedrooms for the servants, which were up the stairs from the hallway. She thought of Thomas and the stares he gave her. She asked, "Um, I have a question about that dark-haired footman... He gave me odd looks. I was wondering if that meant anything."

"Do you mean Thomas? Don't mind him. He always seems to be in a mood, even on the best of days. It's just the way he is."

They entered a room with two beds and a fireplace in the center of them. The room was lit with a lamp. The right bed was made up, but the left had sheets and blankets folded on it.

"You'll be sharing this room with me," Anna said, and began making the bed. "Our last maid Gwen stayed in here, but she got a writing job and left the service. God bless her."

That gave Mandy a start. Gwen left? Then this is after the first season, way earlier than I thought. But Thomas is here. He goes off to war in the second season... Did the show change when I here? Are there going to be these little changes as I stay in this fictional world?

"Yes, lucky her," Mandy said. "So, she was the maid that left, and gave the empty position Thomas was talking about?"

"Yes, exactly. Now, I'll leave you to dress. Come find Mrs. Hughes or me downstairs and we can show you around the house and give you a training."

"Okay, thank you."

Anna smiled and left. Mandy looked at the maid outfit she held onto. What has she gotten herself into?