Mandy knew exactly what Downton Abbey looked like from the inside since she had seen the show all the way through about six times. She walked on with Mrs. Hughes as the woman explained the chores, what rooms she was assigned to, when beds needed to be made, the schedule of the meals for the family and the servants, and everything else that was needed to know in order to work at Downton as a housemaid.

"It's a lot to take in, I know," said Mrs. Hughes as they walked in the main entryway to get to the servants' area, "but you'll get the hang of it the longer you work here."

"I hope so."

"You will. Just do as you're told and you'll be alright."

Thomas happened to walk by them, dressed up in his footman attire. He met Mandy's gaze and he gave her a scowl and walked on. She looked back at him as he walked away, her heart beating faster with annoyance.

"Don't mind him," Mrs. Hughes said, noticing Mandy's expression, and Mandy looked to the front again. "He's in one of his moods, which he always seems to be in. I wouldn't be caught up with him if I were you."

She knew this, but, just so she could know more about him while she actually in the show... "Is he a troublemaker?"

"He can be, yes, along with Mrs. O'Brien. Steer clear of them whenever possible. Together, they're bad news."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

Mandy looked back again to where Thomas walked off to. What tiff did he have with her? Was it because she was American? She knew that she wasn't a threat to his own job like Bates was, getting the position that Thomas wanted, so what was his problem with her?

Later on at dinner, Mandy sat with the other maids, and noticed that all the young men at the table, minus Thomas, eyed her. She felt her cheeks heat up. That many guys haven't stared at her at the same time like that before. This was new. She was just used to the occasional glance and the rare head-turn.

"How was your first day on the job, Mandy?" Anna asked from across the table and a few people down from Mandy, spoon in hand.

"It wasn't too bad. I mean, it's a lot to take in, but I'm a fast learner. I actually enjoyed it."

"That's good."

"Better get used to it because you'll be doing the same thing every single day," O'Brien remarked near the head of the table.

"I know," Mandy said. "I'm prepared for it."

"What part of America were you from again?" William asked, himself two people down from her. Mandy had to lean forward and look across the maid next to her to look at him.

"Washington state."

"What's it like there?" Daisy asked as she poured everyone water. "That's so far away, it seems non-existent."

"It's very green and very wet. We have the reputation of being the wettest region in the country."

"Sounds like Northern England, where a lot of us are from."

"Well, I guess it's a north thing, because my home region is called The Pacific Northwest because we're right next to the Pacific Ocean. We're known for being green and wet."

The group continued on with their dinner of chicken stew and bread, chattering about this and that. Mandy heard O'Brien ask Mr. Carson several people down from her, "How did you convince His Lordship of lettin' a random American work here?" Mrs. Hughes shot her a look. "I'm just curious, that's all. She didn't have a penny or possession on 'er."

"We have taken in staff with less," Mr. Carson said. "And if I remember right, you came here with hardly anything."

O'Brian's nose twitched, and Mandy smirked, glad that the head butler and the housekeeper ha her back.

"The maid won't last long, though," Thomas said in his slow and demeaning voice. "She'll be eaten alive before the week's up."

Mandy's heart pounded with annoyance again. Didn't he know she could hear him? That she could hear all of them? Just because she was American didn't mean that she couldn't hear.

"Then why'd you convince Mr. Carson to take her on?" O'Brien asked Thomas.

"Because we needed extra hands. I didn't know then that she was weaker than I thought. Did you see her trying to carry the trays?"

"Hold your tongue, Mr. Barrow," Mrs. Hughes chided him. "It's her first day."

Thomas looked down the table at Mandy, who was frowning at him. He simply looked ahead, not phased. She thought he was hot, but after those remarks... he irritated her—grated on her nerves, more so than he did when she watched the show and she wasn't a part of it. It bothered her, but she had to thank him for helping her get the job. She would be wondering the town if he hadn't stepped in.

Once dinner ended, Mandy went about with Anna doing the last chores in the house, like putting out fires and getting beds ready. She spotted Thomas walking near the main staircase in the main part of the house, holding a tray of crumbs that probably had cake on it for the family who were most likely in the drawing room, relaxing after dinner. He saw her, but simply walked on by. She forced herself to say his name.

He stopped and turned to her. He looked down on her, literally since she went up to his shoulders, and metaphorically since he sees her as a worthless maid. "I'm not going to apologize for earlier if that's what you're expectin'."

She stood her ground, and stood as tall as her five-foot-two stature could allow. "No. I can read people pretty well, and I can tell that you're not the type of person to apologize."

He cocked his head slightly, making his dark, greased-over hair shine in the lighting. "What is it, then?"

She took a breath of courage before saying, "I just wanted to thank you for helping convince Mr. Carson to talk to His Lordship about me taking a job here. Even if you regret it now," she added.

"I do regret it, as a matter of fact. It's just as I said at dinner—you won't last a week."

"If you have anything to do with it, right? What do you have against me, anyway? Tell me."

"It's nothin'. Change just bugs me."

He turned and left through the servants' area door.

"Don't mind him, like I said," Anna said, next to her. "He only likes a few people, if any."

They walked on to their room and got ready for bed. She let out a long sigh, exhausted mentally and physically. Her first day was a little crazy. O'Brien definitely didn't like her much, and neither did Thomas. She had her answer about what he had against her... but there was more to it. From seeing the whole series over and over, there was always a reason behind Thomas's scheming. She itched to know what it was

~ ~ ~

Mandy groggily went about the morning chores with Anna. She wasn't used to getting up so early and sleeping in a dream and feeling tired after waking up. If this was a dream, that wouldn't happen. She started to think it was reality. Or an alternate one. It had to be.

"One more yawn, and you would set the record," Anna commented as they made Lady Sybil's bed. The family had already gone down to breakfast.

"Sorry, I'm not used to getting up this early. Or the time difference," she added, trying to be convincing. "It's still midnight where I'm from."

"It should pass in a few days."

"Yes, hopefully. I just don't want another thing Thomas could criticize me about."

"Thomas likes to do that to everyone. It's his personality."

"Yeah, I know. I just wish he was a bit nicer."

"Don't we all wish that? He's his own person, though. We can't judge him and change him if he doesn't want the changin'."

Mandy nodded begrudgingly. "It's really annoying how true that statement is."

Anna smiled. "You'll get used to him. We all have."

They finished making the bed. Mandy wanted to ask something to one of the staff—besides Thomas, of course. "Um... there's something else I want to know about Thomas. I noticed that he's friendlier towards the male staff in particular."

Anna fluffed a pillow. "I suppose. What are you asking?"

Mandy thought it better not to ask that yet, after all. She knew, anyway. "Nothing, nothing. I'll learn more about everyone eventually."

"That you will. Don't sweat it."

Once she and Anna were done with the beds, Mandy was asked to fetch some pot cleaner from the cupboard next to the back door in the servants' area. As she looked through the bottles, she heard faint talking on the other side of the door. Of course. It was O'Brien and Thomas. They probably left the outside door open, so it was easier to hear them. She leaned closer to the door, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Why? Don't you find 'er a bit odd?" O'Brien said.

"Who?"

"What do you mean who? That redhead Mandy. Don't you think she's up to somethin'? A random American without a penny or possession on her suddenly showin' up askin' for work?"

"Should we find out what she's up to, then?"

"It would give me some peace of mind. The girl gets on my nerves even if she's done nothin'. What do you think of her? C'mon—spit it out."

"Same as you. I can't really stand her."

"Worse than Bates?"

"Worse than Bates."

"What should we do?"

"We'll think of somethin'."

Mandy felt her chest constrict. She grabbed what she needed, left the cupboard, and shut herself in the bathroom, tears stinging her eyes. She had never been insulted and disliked like this. They couldn't stand her worse than Bates? Mr. Bates, who they tried to run out once, but was unsuccessful, just because of his limp leg? Would they try to run her out? If they were, there wasn't a chance. She looked in the mirror at her mildly freckled face, fair skin, bright blue eyes, and very orange hair. She huffed through her nose, attempting to encourage herself.

I'm not going to give up.

~ ~ ~

A week passed, and Mandy had gotten the hang of the maid job. It wasn't like her accounting job at the law firm back at home, where she just sat at a desk doing paperwork and calculating the company's and their clients' finances. No, definitely not. This was work, work that exerted her more than Washington State University's accounting major made her work. More than her job as a runner for the most popular burger joint in town.

And she was still in Downton, much to Thomas and O'Brien's dismay.

Luckily, though, she wasn't bothered by them. Whatever they wanted to do to her hasn't happened yet. Thomas did scowl at her every time she walked passed him. Would it kill him to smile at her just once?

Maybe it was a lost cause. How often did he smile at anyone in the show, aside from the handsome men?

Everyone else was nice to her, especially Anna, who became her friend really fast. They even went to the village two days before to get some clothes for her, and to mail a letter Anna needed to send out. They chose to walk back in the sunny weather. They talked and talked, and Anna revealed her feelings for Mr. Bates, even though Mandy already knew.

Mandy smiled to herself that night as she wrote in the journal she got in the village. She wrote down everything that went on every day, and that day, she wrote about how she saw the family in person for the first time. All of them looked exactly as the actors from the show, with the same elegant clothes and hairstyles and everything! She was intrigued, but a little disappointed..

She wanted to see Matthew Crawley. He was one of her other favorite characters, played by Dan Stevens in the show, and another crush from the show. She knew he came once in a while to see Mary and Lord Grantham, but she was never able to actually see him because she always did her chores downstairs. She hoped she would see him at some point, and see those beautiful blue eyes of his that were practically his trade mark, in the show and out of it.

"What are you writing about that's making you smile so happily?" Anna asked as she got into her bed, nightgown on, and hair down, but tied into a loose braid in the back.

"Just today, and seeing the family for the first time. It's surprising that I've been here a week and haven't seen them until today."

"Yes, I know what you mean. It took me two weeks to see them when I first came here. We just spend a lot of our time downstairs, and don't see them all that often. Only the footman, Mr. Carson, and the lady's maids see the family mostly."

Mandy nodded. "Yes, I know. And speaking of footman..."

"Yes?"

She wanted to ask about Thomas and how he was gay. Maybe this was a good time to do so. "I was just wondering about what I asked before about Thomas... how he's friendlier with the men."

"Yes, I remember. What were you meaning?"

How could she ask this? They didn't have terms like 'gay' back then, at least the type of gay that was used to describe someone attracted to their own gender. "Well... okay, I'll just ask it—not beat around the bush. Is Thomas attracted to men?"

Anna's eyes widened. "That's quite the question."

"I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable."

She shook her head and sat crisscross on her bed. "No, it doesn't. And yes, Thomas is that way. We all found out on our own, even though Thomas said nothing of it himself. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I was just curious."

Anna leaned in a little, a sly glint in her eye. "Are you interested in him?"

Mandy's eyes widened and her heart started pounding. She had to lie again. "What? Oh, no, no, no. I could never have feelings for that man. He's too... mean." She wanted to say he was a plain jerk and a snot, but she didn't.

"Well, we can't judge, we can only tolerate."

"But I think he and Mrs. O'Brien are scheming something against me—trying to throw me out. You know, like they tried to do with Mr. Bates."

She waved her hand. "Nothing of the sort is going to happen, not while you have us to back you up. Now let's go to sleep."

Mandy nodded. "Okay."

Anna shut off her lamp and the room became dark and still. Mandy lay in her bed and stared up at the dark ceiling, clutching her blankets to her chin. No matter what, she needed to find out what Thomas had against her. A person didn't hate someone without a reason.