Mandy was never the center of attention, not at school, or at home since she was the youngest. She wasn't used to everyone in one room talking about her with her sitting there among them. It was unnerving. Her interview with Mary was the main topic of conversation at dinner, and Mandy wanted to shrink in her seat and hide.

"Surely Mandy hasn't stolen anything," William said as he ate a piece of bread, and a few of the other maids and hall boys agreed.

"Of course not. Lady Mary's scheming something for sure," said Daisy, pouring water for everyone.

"She definitely is," Mandy said as she swirled around her beef stew with her spoon, not hungry for it. "I didn't do anything, so I don't know why she's doing it."

"I will not tolerate any ill speaking of Lady Mary, or any one of the members in the family," Mr. Carson said hotly. "Is that understood?"

Everyone became silent for a moment, then Daisy asked as she sat down across from Mandy after pouring everyone water, "Did you really get that pin in the village?"

"I did," said Mandy, eyeing Thomas sitting down the table from her, and who took a spoonful of his stew. Her heart sank a bit as another lie escaping her lips. "I thought it was beautiful, so I bought it."

"And you won't be wearing it while you're on duty," said Mrs. Hughes as if she were speaking to her own daughter.

"Yes, I know," Mandy said.

She looked at Thomas again. She really needed to talk to him. He may suspect that she lied to him, and now, he might think she was a thief! Luckily, once dinner was through, she was able to catch him in the hallway near the stairs when everyone was busy with their own duties.

"Do you think I'm guilty?" she asked him. He folded his arms over his footman suit and cocked his head.

"I don't know. Are you?"

"Of course I'm not! I wouldn't do anything that would risk me getting kicked out. Especially now that..." Someone walked by them. She leaned in and whispered, "Now that I have you. I wouldn't risk anything to leave you."

It was true. She really did care about him and wanted him to be happy, and he was happy, at least a bit more, people noticed. What would happen when she suddenly wakes up from all this, though? That would kill him.

Thomas stared at her long and hard, and opened his mouth to say something, but Mr. Carson walked up and ordered them to get going on the evening chores. Mandy leaned in and whispered to Thomas, "It's true. I wouldn't risk anything. Mary's up to something."

She turned and walked down the hallway, knowing Thomas watched her as she went. What did he really think? Did he think she was guilty?

~ ~ ~

The next morning as the sunlight shined through the windows, Mandy walked through the main entry corridor of the house, near the stairs. She had a bouquet of brilliant yellow flowers that were to be set at the luncheon table. Since the flowers blocked her view, she couldn't see directly in front of her.

"Mandy?"

Mandy moved the flowers out of the way a bit so she could see who addressed her. "Oh," she said when she saw pretty Sybil standing there, wearing a lavender blouse and long grey skirt. "Hello, My Lady."

"Mandy, may I have a word?"

A word? Meaning she wanted to talk to her? "Okay."

They stood near the entrance of the stairs, and Mandy held the vase of flowers in such a way that it gave her a good view of Sybil. "What can I do for you, My Lady?"

"Oh, I'm not asking for anything, I just want to speak to you about Mary. I just want to say to not worry too much about this situation with that missing pin. We'll find it eventually, and you'll be set free of the charges against you."

Gosh, is this CSI or something? "Thank you, My Lady. And it's like I said yesterday—I didn't steal a thing. I really got that pin in the village."

Sybil set a hand on her arm lightly and gave her a gentle smile. "I believe you."

"Thank you. You're really sweet."

Sybil chuckled embarrassingly at that. "Oh, thank you. You're so nice." She squeezed her arm a little, and Mandy was comforted by her gentle eyes. "I hope we can be friends."

"I hope so, too."

Sybil smiled, then walked on up the stairs, and Mandy was left with a light heart. Sybil seemed to be the nicest out of the Crawley sisters, taking after her mother. She briefly imagined going shopping at the mall with Sybil. She chuckled. If only that could happen.

Mandy went on and entered the dining room where the luncheon was to take place. Sun shone through the windows, making the silverware and dishes on the table shine. She set the vase of flowers in the middle of the table and looked back at it, assessing her work.

"I'm getting good at this," she said with pride.

At that moment, voices were heard near the door to the room. One was Lord Grantham's. Knowing that a maid shouldn't be in any eating room with members of the family unless asked to, she frantically looked for another exit, but found none. She ran to a sofa over on the other side of the room and crouched behind it, shielding herself from who came in.

"Honestly, that daughter of mine..." Lord Grantham said. "I think she just does it just to entertain herself."

"What do you mean?"

Mandy's heart jumped. That was Matthew's voice!

"Mary's blaming one of the maids for stealing from her—a hairpin," Lord Grantham scoffed.

"A hairpin?"

Mandy peeked from behind the floral-printed sofa just enough to see the two men. Her brows rose. Matthew looked good in that gray suit.

"Yes, one with a pearl on it," Lord Grantham said. "That poor American maid always seems to be picked on. My wife told me about how Mary called both the maid and Mrs. Hughes in the drawing room and berated the poor girl until she was near tears."

Matthew pushed his brows together. "The American maid you said? Are you referring to Mandy?"

"Oh, you are acquainted with her?"

"Yes. I took her here that day when she brought back that box of ingredients."

"Oh yes, that's right." They both pulled chairs from the table and sat down, but faced the chairs to each other, with Matthew facing where Mandy hid. She had a clear view of his handsome face. "Well, the girl claims she got the pin in the village and vowed that she wouldn't steal from any one of us at the risk of getting sacked."

Matthew stared at Lord Grantham for a moment, and his mouth opened a little, realizing what he was talking about. He fidgeted in his seat and cleared his throat nervously. "Well, it makes sense. I mean..."

Mandy's heart pounded like a bongo drum. She prayed that he wouldn't say anything about him buying her the hairpin. Please, no...

"Wait, you said the pin had a pearl on it?" Matthew asked.

"Yes, why?"

No! Matthew, don't!

He touched his tie again, even though he already loosened it. "Oh, no reason. Um, as I was saying, the girl just started working here. She wouldn't do anything like that for sure."

"Yes, but we can never know, can we? I'm really fond of that maid, so I hope that Mary comes to her senses and lets this all go."

Matthew nodded, and he tightened the knot on his tie nervously. "I hope as well, but I fear that she can be quite convincing."

"Yes, we have to be careful of that. Now, about the paperwork I mentioned earlier..."

The two men started talking about the estate, and eventually left the room. Mandy stayed where she was crouched behind the sofa for a moment. Matthew knows now. He knows that the house is looking for the pin that he gave me...

This is going to end badly.

~ ~ ~

Mandy wished she had her smart phone and laptop, with access to Facebook, Netflix, Youtube... anything to distract herself from the whole house thinking that she was a hairpin-stealing thief. She was a good Christian girl—she never steals. The last time she stole something was when she was eight, and it was a her brother's left-over birthday candy that he said he didn't want. She had snuck into her brother's room when he was downstairs and snatched a few mini Snickers. Since then, nothing.

Oh, how she wanted to see her family and use her technology!

"Why the long face?"

Mandy looked up at Anna, who just came into the shoe-polishing room. "Oh, nothing," Mandy said, polishing Mary's shoe—somewhat roughly.

"Easy," Anna cautioned. "What's the matter?"

"It's just... I'm just homesick."

She came in and took Mary's other shoe and began polishing it. "It's understandable, being so far away from home."

Anna had no idea just how far away form home Mandy was. "Yeah... I just miss my family and..." She couldn't use the word technology. "I just miss things I'm used to doing there. After being accused of stealing that hairpin, I miss home more than ever."

"Maybe you should say something."

Mandy stared at Anna as if she grew an extra arm. "What? No! You know what will happen if I do."

"It will save everyone bustling about trying to solve this mystery."

"But it would ruin Matthew's chance with Mary. People will think that he has a thing for me when he was just being friendly."

Anna said nothing to that, and the two women continued polishing shoes as a couple of hall boys came in and out of the room, doing their chores. Someone else walked in. "Mandy," Mrs. Hughes said. "Mr. Carson and I would like to have a word."

Mandy exchanged worried glances with Anna, then looked at Mrs. Hughes. "Um, okay."

She left the shoes and followed Mrs. Hughes into Mr. Carson's office, where the man sat at his desk. He looked up at them as Mrs. Hughes shut the door. Mandy fiddled with her apron nervously, and her heart pounded with fear. Did Matthew say something?!

"Miss DeMont," Mr. Carson began, then sighed in exasperation, like someone would before revealing bad news.

"Does this have to do with the hairpin?" Mandy asked suddenly.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," he said, and Mandy's pulse rose higher. "Lady Mary is undeniably convinced that you stole her pin, and has convinced His Lordship of the same. I'm afraid she's insisting that you go."

Mandy's chest began to tighten, and her eyes stung. What? Lord Grantham just said a few hours before that he was fond of her and didn't want her to leave! "But it hasn't been proven yet. I can't be sacked without any proof."

"Indeed," Mr. Carson agreed.

"Both of you don't think I'm guilty, do you?"

"Of course we don't," Mrs. Hughes said kindly, standing next to Mandy.

"We will look into this a little more," Mr. Carson said. "We will go to the shop, ask the other staff, do anything we can do because..." He paused. "You are one the best we have on staff, and it would be a loss if you left."

She stared at him, then at Mrs. Hughes. She nodded in agreement. "Thank you, but... do you really need to go to the shop?"

Mr. Carson furrowed his brows. "And why not?"

"Because..." Because the owner would say that she was with a handsome blonde man with blue eyes, and said blonde young man was the person who bought her the pin. Would they think that was Matthew, though? "Um, nevermind. The shop would be a great place to start."

"I agree," Mr. Carson said. "Thomas can make the trip and ask."

"No!" Mandy suddenly said, and they both stared at her, startled. "I mean... maybe William? He was complaining earlier today that he wanted to go into the village and didn't have time to."

"Very well," Mr. Carson said. "You may go now. We will let you know when you are due to leave."

Mandy left the room. Gosh, that Mary. She's doing everything in her power to get rid me. But why? Her mother was American, so it was probably not for that reason. Was it because of Matthew? Did she fear that Mandy was getting to close to him?

"I guess I'll find out soon enough."