Mandy watched as William left out the back door the next late morning to head to the village to ask that shop owner about the hairpin. What would be the use of stopping him, now that she would be kicked out of Downton? She looked around at all her new friends bustling about in the hallway of the servants' area. They would all think horrible things of her when they find out why she was kicked out. She brought her gaze back to the door, her heart hammering. She had to do something.

Moving passed her fellow workers, she ran out of the back door and saw William heading down the side path that led out of Downton's property and to the road leading to the village. She stopped him near a rose bush. "William!"

He turned and his blue eyes widened. "Mandy, hi! Is something the matter?"

She had to catch her breath for a moment. "No, nothing's wrong, just... I wanted to make sure of something before you head into the village."

"Alright."

She caught her breath and said, "Well... when you ask the jewelry shop owner about me, he'll tell you that I was with someone. Just... when you find out who this someone is, promise me that you won't think terrible things about me. Honestly, I couldn't control what happened that day. I mean, I could've, but things just panned out in an unexpected way."

A reassuring smile crossed his lips. "Mandy, it's impossible for me to think terrible things of you, no matter what happens. You have become a good friend, and I wouldn't dare think such things."

Mandy felt relief course through her body. "Really? Oh, thank you, William."

"Who is this person, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Um... you know? You'll find out eventually. I should get back."

"Alright. See you later."

He walked on and she watched as he went. William is such a nice guy, so friendly and kind... why haven't I hung out with him or talked with him more often?

She turned and went back to back courtyard, and near the blue wood of the back door, she saw Daisy there. The back door was open, and she stood in the opening. "Mandy," she said, and walked out. "Mrs. Hughes asked me to see what you were up to since she saw you leave."

"Oh, um... I just needed to say something to William before he went into town. It's not a big deal. I'll let Mrs. Hughes know."

They both walked back inside, but Daisy took Mandy's arm, stopping her in the hallway. Mandy looked at her cute face, curious. "Um," Daisy began, "I suppose I want to ask you something, now that I have you alone." She took a step closer, and Mandy could smell flour and other spices that the girl cooked with. "I was just wondering... I've noticed you and Thomas have become close. Is there anything goin' on?"

Mandy thought a moment, and realization hit her. Daisy's wild crush on Thomas! "Well... I suppose there is."

The hurt that entered Daisy's face was unmistakable. Mandy regretted saying anything.

"I see," Daisy said. "Thomas just seems happier since you arrived, and I have seen him with you quite often."

Mandy eye's filled with guilt. "I'm sorry, Daisy."

"Why be sorry? People cannot help who they fall in love with."

Did she ever know that! "You're in love with him - Thomas."

She let off a sheepish smile. "No, I just fancy him a bit, that's all. I think you two make a really good match."

Mandy tried not to, but she let a smile escape. "Thank you."

"So, why did you stop William?"

William... that's right! William has a crush on Daisy, and eventually marries her literally right before he dies. "Nevermind about that. What about William? He's a really nice guy, and he seems to like you."

She nodded. "Yes, I know. He has told me, but... he's just not the man for me. I like the tall, dark and handsome types."

"William's tall, and he's handsome. You'll just have to get used to the blonde hair."

She giggled, as did Mandy, in a way girls did when they talked about boys. Daisy said, "Well, we should get back to work before we both get in trouble."

"Good idea."

Daisy began to walk off, but she turned again. "Mandy? I just wanted to say... I won't say anythin' 'bout you and Thomas. Nobody knows, so I suppose you want to keep it a secret."

"Thanks, Daisy."

She smiled and walked on down the hallway to the kitchen, and Mandy remained standing there near the back door. Secrets. Hers would be revealed, and she would be kicked out of Downton, and Matthew... she didn't want to think about what could happen to him.

It may just be a simple hairpin, but it has the power to create a whole lot of chaos.

~ ~ ~

Mandy's family had always pestered her about her nasty habit of eavesdropping, and being in a fantasy world didn't change things. She happened to walk passed the library door the evening after William came back from the village, informing Lord Grantham about what the shop owner said. Of course, she wasn't around when William informed him, but she heard him talking about it at dinner and refused to pay attention to what he was saying to her curious co-workers. Mandy fumbled with the white bed sheets she carried when she heard her name from inside the library.

"What?" she muttered, and leaned her head close to the door. "They're talking about me. No, I shouldn't listen. I don't want to know what happened."

"Mandy is such a nice girl, Mary," came Lady Grantham's voice. "Just let it go. I don't think she did anything wrong."

Maybe Mandy would stay and listen for a minute longer.

"Well, I do. I really think she stole my hairpin," came Mary's voice.

"Honestly, Mary, it's not a big deal," Edith said. "It's just a piece of metal."

Silence ensued, and Mandy imagined Mary giving her sister a mean glare.

"Edith's right," came Sybil's voice. "And besides, we can't blame Mandy when there's no proof."

"What more proof do you need?" Mary asked. "She was in my room one night, and the next morning, the pin was gone. I never touched it."

"Mary, be reasonable," came Lady Grantham's voice. "We can't sack Mandy for stealing something when there's no proof."

"Sack?" a man said, and Mandy's heart jumped when she realized it was Matthew's. "Is that really necessary?"

"Why are you defending her, Matthew?" Mary asked." Do you have some special relationship with her?"

"For heaven sake," Lord Grantham cut in in an agitated voice. "Can't we just let this go? The girl did nothing wrong. William went into town today to the jewelry shop and asked after the girl. The owner said that she was indeed there, and a young man was with her, and he bought the hairpin for her—a hairpin with a pearl on it."

Mandy's heart nearly stopped, and she gripped the sheets tightly. Oh no!

"A young man bought it for her?" Lady Grantham asked. "Who?"

"He didn't know. Some blonde chap from the village. But that proves that she was there, and she did nothing."

"No, it doesn't, Papa," Mary said. "She and that young man could be mistaken for anybody in the village."

"Really? With her blue eyes and fire-orange hair?" he countered.

"Now you're defending her, too?" Mary asked defensively.

"Mary..." Sybil said, trying to stop her sister.

"I'm only saying that this girl is innocent," Lord Grantham said. "Honestly, Mary, you're being childish. Can't you see..."

"Enough."

Silence ensued at Matthew's forceful interjection, and Mandy held her breath. She couldn't believe Matthew cut in like that!

"Matthew...?" came Lady Grantham's shocked voice.

"Forgive me, but this argument is completely unnecessary."

"Why, Matthew?" Lady Grantham asked.

"Yes, why?" Mary asked. "That girl is..."

"Mary, please stop," Matthew said. "You're intentionally scheming to throw that girl out on the pretense that she stole something of yours when she indeed did not. That's really low, and unbecoming of a Crawley."

Mandy would cover her mouth in shock at that if she wasn't carrying a bunch of sheets. Matthew just chided Mary! She didn't think he was capable of chiding anybody, let alone his future wife!

"Matthew, how can you say that?" Sybil asked in an unbelieving tone.

"Explain yourself, man," said Lord Grantham in a firm voice. "How do you know?"

Silence ensued for a long moment. Mandy waited, her heart pounding against her ribs in fear. He better not... Please...

"I was the blonde young man the jewelry shop owner spoke of. I bought that pin for Mandy."

NO!

"What?" Mary demanded, and Mandy imagined Mary shooting up out of her seat. "You were there, with her? And you bought that pin for her?"

"Yes, I did. I happened to be leaving work when I met her in the village. She said she was on an errand to buy hairpins for Mrs. Hughes, so I directed her to the nearest shop since she couldn't find it. I went in with her and bought the pin for her as a small gift, since she didn't have money to buy it herself."

"Why in heaven's name did you do that?" Lord Grantham asked in an appalled voice. "A house maid?"

The room became silent again. Mandy's chest tightened, and emotion gripped her throat. Matthew really shouldn't have revealed everything. Mary would hate her even more, and Matthew could say goodbye to marrying Mary and inheriting Downton.

Footsteps sounded up to the door on the other side from where Mandy was, and she scurried as fast as she could away from it. She peeked from around a corner and saw Matthew stalk out, dressed in his dinner suit. He didn't look happy.

"He blew it," she whispered to herself, then whined, "Geez, Matthew, why'd you do that?"

She looked for somewhere to put the sheets and follow Matthew and demand an explanation, but she decided to bring them downstairs to where they went. She stood there in the hallway as hall boys and other maids passed her, debating with herself if she should really go out and talk to him. Would that cause more problems? She shook her head. It shouldn't matter, now that she had to leave. She took a breath and stalked out of the back door. She didn't care if she was scolded by Mrs. Hughes or Mr. Carson later.

She ran out into the grass near the entrance to the house and saw Matthew standing near a bench under a massive tree, his long jacket on over his dinner suit. He was pacing. She slowly walked up to him as his back faced her.

"Mr. Crawley?"

He stopped pacing and turned. His blue eyes widened when he saw her. "Mandy. What are you doing out here?"

That was the first time he called her by her first name. She pursed her lips, fingering her maid apron, and confessed, "I heard. I heard everything in the library."

He stared at her in the light from the house, the night surrounding them. "You did? How...?"

"I happened to be walking by the door when I heard my name. I stopped to listen, and..." She bit her lip as her heart pounded and her hands tingled. She took a deep breath for courage. "Why... did you say that you were there with me and bought the pin?"

he gave her an incredulous look. "Why? Because it's the truth. You were falsely accused, so I had to clear things up."

"Thank you, but why defend me? Why risk being looked down upon by the family you're inheriting Downton from, and losing Mary because she now thinks you're getting close to a maid?"

He stared at her, pursing his lips. He looked down and sighed in frustration. "You're right. I made a damn fool of myself."

The wind picked up, and the leaves on the tree rustled. "Why, though? Why defend me?"

He looked up at her, and she had to gulp at that penetrating look he gave her with those blue eyes of his. She nearly stopped breathing at the sight. "Because—no one should be falsely accused for anything, even a maid who is just doing her job."

Why couldn't he answer her question? "Why did you buy that pin for me, Mr. Crawley?" she demanded with more force. "When you knew there would be repercussions?"

"Because I wanted to, and because..." He stepped away and raked a hand through his hair. "God, I must be mad."

"What?" Mandy prodded, her fingers gripping her apron.

He stared at her for a silent moment. The night stood still, the wind gone. "Because I fell in love with you."

It took a few seconds for Mandy to process what he said. He... what? Matthew Crawley... what? With her? She couldn't believe it! All this time, she thought he was just being nice!

"But..." she muttered, a bit flustered from his confession, a confession made by her celebrity crush. "I'm a maid. I'm like nothing to people of your status."

"That doesn't matter to me. Status and class never mattered to me."

Her heart threatened to pound right out of her, and her cheeks felt hot, despite the cool night air. "But... now everyone's going to hate me because I received attention from the inheritor of Downton... and the almost-fiancé of Mary Crawley."

He huffed through his nose. "She hasn't accepted me yet."

"And she never will, now that she knows you're interested in a maid!"

He pursed his lips into a frown and he planted his hands on his hips again. He looked down, a massive crease in his forehead. Mandy wanted nothing more than to just run into his arms, but doing that would result in more trouble with her, him... and Thomas. Her stomach twisted. Thomas. Her heart sunk to her toes when she realized that he was probably there in the library when all that went on. He heard everything.

"Forgive me," Matthew said. "I can't take back what I confessed in there, or just now, but... at least take this as an opportunity to be friends, if nothing else."

She nodded, not knowing how else to answer. "Okay."

"Well, then," he said with a little head bow. "Goodnight, Miss DeMont."

"Goodnight."

He walked off down the path, and she stared after him. How the heck is a man professing his love for a woman something of friendship, especially if that guy is Matthew Crawley?

It was not possible.

Good thing she would leave Downton and wouldn't have to deal with everyone's stares and judgment. But Thomas... how would she be able to explain this to him? How would she explain that she lied to him all this time, twisting the situation as to not hurt him? She felt like a hypocrite. To think, she accused Mary of being the conniving witch when, in fact, she was one herself.