A series of hurried knocks sounded on the back door.
The Smith family looked up worriedly from their breakfast, but young Anna knew that knock from a mile away.
"Can I please go out, Pa?" she pleaded, jumping up from the table, "I've already cleaned the stove and –"
Mr Smith laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "Go on, girl. And tell Gwen she'll owe us a new door if she keeps going on like that!"
Her parents were never too tough on her growing up, which she thanked God for. Although the Smiths' life was far from luxurious, they worked hard and could afford a comfortable home. Mr Smith, an honest farmer who believed in clean living, took pride in the thought that he had never let either of his children feel the pangs of hunger, which many of the local children experienced on a daily basis.
"Thanks, Pa," she grinned, fixing her hair in a cracked mirror before running out of the cottage.
"You don't think she has a beau, do you?" her father asked anxiously, half considering sending one of the farm hands after her.
Mrs Smith placed a loving hand on her husband's tense arm. "Leave her be. She won't be young for long, you know."
OoOoO
Anna and Gwen pranced down the drive, arms linked. All that surrounded them for miles and miles were roaring fields and the odd farmhouse. Neither girl could imagine a life anywhere else.
Waiting further down the lane was Ethel, William, a large, furry sheepdog and boy she had never seen before. William, always the gentleman, stepped forward to introduce the newcomer. "Anna, this is Branson. He's just moved over from Ireland. His dad's working on the Nelsons' farm."
"How's it going, Anna?" Branson greeted, touching his cap.
Ethel, who couldn't stand still for more than ten seconds, was already walking ahead. "Come on, then! Let's walk into town; I'm sick of this place!"
Gwen threw a knowing glance over at Anna. Both girls knew Ethel was just showing off in front of Branson, as she did with every other boy.
"Alright, then," shrugged Anna, flattening down her dress. "We'll call for Daisy and Thomas on the way."
Ethel, who had previously stormed on ahead, was now hanging back, clinging onto the young Irishman like he was the last male on Earth.
"So what do you do for fun around here, race sheep?" he joked, squirming slightly away from Ethel.
She burst into a fit of giggles. "You're so funny! Have you ever thought of a career onstage?"
Anna, Gwen and William observed the two from behind, exchanging exasperated looks. They all knew how silly Ethel could be.
"You're quiet, William," noted Anna, elbowing the younger boy playfully in the ribs.
"Thinking about a girl, are you?" giggled Gwen. They were playing of course – William was simply always the quiet one. He blushed and scratched his sheepdog's bushy mane.
"What about you, Anna?" prodded Gwen, always looking for a bit of excitement, "What would you be looking for in a man?"
She barely had to think before answering. She and Gwen had been discussing such questions since birth. "Older, taller and mysterious. I like a man with a past," she winked.
OoOoO
The gang stopped off outside Thomas' home, and William ran to the door. Thomas' father, an extremely solemn, religious man, was a clockmaker, and some said that the only sound to be heard in the place was the ticking of various clocks. The rest of the gang supposed Thomas saved his nastiness and noise for them.
Immerging from the cottage, Thomas stopped and took a long hard look at Branson. "Who's the Paddy?"
Branson stiffened a little.
"Come on, Thomas, there's no need to talk like that," sighed Anna. As the eldest of the group, she often felt like the mother.
"Tom Branson," the Irishman said icily.
"Coming over here taking our jobs, no doubt." Thomas didn't even look at him as he spoke the words.
"Our jobs?" echoed Gwen, "What is it you work as again, Thomas?"
He lit a cigarette as they walked on. "Anything that will get me the hell out of this place."
OoOoO
The last stop before the village of Downton was little Daisy's home. She was the youngest of the group, and everyone in the area seemed to adore her. No one, however, dared to call to her door.
It was surprising that the derelict cottage managed to fit all the eleven children it contained. One window was boarded up and the other was smashed through. The front door always seemed to be swung open on its hinges, releasing the shrieks of babies inside. Finally, Anna picked up the courage and ventured up to the noisy, crumbling house. Daisy came running out, no shoes on her feet and grime staining her face. She was greeted warmly by the group, and as they continued on, she and William trailed behind. Although he was a few years older, they were terribly fond of each other.
Thomas, as if sensing an opportunity to upset someone in the group, stopped in his tracks in front of Daisy. Almost double her height, Daisy looked up at him with frightened, though somewhat impressed, eyes. "Daisy, just the girl I was looking for! What do you think of these Paddy's coming over here for work?"
She hadn't understood a word that had come out of the older boy's mouth.
"See, these foreigners are coming over taking our jobs," he continued, "Branson here is the reason your dad's out of work!"
She tilted her head in confusion, looking over at the reddening Branson.
Ethel, being Ethel, sniggered and swung over onto Thomas' arm. "Thomas, the reason her dad's out of work is because he's a drunken beggar who can't keep a job!"
Anna had simply had enough. Children were cruel, but there had to be a limit. "Daisy, come here, pet. Don't listen to them." She threw an arm around her miniature companion. Daisy herself hadn't a clue what was happening, but liked a bit of attention from Anna.
William, now left walking alone with his collie, clenched his fists. One day he'd be brave, he promised himself. One day he'd stand up against Thomas.
OoOoO
Upon reaching the village, they discovered it to be just as unexciting as the farmland. They hadn't a penny between them, so there was no chance of popping down to the shop for a bag of sweets.
"How about we play a game?" Gwen suggested.
"A game?" echoed Thomas, disgusted. "I'd rather die than play a game with you lot."
"Good riddance, then." Gwen turned her attention to everyone but Thomas. "How about we play Dares?"
That was greeted well, even by William's collie, who let out a tiny bark.
"Branson, I dare you to give Thomas a proper thumping," offered Anna, smiling. Branson was all up for that, judging by his grin.
"I've an idea!" piped Daisy, jumping up from the ground. "Why don't we all sneak into the Queen's house?"
Everyone exchanged puzzled looks.
"But, Daisy, she lives in London!"
The little girl shook her head defiantly. "No she doesn't! My big brother told me she lives in that huge castle, just outside Downton!"
"Downton Abbey?" exclaimed William. "That's where Lord Grantham lives! We'd be hung for trespassing over there!"
Gwen couldn't help but get excited. Her stomach was a cage of butterflies, itching for some fun. "Well, Anna. What do you say?"
"I don't know, it sounds dangerous."
"I call a vote!" announced Ethel. "All in favour of sneaking in – raise your hand now."
Everyone's scrawny hand was lifted, apart from a cautious William and a responsible Anna.
"William, don't be a bloody chicken," sighed Thomas. William's hand shot up before he could stop himself.
Anna threw her hand back and groaned. "You lot will be the death of me one day…"
Together, they set off for Downton Abbey.