A/N: So this is the end of my updating spree for now.

I wanted to bring in some more senior staff POV stuff, so here's a bit with Mrs. Hughes.

Disclaimer: I don't own Downton Abbey, nor is Lucy mine. Nellie's mine though.

Enjoy~

"These three were out squabblin' in the courtyard just now," Mrs. Patmore declared as she opened the door to Elsie's sitting room, hovering just on the other side of the threshold as she ushered in Lucy, Nellie, and finally, Mairead. "They were making enough ruckus to wake the dead, mind you. It's a wonder Sergeant Barrow"-her nose wrinkled at the ex-footman's new title- "didn't bring them to you 'imself."

Elsie suppressed a resigned sigh and nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Patmore," she said, turning her attention to the maids and assuming an air of command.

The cook let out a satisfied "hmphf," before closing the door behind her, leaving the housekeeper alone with three of her charges.

"Could any of you girls explain why Mrs. Patmore felt the need to bring you to me?"

It was Lucy who spoke first, taking a step so she was out of line with Mairead and Nellie and lifting her chin with an awkward jerk, as if she were being torn from a reverie. "We were telling Mairead that she ought to 'ave told you about Ethel and Major Bryant, so you'd be able to nip it in the bud before it got to the point that you 'ad to sack her," she said, her shoulders rolling back as she cast a glance at Mairead.

The sigh she'd been able to suppress earlier slipped past Elsie's lips at the mention of Ethel, and, as much as she wanted to dismiss Lucy's accusation, Elsie knew she would be better off dealing with this while it was between the three housemaids, before it expanded beyond a realm of her control. There wouldn't be any peace until judgement was passed, that was sure, but how was she to do that without appearing to take sides? Lucy, Nellie, and Mairead were all hard workers, and for that Elsie was grateful, especially with Downton playing host to so many injured soldiers as it was, but she didn't know them well enough to act fairly.

"Mairead, is this true?" The housekeeper's gaze settled on the young woman, who stood at attention, her lips settled in an unreadable line.

Ever since their first meeting, when Mairead'd come to be interviewed for her post, Elsie had been impressed by the young woman, not only because of her hard work, but the forthright manner with which she'd admitted to leaving her previous post because she felt uncomfortable with her mother as the housekeeper. There were few who would admit to something like that, and she could tell that even Mairead had almost been too proud to tell the truth, hesitating before revealing her reason to Downton's housekeeper.

There were times when she wondered what Mairead's mother was like, though she kept from asking out of respect for the girl's privacy. It was possible that the young woman didn't really know her mother, seeing as she was most likely raised by an aunt until she was old enough to work, which seemed the only likely way that a housekeeper could manage raising children.

Lucy glanced at Mairead again, this time giving her head a little toss, as if she were a prize pony at the fair. Her eyebrows rose in questioning arches, and Elsie caught a trace of smugness in the blonde maid's pursed lips.

"Lucy, Nellie," she said, watching Nellie this time, trying to gauge what her role in all this was, "wait in the servants' hall until I send for you."

"Yes Mrs. Hughes," Nellie murmured, giving a quick bow before stepping towards the door, and then, as if she'd forgotten something, glancing back at Lucy, who hadn't moved. "Lucy, Mrs. Hughes asked us to go."

"I know, but you go on. I wont' be long," Lucy said. "Just got t'make sure of something."

Had Elsie not been exhausted from dealing with Ethel as well as other disruptions that'd come up since the woman's dismissal, she would've repeated herself, perhaps even summoned Carson to help her, but she only made a quick gesture of dismissal towards Nellie and let her focus settle on Lucy and Mairead. She'd try to keep this quick, so poor Nellie wasn't left waiting on her own for too long. The sooner this was over with, the sooner things could make their way back to normalcy, and the sooner the housekeeper could catch her breath.

"Mairead, is Lucy telling the truth? Did you know about Ethel and Major Bryant?"

"No ma'am," Mairead answered, giving her head a gentle shake as her brows came together in a fleeting expression of worry. "I didn't know."

Which means Lucy's lying, Elsie concluded silently, watching Lucy's eyes narrow and her jaw clench in what could only be frustration. Had she really expected that she would get away with her accusation? It was a high hope for the maid to have, that the housekeeper would be so easily fooled. Or Mairead is.

"Are y'just saying that because it's not useful to you anymore, now that Ethel's out of your way?"

"Lucy!"

"What?" The housemaid's eyes widened in an expression of innocence that dripped with falsehood to the point that Elsie felt she might retch. "It is the truth, Mrs. Hughes. She's not as innocent as she looks- she's almost as bad as Thomas or Mrs. O'Brien, not t'mention she's sweet on that rabble-rouser of a chauffeur. Too sweet, I might say."

That was it.

In her three years at Downton, Lucy always sought trouble, sometimes creating it as she was now, but it had always been small, always been harmless. Never had Mrs. Hughes been put in a position where she had to act as the law when it came to Lucy. True, the girl had always bothered the housekeeper, with her dangerous charisma and her habit of stepping out of line, but she was a hard worker, and Elsie appreciated it enough to turn a blind eye.

Well look what that led to, she thought. her lips pressed together as she kept her attention fixated on Lucy, like a hawk on its prey. She kept some kindness in her eyes after she caught Mairead's expression harden, as if she were bracing herself to be scolded by the housekeeper.

"Mairead can defend herself, I think," the housekeeper said. "And you, Miss Bower, can go pack your valise and say your goodbyes."

It was a cruel judgement to make, but in her heart, Elsie knew it would be for the better if Lucy was dismissed. She'd write a good reference, of course (a hard worker like Lucy deserved at least that much), and would send the girl with what was owed her, but she simply couldn't keep her on the staff. Lucy was smart- she'd find something that was perhaps better than life in service- and Elsie wished her all the best.

Lucy swallowed, her smug demeanor faltering for a moment. "Yes Mrs. Hughes," she said, forcing her lips to bend into a haughty smile. "I'll be out on the noon train then."

"And it's best you are," Elsie said, shaking her head. "I'll draw up your reference and settle your wages right away, don't you worry."

And I'll ask Mr. Carson to place an advertisement at the registrar's as soon as he's able, she thought wearily. Two maids in the last week… Mr. Carson was going to have a fit when he found out, that was for sure.

A/N: So there's Lucy out of the picture. I thought it might be interesting to explore the topic of Ethel (I didn't like her that much, personally, but then again, Gwen was always my favorite) in relationship to the other housemaids, and I thought it might be interesting to have Mrs. Hughes (aka The Mother of Team Downstairs) have a moment with Mairead, especially in one of these "under pressure" situations, like when you're accused of hiding information. The Lord knows what Mairead knows about everything in the staff (even I get a bit shocked sometimes, realizing that "whoa, she picked up on (for example) Ethel's major crush on every male ever (sorry, I don't like her that much, so I poke fun at her) but specifically Major Bryant, but didn't say anything?"

And this is why Thomas might find her valuable in the future...just saying.

Anyways, thank you for reading and I hope you all have lovely weekends~ I will finish as soon as I can so I can go back to updating like a total crazy woman.

Thank you~