A/N: Once again, thank you all so much for the reviews you left on the past two chapters. They have been immensely helpful. I'm trying to update as fast as I can, but I didn't realize what hard work writing is until now. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 3: The Housekeeper's Plan

"Have you heard the news?" Jimmy asked Alfred the next day in the stables. "There's a hanging taking place in the town square gallows today!"

Alfred gasped. "A hanging? We haven't seen one of those in months! Who's gotten on the old bird's nerves this time?" he asked.

Jimmy said, "His name's Pegg, poor chap. Seems he's stolen something from ol' Violet."

"And that warrants a hanging?" Alfred asked.

"Apparently." Jimmy said, "The family's all going to watch. They said we were welcome to go with them."

"Are you going to go?"

"Yes. It sounds more exciting than roping calves all day."

"Well, I'm not going. It's terrible that he's being hanged in the first place, let alone with all those people watching him like it's a sport."

"Suit yourself, Alfred."

Tom Branson knew he was in for trouble when he married into this family, but he didn't know that that 'trouble' would include rolling around in the mud with a couple of pigs. He had been checking the fences around the pig sty to make sure they were all up to regulation, when a sudden gust of wind blew tumbleweed towards him and pushed him over the fence and into the mud. What have I signed up for? he thought as he wiped pig slop off of his face. As he headed back into the house to change, he ran into a very flustered-looking Cora.

"Oh, Tom, thank goodness! I need your help!" Cora said.

"Of course. W-what do you need, m'lady?" Tom replied quickly.

"Well, you know the rodeo that we're having in a few weeks? The flowers that we'd ordered have been abruptly cancelled, and now we need to order new ones quickly so they'll come in time for the rodeo."

Tom had an idea. "Well, why don't you just ask the Dowager Mayor to borrow some of hers? I've seen her gardens; they're very well kept, and the flowers there are absolutely lovely."

"Oh, yes, Tom, you're a life saver! Why don't you go into town and ask her immediately? Thank you, thank you! I'm indebted to you!"

Tom was taken aback. "W-well, what? Er-" he stammered, "I wasn't exactly… volunteering to go.." but Cora was already gone. Well, I suppose you've only yourself to blame for that one, Tom, he soliloquized. With that, he turned on his heel and began to walk to the town hall.

Tom approached the heavy wooden door to the Dowager Mayor's home, the largest house in town. He took a deep breath and rapped with the heavy knocker. Almost immediately, Mr. Molesley opened the door.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Branson. We weren't expecting you! Come in, come in… Would you care for a drink?" Molesley asked.

"No, thank you, Mr. Molesley, I just need to see the Mayor for a quick moment. Is she available?"

"Yes, of course. I'll go fetch her for you. If you'll follow me, sir," and Mr. Molesley hurried off down the hall. Tom followed him into a posh sitting room, all four walls of which were lined with bookcases. He sat down in a plush armchair as Mr. Molesley rushed off to find the mayor. Tom stood and looked at a portrait that was hanging above an ornately carved desk. The painting depicted what looked like younger Violet with a very young, very unhappy Robert Crawley.

"He wasn't a very pleasant child, was he?" came the Dowager's voice from behind him.

"N-no, Your Honor, er- that is, uh, no, he wasn't," Tom stammered.

"Well then, what is it you've come for? I've not the time to spend on idle chatter," the Mayor snipped.

"Cora-er, that is, Mrs. Crawley was worried because it seems that the shipments of flowers that she had ordered for the rodeo have been lost. She was wondering if she could borrow some of yours." Tom asked.

"That's funny. I always thought the word 'borrowed' implied that you had some intention of returning the item in question," the Mayor pointed out.

"Rather then, if she could, er- have, some of your beautiful flowers."

"Don't try it, Branson. Flattery will get you nowhere with me. But I suppose you may have the flowers. Just this once," she warned.

"Thank you, th-thank you, Your Honor. Cora – I mean, Lady Grantham will be very appreciative."

Mrs. Hughes was out running errands in the town, in the heat of the afternoon. She was just heading into the general store when a sign tacked on the message board caught her eye. It showed a picture of a young man, maybe in his early twenties, and the caption under it read: JOHN PEGG. ARRESTED FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE MAYOR, TO BE HANGED IN THE TOWN SQUARE, 2:00 P.M TODAY.

Mrs. Hughes had seen the young man several times before, gardening outside of the mayor's house. He had always seemed a perfect gentleman to her: he would ask if she needed any help, or how her day was going… Mrs. Hughes knew that this wasn't right. She was tired of the whole town being pushed around by the Dowager Mayor. Sooner or later, she thought, somebody is going to have to do something about it.

Mrs. Hughes ripped the sign off the board and marched into the store with a new sense of purpose. She gathered some items and put them on the counter. Mrs. Isobel Crawley, the store owner, started ringing them up for her.

"These are curious items, Mrs. Hughes. Why does a housekeeper need ammunition for a .45 caliber pistol?" she commented.

Color began to rise to the housekeeper's cheeks as she tried to cover up for her strange purchases. "Oh, never you mind, Mrs. Crawley…I'm on a run for Mr. Carson today, he asked me to purchase these for him. Sometimes, the bulls get out of hand, and there's nothing the ranch hands can do to calm them down. If the men are attacked, they're forced to shoot the poor beasts in self-defense."

"That's tragic. Poor animals. But I suppose there really is nothing else you can do," Isobel said.

"Yes, it's very unfortunate. Well, I'd best be off; I've got work to do back at the house. Thank you, Mrs. Crawley." Mrs. Hughes said, and hurried off out of the store to get ready for what she was about to do.

A/N: Ooh, what's she planning, I wonder? Tell me what you think, please. Thanks!