After serving luncheon for Lord Grantham, the first thing Thomas heard as he was going down was his name. The name, however, was not said out loud. It was just a whisper, but it made Thomas's heart beat faster. He remained silent and stood in the middle of the stairs; the tray with the dishes in both hands.

"What did O'Brien mean with Thomas's special friend?" It was a rough male voice.

"I can't tell you that. It is not my secret. I'm sorry." Thomas knew at once that this voice belonged to Anna. It was high but warm, now however, it sounded somehow concerned. So the other voice must belong to Mr Bates, he concluded. Thomas could feel his heart in his mouth as they continued speaking.

"Anna," Mr Bates said, "If you, Mrs Hughes, and even O'Brien know about it," he didn't finish his sentence. Instead Thomas could hear him sigh, "Why don't you trust me?"

"Mr Bates," Anna sounded really offended, "You are the only person I really trust. You know, I like you. To be honest, I like you very much, but first of all, it is Thomas's secret and secondly, I don't know if it is even true. And if it is true," she was whispering now, "then he lives a dangerous life. A life I do not envy him for because for this, he could be imprisoned." Thomas closed his eyes for a second. He felt cold. He tried to move, but his feet were too heavy, his fingers tense.

"So you won' tell me anything more?"

"No, I won't."

Thomas could feel the rigid metal of the tray. It was his anchor to reality. The crippling silence was suddenly disrupted by a voice.

"Out of the way," It was William who was rushing with more dishes in his hands downstairs. "Thomas, are you dreaming?" he shouted, before he disappeared into the kitchen. Thomas took a deep breath, and with his head high he continued his way downstairs, albeit his heart was still aching. As he reached the last step, he could see Anna and Mr Bates.

"Mr Bates," Thomas said snarky, "Are you once again tryingto woo Anna with your crippling charm?" It was his luck that both were too stunned to see him so soon after talking about him so he could pass without any further comments. Nevertheless, Thomas remained tense. Even though, he had only heard a few scraps of conversation, it was obvious that O'Brien had something to do with Bates interest in him. He couldn't dispel the thought of having more people snooping

As Thomas arrived in the kitchen, he tried to calm himself. Not Mr Bates was his biggest problem at the moment, but his father's debts. During Lord Grantham's luncheon, his thoughts never left Jacob and his plea to help him. With his thoughts still revolving around Jacob's situation, he went upstairs again to get more dishes. However, as he passed Mr Carson's door, his thoughts seemed to spin over. His greatest problem was money, and Mr Carson was the man with the most money – at least downstairs. Thomas would never dare to steal something from Lord Grantham. This had nothing to do with his respect for him, but more with Thomas's fear of getting caught. A servant, who was seen stealing, was never seen working again. However, Mr Carson was still upstairs and Thomas was sure that the old butler still needed more time until the dining room war cleared up. Thomas heart was racing again. He could feel his rapid heartbeat in his throat and his fingertips. His body was suddenly cold and his mouth dry. He licked his lips but they remained chapped. His grey eyes looked along the hallway. He couldn't see anybody. Distant noises, on the other hand, seemed louder, he realised. From his position, he could hear Mr Pattmore shouting at Daisy, some chattering in the servants' hall, and even the draught which was constantly slipping through the gap in the backdoor seemed as loud as a winter storm. Thomas took a deep breath before he grasped the door handle with his left hand. He was horrified as the typical sound of door hinges seemed to be too loud. It was like a scream for justice in a moment of wrongfulness. Thomas slipped into the room and closed the door.

The room itself was equipped with a wooden writing desk in the right corner. On the desk were some pens, papers, and stamps. A heavy, bronze-coloured lamp was partly standing on a pile of paper. As Thomas looked closely, he could see various letters. He ached for looking at those since they must bear some useful secrets but time was short. Thomas glanced around as he finally found what he was looking for: Mr Carson's coat. The black coat was hanging on the clothes hook next to the door. It seemed dusty and not as clean as Mr Carson's work clothing, but it was to be expected from a man who was only living for his work and not for pleasure. Thomas reached for the fabric and was surprised how soft it felt. With shaking fingers he made a grab for Mr Carson's wallet. He knew that it must be in the coat since he had seen Mr Carson more than once taking it out of his coat pocket. As Thomas's fingers touched the surface of the purse, his heart stopped for a moment. He was holding his breath as he drew it out. Finally, he thought, as he had the brown purse in his hand. It felt heavy in his hands and as he opened it, he saw more money than expected. Nearly ten pounds! Thomas felt dizzy. He closed his eyes while pondering how much money he could take without being noticed. However, as he closed his eyes, he could hear footsteps approaching. Fast footsteps, he noticed, which were coming into his direction. Thomas felt paralyzed as the door opened with the same scream of justice as before.

"Thomas! What are you doing here?" Mrs Hughes looked at him sternly, before her gaze shifted to the purse in his hands.

"Doesn't this purse belong to Mr Carson?" she asked. The feeling of being trapped made Thomas's thoughts slow, but finally he said:

"Yes, Mrs Hughes. I found this in the hallway. I just wanted to give it back to him." To illustrate his words, Thomas put the purse back into the coat pocket.

"I am glad, I found the purse. If one of the hall boys had found it, Mr Carson would have never seen his purse again. Do you think he would offer me a reward? No, I thought so. What a pity." Thomas was still trembling. He was glad that Mrs Hughes couldn't see his knees shaking and that he hid his tensed and sweaty hands behind his back. He was, however, content with his answer while hoping that Mrs Hughes would believe him.

"Thomas," she said slowly, and he could see that she was still trying to comprehend the situation, "Mr Carson and I, we would like to see you in my office. I think we have something to discuss." Thomas heart stopped for a second. "And bring your brother with you."