The reference at the very end is from episode 8 S3 for those who haven't seen the entire show. Thanks for all the kind comments so far. I had a bit of writers block this last couple days towards the end of the story. When I took journalism they said the best way to overcome it is to just write even if you write junk. Hopefully something good will finally come out. Still have quite a few chapters done before you get to that part.

Chapter 7 – Old Habits

"My goodness, you all look so serious," Mary said. She was smiling and happy as she entered the library. It was the end of July and she and Evelyn had just returned from their honeymoon tour of Switzerland.

"Mary dear," her mother said. "It's so good to have you back and looking well."

"We had a lovely time, but you haven't said what's wrong," Mary replied starting to panic. Evelyn was beside her looking puzzled at the worried expression on the face's in the room. Everyone including Lady Rosamund was there. Isobel Crawley was biting her lips and the Dowager Countess looked older than ever. "It isn't James is it?"

"No, James is happy and healthy. He's been busy playing with Sybil and riding with Rose and your father," Cora replied.

"I've arranged for tea in the garden," Robert said. "We want to tell you the news somewhere where we won't be disturbed or overheard."

"It sounds like a great mystery," Evelyn commented.

"Too much so," Robert said with a sigh.

Everyone made his or her way outdoors to an area that had been set up for tea. Robert signaled for the footmen to leave them once the tea tray and sandwiches had been brought.

"This is going to be difficult for you to hear," Robert began. "We had planned to dispose of Matthew's car while you were gone. It's been in a shed on the estate all this time. I couldn't bear to deal with it before now. I had thought a new start would be best with a clean slate."

"I see," Mary said quietly. She reached for Evelyn's hand.

"What your father is trying to say," Tom took over when Robert had difficulty continuing, "is I made arrangements to dispose of the car with my brother. He found signs of tampering and contacted the police. Matthew's accident," he had to stop and take a breath, "was not an accident. The brake cables were cut. The police are viewing it as a homicide."

"Dear God," Mary said. Evelyn put his arm around her and was held her close. Isobel Crawley was dabbing her eyes with her hanky as were most of the other ladies present.

"It's a terrible thing, my dear," Violet said sadly. "It only gets worse."

"How much worse can it be?" Evelyn questioned.

"The police think the crime is linked to the robbery that was uncovered in December. It turns out the thefts have been going on over a number of years," Robert said. His hands were shaking as he struggled to continue. "They also think it was an inside job, planned and executed by someone here on the estate."

"Who?" Mary said jumping to her feet. "My son!"

"Mary," Cora said crossing to her side and coaxing her to sit back down. "James is safe. Only your father and Tom know who the suspects are. We don't discuss anything inside the house or near the servants incase something is leaked back to whoever it is."

"We can't point the finger at an innocent man," Tom said seriously. "There is no proof as of yet. We'll bide our time. He's made mistakes. He'll make more and then he'll be caught and prosecuted. It could turn out in the end to be someone completely different."

"Who would have wanted to harm Matthew?" Mary said through her tears. Evelyn was trying the best to comfort her and Cora had a hold of her hand. "Everyone loved him."

"Everyone except the thief who was behind the thefts he may have been about to uncover," Tom said. "It may have been very lucky for the rest of us, Rose found the inconsistencies in the books when the family and most of the servants were away or who knows what else may have happened."

"I don't want to stay. I want to take my son and go," Mary said starting to panic.

"There is no reason to think your son or anyone else would be harmed," Robert comforted her. "The thief knows we're on to him. It's heart breaking to think someone you have known for years and trusted could be behind something like this. The day the person is convicted and hung I want to be personally present at the execution."

"Oh, Papa," Mary said dashing into her father's arms.

"There, there the worst is over," Robert said. "It's horrible and shocking but we're on to him. He will be caught."

"The children have no idea anything is going on, Mary," Rose said.

"We can only hope my son's murderer with be brought to justice," Isobel commented.

"Who are the suspects? I'll wring the truth out of them with my bare hands," Mary said tearfully.

"That won't do any good," her father said. "If I thought it would, I would do it myself."

"We all would," Violet said. "Try not to let your mind play tricks on you. It seems that is what this villain has been playing on all this time."

"I'll take you out later and fill you in on the details," Tom said quietly to Evelyn later once the children had been brought down and Mary had a chance to collect herself.

"You and Robert have a good idea of who the culprit is then?" Evelyn asked in hushed tone.

Tom gave a small almost imperceptible nod.

"It's between two men. Lord Grantham is having trouble accepting it. You'll be safe enough in my car. I've been checking it over every other day to make sure nothing is amiss."

"You're that sure the person is here?"

Tom only gave him a level look in return. "I'm going to take Evelyn down and show him the new harvester that just arrived," he said in a louder voice to the group. "He might find something like it useful on his father's estate."

"Don't be too long," Mary said looking up quickly with a worried expression. James was sitting on her knee.

"All is well, my dear," Evelyn said leaning over to kiss Mary's cheek. "I promise I won't be too long."

When they got to the garage Tom took a quick look under his car before he got in.

"I may be paranoid, but it doesn't hurt to check," Tom said.

"After what you've told us, I can't say I would be otherwise," Evelyn replied.

-0-

"They make things just too easy," he thought as he slipped in the servant's entrance at an exclusive men's club in the center of London. There were so many gentlemen with their valets coming and going no one paid the slightest attention. It was well after midnight on a Saturday. The gentlemen would be tucked in their beds after a night of drinking and cigars. Drinking and cigars that would mean they were out cold or so sound asleep they would never hear or notice the man in their rooms removing a five pound note here or a ten pound note there from their gold money clips. He had learned long ago when he had first started small jobs with his accomplice small thefts usually went unnoticed. A five or ten missing from someone who usually carried a hundred or more pounds was an insignificant amount.

He and his female accomplice had posed as a well off couple traveling trough small towns when he was younger. At first they had not been as discerning in their thefts and taken watches and valuables that had to be moved through a fence. Every time the thefts had been discovered when they were in the vicinity the police had looked for vagrants or seasonal workers passing through. Not a person glanced at the people staying in the hotel and paying for their room and meals in cash. After a few close calls with the fence of having to strong arm the money from him or when the fence hadn't wanted to pay a decent price, he'd smartened up. His accomplice had wanted to continue as they had been, but he had come to a realization. Take smaller amounts from more people. In the long run you wound up with more and smaller thefts usually went unnoticed. When they had finally started to draw unwelcome attention it had been time to move on to a new racket. His accomplice had continued with petty theft. She just couldn't see the big picture. His was a game of waiting for the right opportunity, gaining people's trust then slipping the money and goods out from under their noses. Don't go for the big item that would be traced. Take the every day, something everyone has in varying amounts and no one would be the wiser.

He finished his rounds of the rooms at the men's club. He easily had a hundred pounds or more in fewer than fifteen minutes. He headed back to the servants' stair and down through the kitchens. He was on the street and walking along whistling as though nothing were amiss. A policeman passed him walking his beat and he tipped his hat. He had a self-satisfied smile on his face when he made it back to the servants' lodgings at Crawley House, replaced the key to the back door on its hook, got undressed and slipped between the sheets. "A profitable night and no one would be the wiser."

-0-

"Mr. Branson called this morning milord, while you were out," Thomas Barrow informed Lord Grantham during the second week in August. "The police have called. There was a fire night before last at the stockyard where the stolen feed and hay was traced to. They said it was arson. The story should be in the evening papers."

"Thank you, Barrow," Lord Grantham replied. "It is a rather nasty business."

"If you beg my pardon, milord. It does seem an odd thing to happen, although it is none of my business," Thomas said.

"It is odd, although not unheard of," Lord Grantham said. "Who knows how the criminal mind works. It may have absolutely nothing to do with the other troubles."

"Let's hope so milord," Thomas said.

This season in London was different for Thomas. He usually spent his evenings free when he was there at a club for men of his persuasion where he could meet other men for a romantic interlude or two. Not this trip. With the police sniffing around and all that had gone on around the estate, he was playing it straight and narrow. His days off would be spent either at his cousin's or going somewhere quiet on his own. He'd even made a trip to the zoo on his last day free. He had made eye contact with another man and chosen to ignore it. Things were just too many eyes at the moment. It was against the law to engage in sex with another man and his last brush with the law had made him leery of taking chances.

Now that he was Head Butler making trouble had ceased to be fun. He was the one who had to straighten things out and it wasn't such a grand game when you were sitting on this side of the fence. John Bates was an odd one he thought. Thomas had never liked the man. He always reminded Thomas of a moving picture he had seen once of a crocodile sitting in the water unnoticed like a log waiting to strike when the time was right. He had pushed Thomas out of a prime spot in the household twice and Mosley once. It seemed no matter how far Bates sunk he always managed to wind up back on top. Thomas owed him one. He didn't doubt the man had a dangerous streak. When Miss O'Brien had beat him at their game of one of man ship it had been Bates who said, "Give me the weapon and let me do the dirty work." He had done it to perfection with the skill of a master craftsman. In the end Thomas had wound up as Under Butler. He was in debt to Bates, but he still didn't trust him.

The other night Thomas had gotten up for a hot drink when he couldn't sleep. He hadn't bothered turning on the lights. When he'd gone past Bates' room the door had been ajar. Bates' hadn't been in his bed. Thomas suspected he was off visiting one of the maids in her room. What any man saw in Anna May Bates was beyond Thomas. She was so high and mighty, but then after Bates' first wife anything would look good he supposed. After all he didn't see what anyone saw in Bates either. He just wasn't Thomas' type. He owed him one for saving his behind those few years back so he would keep his mouth shut. If Bates wanted an extra slice of pie on the side, it was nothing to him.