The year is 1936. Members of the National Socialist Party are officially known as Nazis. The Nuremberg Laws were passed the year prior. Jews are stripped of their rights and intermarriage is forbidden. Jews from all classes are in hiding and many are the first to be sent to concentration camps.
The loud horn of a train departing echoed throughout the Birmingham station. It drowned out the commotion from other passengers but a few seconds later, the chatter of those arriving and departing resumed. At the sight of a restroom sign, Claire pushed pass various people and hurried until she reached an empty counter to lay her luggage on.
A spotted mirror hung before her and still, her own reflection shocked her. Her brassy hair plaited tight against her scalp emphasized her heart-shaped face. Traveling made her exhausted and it showed. Her brown eyes were so dull in color that it matched her current complexion. She hardly recognized herself. For the first time in days, Claire allowed herself to take a moment and she unleashed a long overdue deep breath. She didn't allow her mind to wonder much, for she had a major task at hand - to find a job that offered a room to stay.
With one final breath, Claire tightened her coat around her, picked up her bags, and left the restroom. She settled in the main lobby of the station and found a newspaper stand.
"Get your news here!" The seller shouted. "Local, national, international! Get your news!"
"May I have the local papers, please?" Claire asked. She gave a sweet smile at the man, who in turn raised a thick black brow at her. He tightened his cap further onto to his plump face before glancing over at the papers surrounding him.
"Which ones, ma'am? I got the Birmingham Times, the Journal, the Daily…" He gestured to the tall piles on the floor. Claire followed his hand and scanned over the monstrous stacks.
"One of each, sir." The man dutifully picked up one from each stack and slapped it on the makeshift counter between them.
"10 pence." He said gruffly. He leaned onto the counter and impatiently waited for his money. Claire reached into her pocket and dropped the coins into his waiting open hand. She gave her thanks as she took up the papers and walked away. An open seat awaited her arrival at the center of the station and Claire began to search through the classified ads.
"Metal factory, no… Nanny… Seamstress… Nurse, no…" She sighed at the options in front of her. She guessed she could apply for one of these jobs for the time being, but still - she needed a place to stay and there was no way she could secure her own place with her lack of credentials. Claire went through all three papers and with frustration, all but slammed them down on the empty seat beside her. For a brief moment, she closed her eyes and rubbed her temple.
"He's looking for an in-house chef and also some other help. You don't want to know what happened to the other one." A random voice broke through the surrounding noise. Claire perked her head up at the mention of an "in-house" position.
She frantically searched around the lobby in search of the voice. Behind her on the adjacent wall stood a short woman. She dressed in monochrome browns that matched her tightly coiled hair. Claire could make out that the woman was still speaking, but to no one in particular. She decided to approach the woman who was in the process of pinning up an advertisement for the position.
"Excuse me, ma'am."
The woman hardly looked back at Claire before asking what she wanted.
"I am interested in this position and I would be very happy to apply."
The woman dramatically pushed the last pin into the edge of the paper before spinning around to face her. She did not hold back as she obviously looked Claire from head to toe with an expression Claire could not place.
"What experience do you have in a kitchen, hm?" She asked. A thick Irish accent was clear in her speech. The woman held her chin high as she waited for a response.
"Many, I have worked in a kitchen all my life. You could say it's a passion of mine." Claire lied. Her sentence ended in a chipper way that made the woman smirk and hold back a small laugh.
"My dear, you look, what, about 20 - 22 years old? You can't have that much experience in a kitchen let alone work in a prestigious household."
The woman's emphasis on a prestigious household caught Claire's attention. She wondered who this application was from.
"Ma'am, I have much more experience with many new appliances and I know my way around a kitchen better than most. I know how things should be prepared and served." That part was not a lie.
"Hm." The woman hesitated and tapped her heel on the tile floor. "How much is it you want to be paid, eh?"
"That is negotiable for me. I just wish to have a room."
The woman looked Claire up and down once more. This time she noticed the two suitcases behind her and the heavy layers of clothing she wore. She realized the girl had nowhere to go.
"What is your name?"
"Claire Williams." Claire replied without missing a beat. They locked eyes for what seemed a few minutes until the woman finally gave a small sigh and ripped down the paper she had just posted.
"Well Miss. Claire, we will see how you do, hm? I'm Mrs. Byrne." The woman quickly gave a courteous nod and began to walk towards the main entrance of the station. "Come with me. We're going to Warwickshire. We'll get you settled in."
Claire blinked a few times and stared after the retreating woman before gathering her luggage and catching up to the woman. She silently followed Mrs. Byrne's movements as she weaved between crowds of people until finally reaching the street. The cold air bit at Claire's exposed skin and she could immediately feel her nose and cheeks begin to turn red.
"Stay here." Mrs. Byrne ordered as she stopped at the curb of the sidewalk. She stepped out onto the road and waved her hand towards a line of cars at the south end of the station.
Immediately, a sleek black car pulled out of the line and made its way towards them. Anticipation paired with nervousness bubbled within Claire as the vehicle inched closer and closer. This would be her chariot to hopefully a new life.
A/N: The timeline will be slightly different than the show. Set post season 5.