It is nearing the end of the month of July as well as the flower show and like every morning Emma and the other housemaids are going around cleaning all the bedrooms now that the family are downstairs and dressed.

Emma wanders into Lady Mary's room where she knows Gwen and Anna are, after completing Lady Edith's with Gemma, to see if they need any assistance.

As Emma steps into the room, there is suddenly a loud clanging noise and a scream which sounds like Anna. Emma jumps but quickly realises it is just Daisy knocking what she thinks is a poker.

"You made me jump." Anna laughs as she and Gwen smooth down the sheet they had spread onto the bed.

"Tell me about it. My heart is still pounding." Emma comments, placing a hand over her heart as if that would calm it down.

Gwen chuckles. "Daisy, what is the matter with you? You're all thumbs."

"Sorry." Daisy quietly replies. Emma sees that the girl looks quite ashen. "I hate this room."

"Well, why? What's the matter with it?" Gwen asks.

When Daisy does not reply, Emma calls her name seeing how shaken she looks. She still does not answer and turns to continue with her work. Gwen, Anna and Emma all look at each other concerned.

—

Lady Sybil finds Gwen and Emma in her room cleaning and thrusts an open letter toward Gwen.

"I saw another opening for a secretary and I applied." She explains.

"But you never said," Gwen exclaims but Emma can hear that she is happy at hearing the news.

"I didn't want you to be disappointed." Lady Sybil reasons.

"I thought you'd given up."

"I'll never give up, and nor will you. Things are changing for women, Gwen. Not just the vote, but our lives." Lady Sybil declares passionately.

"Hear hear." Emma pipes up.

"But it's tomorrow at ten o'clock. Last time, we waited for weeks and weeks and—and this one's tomorrow." Gwen stutters with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

"Then we must be ready by tomorrow, mustn't we?" Lady Sybil replies.

—

Emma is downstairs by the Butler's Pantry when she hears Mr Bates and Thomas conversing. She slips towards them but is out of sight to listen. A common occurrence nowadays.

"Is Mr Carson about?" Mr Bates asks.

"I don't think so. I was just looking for him myself." Thomas replies. There is a pause before Emma sees Mr Bates turn and walk away.

Emma steps where Mr Bates was to see Thomas awkwardly standing sideways.

"Still up to the same habits Thomas?" Emma remarks.

"I don't know what you are talking about Emma." He replies.

"I know I can't stop you but one day you'll have to stop or it'll end badly for you," Emma warns.

"Maybe not for me." He snarks before pushing past her. She worries about his words.

—

Emma sits next to Anna as they do some sewing in the Servants' Hall when Miss O'Brien walks in with a basket and some clothing. Daisy, Gemma and Anne as well as one of the Hall boys, George, are further down the table.

"You shouldn't do that in here." She says to William who is polishing some silver at the table.

"I don't like being in the Pantry all alone. Mr Carson won't mind. He's gone into the Village." William says.

"He'll mind if I tell him," Thomas says snidely as he walks in sitting down next to Miss O'Brien.

"That's pretty," Anna says diverting the conversation to the fabric in Miss O'Brien's hands.

Miss O'Brien looks unsure. "Do you think so? She wants it put onto a new shirt, but it's a bit old fashioned to my taste."

"Oh, no, it's lovely." Daisy comments from where she is peeling at some food or something. To be honest Emma is not sure what she is doing. She looks down quickly when Miss O'Brien looks at her.

"Do you feel better Daisy?" Emma tries to subtly ask the girl without raising anyone else's suspicions.

"What from?" Mr Bates asks from Anna's other side.

"She had a bit of a turn when we were in Lady Mary's room, didn't you?" Anna explains in a bit too much detail.

"I'm fine, thank you." Daisy shakily replies.

"What sort of a turn? Did you see a ghost?" Thomas jokes unkindly.

William however stands up to him. "Will you leave her alone if she doesn't want to talk about it?" Emma smiles at him.

"I've often wondered if this place is haunted. It ought to be." Thomas continues unfazed.

"Of the spirits of maids and footmen who died in slavery?" Miss O'Brien snarks.

"Bit dramatic," Emma replies.

"But not, in Thomas's case, from overwork." Mr Bates fires. Miss O'Brien scoffs. Thomas and Mr Bates share an unkind look between them.

Thomas then seems to get an idea and flicks through the newspaper he is reading blowing out smoke from his cigarette. "Come on, Daisy, what was it?" Does he know something?

Everyone in the room turns to stare at Daisy.

"I don't know. I was thinking, first we had the Titanic—"

"Don't keep harping back to that." Miss O'Brien snaps. Emma kind of gets what she means really. It got really annoying how Daisy kept whining and whining about it when it first happened.

"I know it was a while ago, but we knew him. I think of how we laid the fires for Mr Patrick, but he drowned in them icy waters."

"For God's sake," O'Brien mutters.

"And then there's the Turkish gentleman." Emma straightens at her words now worried about what she'll say. "It just seems there's been too much death in the house."

Emma relaxes slightly but then William speaks up. "What's that got to do with Lady Mary's bedroom?" Emma shifts at his words and sees the looks on Miss O'Brien and Thomas' faces.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Daisy answers.

—

Emma seems to keep on overhearing people's conversations only this time it is between Miss O'Brien and Thomas as they talk at the top of the last set of stairs to downstairs.

"You won't tell, will you? I'm in enough trouble as it is." Thomas says to her.

"Why, what's happened?" Miss O'Brien asks.

"Mr Bates saw me nicking a bottle of wine."

"Has he told Mr Carson?"

"Not yet, but he will when he's feeling spiteful. I wish we could be shot of him." Emma frowns at this.

"Then think of something quick. Turn the tables on him before he has a chance to nail you." Emma gets concerned about what their plan was but she can't put a stop to them unless she knows what it is.

To be honest she's also worried about these rumours that have cropped up about Lady Mary around London. They are not necessarily about the Turk but comments about the goodness of her character and Emma can't help but worry if Thomas is involved if her suspicions about him knowing what really happened with the Turk are true. He would have had to somehow find her room. And if Lady Mary didn't tell him, who did?

Though it's not like Thomas will tell her right now with their fractured relationship.

—

The next morning, Gwen and Emma are just tucking in the sheets on Lady Sybil's bed when a haggard Daisy quickly bursts in with the gear for the fire.

"Is it all right to do the fire?" She asks as she darts around them to get to the fireplace.

"Sure. You're a bit later than usual though." Emma says to her.

"I went back to my room after I'd woken everyone and I just shut my eyes for a moment," Daisy answers as she puts what is in her arms down by the fireplace. Emma does not know how she carries all that stuff up and down the stairs every day. "I've been trying to catch up ever since."

"Have you had anything to eat?" Emma asks her concerned. She knows that if she does not eat her breakfast, she's useless.

"Not a crumb."

"Here. have one of these," Emma says picking up the biscuit jar from Lady Sybil's bedside table.

Gwen looks up and sees what she's doing. "Wait—you can't take a biscuit."

"None of them actually eat them." Emma hands the jar to Daisy. "These just get thrown away and changed every evening. No one is going to miss them."

"Thanks. She won't mind anyway. She's nice, Lady Sybil." Daisy begins snacking on the biscuits.

Gwen suddenly lets out a tired exhale and sits on the bed. She covers her face and takes a few breaths as if she is unwell. Daisy and Emma pause to look at her.

"Gwen?" Mr Carson calls, causing all of them, including Gwen who gasps and stands, to turn to the man as he stands by the entrance to the bedroom. "May I ask why you're sitting on Lady Sybil's bed?"

"Well, you see, I had a turn - like a burst of sickness - just sudden like. I had to sit down." Gwen quickly explains.

Emma looks at her concerned before realising what she is doing: creating an alibi for the interview. Now knowing this she decides to play along. "It's true."

"You better go and lie down. I'll tell Mrs Hughes." Mr Carson replies.

"I don't need to interrupt her morning. I'm sure I'll be fine if I could just put me feet up."

"And how many bedrooms still need to be done?" Mr Carson asks.

"Just one. Lady Edith. But Anna and Gemma are taking care of it. I'll see if they need help." Emma answers him. "Gwen is no use in this state. Go on. Back to bed." Gwen leaves.

At this point, Mr Carson notices what Daisy is doing. "Daisy, may I ask why you're holding Lady Sybil's biscuit jar?"

"Er…" Daisy stumbles trying to think of an explanation.

"I had asked her to hold it and polish it for me." Emma quickly interrupts. "So that I could dust the table without damaging it. We'll put it back now."

"See that you do." He leaves the room and Emma turns to Daisy, sending the shaken girl an amused smile.

—

After seeing Gwen off in her borrowed dress from Lady Sybil to said woman, who is on one of the country roads, Emma heads off back to the house hoping no one notices her brief absence or the fact that she ended up following Gwen and did not go to help Gemma and Anna with Lady Edith's room.

Emma decides to divert her path to the Downton Garage where she knows Mr Branson will be tinkering away at some engine or whatever. To be honest she knows nothing about cars.

"What are you pleased about?" Mr Branson questions as she approaches him.

"Promise you can keep a secret?" Emma says as she continues to smile.

"I can." He smirks.

"Lady Sybil is helping Gwen fulfil her dream of becoming secretary. I've just seen Gwen off for an interview that Lady Sybil is taking her to. Hopefully, it goes well."

"Really? Good for her." He says, he genuinely looks pleased. "It's good to want more than you have. I have my own dreams you know, I'm not always going to be a chauffeur."

"Good for you." Emma smiles. "Anything to do with politics?"

"Maybe. Have you got any dreams?"

Emma pauses frowning. "I'm not really sure. Not really thought about it since I've been here."

"You should have plans, you know? Something to aim for."

"All right. I'll think about it for you. Though you owe me twice now."

"What is the other thing?" He asks, confused.

"Me not telling Lord Grantham that you are trying to get rid of his staff as well." Emma jokes. Mr Branson chuckles.

—

It is getting later in the day and neither Gwen nor Lady Sybil have returned. Anna is a bit frantic about where Lady Sybil is as they have sorted out what to put Ladies Edith and Mary in. Technically Emma knows where she had gone and why she had really gone but Emma has no idea why they are so late. She's worried about saying anything due to not wanting to reveal that Lady Sybil is helping Gwen and get them into trouble.

Everyone is panicking but eventually, they get the news that Lady Sybil had returned though very late, which also meant that Gwen likely had. Emma offers to look after Lady Sybil and help her get changed for dinner so that she can find out about the interview.

Emma steps into her room to find a muddy Lady Sybil trying to clean her hair with her hands.

"Here my lady," Emma says, handing over a bowl of water and some towels. She had been told before going up that the horse had gone lame and Lady Sybil had to trudge through mud to get back though unlike most, Emma knows she did not do this on her own. "Besides the journey back, did the interview go well?"

Lady Sybil smiles cheerfully at her grabbing a towel and dipping it in water and begins wiping. "I believe so. Oh Emma I'm sure it did!"

"At least this happened on the way back!" Emma jokes.

"Yes, I agree. All we have to do is wait now!" Lady Sybil says, her words practically bubbling out of her.

"Well, c'mon we need to get you ready. Got my work cut out for haven't I? Let's get you out of the dress first." Emma speaks. Lady Sybil puts down the towel and turns so Emma can get her out of her dress as she has already taken off her coat.

—

The next day is pretty normal. Everyone's energy is focused on dinner as they are getting visitors. A bunch of neighbours but really they are not neighbours in the normal sense as most of them are like miles and miles away. But Emma can't help but feel that it's more than a couple of dull neighbours considering that Lady Mary's reputation in society has gone down due to the rumours.

Though this quickly slips her mind when Mr Carson walks into the Servants' Hall looking more serious than normal, if that is even possible, just before the dressing gong is usually rung causing them all to stand.

"Might I have a word? I want to say something before I ring the gong. I'm afraid it's not very pleasant. His Lordship is missing a very valuable snuff box. It appears to have been taken from the case in his room. If one of you knows anything about this, will he or she please come to me? Your words will be heard in the strictest confidence. Thank you." Realisation downs on Emma then. This is what Miss O'Brien meant when she said to turn the tables on Mr Bates. Well not on her watch.

The witch speaks once they are all seated again, "I am sorry, Mr Bates. What an unpleasant thing to have happened." Are you sorry? Really?

"Why are you picking on him?" Anna rightly questions.

Thomas, i.e. witchy number 2, speaks this time, "Because he's the only one of us who goes in there. But don't worry, I'm sure it'll turn up."

"Thank you for your concern." Mr Bates says not sounding thankful at all. The dinner gong rings then and everyone darts out of the room. Emma rushes out and quickly grabs Thomas' arm, stopping him.

"What?" He says stiffly, which is very different to what their conversations used to be like before his jealousy of Mr Bates got in the way.

"What have you done?" Emma demands. "You and O'Brien are trying to pin him aren't you."

At that Thomas then genuinely looks regretful but then says, "I had to."

"Did you, did you really?" Emma asks, she then continues not letting him speak. "Well doesn't matter cause I'm not letting Mr Bates go down because of something he hasn't done and you're not going to stop me. I'm disappointed, Thomas." She then leaves to go upstairs to dress the girls.

—

It soon is chaos in the Kitchen after Emma returns downstairs and hears screaming.

She rushes in with Anna, Gwen and Gemma to find the chicken out of its tray and lying on the floor and a distressed Mrs Patmore.

"What's happened?" Anna asks.

"It's that bloomin' Daisy!" Mrs Patmore screeches at the terrified young girl. "I said she'd be the death of me, now my words come true!"

"I didn't do nothing!" Daisy cries.

"I believe you, Daisy," Emma says patting the girl on her shoulder.

"Come and sit down. Come and sit down." Anna says to Mrs Patmore as she pulls her to a chair.

A cat then starts to eat the chicken and Gwen rushes forward. "Get away! Get back to the stables!" She shoos the cat away. "Well, what will you serve now?"

Mrs Patmore sits down in a chair all weepful. "Them, of course, I haven't got anything else."

Anna takes charge. "Daisy, give us a hand. Get that cloth."

Emma herself quickly pick up the chicken with her own cloth. Gemma and Gwen join in with helping to put the chicken on the plate and make it and the other chickens look presentable.

"What's the matter with that?" Anna remarks.

"Are you sure? Shouldn't we tell?" Daisy asks.

"Certainly not!" Mrs Patmore cries.

Thomas and William then walk in with some trays. "Is the remove ready to go up?"

"Yep, here they are. Daisy, give him a hand with the vegetables." Emma speaks.

"They're up in the server room in the warmer," Daisy says picking up a jug and following the footmen.

"I'm glad I don't have to eat them," Gemma says.

"What the eye can't see, the heart won't grieve over." Mrs Patmore mutters.

—

When the two footmen return downstairs, William's voice drifts through the corridors, "I hope they find that snuff box." Their trays get taken from them. Emma arrives in the Kitchen just before them carrying a tray from upstairs. "What happens if they don't?"

Thomas can't help himself then, "They'll organise a search, won't they? I wouldn't be Mr Bates. Not for all the tea in China." Though he seems not as haughty as before, it seems Emma's words have gotten to him.

"Wouldn't you, Thomas?" Anna remarks having caught the conversation as she walks in carrying her own tray from upstairs. "I daresay he feels just the same about you."

Emma chuckles but then sees a smirking O'Brien behind her and Anna notices too.

"What's the matter with you?" She asks. It seems Anna has gotten suspicious too.

"Nothing." Miss O'Brien mutters. Anna then leaves the room and Emma follows her.

"Anna!" Emma calls.

"Yes?" She stops.

Emma briefly glances over her shoulder towards the Kitchen. "I think you and I are thinking the same thing about what's with those snuff boxes…"

—

Turns out the chicken wasn't the last of it as instead of sprinkling on what she had intended on the desserts, Mrs Patmore had sprinkled a bunch of salt causing one of the visitors, Sir Anthony Strallan, to choke in surprise at the mouthful of salt.

Mrs Patmore sobs in a chair next to the fireplace in the Servants' Hall surrounded by most of the downstairs staff.

Anna rubs her shoulders. "Hey, come on. It's not that bad. Nobody's died."

"I don't understand it. It must've been that Daisy. She's muddled everything up before." Mrs Patmore cries.

"But I never—"

Mr Carson interrupts, "Don't worry, Daisy, you're not in the line of fire here."

"I know that pudding. I chose it 'cause I knew it." Mrs Patmore continues.

Mrs Hughes sighs. "Which is why you wouldn't let Her Ladyship have the pudding she wanted because you didn't know it."

"Exactly." Her voice breaks. "I don't see how it happened." More sobs. Mr Carson makes a head gesture to Mr Bates.

"Come on, everyone. Let's give Mrs Patmore some room to breathe." Mr Bates says. "You, too." He says to Anna.

"I don't think I should leave her," Anna says reluctantly being pulled by Emma as those in the Hall filter out.

Mr Bates insists, "Yes, you should. Mr Carson knows what he's doing."

As soon as they are out of the room, Anna and Emma pull Mr Bates aside in the corridor by the door frame of a door.

"We believe we know where that snuff box is," Emma explains to him.

"Where?"

"Hidden in your room."

"You don't think—" Mr Bates begins to say.

Anna interrupts him, "'Course I don't, silly beggar."

"Then—"

"I bet Thomas'd like it if they took you for a thief."

Realisation dawns on Mr Bates' face. "Yes, I expect he would."

"He wants to get rid of you," Emma says testily, still feeling angry at Thomas.

Anna then goes over the plan she and Emma had come up with. "Go upstairs now and find it. And when you have, you can choose whether to put it in Thomas's room…"

"…Or give it to us, and we'll put it into Miss O'Brien's. See how she likes that." Emma finishes.

"You naughty girls." Mr Bates remarks looking impressed.

""Fight fire with fire," that's what my mum says," Anna responds.

—

Mr Bates in the end decides to simply put it back where it was but the three of them decided that while they weren't giving them away, it did not mean that they couldn't make them squirm.

Almost everyone is gathered in the Servants' Hall when Anna walks in. She's about to sit down but then sees Mr Carson near the entrance of the room and calls to him.

"Mr Carson? We were wondering about that snuff box. Has it turned up yet?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Well, I think we should have a search." Mr Bates speaks.

Thomas then blurts out a "What?", not able to control his shock. His eyes flicker to Emma as if wondering if she had given him away. She simply raises an eyebrow at him.

Mr Bates looks directly at him. "Doesn't do to leave these things too long."

Emma speaks up then. "Mr Carson search the men's, Mrs Hughes the women's. And right away, so no one has a chance to hide the box. Right, Mr Carson?" Emma notices the two plotters looking slightly worried.

"Well, perhaps it's for the best." Mr Carson says, sounding reluctant. "Although, I'm sure I won't find anything. I'll fetch Mrs Hughes." He walks away.

"I think I'll just, erm..."

"I better check it's tidy." And with that, O'Brien and Thomas rush out of the room. Emma shares an amused smirk with Anna.

—

Anna and Emma, with a few female staff, follow Mrs Hughes as she goes to the rooms and watches with anticipation when she approaches Miss O'Brien's room that has loud banging emitting from it.

Mrs Hughes opens the door and looks into the room, which they can't see from their vantage point, though Emma can imagine what it looks like.

"Miss O'Brien? My, my, you have been busy." Mrs Hughes remarks. Emma covers her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud.

—

Thomas finds Emma later standing in the Courtyard outside where she had gone to only 5 minutes earlier for a breather.

"I thought this was my spot." He says startling her.

Emma lets out a very ladylike snort. "You don't own this spot, do you? So I can do what I like."

He lets out a chuckle and they share a smile as he walks over to stand next to her.

"I've come to say sorry."

"Oh, have you? Didn't know you were capable of doing that." Emma jokes.

He lets out a huff. "Well, I am. I'm sorry for betraying you. For breaking your trust in me. You're my friend believe it or not."

"Hmm. Suppose you're mine too when you're not listening to O'Brien." Emma replies. There was a moment of silence before she continues, "You could have talked to me about it, you know? I wouldn't of snitched, I only did with the snuff box cause you were going to drag down an innocent man."

"You don't know he's an innocent man," Thomas says snidely.

"All right, maybe I don't. But he was definitely innocent of this crime. If you want to get rid of him, do it when he's actually guilty of something."

"Fine."

—

It was the day of the flower show, which meant most of them get the afternoon off to attend. Gwen and Daisy walk along ahead near William while Emma walks with Gemma next to O'Brien and Thomas with Mr Bates and Anna behind them.

Miss O'Brien is clearly still feeling upset about the day before, or maybe she is always like this, "I don't know why we're bothering. We'll have missed the speeches as it is."

"Don't be such a grouch." Thomas remarks. Emma lets out a laugh and he smiles at her. Their talk the night before had seemed to clear the air between them.

"I'll grouch if I want to," O'Brien responds.

"Well, it's good to have a walk outside anyway. Some fresh air." Emma says. She sees Miss O'Brien roll her eyes in her peripheral vision.

—

At the Village Hall, Emma sees all the tables laid out in rows and rows with different types of flowers on display.

Gemma wanders off while Emma stands at the back with Gwen discussing what they can see.

"Have you recovered from our ordeal?" Lady Sybil asks approaching them.

"Well, I got a letter this morning. They must've written it as soon as I left the office. They are pleased to have met me, but I do not quite fit their requirements. So, it was all for nothing." Gwen answers. Emma looks at her in surprise as she had no idea about this.

"I don't agree." Lady Sybil says.

"I agree," Emma adds.

"Only a fool doesn't know when they've been beaten," Gwen says.

"Then I'm a fool for I'm a long way from being beaten yet." Lady Sybil declares.

She steps away and Emma turns to Gwen. "I know it is difficult to pick yourself up after rejection but you need to so you can learn from them and progress. You'll be forever unhappy if you don't." Emma walks away as the crowd applauds the Dowager Countess at the Podium as she makes the announcement of the results of the competition, which she has always got first prize apparently. Mrs Crawley has naturally been fighting against the unfairness and for Mr Molesley's father to win.

"And now, for the first three..." Emma hears as she stands next to Gemma, Mr Bates and Anna. They listen to the Dowager until she gets to the final award.

"And now the Grantham Cup for the best bloom in the Village. And the Grantham Cup is awarded to..." She pauses before continuing. "Mr William Molesley... for his Comtesse Cabarrus rose."

They all share looks of shock and it is silent before Mrs Crawley, who is just in front of Emma, breaks it, "Bravo! Well done! Bravo!" as everyone breaks out into applause.

Old Molesley walks to the stage to collect his award.

"Congratulations, so well deserved." Mrs Crawley continues. They surround him, giving him their own congratulations.

—

A/N: I am really tempted to have Emma possibly end up with Tom but I am not sure yet whether it is just a flirt or something more but I am just going to see how it flows.