Suddenly, the house filled with a multitude of guests. However, only a few maids and valets arrived with them. It seemed that the upper crust society hadn't brought their servants along. Emma could scarcely recall times when the servants' corridors and the Crawleys' house had been so crowded nonetheless. The last time it had been this full was during the convalescent home days, when the estate had housed wounded soldiers.
Emma tried to make her way through the crowded hallway. Maids, footmen, hallboys, and housemaids bustled around her, their hands full of luggage. The noise level rose as Mr. Carson, Mrs. Hughes, and Mrs. Patmore gave their instructions and the servants tried to carry out their tasks. Amidst this bustle, Emma heard a stranger speaking to Anna.
"Do you know where Lord Gillingham's room is?" the servant asked.
"A housemaid is upstairs with a list. She'll show you," Anna replied politely, with a reassuring smile.
"See, you have an answer for everything," the servant remarked admiringly.
"I suspect you do too, Mr. Gillingham," Anna replied, smiling, before her gaze fell on Emma. "Where are you off to?"
"Harris Farm. Can you tell Dad? I can't find him," Emma asked somewhat impatiently.
"He's upstairs. I'll let him know, but you know you need to be back in time for dinner," Anna explained.
Emma rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm always on time," she replied defiantly and disappeared through the door.
Next day Emma sat in the kitchen. There was a flurry of activity. Amidst the steaming pots and pans, the cooks and kitchen assistants moved in a veritable dance of chopping, roasting, and stirring.
"Mr. Molesley, what are you doing here?" Daisy wondered.
"Mrs. Patmore ordered something from Mr. Bakewell. It's urgent," Molesley explained nervously.
Mrs. Patmore raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What's going on, Mr. Molesley? You're delivering for Bakewell now?"
"I occasionally help out until something else comes up," Molesley said.
"So you're a delivery boy now?" Daisy remarked with a hint of disdain. He lowered his gaze but seemed determined to maintain his dignity.
"No, no, Daisy. There's no shame in hard work for anyone," Mrs. Patmore replied calmly. "You sit down here, Mr. Molesley, and I'll bring you some tea," Mrs. Patmore decided with a friendly smile before turning to fetch the teapot. A footman came and took the food box Molesley had delivered. Afterward, Molesley sat down at the small table where Emma was also sitting, observing the activity in the kitchen.
"Mr. Molesley, do you have time to help me with a history essay for school?" Emma asked, seeing his presence as an opportunity for support.
Molesley turned his gaze to Emma and smiled gently. "I'll be happy to help you later," he promised before turning his attention back to the activity in the kitchen.
Mr. Molesley stood in the doorway to the boot room, where the male servants were gathered. "Apparently, he's made a fortune off Sir John Bullock," Mr. Green grinned.
"What about your employer?" Bates asked, polishing his lordship's shoes.
"His lordship is too smart for that. He got out in time", Mr. Green explained.
"I heard something different," Thomas chimed in, exhaling cigarette smoke from his lungs.
"What were you playing?" Alfred asked curiously.
"Poker," Mr. Green said.
"Of course, it was poker. You can't lose a fortune at Snap," Alfred said.
"I did," Molesley admitted. Thomas smirked.
Flashback December 1917
Mr. Molesley had only popped in for a quick cuppa and the latest gossip. However, in the servants' hall, 5-year-old Emma sat with a card game spread out before her.
"Snap!" demanded Emma, pushing the cards towards her father for a reshuffle. Thomas sighed. He certainly hadn't fancied playing Snap. Why couldn't his child be content with Blackjack? Perhaps because they were playing for money, and Emma had stood no chance against her father in Blackjack?
"Mr. Molesley," smiled Thomas with a mischievous grin, "Would you care to continue playing with Emma? I must attend to my duties as the overseer of the convalescent home."
"Yes!" cheered Emma, "Mr. Molesley wants to play with me!" and didn't give the man a chance to decline. Thomas handed Molesley the cards, "Good luck, Mister Molesley" and left the servants' hall.
Molesley couldn't believe how adept little Emma was at the game. He had originally hoped for just a brief chat and a cup of tea, but now he was embroiled in a full-fledged gambling session where he was constantly losing. Emma had amassed a small pile of coins in front of her, while Molesley's stash dwindled.
"You're really good at Snap, Emma," Molesley said admiringly.
"Dad says you have to practice a lot to be good," Emma explained proudly.
Molesley nodded as he looked at his own cards. "Practice makes perfect, that's true."
They played for a while, and as Thomas had predicted, Emma won most of the rounds. However, Molesley couldn't help but admire her skillful handling of the cards.
"Mr. Molesley, shall we play another round?" asked Emma innocently.
"Oh, Emma, I think that's enough for today. I'm out of pennies," said Molesley, searching his pockets for the last coins.
Emma, with a mischievous smile on her lips, looked at him sadly. "Please, Mr. Molesley! We can play for the biscuits!" she pleaded, placing a small tin of biscuits on the table.
Molesley looked at the biscuits and then at Emma's expectant face. "Oh, all right, Emma. One round for the biscuits," he said with a sigh, taking the cards back into his hand.
It didn't take long before Emma won the biscuits too. She clapped her hands and laughed. "I won, I won!" she exclaimed happily. "One more round, Mr. Molesley?" asked Emma with an innocent smile that lit up her eyes. Despite his losses, Molesley couldn't help but return her smile.
After another round, which Emma of course won again, Molesley looked at the clock. "It's time for you to go to bed, young lady," he said gently.
Emma pouted. "One more round, please?"
Molesley sighed theatrically and then nodded with a smile. "All right, one last round."
As they played, Mrs. Hughes came in to check on things. "Mr. Molesley, you're still here," she remarked kindly.
"Mrs. Hughes!" exclaimed Emma, "I've beaten Mr. Molesley at Snap!"
"Emma, it's time for you to go to bed," said the housekeeper.
Emma pulled a sulky face. "But I want to keep playing!"
"No arguments," said Mrs. Hughes gently but firmly.
Emma sighed, laid down her cards, and hugged Molesley, who was surprised by the gesture, "Thank you for playing with me, Mr. Molesley."
After Emma was led away by Mrs. Hughes, Molesley sat for a moment longer, looking at the cards on the table. Mr. Molesley could hardly believe how quickly his pennies had accumulated in Emma's small hand.
End
It was a tumultuous evening at Downton Abbey. The otherwise disciplined servants seemed to have forgotten all etiquette as they played cards loudly in the servants' hall. Anna, Edna, and the visiting valet Mr. Gillingham, also known as Mr. Green, laughed and played as if there were no tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the remaining servants were busy serving the food. Silver trays clattered, and dishes clinked as the courses were carried upstairs. But amidst this hectic activity, Mrs. Patmore suffered a panic attack. Her face turned pale, and she clutched her chest. Dr. Clarkson was immediately summoned.
Mr. Bates, who had been silently observing the commotion, now stepped forward determinedly. With a stern glance, he surveyed the oblivious servants in the servants' hall and put an end to the game. As he returned to the kitchen, he remarked, "When the child behaves better than the adults."
His gaze fell on Emma, who had been watching the events surrounding Mrs. Patmore and the playing servants.
"You should see me with my friends," she said, smiling. "And I think I'll go join them now. Can you let my dad know I'll be back in time for bedtime?" Before Mr. Bates could respond, Emma had already disappeared through the back door.
Screams. That was the first thing Emma heard as she returned home. Screams coming from the boot room...
AN: I found this chapter difficult to write, so it's shorter than usual. But the next chapters will be longer again. Who remembers Season 4 Episode 3? At this point, I'll issue a trigger and spoiler warning to everyone. While it's not explicitly mentioned, we all know what happened between Anna and Mr. Green.
