AN: Thank you all for your reviews!

The conversation in the village school of Downton about the latest Charlie Chaplin film had stirred emotions for several days. The pupils raved about the various scenes and vied with each other for the funniest moments.

"The fight scene was brilliant," enthused Arthur, his eyes shining as he recounted the performance.

"I found the pancake bit funny," added Katherine, shooting Emma a stern glance. "What did you find funny? Or can't you afford the cinema? Wouldn't surprise me, the way you dress."

Katherine, the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur, scrutinised Emma critically. Katherine always followed the latest fashion trends, from the chicest hats to the most elegant dresses. The current hype was to cut hair chin-length, curling it gently and wearing a huge white bow resembling mouse ears. This was accompanied by a knee-length cream-coloured dress with a pink bow around the waist and pink ballet flats.

Emma, on the other hand, looked at herself. She wore a floral cream-coloured knee-length dress, matching tights, and dark leather shoes. Her braided hair fell loosely over her shoulders, devoid of extravagant accessories like big bows. She only owned one hat.

"My dad's taking me to the late showing for servants," Emma asserted defiantly.

"Maybe you'll get lucky and he'll take you to Mrs Sanders' fashion boutique," teased Katherine. "But I doubt she opens late just for poor servant kids like you."

"Do you always have to be so mean?" Ruby intervened. "Not all our parents are rich."

"And not all our parents are servants," countered Katherine. "My parents employ people like Emma. Cooks, maids, butlers... Oh, wouldn't that be a great job for your dad? And you could start right away as a maid at our place..." she added with a mischievous grin, fixing her gaze on Emma.

"I'm glad I'm not rich and stupid!" retorted Emma irritably. "Unlike you, I know how to dress decently and tie my shoes."

Katherine looked down at her disdainfully. "It shows that you dress yourself... can't imagine having to wear such old rags. You do know those dresses have been out of fashion for months?" Katherine glanced at her friends Beatrice and Harriet. Both girls stood behind her. "I went to the fashion show in Paris during the holidays and personally met the designer Gérard." This elicited a jealous "wow" from Beatrice and Harriet.

At home, chaos reigned in her bedroom. Emma desperately rummaged through her drawers but found nothing suitable. Everything was patterned, striped, or checked. Nothing plain. No hip belts, no oversized bows for her hair.

Thomas entered the room and was shocked by the state of it. "Blimley, what's happened here?" His daughter's clothes were strewn all over the place.

"I've got nothing to wear," sighed Emma.

"Oh really?" Thomas picked up one of the discarded dresses with frills. "And what's this?"

"Dad, you don't wear stuff like that nowadays!"

"Says who?" Thomas was confused. The dress seemed relatively new.

"Katherine Sheppard."

"Do I need to know her?"

"The daughter of the Sheppard family!"

But Thomas still looked puzzled. "And?"

Emma let out a frustrated sigh. Was her father really that dense? Some days he seemed to embody the stereotype that Katherine Sheppard had about servants: being dumb.

"The entrepreneur family!"

"Right," said Thomas, somewhat offended, as he picked up some of the discarded clothes. "You're definitely not throwing anything away. Even though I may be a under-butler and receive a relatively acceptable pay, money doesn't grow on trees."

"Look at my clothes," Emma reached for the cream floral dress with a dark green cardigan she was wearing to school today, "I've had this for over a year!"

"Isn't that your favourite dress?"

"Oh, Dad," sighed Emma, explaining, "Katherine gets a new outfit every month, handmade by the famous Parisian fashion designer, Gerárd!"

"Guess you'll have to find you a new father who can finance that." Thomas said. Emma let the dress fall to the floor.

"Where are you going?" asked Thomas, puzzled. The girl turned in the doorway, "I'm finding myself a new dad. Was your suggestion, not mine," and left Thomas in the chaotic room. He sighed, running a hand tiredly over his face.

Thomas didn't see his daughter again until dinner. "Guess you weren't successful," he concluded with a smile, taking a deep drag of his cigarette. Emma shot him an annoyed look, piquing Mrs. Bates' curiosity. "What wasn't Emma successful with?" Anna asked.

"Oh, she just wanted to find herself a new wealthy father," Thomas explained casually, as if it were nothing of note. He knew Emma didn't actually want a new father and was only pretending to be on the search.

"What?" Anna asked, horrified, looking back and forth between father and daughter with wide eyes. "Why's that? Did you two have a fight?"

Thomas exhaled smoke from his lungs. "Let's just say... I can't finance Emma's new lifestyle."

"Monthly new outfits. You indulge in new cigarettes constantly," Emma commented sarcastically.

"You can hardly compare the two," snorted Thomas, holding his smouldering cigarette.

Anna furrowed her brow, concerned about the relationship between father and daughter. "Are you sure you didn't have a fight?"

"We don't fight!" father and daughter declared in unison.

Emma carefully considered her next sentence. "Mister Matthew doesn't mind taking me in," she said, putting on a fake grin.

"Is that so?" Thomas marveled, amused. "Does he know that too?"

"You'll see," Emma retorted, feeling slighted.

The next morning, Emma lay in wait by the large green door to intercept Mister Matthew on his way to breakfast. "Mister Matthew!" Emma called out and hurried over to the man. "I need your help."

Matthew raised an eyebrow, curious about what she wanted. "And how can I help you?"

Emma pondered. Suddenly, it seemed unwise to reveal her original reason. Matthew would be a father himself in a few weeks and would never entertain the idea of taking Emma in, not even as a joke.

"I want to prank my dad," Emma said, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "I want to see his expression when he has to serve me because suddenly I belong up here."

Mister Matthew smiled amusedly. "That sounds like a fun idea, Miss Emma. However, it doesn't seem very appropriate to have a child dining with the adults."

"I don't want to disturb you at lunch or dinner."

"I think I have an idea," Matthew winked.

All Emma knew was that Matthew had received permission from Lord Grantham for her to attend in the library in the afternoon. Therefore, Emma didn't show up for breakfast or lunch with the servants but spent the entire day with Miss Sybbie and the dear nanny.

"I hope you know where your daughter is this time," Mr. Bates remarked.

"Sure," replied Thomas, engrossed in the newspaper. "She's with Ruby at the Harris Farm."

"Mister Barrow," Carson said, entering the servants' quarters. "Afternoon tea can be served now."

Initially, it was an afternoon like any other. Thomas, along with Alfred, served tea and cake, while the Crawley family conversed about various topics. However, when the nanny turned the corner holding not only Miss Sybbie but another child by the hand, Thomas believed he must be mistaken. The girl wore a dress that Thomas was pretty sure he had never bought, so it must be one of the old dresses of the Crawley sisters.

"There's my little Sybbie," Tom beamed widely, taking his little daughter into his arms, while Matthew patted the space between himself and Lady Mary on the couch. "Come here, Miss Emma."

Emma hesitated, letting go of the nanny's hand. She felt a little unsure suddenly spending the afternoon with the Crawley family in the library. She only glanced briefly at her father's shocked face, clearly unable to comprehend that Emma had found a new family.

There she sat now between Matthew and Lady Mary. Opposite on the couch were Lord and Lady Grantham.

"Barrow, would you please serve Miss Emma some tea and a chocolate biscuit," Lady Mary addressed him.

Thomas snapped out of his thoughts when Lady Mary addressed him, forcing himself to maintain a professional smile. "Of course, My Lady," he replied, serving Emma tea and a chocolate biscuit. His hands trembled slightly with excitement and confusion.

Emma felt her father's gaze on her, but she ignored it and instead tried to focus on the conversation in the library. She felt a little uncomfortable in this unfamiliar environment, but at the same time, she enjoyed the attention and the feeling of belonging.

However, the girl could see her father struggling to keep his composure, and a small pang of regret pierced her. Maybe her prank wasn't such a good idea after all, but then again, it was her father's idea.

"Thank you, Mr. Barrow," she said politely as he poured her a cup of tea and handed her a biscuit. Thomas forced a polite smile, though he was seething inside. He couldn't believe Emma was making fun of him in this way. But he also knew he couldn't lose face in front of the Crawley family.

"You are welcome, Miss Emma Grace," he said.

The afternoon continued with conversations. Emma was repeatedly involved in the discussions by Lady Grantham and Matthew, and in the end, the girl played a board game - Snakes and Ladders - with Lord Grantham.

Eventually, it was time to leave, and the nanny reached out her hand to lead Emma out. Emma left the library and didn't dare to turn around to look at her father again. She knew she probably had to explain what had happened to him, but at the moment, it was impossible for her to do so.

However, there was no conversation between father and daughter. It was as if they both remained silent about the afternoon. The fact that Emma had tea with His Lordship spread like wildfire among the servants. Even O'Brien, who was usually known for her cutting remarks, was at a loss for words.

The next day, the family set off to travel to Scotland. Left behind were Tom Branson and some of the staff. Alfred set aside his knife and fork. "Do we have a little break while they're away, Mr. Carson?"

The stern butler responded with an irritated, "What?"

"He means, can we hope for some free time? Maybe for an outing or something," Jimmy translated.

"I don't quite understand," Carson admitted honestly. "Has someone forgotten to pay your wages?"

"No."

"Exactly... Well, we'll start with the festive china, and when that's done, I want all the silver taken down for polishing. One room at a time," Carson instructed, prompting giggles from the three housemaids.

"And don't think you girls are exempt from this," Mrs. Hughes leaned forward to look the three housemaids in the eye. "We'll thoroughly clean every room while they're away."

Emma considered whether it was a good time to ask Carson for permission to go to the cinema.

"There's a good film showing on Friday at the late showing," Emma began to tell. Thomas showed no reaction. He merely sipped his tea. He drank six cups of English breakfast tea a day.

"Dad, do you think we could go to the cinema too? All my friends have already seen the film."

"We'll see," he replied shortly.

Emma put on her warmest smile, even revealing her tooth gap. "Mister Carson, would you please allow my dad to accompany me to the late showing of a new Charlie Chaplin film on Friday?"

Thomas put down his tea cup and looked at his daughter with raised eyebrows. He hadn't given his consent for a cinema trip, yet the child was asking on his behalf if he could have time off.

"Of course, Emma Grace, why not?" Carson said. This left Thomas, Alfred and Jimmy staring perplexedly at the butler.

"Why does Mr. Barrow get time off and we don't?" Jimmy asked, slightly angrily.

"Well, James," the old butler cleared his throat, "Emma Grace politely asked me for permission, while you asked in a rather unfriendly manner if you could have a break."

"Clearly. You caved in because it's hard to resist that pleading puppy face and tooth gap," Jimmy said irritably.

Excitedly, she sat next to her father, eager to see and hear the moving images with music for the first time. Emma found herself completely engrossed in the story unfolding on the screen. The heartwarming bond between the tramp and the orphan child resonated deeply with her, reminding her of her own relationship with her father, despite their recent tension.

Throughout the film, Emma stole glances at her father, hoping to catch a glimpse of his reaction. To her surprise, she noticed a subtle softening in his expression as he watched the antics of Charlie Chaplin's character with amusement. It seemed that, for a brief moment, the tension between them had dissolved, replaced by a shared appreciation for the timeless art of cinema.

The cleverly choreographed fight scene had her giggling uncontrollably. Her school friends were right. The fight and pancake scenes were incredibly funny.

Beside her, Thomas watched his daughter's delighted reaction with a mixture of pride and amusement. Despite his initial reservations about attending the cinema, he found himself enjoying the film as well.

As the lights came up and the credits rolled, Emma turned to her father with a wide grin. "Wasn't that fantastic, Dad?"

Thomas nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "It was quite entertaining, indeed."

AN: Charlie Chaplin – The Kid. You can also find the film on YouTube.