In the World of Downton Abbey

Chapter 15 - Wise Words From Anna

Mandy awkwardly sat at breakfast a few days later with Matthew and Mrs. Crawley. Matthew wouldn't make eye contact with her and hadn't since he found out that she would be permanently staying with them. She tried to think that he avoided her glances, and avoided her period, because he, like her, didn't want to dig himself deeper into a hole.

The housemaid at Crawley House, an older woman, came into the dining room and gave Matthew an envelope, as well as Mandy. She read the writing on the front. It was from Anna!

"Who is that from?" Mrs. Crawley asked her.

"It's from Anna, a good friend of mine. May I be excused?"

"Of course."

She left Matthew and Mrs. Crawley to finish their breakfast and went upstairs to her room. Her heart thudded with happiness that Anna wrote her back, as well as with excitement at finding out what she wrote. Mandy spilled everything in her letter, so Anna most likely had a lot of things to say. She quickly opened the envelope and started reading Anna's curvy handwriting after she unfolded the letter.

Mandy,

It is so wonderful to hear from you! We all miss you here at Downton and are anxious to see you. Before I brief you of the goings-on here, I want to congratulate you on your new job at the hospital as an accountant. I am so happy beyond words to know that you obtained a steady and fulfilling job that you enjoy, and one at which you can use the skills you learned in college. I am honestly envious of you. I am also happy that you have made friends there, including this George fellow that you mentioned, as well as Mrs. Crawley. George sounds like a fun man and a great doctor. Maybe I will make a trip into the village and meet the man, as well as you, of course, just to see who my dearest friend is spending her time with. Now, I want to address the revelations of your letter regarding Mr. Crawley. First, I want to ask why on earth you never told me about him confessing his love to you after what was revealed in the library! I would have loved to hear that story straight from your mouth, as well when that same man kissed you in the center of a busy village. He loves you, I was not surprised. But Thomas does as well. Honestly, I never thought it wise for you to stay in the same house with Mr. Crawley since you promised Thomas you wouldn't live there, so I am glad that you are boarding at the hospital.

"She doesn't know that I moved out of the hospital," Mandy muttered in disdain. "She and Thomas will find out soon enough. That won't be good."

Regarding Thomas, I will not say a word about Mr. Crawley to him and leave that to you. But, Thomas is very anxious for a reply to his proposal. He has been asking Mr. Carson, or pleading more like, since you left to go into the village, but something has always come up, and he has not been able to go. He approached me in secret, asking for any hint of your answer to him, and I had to tell him it would be better for you to give him an answer rather than me, especially since you are unsure. When you do talk to him, tell him everything. He deserves to know your answer, as well as the reason why you are so unsure about accepting him. I really hope you figure things out, Mandy. You are basically tossing these two men between your hands, and it would be wise to choose one. Be careful with your decision and think through it thoroughly. This is your happiness, as well as Matthew's and Thomas's. One of them will be hurt, which is expected, but both deserve your careful consideration. I wish you luck with your endeavors of the heart.

"Gosh," Mandy let out. "She doesn't sugar-coat things at all."

Now for what has been going on here at Downton since you have been gone... Mr. Crawley is still in line to inherit the estate, but word has it that him marrying Lady Mary is not going to happen because they never got engaged. I do not believe that they ever will, considering Mr. Crawley's feelings for you. Downstairs, everyone is doing well, and as I said earlier, we all miss you. I am pleased to tell you that William has finally received the courage to ask Daisy to a meal in the village, and she accepted. They will be going at the end of the week. As for Mrs. O'Brien, she has gone back to her scheming ways and framed Mr. Bates for stealing silver last week. Of course, the matter was resolved and Mrs. O'Brien was scolded. Thomas had no part in it of course since he changed his ways. Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes are doing fabulously as well, and Mrs. Hughes is laughingly as demanding as usual.

Oh, Mandy! How I miss you! I hope you can visit very soon. I also hope you will talk to Thomas. He is desperate to see you! He loves you, so he deserves to know what is going on. Now, I close my letter to you. I wish you the best of luck with your job and other matters.

All my love and affection,

Anna

Mandy's chest tightened at Anna's words. She wanted to see her friends, and was happy that they missed her, but could she face Thomas and tell him everything? The horrible truth was... she knew she couldn't marry him. She was from 2017 for crying out loud! And from the normal world, not a made-up one. But she really did love him.

That was part of the problem, though—she loved him and Matthew. That alone should be the reason why she couldn't accept him.

Mandy sat there on her bed and looked over Anna's letter again. She was as right as she usually was. To anyone in the twenty-first century, Mandy was playing both Matthew and Thomas, twisting them both around her little finger.

She loved them, though. She could admit, if both of them were literally placed before her, and she had to choose between them like Anna wanted her to... she wouldn't know who to pick.