Echoes of the Past

Chapter 5

Back at Downton Abbey, Sam and Veronica were busy cleaning Edith's room, their conversation low as they worked. Veronica's mind was racing, trying to piece together the strange occurrences that had unfolded.

"It can't be a coincidence," Veronica said, her voice thoughtful as she dusted a shelf. "Sir Philip Tapsell was murdered in his office in London, and then Dr. Clarkson was attacked in his office at the cottage hospital. Sybil is going after everyone she believes had a hand in her death."

Sam, standing by the window, gave a nod of agreement, but he was deep in thought. "Yeah, it makes sense. But... medicine wasn't as advanced back then as it is now. You couldn't just call an ambulance. Sybil's death might have been tragic, but it wasn't uncommon for the time."

Veronica paused, considering his words. "The perfect death for a vengeful spirit," she muttered. "But now we've got a problem—how do we protect the staff and the Crawleys without exposing ourselves?"

Sam scratched his chin, clearly pondering the same issue. "We can't exactly tell them the truth about what's happening."

Veronica straightened up, setting aside the duster. "We'll figure it out. In the meantime, we keep working here, blend in, and at the first sign of trouble... we step in."

Sam nodded in agreement, but before they could continue, the door opened, and Edith entered the room, followed closely by Mr. Carson.

"Miss Conroy," Mr. Carson said in his usual formal tone. "I request to speak with you. Immediately."

Veronica shot a quick glance at Sam, knowing full well what he was thinking. "Sure, Mr. Carson. I was just about done anyway." She set her cleaning supplies aside and left the room, following Mr. Carson.

As the door closed behind them, Sam suddenly found himself alone with Edith, who was watching him with a curious gleam in her eyes.

Sam quickly cleared his throat, trying to brush off the tension. "Yeah, I'm also done here. I should, uh... go."

Just as he was about to slip out of the room, Edith stepped in front of him, her eyes bright with curiosity. "Why are you in such a rush?"

Sam took a step back, trying to maintain a polite distance. "I, uh... I have other chores to do."

Edith, not easily deterred, stepped closer, her interest in the new footman evident. "Surely a few minutes won't hurt? After all, you're new here. I hardly know anything about you."

Sam felt his pulse quicken slightly as he backed away just a bit, unsure how to handle the situation. "I'm, uh... just here to help out around the estate."

Edith's gaze lingered on him, her curiosity clearly piqued. "You're... quite different from the others, aren't you?"

Sam chuckled awkwardly, feeling the pressure of the moment. "Yeah, well, I like to keep busy."

XXXX

In Mr. Carson's pantry, the butler stood with his usual dignified air as he looked across the table at Veronica Conroy, who leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

"Miss Conroy," Mr. Carson began, his tone diplomatic, "I have received a complaint from the Dowager Countess regarding your... lack of decorum when you escorted her to the dower house."

Veronica blinked, staring at him incredulously. "The hell did I do?"

XXXX

Flashback: 20 minutes ago

In one of the estate's drawing rooms, the Dowager Countess, Violet Crawley, sat stiffly, her expression one of mild annoyance as she spoke with Mr. Carson.