"My family is full of gypsies. Don't you talk to me about not understanding about society."
"You're a gypsy? That explains so much."
Mabel Shelby got the job of a lifetime and she took it without a moment's hesitation. Girls from Birmingham don't ge...
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"Do you know where the hospital is?"
THERE WAS ONE THING THAT MABEL MISSED FROM HOME. It was the spontaneous nature of the Shelby family. Ada was always rebelling against the family's business, John was always causing mayhem somewhere, Arthur never knew when to shut up and that would lead to some interesting confrontations and Tommy was always up to something new.
Downton Abbey was the opposite. Things were run on a tight and rigid schedule and rarely were things changed. It pained Mabel's wild spirit that things were so monotonous at times but she was beginning to appreciate the safety and security of it. Mabel grew up in an unstable household, she never could predict what was about to happen. In Downton, she normally could predict the whole day and it was nice not to have the stress of unpredictability for once in her life.
Mabel was dusting the mantelpiece in one of the many rooms in the Abbey. Her feather duster picking up all the unwanted dust from the expensive and old surfaces. Her tongue stuck out slightly from between her lips as she dusted, careful not to breathe in any of the excess dust and fall into a series of sneezes, which she was notorious to do. It amused the other maids greatly as it brought some entertainment to their otherwise dull day.
"Mabel, there you are." Mrs Hughes exhaled as she walked into the room, announcing her presence by loudly saying Mabel's name.
Mabel spun on her heel, holding the duster tight to her chest. A feeling of dread filled her chest at the realisation that Mrs Hughes was looking for her, it was rarely a good thing. "I didn't do it."
Mrs Hughes frowned and looked at her in confusion. "Do what, dear?"
"I don't know but I didn't do it." Mabel claimed, her eyes widening as the other maids in the room snickered to themselves. Mabel's eyes glanced over in their direction in annoyance before fleeting back over to Mrs Hughes.
Mrs Hughes shook her head and took a folded piece of paper from her pocket "Carson is sending some of the boys down to the village for a few things. I thought you might go with them and get me some things. Those boys are clueless, wouldn't trust them with nothing."
A smile lit up on Mabel's face and dropped the duster on the ground. "Yay!"
Mrs Hughes took a step backwards as Mabel took the folded piece of paper from her and bounded out the door with a grin on her face, her feather duster long forgotten. Mabel skipped through the servant's door and narrowly missed Thomas, who sneered at her but she took no notice as he told her to watch it.
Mabel quickly changed out of her uniform and into her regular clothes, which were far more appropriate for the village than her maid's apron. She ran out of her room while putting her hat that her Aunt Polly got her one Christmas on before letting out a small gasp. She ran back to her room and grabbed the folded piece of paper that Mrs Hughes gave her. She would have looked like a right fool if she had forgotten that.
