The life of Eve De La Cruz

Chapter Three

After working at the hospital, Eve returned to Downton and went through the servant's entrance, as she has done before. When she walked by the servant's hall, she saw just about everyone gathered around the table looking at a typewriter, but Eve knew that it wasn't her typewriter.

'How does it work?" Daisy asked.

"It's easy. You just press the letters, and they print on the paper," William presses a couple of keys to demonstrate.

Eve walks into the Servant's hall and asks, "Where did you get a typewriter?"

Everyone stiffens up, but before anyone could answer, Miss O'Brien shows Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes into the room.

"Excuse me, Milady," Mr. Carson said to Eve before saying to everyone, "Get back, please."

"They were trying to hide it, so I knew it was wrong," Miss O'Brien said.

"Where's Gwen now?" Mr. Carson asked.

"Doing the dining room with Anna. They'll be finished soon," Thomas replied.

"Then I'll wait."

"With all due respect, Mr. Carson, Gwen is under my jurisdiction," Mrs. Huges told him.

"Indeed she is, Mrs. Hughes, and I have no intention of usurping your authority. I merely want to get to the bottom of it," Mr. Carson told her.

"I don't see what all the fuss is about. It's just a typewriter, not the hope diamond," Eve said.

"Why shouldn't Gwen have a typewriter if she wants one?" William questioned.

"Mind your own business," Thomas said as Gwen and Anna entered the room.

"What's that doing here?" Gwen asked.

"Ah, Gwen. Come in," Mrs. Huges said.

"Why is that down here? Who's been in my room? They had no right!" Gwen shouted.

"See here! In the first place, none of the rooms in this house belong to you. And in the second, I am in charge of your welfare and that gives me every right," Mrs. Huges told Gwen.

"This is you, isn't it?" Anna questioned Miss O'Brien.

"All we want is to know what Gwen wants with a typewriter and why she feels the need to keep it secret," Mr. Carson said.

"She wants to keep it private, not secret," Anna corrected, defending Gwen, "There's a difference."

"Amen," Mr. Bates and Eve agreed.

"I've done nothing to be ashamed of. I've bought a typewriter, and I've taken a postal course in shorthand. I'm not aware that either of these actions is illegal," Gwen told them.

"Will you tell us why, preferably without any more cheek?" Mrs. Huges asked.

Gwen hesitates, "Because I want to leave service. I want to be a secretary."

Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes exchange a shocked look.

"You want to leave service?" Mrs. Huges asked.

"What's wrong with being in service?" Miss O'Brien asked.

"Nothing's wrong with it, and there's nothing wrong with mending roads either, but it's not what I want to do," Gwen told them.

"I should remind you that there are plenty of young girls, who will be glad of a position in this house," Mr. Carson told her.

"And when I hand in my notice, I shall be happy to think one of them will be taking my place," Gwen said.

"What makes you think we'll wait till then?"