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Miss Armstrong is the maid of Agnes van Rhijn, and enjoys an elevated position among the staff of the van Rhijn household. Her deep social biases, coupled with her need to be on the inside of every secret, promises to get her into trouble. Unfortunately, her private life is already fraught with trouble.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Armstrong became a lady's maid to Agnes van Rhijn. Like the large majority of servants, she never married. When her mother became old and infirm, she spent the vast majority of her free time taking care of her.[1]

Season 1[]

Armstrong is somewhat surprised for the household to receive Peggy Scott, an African-American friend of Mrs. Van Rhijn's orphaned niece, Marian Brook. While not openly as hostile as Bridget, Armstrong seems to hold concerns about Peggy sharing the same facilities as the white servants.[2]

While Bridget and most of the other staff warm to Peggy, Armstrong remains the most unwelcoming to her. She remarks about Peggy thinking herself a "sort of secretary," and seems displeased when Peggy shares her news about The Christian Advocate wanting to publish her stories to the other servants at lunch.[3][4]

Armstrong is preparing for her afternoon off. Peggy and Mrs. Bauer kindly ask if she is going anywhere nice, and the cook gives her an apple pie, though Armstrong does not wish to elaborate on what she is doing. She goes to visit her invalid mother in a small tenement apartment, and starts to do the cooking and cleaning for her. Her mother does not appreciate any of her work, and ruins the pie that Mrs. Bauer gave to her as a gift. When she returns to work, she hides her tears from Mrs. Bauer when the cook asked if she enjoyed her day off.[1]

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