Author's note -

This is my first Downton Abbey modern AU S/T story, and my first try at any kind of multi-chaptered story! Thank you to those of you who gave me feedback when I previewed this chapter on Tumblr recently, particularly the Yankee Countess.

Setting the scene for what is to come - Sybil as the older woman who catches the eye of a young Irish journalist one winter's night in North London...


Chapter 1 - First meeting

"Come on Sybil, come out with me tonight. You've been a bit down since you broke up with Larry and you need to kick up your heels and have some fun."

Sybil smiled at her sister. "I wish I could, Mary – I've just got too much work to do. Things are manic at the hospital right now and Mrs Collins' operation is tomorrow, so I have to do some prep for that."

"Just this once?" Mary pleaded, and got that look in her eye she knew Sybil couldn't say no to. Sure enough, Sybil finally agreed.

"Just for a couple of drinks though, I can't afford a hangover tomorrow."

She spent more time that usual getting ready – it had been a while since she had been out in the evening and she was unusually indecisive about what to wear. In the end, she chose a straight black skirt, long black boots and a fitted shirt (with one extra button undone), borrowing Mary's leather jacket to complete the look."What do you think?"

"You look fantastic – come on, let's go, taxi's here!"


They pushed their way through the door of The Crown, a pub just off Upper Street crowded with Christmas revellers. Shaking the snow off her shoulders, Mary looked around for her boyfriend who was meeting them there –"Matthew? Stay there, we'll come to you once we have our drinks."

She gestured for Sybil to follow her and caught the eye of the bartender. "Two martinis, straight up with an olive, please."

Sybil sipped at her drink – "Wow, that is strong. Careful, Mary, you know I am a bit of a one pot screamer!"

They made their way over to Matthew who had scored a corner table. Sybil noticed there was someone else sitting there – a young, fair haired man in a dark blue jacket.

They all exchanged smiles and Matthew said – "Sybil, I don't think you know my friend, Tom Branson?"

Tom hadn't even been planning to go out that night. Somehow, Matthew had talked him into it even though they were both still recovering from the previous night's celebrations after their team's unexpected win in the mid week football league. Today had been hectic at the paper too, with one story after another falling through, which left them scrambling to put tomorrow's front page together much later than normal. Islington was way out of his comfort zone as well – he was more of a South London boy, and rarely made it north of the Thames.

He heard "Here comes Mary" and looked up to see Matthew's girlfriend coming towards their table. His eyes opened a bit wider, though, when he saw who was behind her – a beautiful woman with long, dark hair and what was quite frankly the sexiest smile he'd seen since he didn't know when.

"Who is that?" he couldn't help exclaiming.

"Oh, that's Mary's sister Sybil." Matthew looked completely innocent which immediately made Tom suspect he was up to something. Why hadn't anyone mentioned to him that Sybil was coming? Not that he was complaining, mind you – he could look at this woman all night quite happily. He found himself moving up to make room so Sybil could take the fourth seat at their table.

Sybil exchanged glances with Mary and mouthed the words "What are you up to?" Mary smiled and ignored her, focusing all her attention on Matthew, and leaving Sybil to talk to Tom. She looked up from her drink and saw a pair of very blue eyes looking at her.

"So, you're a friend of Matthew's, are you? How do you know each other?" They fell easily into conversation and Sybil quickly realised that the combination of her second Martini and Tom's Irish accent was making her face feel warmer than she would have expected on that cold night. And she could see that Tom was interested in her too – he kept looking at her lips when she spoke, which made her wonder what he would be like to kiss.

"Stop it Sybil, enough!" she thought. "He's got to be at least five years younger than you, and you don't do the cougar thing, remember?" If only the rational part of her brain were as strong as her instincts, she smiled to herself. Somehow, she knew that if things started to happen between her and this gorgeous guy, she would go with it as far as it took her.


As the evening went on and the laughter and conversation flowed between them, Tom decided to be bold – what did he have to lose, after all? He put his arm around the back of Sybil's chair and looped his feet through the cross bar to pull her a bit closer to him, and she didn't resist. He left his arm on the back of the chair and turned to face her more directly.

"So did you know I was coming here tonight?" Sybil's sudden blush made him realise she had the same thoughts as he had – Matthew and Mary had set them up.

"Do you mind?" Sybil shook her head and her cheeks got even pinker. She looked up and saw his eyes fixed on hers, but she didn't look away.

He moved even closer to her till he could feel her soft breath on his face, and feeling her unspoken desire he closed the gap between them by putting his hand under her chin to lift her face and gently bringing his lips to hers.

Sybil surprised herself by quickly deepening the kiss, and felt an electric charge between them as she closed her eyes and put one hand on the back of his neck, pulling him even closer. The noise of the crowded pub around them faded away – all she could feel in all her senses was him. She felt like a teenager having her first kiss – everything seemed brand new.

Tom hadn't felt like this in a long time. This instant chemistry between them had taken him totally by surprise, and when their kiss finally broke, this feeling made him ask Sybil a question he would normally never have asked within a couple of hours of meeting someone.

"Want to get out of here?"

Sybil knew she should say no and laugh it off, but somehow she didn't want to. How she felt was crazy, but somehow she didn't mind. She could feel Mary's eyes on her, but somehow that didn't matter.

She looked deeply into Tom's eyes."Come on then."