A/N: My apologies again to those looking for some of Sybil and Tom's adventures as a married couple in Dublin, but after seeing Tom and Matthew head off to play billiards but saw none of the game, my muse decided to head in that direction to find out what they discussed in the billiards room. Same universe as The Journey to Happiness and With Love from Dublin. (Warning: Spoilers for 3x01, 3x02 and 3x03)
Thanks to Tripp3235 for a quick beta of the story.
Disclaimer: Not mine. All Downton Abbey characters belong to Julian Fellowes and ITV. I'm just playing with them.
Billiards
After Tom and Matthew left the dining room and walked toward the games room, Tom spoke up first, "Tame revolutionary, my eye!"
"Would you rather be in there instead of Strallan?" Matthew opened the door to the billiards room.
"Not for a thousand pounds," Tom walked into the billiards room behind Matthew and closed it behind him. "Another hour long game?"
"That's about all the time we have before our wives expect us in the drawing room. What's the wager this time?" Matthew turned on the lights above the billiards table to illuminate it. "You're looking smart in that dinner jacket." The last game they played on the evening of Tom and Sybil's arrival for Edith's wedding had netted Tom the dinner jacket and accoutrements from Matthew's older clothes, which Moseley had fixed to fit Tom much to the surprise of his other in-laws when he appeared in the drawing room before dinner earlier in the evening.
"Care to wager a couple of pounds?" Tom offered, taking off the dinner jacket and putting it on the back of one of the chairs in the room. He didn't have two pounds, but he was confident enough that he would win it from Matthew tonight.
"You don't have a couple of pounds," Matthew scoffed and took off his dinner jacket and hung it on a hook on the wall. At Tom's incredulous look, Matthew added, "You forget that my mother likes to know everyone's business and she knows that Sybil hasn't been able to work since you came to the wedding in April."
"Fine then, what do you suggest?" Tom eyes Matthew warily. The last game with a wager suggested by Matthew had him ending up in a dinner jacket that impressed his wife and his in-laws, but made him terribly uncomfortable.
"How about if you win, you win two pounds and if I win, you can show me what I need to do to keep the roadster running smoothly?"
"Fine." Tom knew that the A.C. was still too new a car for someone of Pratt's experience and Matthew was a first-time owner who didn't know the first thing about motorcar maintenance, so he wasn't going to argue this one. "Speaking of money, have you made a decision about the Swire inheritance?"
"No, but Charkham, the lawyer, is coming tomorrow morning with the death certificate for Mr. Pullbrook from India." Matthew chose a billiard cue from the rack.
"Aren't we going to Eryholme tomorrow?" Tom chose his own cue and took the white ball from the table.
"I completely forgot about it when he called." Matthew took the white ball with the black dot on it from the table. "Mary isn't pleased about it, but I won't put him off any longer."
"So it will be settled tomorrow, then." Tom placed his white ball on the line and striking it with the cue up the table against the top cushion and the ball returned, resting within an inch of the baulk cushion.
"Nothing is settled." Matthew did the same with his ball and in his frustration, the ball didn't come nearly as close as Tom's. "She still wants me to take the money and give it to her father for Downton."
Looking at where Matthew's ball landed, Tom took up his white ball. "You break." While he and Matthew gathered the balls to form a triangle, Tom continued, "I know you want to give it to charity, but will that make Mary happy?"
"Probably not, but you know why I can't take the money." Matthew took aim with his billiard cue at his white ball at the triangle of balls and struck it poorly. The discussion was not helping his game and he wondered whether his brother-in-law chose this particular topic knowing it would distract him.
"Yes, you told me," said Tom when he took aim with his cue at his white ball and sunk one of the red balls. "But I also know that a happy wife means a happy life." Tom made a note of his score.
"I'm not sure that it would apply so easily in this instance." Matthew gave Tom a look before lowering himself onto the table to aim.
"Don't you have to take it anyway?" asked Tom before Matthew took a shot. "You are the heir to his money, like you are the heir to the Earldom."
Matthew stood up again to look at Tom. "Yes, I do have to accept it but unlike the title I can give it away."
"So where do you want it to go?" Tom raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know and frankly, at the moment, I don't care." Matthew lowered himself onto the table to make another shot.
"The amount, which you said would save Downton, could do a lot of good in a number of charities." Tom watched Matthew take a shot that was better but still didn't sink any balls and marked the score. "If you're looking for a good cause, certainly the Irish Government could use it."
"And how would that look?" asked Matthew, shooting a look at Tom. "The future Earl of Grantham gives fortune to the Irish Government. Richard Carlisle would be the first to print it."
"You did say you didn't care where it went." Tom shrugged and lowered himself to the table to shoot, struck Matthew's cue ball with his own and then sunk another ball. "I was just suggesting a worthy cause."
Matthew recorded Tom's score before taking another shot. "Regardless of where the money went, I wanted to live more simply before all this started and this would be a good impetus." This third shot finally sunk a ball.
"Your wife isn't my wife," said Tom, taking a shot and sinking another ball. "Mark my words, Mary won't like moving out of Downton Abbey, if there was money that could have saved it."
Matthew marked Tom's score. "Well, she won't have a choice now will she, if I give it away." Matthew tried to concentrate and take a shot. Unfortunately, he wasn't successful since the ball went wide of where he had intended it to go.
"True, but you're the one who'll have to live with her, when you could have made a difference." Tom moved behind Matthew to reach his cue ball.
Matthew looked at Tom, who was taking another shot. Why did I have to end up with a brother-in-law who knows my wife almost better than I do? Well at least Strallan won't be as familiar. After Tom sunk yet another ball, Matthew changed the topic "How is Sybil enjoying her free time?"
"She's been making baby clothes with my mother's help." Tom leaned on his cue stick while he watched Matthew take a shot and sink a ball with confidence. "For two people without a lot of money, that baby has a set of clothes for every day of the week and at least two for Sundays."
"Well, then the child will fit in here better than you will." Matthew smiled at his game improving.
Tom shot him a look before leaning down to take his shot. "I expect that our child will always fit in here better than I will, since his mother was born here." Another ball dropped into the corner pocket.
"Are you really convinced that the baby is a boy?" asked Matthew, taking another shot and sinking another ball, then marking both his and Tom's scores. "I know Mary's been saying that Sybil's not sure which it will be."
"Just a feeling I have." Tom takes a shot and misses this time. "I'll be happy with either so long as the baby is healthy. It matters not to us, but it must be a bit of pressure for you and Mary to produce the much needed heir."
Matthew moved around the table to take his shot and this time the ball bounced off the corner of the pocket. "I would have thought that we would've done the deed on the honeymoon, but it wasn't to be."
"You did read the book I gave you, right?" asked Tom, referring to The Perfume Garden that had mysteriously ended up on his work desk at The Dublin Times just days before his wedding to Sybil. Tom took his shot and the ball landed in a side pocket.
"I did the first night you gave it to me." Matthew blushed at the thought. "Thank God. Mary was rather pleasantly surprised by what I knew on our wedding night and asked where I learned such technique. So I showed it to her on the second night." Matthew then lowered his voice, before taking aim. "We tried something new from the book each night of the honeymoon there after."
"Aren't the stories entertaining?" Tom smirked.
"Are they ever!" Matthew blushed. "Mary loves the story of Hamdonna and Bahloul."
"That golden robe gets Sybil every time." Tom's eyes lit up at the thought.
"That man was cunning." Matthew smiled broadly.
Then something occurred to Tom while he chalked the tip of his cue. "Please don't tell me you told Mary how you got the book? Because if you did, I don't think I'll be able look her in the eye again."
"No, I used your story that someone left it on my desk at work." Matthew sank this shot after hitting Tom's cue ball.
Tom was about to take another shot when something else came to mind. "But don't you work at a small solicitors' firm?"
"It's not that small and we have a reasonable turnover." Matthew wrote down his score and watched Tom take his shot. "When did you want it back?"
"No need." Tom marked his score while Matthew took aim. "Sybil and I have had thorough use of it and she agreed with me to pass it onto you. Besides, it's not meant to stay anywhere for long. The note I received with it said to pass it along to someone who would appreciate it."
"You mean Sybil knows that we have it now?" Matthew stood up, slightly alarmed. "You didn't want Mary to know who gave it to me, but you asked Sybil if it was all right to give it to me?"
"Well, it's not like I can just tell Sybil that it disappeared while we were here for your wedding." Tom gestured with his hand. "She knows of it and has read it. By rights, it's hers as well as it's mine. It was unavoidable whereas your situation was, well, avoidable. Besides, it's not as if Sybil's planning to bring the book up with her sister and since Mary doesn't know Sybil knows, then she'd never ask."
"You have a point." Matthew conceded and took aim again. "I just hope I can look Sybil in the eye after this." This shot hit Tom's cue ball and sunk another ball.
"You've already looked her in the eye a few times since we've been here for this wedding and you didn't blink once." Tom glanced at his brother-in-law before taking his shot and struck Matthew's cue ball sinking it in one pocket before sinking a red ball in a different pocket.
"I suppose. Think Strallan would have use for it?" Matthew took a shot and sunk a ball.
"He's been married before, so I'm sure he already knows it all." Tom took aim and missed while Matthew watched. "Besides, do you think you'd be able to give it to him while you look him in the eye."
"No, that I cannot guarantee." Matthew chuckled. He then took a banked shot and sunk Tom's cue ball.
"So who do you think you'll pass it onto when you're done?" Tom took his cue ball out of the pocket, put it on the line, took a shot and sunk a red ball.
"Don't know." Matthew marked the score. "We're not done with it yet, but I'm sure I'll think of someone suitable." He then lowered himself to take aim.
"Your plans for living somewhere simpler, where are you thinking?" Tom watched Matthew take a shot and missed sinking one of the balls in the corner pocket.
"Manchester, perhaps, as mother still has the house there, or even in a house in the village." Matthew watched as Tom sunk another ball. "We need our own space."
Tom straightened up and looked at Matthew. "I know. A place to call your own. I understand what you're saying. That's what our flat is to us." Tom took survey of the billiards room. "All in all, it's smaller than this room, but it's ours and we wouldn't have traded our first months together in our own space for the world."
"I'm not sure that Mary understands that." Matthew walked to the other side of the table and took a shot sinking one of the red balls. "She's lived her whole life here and she expected to become Countess of Grantham from the time she was very young and no brother appeared."
"So if you stay here, how does it work if you wanted to invite people that Lord and Lady Grantham disliked? Do they get to veto your dinner party? It is their house after all." Tom took a shot and sunk another ball.
"I don't know." Matthew lowered himself to the table to take a shot. "We've never discussed this with them, but it is the perfect argument for moving out. Hopefully, Mary will agree with me."
"Mary will agree with what?" asked Sybil peeking into the door of the billiards room. Both Tom and Matthew were startled by her voice and turned to look at her simultaneously.
"About moving out on our own." Matthew answered once he recovered.
"She'll agree if you give her the right incentive." Sybil entered the billiards room and closed the door behind her.
"What might that be?" asked Matthew.
"That she'll have a good-sized home of her own to manage." Sybil smiled at her brother-in-law. "You must know that Mary likes to be in charge and her house must be at least the same size as Edith's."
"So I have to find somewhere larger than Loxley." Matthew looked as if he started to comprehend why all his suggestions had been turned down up until now.
"Now, you understand." Sybil smiled before walking over to Tom.
"What are you doing here, love?" asked Tom after glancing at his pocketwatch. "It's not quite an hour yet. Is everything all right?"
When Sybil reached his elbow and took his hand. "I'm just a little tired and I wanted to retire a little early so that I'll have the energy for the picnic tomorrow and the wedding the day after." Sybil smiled at Tom and caressed his hand. "You needn't stop your game for me."
"We're pretty much done I think." Matthew glanced at the score sheet that had him well behind. Turning to Tom, Matthew added, "I'll be happy to make your excuses if you want to accompany Sybil. We can settle the wager tomorrow morning after breakfast."
"Thank you. I think I'd like to retire early as well." Tom let go of Sybil's hand and walked over to the rack to put his cue away. "It was a good game." Tom offered his hand to Matthew, who shook it.
"It was." Matthew put his cue away beside Tom's. "We'll have to make this a habit."
"Indeed." Tom took Sybil's hand. "Good night."
Sybil looked at Matthew. "Good night, Matthew."
"Good night." Matthew left the room right after Tom and Sybil and watched them talk in low voices while they walk down one end of the corridor before he headed to the drawing room to see his own wife.
Finis!
A/N: So what did you think? I loved the bromance that we saw between these two in 3x01 and missed it greatly in 3x03 when they were together again so I thought I'd fill in the gap. :) I'm thinking of adding to this where I see an opportunity. Please let me know if you want me to continue and suggestions welcome!
As always, please feel free to point out any typos and grammatical errors. Sometimes no matter how hard you or your beta looks, these things get missed. Also, please feel free to point out cultural misnomers or anachronisms, I live in Canada and I know that our terms are often different than those in the UK and Ireland. As always, I'd love to hear what you think, so please do review. :)
P.S. For those looking for Sybil and Tom's adventure in Dublin, I did start on a one-shot. It's just that this one kind of took over after Sunday's episode. :P
P.P.S. For those wondering about how Tom obtained a copy of The Perfumed Garden, it was one of a thousand copies printed by the Kama Shastra Society and this particular copy has been passed through many hands to Tom. Check out chapter 35 of my fic The Journey to Happiness for more details. Also thank you to the Guest reviewer who pointed out the cultural misnomers and anachronisms. They have been fixed. :)