This is my Sybil/Tom Valentine Exchange Fic for altenprano. Happy Valentine's Day, altenprano! (or rather what's still left of this day ;))
Hope that you enjoy :) I apologise in advance for any possible mistakes - I'm not an English native speaker.
Prompt: Sybil and Tom have a misunderstanding; Sybil says something off-color that she doesn't realize is off-color to Tom's family, and this results in an argument either with Mrs Branson/other Branson relatives, or even Tom; ultimately, Tom and Sybil make up.
The Dublin harbour was approaching and Sybil Crawley trembled under her coat.
"Everything all right, my love? Are you cold?" her fiancé, Tom Branson, nervously enquired.
Sybil smiled at him. "We're almost here, aren't we?"
Tom gently took her hand in his. "Yes, my darling. Are you anxious about it?"
His beloved welcomed his hand happily and said, "I'm always honest with you, Tom. I'm anxious about meeting your family."
"There will be just my Ma and my youngest sister Aileen today. It's too late for others to come to my Ma's. I assure you that they're not scary, and let's face it, whoever meets you must love you. You're so kind and pleasant. I don't know a single person that dislikes you."
Sybil blushed heavily. "You embarrass me, Mr. Branson. Maybe you think that flattery will win you something?" she teased.
A big grin appeared on Tom's face. "A kiss, maybe? Last kiss on this ship and first before we embark on our new adventure?"
The young woman said nothing, only threw her arms around her beloved's neck and leant to brush her lips against his. Tom eagerly responded and they were kissing on the deck, in sight of everyone, until they were out of breath. Neither of them cared about people around seeing them; they both had learnt not to care about what other people thought. Moreover, this kiss was for them yet another symbol of their new, free life.
When they arrived at Mrs. Branson's flat, Sybil's anxiety was still there, even though she tried to suppress it because she did not want it to affect Tom.
Mrs. Branson turned out to be a stern-looking woman, but not too intimidating, and sixteen-year-old Aileen was shy and fragile.
"Tommy," Mrs. Branson said as she approached her son and hugged him. "I haven't seen you for so long, so long..."
Tom returned the hug and Sybil felt that her eyes were slowly becoming wet. This woman hadn't seen her son for so long, and in some part it was because of her, Sybil Crawley.
When Mrs. Branson and Tom parted, the woman immediately turned her attention towards Sybil.
"You must be Lady Sybil Crawley," Mrs. Branson stated and extended her hand to her soon-to-be daughter-in-law.
"Just Sybil Crawley, and you can just me Sybil," the young woman replied and shook Mrs. Branson's hand.
Was Sybil mistaken or had the Branson matriarch softened at hearing those words?
Meanwhile, Tom greeted his baby sister. Because Aileen was so very shy, it was Sybil who approached her first; she told also Aileen to call her just Sybil.
Then, they all sat down to eat supper. Sybil and Tom had to admit that they were hungry after their journey. Thus, they mainly focused on eating and didn't talk much during the meal.
After supper, Mrs. Branson led them all to a small drawing room for "late tea and some talk". Sybil's anxiety, which had subsided after greeting Tom's family, returned again. She so wanted to make a good impression on them and not to appear a pampered aristocrat who knew little about the world.
"So, Sybil will live here, while you'll stay with Megan's family?" asked Mrs. Branson (Megan was Tom's eldest sister).
"Yes, Ma. We want everything to be proper," declared Tom.
The Branson family matriarch nodded approvingly. "Sybil, you don't mind sharing a room with Aileen?"
"Of course I don't," Sybil immediately responded.
"You also don't mind sharing some housework? For example, you can help me cook dinner tomorrow. I bought something special for this meal, to properly welcome you to the Branson household with a good dinner."
Sybil suddenly felt ashamed that the Bransons, who were clearly not well-off, would pay for her during her stay at their flat. She hadn't thought about such issues before! To be honest, in her past life she hadn't needed to pay much attention to money. She just had had anything that she had wanted. The young woman so wanted not to be a burden, so wanted to show them that she understood that not everyone could afford everything they wanted, that before she could think it over properly, she stated, "I want to pay you for my stay here, Mrs. Branson. For food, lodgings and any other expenses."
Sybil instantly realized that she had made a huge mistake. A shadow crossed Mrs. Branson's face. Tom looked uneasy as well.
Silence fell upon the room and finally Mrs. Branson spoke coldly, "I know that for aristocrats we must seem destitute, but I can assure you that I can provide for my guests."
Sybil blushed heavily. She should have expected this. She was well-aware of Tom's pride; it came as no surprise that his mother was similar.
"I didn't say that you couldn't..." was all that in her nervousness Sybil was able to mumble.
They didn't talk much after the incident. Tom quickly change the topic, but everyone visibly wanted to finish the conversation as soon as possible.
Ultimately, Mrs. Branson announced, "It's late already. You're both tired after your journey and need to rest. Sybil, Aileen will show you to your room."
They all rose from their places and went to the corridor to say goodbye to Tom. When Tom said goodnight to his mother and sister, he asked whether he could have a private moment with his fiancée. Mrs. Branson did not object and soon disappeared into her bedroom. Aileen told Sybil where their room was (which wasn't hard to deduce in this small flat) and also disappeared from their sight.
When his mother and sister left, Tom instantly turned to Sybil, "Darling, how could you propose such a thing to my mother?"
Sybil of course perfectly knew what he meant. "I didn't want to offend you... you must know..."
Tom pursed his lips. "Perhaps, but you must be aware that you said was insensitive."
Sybil felt hit in the stomach by his words. "How was it insensitive? Wanting to share in the expenses? I didn't want to give you money for everything, just to pay for myself."
"And if you visited one of your aristocratic friends, would you participate in expenses too? We're going to be a family, Sybil," Tom said in a cold voice.
Sybil was stunned by his tone. "I'm one of you now, aren't I?" she asked helplessly.
"Well, you don't behave as one," answered Tom dryly, approached the door and left the flat without another word.
Sybil waited until she heard Aileen snoring and cried into her pillow. It had been her first row with Tom since they had become engaged. She had been aware that first row would eventually come - but she hadn't expected it to happen so soon after their arrival in Dublin. She hadn't had bad intentions, really. She didn't want to be a burden to the Bransons.
"And if you visited one of your aristocratic friends, would you participate in expenses too? We're going to be a family, Sybil," Tom's words echoed in her head.
Class divide. She had believed that they had crossed it when she had accepted Tom's proposal. Now the young woman realised that this wasn't true. It wasn't so easy to bridge what had been reality for 23 years of her life. If she had been a working class woman, her offer would have been most likely received differently. In this case, though, it had looked like condescension. The youngest Crawley girl became aware that they still had a lot to overcome to make the class divide vanish from their lives.
What is important is that we can overcome everything as long as we're together. We love each other and the rest is detail, Sybil mused. I must apologise tomorrow to Mrs. Branson and Tom. I must not allow for this to linger upon us.
Tom tried not to think about his argument with Sybil until he reached Megan's house. When he finally crossed the threshold, then, he was too focused on greeting his sister, brother-in-law and all the nieces and nephews. They hadn't seen each other for years!
His thoughts returned to what had happened at his mother's only once he went to bed.
He realised that he had been too harsh with his beloved. Maybe she hadn't been the most tactful person on Earth in this situation, but her intentions had been (as always in her case) pure. He was well aware that even he couldn't sometimes look past her upbringing. The young Irishman also knew that if Sybil had been of their class, he and his mother would have reacted differently.
Class divide. He had always hoped that they would cross it somehow. Now he seemed to discover that it would be a longer path than he had expected. Thankfully, I think that our love is so strong that we'll be able to deal with what class divide throws in our way. Always.
The point however, Tom pondered, is that I was unfair towards her. It's true that we're not well-off and her instincts were right – she merely wanted to help us.
Such a good heart. Should she be criticised for it?
Class differences be damned.
When Sybil entered the kitchen in the morning, Mrs. Branson and Aileen had already sat to breakfast. She greeted them politely and joined them at the table. They didn't talk much during the meal, but Sybil observed that both women didn't seem angry or annoyed with her. This realisation gave her some sort of comfort and hope that Mrs. Branson would not hesitate to forgive her. The youngest Crawley girl waited until the breakfast was finished, then helped Mrs. Branson and Aileen to wash the dishes, and only once Aileen left the flat to shop for groceries, did Sybil approach the Branson family matriarch.
"Mrs. Branson," she began and looked her future mother-in-law directly in the eye. "I wanted to apologise for what I said yesterday. About paying you for my staying here."
The older woman looked at Sybil and gave her a small smile. "You're forgiven, Sybil. Actually, there's nothing to forgive. I believe only in intentional blame. You didn't want to offend us. I can only hope, though, that you really do see as a family... and there is no such thing as paying your family for staying with them."
Sybil nodded vigorously. "Of course I see you as a family! I just must give up some of my upper-class habits."
The Branson family matriarch gave her only a nod and put a hand on her shoulder. A moment later she left the kitchen, sending Sybil another pleasant smile.
The young woman exhaled deeply. She was forgiven. Now she could only hope that Tom would also accept her apologies. To be honest, she didn't dread this conversation as much as she had been anxious at the prospect of the conversation with her future mother-in-law. Sybil knew Tom well and was aware that he couldn't stay angry with her for long, especially if she was sorry.
Later, when Mrs. Branson and Sybil were preparing dinner in the kitchen, they heard a sound of someone opening the door to the flat.
Sybil froze for a moment because it crossed her mind that it could be some of the Branson relatives that she hadn't met yet. But then, hadn't she heard that they were coming after dinner?
Finally, the mysterious person entered the kitchen and Sybil was elated to see Tom. She immediately spotted that he was hiding something behind his back.
"Hello Ma, hello Sybil," he greeted them happily. "My boss told me that I could finish my work earlier today. After all, it's just my first day in the new job."
Mrs. Branson raised an eyebrow. "But he's satisfied with your work?"
"Yes, yes, he said that I started well," Tom did not hesitate to clarify. "Ma, sorry to ask you about it... but could you leave me and Sybil alone for a while?"
"Of course," the older woman gave the pair a knowing look and retreated from the kitchen.
When they were left alone in the room, Tom withdrew from behind his back a beautiful, red rose.
"I wanted to apologise to you," he said as he offered the rose to his fiancée.
Sybil was surprised. She had expected Tom to forgive her, but had not expected him to apologise to her.
She accepted the flower with a wide a grin on her face and declared, "I accept this gift, though I don't understand what you need to apologise for. I didn't think through what I was saying..."
"You didn't have bad intentions. You simply forgot that all the class differences still linger upon us and cannot be easily erased. You will grow out of your 'aristocratic customs' with the passing of time. Our anger towards you stemmed also from our Branson pride, I have to admit."
Sybil grinned even wider. "So everything's cleared up now, isn't it?"
"I think so," whispered Tom and reached towards her. She put the rose on the nearby table and welcomed his embrace; they stood like this for a few moments, looking each other deep in the eyes.
"I like that about us," Sybil decided to break the silence, "that we sometimes quarrel, but we are always eager to quickly make up."
"Yes, I enjoy this about us too," said Tom tenderly and bent his head to brush his lips against Sybil's.
Sybil welcomed the kiss readily and soon they forgot about the outside world until they needed to breathe.
"I love you so much my darling, all of you, with all your flaws," Tom whispered lovingly into Sybil's ear.
"Same for me," replied Sybil and began placing small kisses throughout her fiancé's face: at his forehead, cheeks, nose and jaw.
They were still blissfully in their own world when Mrs. Branson returned to the kitchen.
"Ouch, I think that you two are very busy," the matriarch teased.
Tom and Sybil released each other from their embrace and turned towards the older woman, blushing.
"We've just made up," the young Irishman explained to his mother.
Mrs. Branson smiled pleasantly at this. "I can only wish you that your married life will always look like this. Quarrels are an inevitable part of marriage; it's making up that is an art."
Hearing these words, the young couple exchanged tender looks and reached out for each other's hands.
Mrs. Branson had to admit that, whatever her initial thoughts about his son's relationship with an aristocratic girl had been, these two seemed to be very much in love.