Note: I am going to try and be as canon as possible, so I'm putting in a season 3 spoiler warning for those who might not be as obsessed as me and scour the internet looking at filming pictures, articles, and interviews and are not aware of certain things
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these wonderful characters. They belong to Julian Fellows.
Welcoming the Bransons
Tom stepped out of the car first so that he could help his wife down. "Like old times." He whispered.
Sybil gave him a small smile, which then turned into a huge grin at the sight of their welcoming party."Hello everyone!"
"Sybil, my dear, I'm so happy you're here!" Lady Grantham wrapped her youngest daughter in a tight hug.
"Sorry we're running a bit behind schedule."
"Oh not to worry, you're here now, and dinner can wait-right Carson?" She called back to the butler standing by the door.
"Certainly, my lady." Carson dutifully answered, even though he wasn't entirely comfortable with the prospect.
"Hello Carson." Sybil said as her mother greeted Tom, who thanked her for inviting them to Downton.
"Good evening, Lady Sybil and Mr. Branson. Welcome back."
By now, Mary and Edith had both hugged their sister, and started congratulating the couple on their baby news. Originally, Sybil had wanted to wait and tell her sisters in person, but before this trip was planned, she was not sure how soon she would get the chance. She knew that she had to tell her mother sooner rather than later because it was something she would become very upset over if it was withheld from her. Sybil also wasn't sure if her mother could keep such news from her sisters for long without bursting. When Lady Grantham had come over to Dublin, Sybil and Tom decided that they would allow her to inform the rest of the family, which she was overjoyed about, and Sybil would write it in her letters to Mary and Edith. Standing in front of them now, she realized she was glad she did not wait, for it would have been obvious the minute she stepped out of the car and they would not have appreciate waiting so long either.
"Why don't we continue this later, Sybil and Tom need to get ready for dinner, which I am sure they are eager to do after their trip." Cora suggested and then started to usher them all inside.
As soon as everyone was inside though, they were met by Lord Grantham, whom the couple was most anxious about seeing.
The atmosphere had thickened with anticipation and tension. Even though Sybil and Tom had parted cordially with her father, since then, he had become quite distant. He did not attend their wedding, did not personally write his own congratulations concerning the baby, and did not accompany his wife to Dublin. It was clear that while he allowed this all to happen, he was not comfortable with it and therefore, no was really sure what was going to happen when he was confronted with them in person.
Sybil was quick to try and start them on the right foot though. "Papa, I was wondering where you were." She cheerfully said and then went straight for a hug before he could say anything.
When they separated, he mumbled an excuse, "One of my cuff links fell off and I had to go back and find it." He failed to mention that he loosened it himself in order to buy him more time to prepare. He of course already knew about Sybil's...condition, but seeing it was another thing. Before, there was a chance of it not being real. She could come back, but without the chauffeur. Now as they both stood there in front of him, there was proof it was all real.
Lord Grantham held out his hand and addressed Tom by his first name because he found he was more comfortable saying it instead of the last name his daughter now had. The following handshake did not last very long.
Sybil took her father addressing Tom by his first name as a good sign. "I've missed you something terrible, Papa." She truthfully admitted.
It was hard for Tom to stand there in front of his father-in-law and restrain himself from going into detail about how much she really did miss him; how the idea that she might have to walk down the aisle alone slowly ate away at her until she broke down in front of her sisters after they arrived in Dublin and she realized no one else from her family would be coming. But Tom had made her a promise that he would be as civil as possible.
"And I you, but we shall catch up during dinner. I can tell Carson is getting antsy, and probably Mrs. Patmore. I will let you go to your rooms to change."
Sybil's eyebrows scrunched together and she quickly looked around at the rest of her family, who were all dressed for dinner.
Tom noticed as well. "Rooms?"
"As in more than one? As in separate?" Sybil further explained.
Robert feigned ignorance, "What's wrong?"
"Papa, you don't really mean for us to stay in separate rooms, do you?"
"Yes, I do. What is the problem with that?"
Sybil became defensive. "I don't know if you realize, but Tom and I are married now. We have been married for several months. And we are having a baby. Why would you want to split us up?"
Tom inwardly winced at her choice of words and very nearly voiced his thoughts of how it was something the Earl wanted to happen, but he bit his tongue. He would not break his promise so easily. Lady Grantham had also taken his aside during her visit to warn him not to let Sybil become too stressed-physically and emotionally.
Lord Grantham interpreted his daughter's tone more so as one of attack, so he slightly raised his voice, "This is my house-"
"Robert!" Cora hissed as she pulled him away. "Would you please calm down. You are being childish. And you know full well we agreed that if they didn't want to be apart, we wouldn't stop them."
Robert sighed in defeat. She was right. They had made a decision together about it, but he had hoped the couple would not want to put up a fight. He nodded to his wife and then turned back to Sybil and Tom, "I'm sorry, it's just a hard pill to swallow. Yes, you may share a room."
"Thank you, Papa." Sybil said softly before leading her husband away from the scene.
"But no fooling around!" Lord Grantham called after them in order to try and regain some power.
Neither of them acknowledged the comment.
Cora frowned at her husband, who put his hands up and said, "I do not want any more reasons for me to think of what happens behinid closed doors."
