Just Like Him
Summer 1934
Tom Branson sat at his desk in his home working his way through all the paperwork and applications for cottages on the Downton estate that potential new tenants were vying for. He no longer lived at the great house with his in-laws Lord and Lady Grantham, not because they had fallen out, or even asked him to leave, it was because he had fallen in love again with a kind hearted and spirited woman from the village. She had a daughter, Alice, just a year older than his own dear Sybbie and she and Alice were regular visitors to the big house. She was like her mother, in that she seemed to make people want to be her friend and Alice was no exception. Another of Sybbie's close friends and confidantes was her cousin one George Matthew Crawley. They had had a special bond since sharing a nursery, having both lost a loving and devoted parent so soon after their respective births and that bond was still as strong as ever. Tom had always been happy with this, considering his own less than auspicious acceptance into the Crawley fold at the beginning.
Thinking of his nephew Tom had received a letter from the child only this morning saying
Dear Uncle Tommy,
when you have time please can I come and speak to you... it's rather urgent.
Yours
George. x
George was home for the Summer, after going to boarding school, and he had seen the boy several times, both in the Estate managers cottage they had done up and moved into and at Downton. He had shown distress in those times. Mary herself had remarried when George was 5. His step-father was Lord Anthony Gillingham a charming and warm-hearted man, who treated George as his own. Although he and George had a good relationship, it was his uncle that he would turn to, when he thought no one else could help him. Tom adored George as much as his daughter and cherished any time they spent together, so with this in mind and the fact that he was really getting nowhere with the applications, he decided he would stroll over to see what was so urgent in his young nephew's life.
An hour later he meandered up the long path to the Abbey, basking in the warmth of the Summer sun, with his suit jacket slung over his shoulder. He rang the doorbell and waited until he heard the creak of the door and was greeted by Mr. Carson. The elderly butler opened the door fully and said
"Mr. Branson, were we expecting you? I'm afraid Lord Grantham is out and Lady Grantham and Lady Mary have gone to see the Dowager Countess for tea."
"No, no nobody was expecting me, forgive me for dropping by unannounced, I received a note from George asking to see me when I was free. I thought I might speak to him now."
Upon hearing George's name, Carson smiled fondly and answered
"Of course come in, I believe Master George is in the library, should I tell him you are here?"
"That's alright, thank you I'll do it, I'm sure you have plenty to do."
"Thank you sir".
And with that Carson went back to his duties, leaving Tom to walk to the library. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. When none came, he pushed open the door and saw George sprawled out on one of the large settees, reading a leather bound tome. He was so engrossed in the book, that he still had not noticed his uncle watching him. Tom cleared his throat to make his presence known. George sat up and smiled as he realised who it was and shut the book, carefully placing a bookmark in its place.
"Uncle Tom..."
"I got your note and I was free, so I thought I would come over and see you now. You said it was important."
"I er, er, er hadn't expected to see you today, I thought you would be busy with the estate. Grandpapa said that there were some new families that need new homes and that some of the other cottages needed work. I could have waited until later."
Tom smiled at this, the boys concern for other people was a testament to who his father was. Tom missed his friend dearly, but his son reminded him of Matthew on a daily basis. He may be Mary's image, but his gentle demeanour was all Matthew, right down to the way he frowned which he was doing now. Tom sat next to George and waited patiently for him to start talking. When it didn't come, he picked up the book that George had been reading and noticed it was 'Treasure Island.'
"I never read this as a boy..." Tom started
George looked at him and replied
"Granny Bel, she bought it for me, she said that... that my father read it when he was my age"
"Oh, well he always did like reading your father, even when I first met him over 20 years ago."
"When you worked for... I mean when he and Granny Bel first moved here and before you and aunty Sybil married."
Tom smiled.
"That's right, I would often find him, in here actually, when I came in looking for a book about history or politics. Your father would read anything from Shakespeare to Keats. He loved words and books, but I doubt many people knew this."
"You were his best friend, weren't you? Granny Bel said that you and he had similar interests and that you got on well, because you had both fallen in love with strong minded Crawley women"
"Aye that we were and that we did."
George opened his book and took from it what Tom had originally thought was a bookmark, but was in fact two photographs. The first was one of Matthew and Mary on their wedding day and the other was taken of the two of them at an Easter fete at Downton, taken shortly after Mary had announced that she was pregnant. Although only tiny, there was the definite beginnings of a baby bump. George looked at this picture in awe. He might only be 12 but George Crawley knew that it was him inside his mothers tummy. The look of awe soon turned to one of worry. Tom noticed this and said gently
"George, what is it?"
Quietly, almost shyly George replied
"Does mummy blame me for him dying. I mean he was coming home, from the hospital, to tell you that you could go and visit, when he was killed by that truck. So does she blame me, they loved each other a lot?"
So this is the reason why George had wanted to talk to him. Caught off guard by the question, it took Tom a moment to answer. They had done all they could to protect George from knowing the full truth of his father's death. Mary had insisted and they were only too willing to comply. The only thing they thought George knew was that his father had been taken from them far sooner than he should have been, but that he had been so very happy to meet and hold his son before being taken.
"Yes they loved each other a lot. They were deeply in love. Anyone who saw them together could not deny it. But no she doesn't blame you at all. She loves you so very much. You are the most precious thing in her world. She would do anything for you."
George believed him instantly. He knew his uncle Tommy would never lie to him. Tom was lost in his own thoughts about Sybil when George enquired
" If he hadn't died, they would still be married to each other?"
"Yes they would."
George nodded and then asked
"You still love aunty Sybil, even though you got married again. Do you think that mummy still loves him? I mean I know that she has Anthony now, but ..."
"Yes, I believe she does, very much. You can never ever stop loving your true love, even though they are sadly no longer with us."
Although talking about Mary and Matthew, Tom knew in his heart that this applied to him and Sybil too.
"Thank you, uncle Tommy, you were the only person I thought I could ask these questions to. I know it would upset Granny Bel, mummy would probably cry, Grandpapa and Grandmama don't share things like this and Anthony of course didn't know him, well not properly anyway."
"That's quite alright."
"I have just one more question. What was he like, really?"
"Oh well that's easy to answer. You may look like your mother, but your mannerisms and personality and your interests are just like him."
George's face lit up at this, as he accepted the fact that being quiet, but still being popular amongst his peers and liking books and playing Cricket over Football made him just like his father then this was alright in his eyes. He may not know his father but he would always be his hero, no matter what anybody said. He then asked his uncle,
"Would you like a game of Chess. Anthony has been teaching me. I'm still not very good yet, but I am improving."
"I would like that very much. Although I'm not very good either."
"Well then we can be rubbish together."
An hour later and Mary and her mother had returned from the Dower House. They entered the library to see both George and Tom giggling over their unsuccessful attempt at Chess. It warmed both their hearts to see the sight before them. George saw them before they could say anything and got up to greet them. First his grandmother who he kissed on the cheek and then a hug and a kiss for his mother who greeted him back with a kiss in his dark brown hair and a
"Hello my dearest darling."
She then looked at Tom and smiled before saying
"Tom, we didn't know you were coming. We would have been back sooner. Would you like to stay for dinner. I'm sure Mrs. Patmore could make it stretch."
"No thank you. Emma and the girls will wonder where I have gone, but George asked to see me. I wasn't getting anywhere with the applications, so I thought I would come and visit him now."
"Oh. George darling are you alright?"
"Yes mummy, I just wanted to... to"
"He wanted to have a game of Chess before Anthony got back, he wanted to practice, but as you see it was very unsuccessful. And now I really should be going."
He made to pick his jacket up as Mary went to show him out. Passing his nephew, he ruffled the boys hair, smiling as George once again picked up his book again and buried his nose in the story again. Tom was glad George had taken him into his confidence and that he was able to reassure the boy, that he was so very precious to his mother and that he could tell him that to be just like him, his father, Matthew Crawley was definitely a good thing.