A/N: The idea for this drabble came from the song "Best of Wives and Best of Women" (after which this is titled) from the musical everyone's been talking about- Hamilton. I was listening to this song the other day, and a scene between Sybil and Tom played out with it, so I hope I'm able to get that image across so that you can all share in it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Downton Abbey. You will also notice ( if you have listened to the Hamilton soundtrack or if you look up the lyrics to "Best of Wives and Best of Women") that there are lines from that song in the same order as they appear in the song in the drabble below. I know. That was part of my intention. I (technically?) own none of it.
Enjoy~
It was still dark out when Sybil was woken by the brush of cold air against her back, where she was accustomed to feeling the warmth of Tom's body under the covers with hers.
"Tom?" she asked, rolling onto her back and stretching her arm across where her husband ought to have been. She felt warm hands—Tom's hands—wrap around her hand, and familiar lips brushed against her knuckles. "Tom, what are you doing awake?"
"Ssh," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Go back to sleep, Sybil."
She sat up in bed, pulling the sheets around her to keep out the cold. "Come back to sleep," she said, trying to make out his figure in the darkness.
"I have to be in Swords for an interview."
"It's still dark out," she said, lighting the oil lamp she kept by her bed so that she could see Tom, who was already dressed for work—all he needed was his coat and his hat, which hung by the door to their flat.
"I know," he said with an unmistakable note of sadness in his voice.
"Why do you have to go this early?" Her eyes followed him as he walked around to be by her side. "Come back to bed, Tom."
"I'll be back before you know it," he told her, kissing her on her forehead.
She threw her arms around his neck, preventing him from leaving. "Come back to bed," she pleaded, pulling him close, so their foreheads were almost touching.
"This is important," he said, the words tumbling across her cheek, followed by a kiss.
There was no arguing with him, and she saw that now.
"Well I'm going back to sleep," Sybil told him, her arms still ringed around his neck as she lay back down. She had worked until well past midnight at the Mater for the last two weeks, and it was catching up with her.
He wished he didn't have to go, but Tom had given his word to his friends—his brothers in arms against the British—that he would meet them at the appointed place before the sun rose. That appointed place was not Swords, and he felt bad to have lied to Sybil, but what would she make of the truth?
Tom looked down at Sybil, who was already asleep. She would understand, he knew that, but he just wasn't ready to tell her what his "interviews" were about, and especially not this one. In time, he would, and he hoped he would be forgiven for keeping the knowledge from her.
Before he left, he turned out the light and tucked the covers around Sybil, his hand resting temporarily on her belly, which was beginning to take on the roundness of late pregnancy.
"Sleep well, love," he whispered as he planted a tender kiss on his wife's lips.
As he went to the door, he gave her one last look. The best of wives, the best of women, came an unbidden thought, and he smiled and headed out the door.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this little drabble, and thank you for reading!