For Rachel aka babaganeush. Happy Birthday! This has taken way too long to finish.
The Crawley, Grey, Gillingham, Bellasis, and Bunting (Imogen Bunting. She is not related to 'Not Sybil') families have been invited to Lord and Lady Talbot's son's wedding in Ireland. It is their last day in Ireland and their children decide to play hide and seek. Lady Grantham suggests that the children allow the servant's children to play with them (to be amicable) and Tom is bullied into playing because his older brother, Keiran, is helping their da with fixing the carriage. His eldest sister Meara is looking out for the youngest Branson, Niall, who is still an infant. His older sister, Oralith, is helping their mam in the kitchens, cooking luncheon with her.
The children have purposely ignored Tom the entire game. By the time he goes and hides this time, they other children have secretly decided to end the game and let Tom stay hidden. Mary has gone to find Sybil who was playing, but has gone missing after a short while to tell her the game is over and it's time for luncheon.
"The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten." - Cesare Pavese
o o o
September 1902
The closet was his private sanctuary for now, waiting until the game was over. If they declared him the winner, (which he knew they never would) Tommy knew they would play on without him. He didn't belong and they all knew. After all, he was only the son of the coachman and cook. Not like them.
Tommy sighed in the darkness and cursed his brother and sisters for bulling him into playing with these people. Hide and seek was a child's game. At twelve, Tommy Branson was still most certainly a child, but he had experienced more in his twelve years of living in service with his family in Dublin, than any of these posh toff's children could ever dream of. He was jealous of their blissful ignorance.
He sat down on the dusty floor, not caring if the rump of his trousers gathered dust. He wanted to be alone and away from the world for a little while. In the warm darkness of the closet, his eyes began to feel heavy. As sleep was beginning to take little Tommy away, a soft giggle outside the door brought him back from his lulling dreams. A young girl quickly opened the door and quietly shut it. Tommy tried to pull his legs in, but the little girl walked into his shins, causing Tommy to groan. She tripped and fell into the shelf. A gasp escaped the little girl's lips along with a terrified whimper. She began to breathe deeply and frequently, alerting Tommy that something was wrong. The sound of shuffling feet filled the small closet as Tommy reached for the light switch. He was glad the Talbots put electricity into the house a month beforehand.
Light illuminated the small room and there stood one of the girls who was playing hide and seek. Her dark brown curls were pushed away from her face. She held a toy rabbit dressed in pink in one hand as the other rubbed the growing bulge on her forehead. Her face reddened as she closed her eyes to fight the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. She took fast, deep breaths to calm herself.
"Are you alright?," Tommy asked.
She shook her head, biting her lip to distract herself from the throbbing pain in her forehead.
Tommy took a step towards her to help and raised his hands up to examine her head, but stopped himself, unsure if he should continue.
He cast his eyes downward, like a good servant should and obediently murmured, "Would you like help…milady?" like he imagined his parents would.
Her nose crinkled as a defiant no came from her direction. Tommy sensed that she answered no to both.
They pair stood facing each other, saying nothing for the next few moments, observing each other.
He saw her earlier that day, but she looked more pristine than she did now. Her once clean pink and white striped dress was smudged with mud at the hem which stopped at the knees. Bright green streaks ran down her legs of her white stockings, with dark brown spots down her shins. The clip holding her curly dark brown locks back was askew.
Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she wasn't one of them. From the way she looked now, she certainly didn't look like one of them. A proper girl would never get this dirty.
He looked her in her eyes and found that she was looking at him with the same intense curiosity.
Tommy broke the silence and spoke after the opportunity of quiet observation. He gestured to the bump on her head as she rubbed it further.
"Do you mind if I take a look?" Tommy asked.
She shook her head, allowing Tommy to approach her. This was wholly inappropriate, but she was hurt. He couldn't leave her until he knew that her head was okay. Aristocrat or servant, it didn't matter. She needed help and he was the only one who was around.
Tommy took a step towards her as she lowered her hand from her head. The bulge was large. It had swelled and was red all over. A faint outline of gray, purple, and black began to appear at the center. Tommy reached over and lightly brushed his fingertips over the bump. She winced slightly and bit her lip, willing herself not to cry. Tommy smiled at her stubbornness.
"It's okay to cry you know," he mentioned as he examined her bruise further.
Her lips drew together in a tight line.
"No."
"Why not?"
She stepped away from him and pushed the stray hairs away from her face. She straightened her posture and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Everyone calls me a baby. I don't want to be a baby anymore."
She sat on the dusty floor and stretched out her legs, playing with the ruined hem of her dress. Tom, unsure of what to do, followed suit. He sat cross legged at the end of her legs, looking at the way she picked at the spots of brown on her dress. Tom tapped the toe of a mud spattered shoe with one of his fingers to catch her attention. She looked up and found him lightly smiling at her. It was impossible for her not to smile back.
"What's your name?" Tom asked.
She grinned.
"Sybil, but everyone calls me Sybbie."
Tommy grinned back.
"I'm Tom. But everyone calls me Tommy."
He looked back down at her shoe which allowed Sybbie to examine Tommy a little longer. His skin was darker than hers, but it was the color she longed for. She could tell he spent much of his time outside. She was jealous. Hidden away from the world, never allowed to roam free for long stretches of time. Climbing trees, laying out in the summer heat, dipping her toes in the cold water of the pond, run across the lawns with no shoes: this is what she wanted. It was boring, staying inside all day. When she was allowed out, she savored it.
On a late summer evening, Lord and Lady Grantham told her they were going to take a trip to Ireland with other families in the area. Lord and Lady Talbot's eldest son was going to marry and the Talbot invited all their friends from all over. Sybbie jumped for joy. She knew going to Ireland would free her for a time. She would be able to roam the grounds on her own free will. She would be able to slip away without detection. That's why she was here now, muddy with a bump on her head, hidden away in a linen closet.
Cousin Patrick suggested they played hide and seek since it was their last day together in Ireland. He along with Mary and Edith were in favor. The other children, Larry Grey, Tony Gillingham, Tom Belasis, and Imogen Bunting were in favor. She didn't feel like playing, but since everyone was older than her, they bullied her into playing. Begrudgingly, she played along them, but after the first round, she snuck outside and played by herself. It was only when she heard Mary started calling her name, searching for her outside, that she decided to hide from everyone. The servants quarters was the only place they wouldn't look for her. She went back into the house, though the servants door and ran up the servants staircase. Sybbie wiggled all the doorknobs, hoping one of the doors would be open. She found one at the end of the hall.
Sybbie looked at her new friend. He wasn't like the other boys. He was different. She knew he was one of the servants sons, but she didn't know what that really meant. His clothes weren't as fine as Patrick's. He slouched when he sat down. His hair was unkempt fell in his eyes. But despite the differences, she felt a connection with this boy. He didn't fit in.
"You're the boy playing hide and seek with us. The one who didn't want to play with us."
Tommy looked up from picking at her shoe and replied shortly.
"Aye."
"Are you still playing?"
"No."
She figured he would say that.
"Why not?"
Tom crossed his arms and looked defiantly at her.
"I don't want to," he said.
Sybil smiled at him, breaking his slight scowl. She found a new friend. She sat up further and crossed her legs, scooting herself closer to him.
"Neither do I. I hate Larry. He always cheats when he's the one who has to find. He always tries to find me first so I would be it. And if he finds someone else first, he ignores them and still tries to find me. I hate him."
A confused look crossed Tommy's face.
"Then don't play."
Sybbie sighed. She always had to play along. Anything her sisters did, she had to do too because it was what proper young ladies did. She frowned. A proper young lady? She felt more like an imposter.
She lowered her voice and her gaze, reducing it to a whisper.
"I can't. I have to. They always bully me into playing, even if I don't want to."
Her voice trailed and Tommy tapped her on the hand, getting her attention once again.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," Tommy said firmly.
"Then why are you playing?"
Tommy was taken aback by her response. Sybbie saw through him. He only played along to appease everyone, even if he didn't want to. He suspected she did the same.
"How old are you?" Tommy asked.
"Seven."
"You seem much older than seven."
Sybbie perked up. A fire he had not seen before rose to the surface, but as quickly as it came, it went away. She was a bright girl and no one took notice of it.
"Really? How old are you?" she said excitedly.
"Twelve."
Sybbie's shoulders slumped a little as she pursed her lips to the side in disappointment.
"Mary's twelve. You shouldn't be playing with a baby like me."
Without thinking, Tommy blurted out the exact words Sybbie needed to hear.
"You're not a baby Sybbie."
Shocked by his response, Tommy and Sybbie sat silently. They stared at each other, Tommy in embarrassment, Sybbie in admiration. They were both grateful for the dim light coming from the light bulb. Neither could see each others cheeks redden.
Tommy broke their gaze and stood up. He held his hands out to help her up as well, which she gladly took.
"Come on. We should go. There's probably something in my family's cottage that can fix you right up."
Tommy peeked his head out of the door, checking to see if anyone was in the hall. Thankfully it was noon and all the servants were downstairs working. He stepped out of the closet first and gestured that it was safe to come out. Sybbie giggled and the pair made their way down the servants staircase and out the door. They went out of the house through the back door. Sybbie and Tommy were almost caught by Lady Talbot showing off her gardens to the other women visiting for the wedding.
"Shhh!" Tommy hissed as he brought his fingers to his lips. Sybbie giggled as they hid behind one of the columns at the front of the house. As the group of women passed, they held their breaths so they wouldn't be detected. Once gone, it only took them one look at each other to burst out in laughter. Tommy reached for her small hand and held it in his as they ran to his cottage.
They tumbled into the cramped cottage on the other side of the estate. The air was musty, but the small cottage had been well loved. The room was orderly, but it was the little things that made the house feel like a home: the newspaper left on the table, the mug left on the others side of the table, papers neatly stacked on the desk. Sybbie noticed a large, shaggy dog sleeping quietly in the corner of the room. She let out a gasp as it rose up and stretched its front paws in front of itself and yawned. It sauntered over to Tommy and licked his face. He laughed and pet the dog around the middle. Sybbie took a step away from the great beast as it turned its attention to her.
"Don't be afraid of her. Saoirse won't hurt you."
Sybbie stopped and let the dog approach. The dog was nearly as big as she was. Saoirse sniffed her clothes until she deemed little Sybbie okay. She nuzzled here head into Sybbie's chest and she reached out to pet the dog. She laughed as Saoirse started to lick here face. A voice came out of one of the rooms and a young woman, older than Mary came out of the room in the back corner.
"Tommy? Is that…who are you?"
The young woman stopped in the doorway and started at her, cradling a sleeping baby in her arms. Tom took a step in front of Sybil, ready to defend his new friend from his oldest sister, Meara.
"This is Sybbie. We were playing hide and seek when she bumped here head. I took her here because I thought we would have something for her bruise."
Meara strode over to Sybbie and kneeled down to her. She swiftly moved the baby from her arms to her shoulder as she stroked Sybil's forehead and carried the baby in the other. She examined it quickly.
"Nothing serious Tommy. Just a bump. Come 'ere Tommy. Hold Niall for a minute while I get a cold cloth."
Tom held his arms out to hold the youngest Branson. Once Niall was secure in his big brother's arms, Meara disappeared back into the room she came from, looking for a something that would reduce the swelling in Sybbie's forehead. Saoirse padded over to Tom holding Niall and obediently sat next to Tom, guarding the two youngest Bransons from any harm. Tom sat down on a chair already halfway pulled out.
Fascinated by the sight, Sybbie stood in front of Tommy, gazing intently at the small life in his arms. She hesitated to touch the baby's cheek, fearing she would break him. Tommy smiled and nodded at her, giving his permission. She stroked his cheek and was surprised at how soft it was. Being you youngest of three, she had never seen a baby before. She was awed.
Tommy quietly whispered.
"Niall, this is Sybbie. Sybbie, this is my brother, Niall."
She stroked his cheek again.
"He's so…small."
Tommy laughed as Niall squirmed in his arms.
"Babies are supposed to be small."
Meara came back with a cloth and wet it. She gently pressed it onto Sybbie's head and told her to sit down on a chair and hold the cloth there. As Sybbie sat down, four people bounded in through the door. The man she recognized as the coachman hung his livery coat on the hook beside the door. He was not a very tall man. Chestnut brown hair, large shoulders, with a bushy mustache. He spoke animatedly in another tongue to the woman who came in next. Her hair was up and she was covered in flour. She had a soft face and looked a bit like Tommy, same nose and lips. Next came an older boy and another girl. None of them paid attention to little Tommy's guest sitting at the table until he cleared his throat, altering the rest of his family of their presence.
One look at the girl, and the four Bransons froze in place. Their conversations halted and eyes directed at her and Tommy.
The coachman was the first to speak.
"Milady…I…"
Sybbie stood up, face flushed and embarrassed she had invaded their home, put the cloth down on the table, getting ready to leave.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"
Tommy cut her off, knowing he would be the one to give the explanation.
"It's my fault Da. We were playing hide and seek when Miss Sybbie fell and knocked her head. I took her here because I knew Meara would know what to do. I didn't mean any harm, I promise."
The Bransons stood silently, staring at their son.
Sybil came to his defense.
"It's true. He was the only one who helped me." Sybil turned to Tom and smiled at him. "He's a true friend."
Tommy's mother shrugged her shoulders.
"Well neither of you has any reason to lie." She turned to Sybbie. "You've missed luncheon milady."
Sybbie bit her lip. She already knew that Mama and Papa would be upset.
"I have?"
Tommy's face lit up as his gaze switched from Sybbie and his parents.
"Can she eat lunch here? Please?" he pleaded.
"That's up to the little miss," his mam said.
Tommy's eyes filled with hope.
"Sybbie?"
She set the toy rabbit she was clutching onto, on the table and grinned at her new friend.
"Only if I get to sit next to Tommy."
. . .
May 1919
They strolled though the beautiful gardens of Malahide Castle. Their wedding was a few weeks away and the pair decided to take a day trip to see the famous gardens.
As they walked along the path through the field of flowers, Sybil looked back and up to the castle, sighing with nostalgia. She squeezed Tom's arm and leaned further into him.
"I remember coming here when I was a child. It was the only time I came to Ireland with my family. I met the coach and cook's son on my last day. I tripped and hit my head and he helped me. He and his family were so kind. I had lunch with them in that cottage over there. I remember I forgot my toy rabbit there, but I knew he would take care of it. Sometimes I wonder what happened to him after the Talbots left Malahide Castle."
Tom stopped, forcing Sybil to stop as well. His mind swirled. He remembered that afternoon. He remembered it was the first and last time he saw Sybbie. He buried the memory soon after she left. He didn't want to dwell on his lost friend.
She might not be lost anymore.
Tom reached for her face and looked into her deep blue eyes. How could be not see it before?
"I...no...Sybbie?"
A moment of clarity washed over Sybil's face as she recognized her long lost friend.
"Tommy?"
They laughed as Tom swept her in the air and twirled her around.
They found each other.
For the longest time I mistakenly thought that I read a fic where Tom and Sybil met as children. (ETA: There are fics out there. I'm just an idiot and didn't remember.) I was wrong, but then I was inspired to write this. I hope you enjoyed reading this!