Chapter 3 – Going for a Ride

"Lord Grantham, I'm not sure how making a count of homeless veteran's in the area will change anything. I can't see how anything can be done," Reverend Travis stated.

"My daughter, Lady Edith is quite concerned about the situation as she should be. Right now the priority is to establish if there are men who have served their country in need in the area. Whether or not anything can be done for them is a moot point until the numbers are identified."

"Very well, Lord Grantham, if that is your wish," Reverend Travis replied.

Robert Crawley was just concluding his meeting with the Reverend Travis after he had walked down to the village. It was a clear day in late fall and he had wanted to walk his dog Isis after the last three days of steady rain. As Robert walked back down the lane towards the Abbey with Isis by his side he heard the steady whine of a machine coming closer. It certainly didn't sound like a car. Whatever it was the sound was drawing nearer at a terrific clip. As Robert turned to see what the sound was his jaw dropped open. He didn't have long to stare as Isis started barking madly and would have charged towards the contraption if Robert hadn't stilled her with a word and a hand on her collar. With a roar Tom Branson pulled the motorcycle he was driving to a stop and pulled his goggles down.

"Good gracious! What on earth are you riding?" Robert burst out.

"I got her surplus. Isn't she grand?"

The word Triumph was written across what Robert could only guess was the gas tank on the noisy contraption.

"What ever possessed you to purchase such a thing?" Robert said still confused.

"I though a motorcycle would be more economical and versatile on the back roads for getting around the estate. It costs a fraction of what the car does to operate. I've already arranged to sell the Estate Agent's car. There are enough cars at the house for the days when it's raining or I need to take Sibby with me anywhere. I go by horseback when I need to check the fields. Driving a motor vehicle on the pastures damages them," Tom answered.

"Isn't it rather dangerous?" Robert asked still eyeing the motorcycle with hesitation.

"No worse than a spirited horse, maybe even a little safer. It won't kick you in the head," Tom answered with a grin. "You should give it a go."

"I think I'll pass," Robert replied.

"I best be off," Tom said. "I'm going to check on the roof we just had replaced on one of the buildings. I wanted to make sure it didn't leak in the rain."

"Right-o," Robert replied in parting. He watched Tom shift the bike into gear and tear off down the lane. Robert could only shake his head. His son-in-law was a constant topic of gossip in the county and if he didn't miss his guess this latest development would be a hot topic in the local pubs for the next fortnight.

By the time Tom had checked on the building with the new roof, completed a few other errands and headed back, he was starting to feel the cold. The wind in his face bit at his cheeks and his fingers were starting to go numb as he gripped the handlebars. His thighs felt as though they were covered in ice but he didn't care. He felt free and in control for the first time in months. Ever since he had been banned from his beloved Ireland he had been conforming to his in-laws world first for his wife's sake and after her death for his daughter's. As he whizzed by the colored autumn foliage in a blur he threw back his head and laughed. For a few minutes he was the master of his own destiny, damn the cold and discomfort. There was no place he would rather be.

All too soon he was pulling into the garage at Downton Abbey and shutting down the engine. He took off the goggles and drapped them over the handlebars. "I had best wear warmer clothes next time," Tom thought to himself as he removed his gloves and blew on his fingers to warm them. He might not get too much use out of the bike this winter, but come next spring it would be his main mode of transportation.

"How is the new motorcycle," Matthew asked that night over dinner.

"It's perfect," Tom replied. "You'll have to give it a go."

"I think I'll stick to my car for now, thanks. I don't know how my clients would take to their solicitor whizzing around the countryside on a motorbike," Matthew replied.

"It looks rather dangerous," Robert contributed.

"What's this?" the Dowager Countess asked.

"Tom's bought a motorcycle for getting around the estate, Cousin Violet," Matthew replied.

"A what?" the Dowager asked with a puzzled look.

"A type of bicycle with an engine but larger, Lady Grantham," Tom answered. "It came with a sidecar as well but so far I haven't had anyone willing or interested to try riding in it."

"It sounds rather exciting, if you ask me," Edith chimed in.

"All the excitement and trills of a traveling circus act," the Dowager stated.

"Oh Granny, it's all part of modernizing," Mary said, trying to smooth some ruffled feathers.

"Well, I'll go for a ride if no one else wants to," Edith stated.

"Edith, what will people say if they see you riding in that sort of contraption," the Dowager demanded.

"The same thing they always say, Granny. There goes the spinster from the Abbey if they say anything at all."

"I'm heading over to the other side of the estate tomorrow," Tom said. "If you want to come along, I'll put on the side car as long as it's not raining."

"It sounds lovely," Edith replied. "I haven't been over there in simply ages. I'll have Mrs. Patmore pack us a lunch, then we won't have to hurry back."

"Dress warm, it's a tad colder than you might expect," Tom replied.

"I don't know if I like the idea of you gadding about on that contraption of Tom's, Edith," Robert commented.

"Now Robert, Tom drove us all about for years and you never batted an eye lash. I'm sure Edith will be perfectly safe," Cora contributed.

"And cold," Tom thought to himself with a slight smirk.

The following day dawned bright and cool. A heavy dew had settled on the grass and the mist rolled across the fields in the morning light. The temperatures weren't cold enough for frost yet, but from the bite in the air it wouldn't be long.

Edith's eyes opened wide when she met Tom at the garage. Edith had stopped by the kitchen to collect their picnic basket. The sight that greeted her made her pause and wonder exactly how safe the motorbike and the wicker sidecar were. When Tom turned and spotted her with a wide boyish grin of excitement, Edith gritted her teeth and stepped forward. After all the grief and pain Tom had been through this year, if riding around for a day in the side car was what it would take to cheer him up, she would do it.

"It's not quite what I expected," Edith said as way of greeting.

"There's nothing to be worried about," Tom replied. "These machines were nicknamed the "Trusty Triumph" during the war. They made thousands of them. It's a tried and true machine."

"If you say so," Edith replied hesitantly.

Tom was busy pulling on his gloves. Today he had worn a scarf and thick wool vest under his jacket. A winter hat and his older pair of riding boots made up his biking gear for today. He started the bike then helped Edith into the sidecar and handed her a pair of goggles and a wool blanket to put over her lap. Edith had to hold their lunch on her lap as there was nowhere else to put it.

"It's a lark and goes at a terrific clip, but it is rather cold once we get going" he told her.

Tom took a few practice turns around the yard before they headed off towards their destination for the day. Despite the racket of the engine and the cold wind blowing in her face Edith found herself enjoying the experience. Her face was cold and she was glad of the goggles, but the blanket provided enough protection that she wasn't chilled to the bone. The trees, fences and country lanes flew by at a terrific pace and they arrived at their destination in record time.

"That was rather exciting," Edith said with a smile once Tom had switched off the engine.

"I'm afraid the rest of the day will be rather boring," Tom remarked. "I've got to check on at least ten tenant cottages and take a look at the livestock barns to make sure they are in good repair for winter."

"I don't think it will be boring at all," Edith replied. "Besides you've saved me from accompanying Mary and Mama to yet another dress fitting. That is the very definition of boring."

Tom gave her a crooked grin before he pulled his notebook and pencil out of his pocket and they headed to the first of his stops for the day. At midday Tom returned to the bike to retrieve their lunch and met Edith at the barn.

"Not a very elegant place to eat, I'm afraid," he said. "I think the barn is in much better repair than some of these cottages though."

"That doesn't concern me," Edith replied good-naturedly. "I'm rather enjoying being out and seeing this part of the estate."

They spread their lunch out on a crate and found another two crates that weren't too dirty to sit on.

"I noticed an orchard behind the cottages," Edith commented. "Do you know what happens with the fruit?"

"As far as I know nothing," Tom replied. "The people who lived here once picked it, but now all the cottages have been left to ruin and it will take some time to fix them up for rental."

"I wonder how many orchards there are on the estate."

"I'm not sure, but I could find out," Tom commented. "Why would you like to know, any bright ideas of what to do with them?"

"I was noticing when I was in London the last time how costly the price of jams and preserves was. When I saw that orchard just sitting there, it occurred to me that this could possibly be one of the expanded markets you were talking about."

"I don't know. I'll find out about the orchards. I think it would take some research to find out if there is anything we could do to sell the fruit or if there would be a way to make preserves and sell them to the markets in London or the other cities."

"I would be happy to do some research for you," Edith said suddenly looking down at her half eaten sandwich and waiting for the rejection that she was so used to from her family.

"I would appreciate it if you would and I'm sure Matthew would as well," Tom replied.

"You don't think my idea is silly?" Edith questioned still not quite believing anyone would take her seriously.

"No I don't. It's rather smart. You've identified something on the estate that may be a source of potential revenue. It's not silly at all," Tom said before taking a drink from his ginger beer. After a minute Tom spoke again.

"Edith, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Edith said while toying with her food and eating slowly.

"Why were you marrying Sir Anthony?"

Edith looked up quickly to see Tom regarding her. He wasn't looking at her with the pity she had expected, rather he wore a look of sincerity.

"There were a lot of reasons really," Edith said at last. "I want a home and family, like anyone else. I get tired of being alone. I live surrounded by family, but my opinion counts for nothing most of the time. I'm rather invisible. Just once I would like to be special to someone."

"Did you love him?"

"I think I was more fond than anything else," Edith admitted. It was the first time she had ever admitted anything along those lines to anyone and here she was pouring her heart out to her brother-in-law who until very recently most of her family had despised.

"I wanted to tell you how very sorry I was he did that to you on the day, but I couldn't really" Tom said. "I didn't think you would have wanted to hear anything I had to say."

"Well, I do now," Edith replied quietly.

"What I wanted to say to you back then and still do is," Tom took a deep breath before he continued. "Stop doing what your family expects and do what you think is right. You're opinion does matter. It matters a great deal."

"It's nice to know my opinion matters to someone," Edith said quietly.

"It does. I'm glad you came to our wedding. It mattered a great deal to your sister and to me too."

"Well, enough of this serious talk," Edith said suddenly brightening and finishing her ginger beer. "What else do you have to look at today?"

"Just a bit more then we'll head back."

"Let's go back the long way," Edith suggested. "I rather enjoyed the ride here."

"All right, you're on," Tom said with a smile as they packed up the picnic and went to stow the basket back in the sidecar.

On the ride back to the Abbey they took a side rode with a series of twists and small hills. Edith laughed in delight when Tom gunned the engine as they neared the top of each hill and then allowed them to coast down the opposite side. They were both laughing and windblown with red faces from the cold when they arrived back at the house.

"Thank you for taking me," Edith said happily before she headed into the house to get ready for the evening. "I had a lovely time."

"Anytime," Tom replied. "I was glad of the company."

Tom watched Edith as she headed back to the house. He was glad of the company. Today was the first day since his wife's death he hadn't felt quite so alone.