Part way through the morning, during the regular staff tea break, Gwen sought Branson out to repay her part of the bargain. They found a quiet area away from everyone else, and people gave them space thinking there may be a budding romance on the cards. Even O'Brien hoped there would be, as the gossip and drama that could arise from a relationship between staff made things more interesting. Unless it was that odious Bates and soppy Anna. They made her feel ill.
Gwen nervously told him of her interview and previous applications for jobs, and the journey and the horse. The retelling jumped all over the place and included Anna, but she did not mention Lady Sybil once. He was of course fascinated by her story, but could no longer deny to himself that his primary source of interest now was Lady Sybil's part and he found it hard to concentrate on the other parts of the story. Once it seemed she had finished her tale, he decided he must ask her to fill in the remaining blanks that she seemed to have left out as a loyal way to protect the young miss's involvement in the enterprise from being found out.
"And so you and Lady Sybil all secretly snuck around the country to find you a job? But why and since when? Has it just been these past few months?"
For a moment Gwen looked thoughtful before he suddenly saw her ire visibly rise to her colouring face. "If you think she was only helping me out because you came along and told her to, you are completely wrong. My mother always said young men were arrogant, and the Irish the most arrogant out there, but you really do take the biscuit. If you must know, Lady Sybil has been giving me references, applying for jobs and helping me every way she can since before we had even heard of you. So please try to get over yourself."
She tried to storm off but he gripped her wrist softly.
"I am sorry, really, I didn't mean it as it came out." This was a slight lie; although it had not come out exactly right, Gwen had cottoned on to his meaning rightly. However she gave him the chance to try to explain. "I was just bemused as to why you two did not ask for my help when I could have driven you. Lady Sybil and I have spoken about the support for women and the working class trying to better themselves and she knows my views, so why she did not come to me I cannot fathom." He could see from her expression to his sincere hurt that he had dug himself out of the hole and pushed himself further, thinking on his feet to cover up his earlier words. "I was just wondering whether Taylor had been in on your secret, but once I came you both decided it was best to keep it to yourselves."
"No, not at all. Mr Taylor had no idea whatsoever. He was a dear old man, but I think he didn't even like women working in a house, though he could not deny it was necessary for the ladies. He would have been one of the worst ones in response to my decisions. In fact, he handed his notice in shortly after my dreams were found out. I wonder if they played a part, as we didn't really speak again after that." He felt rotten that he had made her feel sad and guilty. "It is nothing personal, Mr Branson. Well, it is. It is personal for me." He realised at that moment that his questions were not to be directed at Gwen, for he had surely always known that the reason she had not involved him was that she was very private with regards her ambitions. Though he could not find it within himself to feel angry with her, especially after having seen her the night before after her trial, he knew his quibble to be with Lady Sybil.
"Well in that case, thank you for telling me. You can be assured of my discretion and any assistance I can offer. I hope that the interview went well?"
"A lot better than I had thought it would. I am actually very good at typing." He could see the honesty in the declaration and the pride on her face, and thought at that moment he could see a lot of his sister Suzie in her face, making him feel very fond and protective of her indeed. As they stood smiling at each other, O'Brien coughed fake-delicately to interrupt.
"Mr Branson, her Ladyship would like the car brought around for them." Tom had been expecting the summons, as he was to convey all of the ladies of the house to help with the final preparations for the flower show, and to pick up several more of their relatives after dropping them. He nodded and thanked her for the information, before putting his cap on and marching authoritatively off.
Gwen watched him walk away. She had been dreading telling him and was sure it was the thought of it even more than the memory of the dreadful day that had kept her awake the night before. But now she felt so much better having spoken up to someone else, and he had actually listened and offered words of support which fuelled her. With the feeling of the world being against her, she considered herself very fortunate to know that she had not only Lady Sybil but more than anything Anna on her side. And now, if he stayed true to his word, it seemed as if Branson was another one on her side. She had never had a male friend before, and she smiled at the concept, believing it would be an important lesson before making her way into the wider world when she got offered this job.
'I wonder whether I might have started to have a little crush on him if I had not spotted his clear infatuation for Lady Sybil?' she wondered as she continued about her duties, wishing that sometimes she wasn't so level headed, supposing it would not prove useful to her future hopes in romance. 'I wonder how long it has been going on? He said that they have talked in a friendly way,' she continued to muse. After dismissing him as a potential suitor she decided that he reminded her of her little brother Freddie and she determined to rat out his secret just as he had ratted out hers.
Tom pulled the shining car up to the front of the house and Mr Carson opened the grand doors as he opened the car door. He tried to shake the image of a group of aristocrats coming up against a door that was not opened for them, and not being able to fathom out what to do with the thing, but found both it and the accompanying smile hard to budge. He found it particularly embarrassing when it was Lady Mary who exited the house first, and she raised an eyebrow at him before haughtily turning back to call through the doorway into the house to her mother.
"Mama, please stop fussing, we are late enough already. Sybil will be fine. What can possibly happen to her lying there?" Soon afterwards Cora's huge hat came out of the house overpowering the woman, and she led her daughter into the motor. He continued to listen to their conversation, realising that it would only be the two of them travelling that morning. His smile immediately dropped with his disappointment; he had wanted to try to find a quiet moment to take Lady Sybil aside and speak to her.
"Sybil looks a little pale, do you not think?"
"Of course she would be a little pale, but she is resting well and will be fine before long. Lying around and reading is much more her cup of tea anyway. I would almost consider walking around the country if it meant getting out of helping set up this dismal thing."
"Mary, I am sure you will one day run a household and shall need to be able to help with these type of community events." Mary just looked unimpressed at the idea.
"Well, I just wish I had beaten Edith to it and offered to keep Sybil company. Goodness knows there is nothing like Edith's companionship to make someone feel more ill!" She smiled spitefully to herself and her mother ignored her, the pair silently looking out of the window for the rest of the trip.
Branson felt his heart go out even more to Gwen; Sybil was spending the day resting up and being pampered, but Gwen had been through precisely the same thing and could tell nobody, so had to work despite the surely painful feet. She was not the type of girl to have continued lying about being sick for any more than was absolutely necessary and clearly felt bad about having had to do so at all. He determined to buy her some chocolate while in town, to raise her spirits.
After dropping all of the attending Crawleys to their destination, he meandered around to the shops and got a chocolate bar, newspaper, a new writing book and more ink cartridges for his pen before returning. It seemed like an eternity before they were ready for him to drive them back, and he could not refrain from fidgeting. He was not one for delay once he had set his mind on a course of action and he could think of nothing other than asking Lady Sybil the muddled questions streaming over his mind.
On the return journey Branson barely listened to the conversation but heard snippets.
"Matthew said he was coming to dinner tonight. Please, could I sit next to him rather than Lord Snoresby."
"Please do not call him that. He is a very pleasant man and such an attitude does not make me want to upset my table plan for you."
"I am sorry, but he and I are of such different temperament I do not see either of us satisfying the other with dinner conversation."
"I suppose I could sit him by Sybil, and Matthew by you. But I was also hoping Sybil would help to entertain Sir Giles."
"Oh my, I do hope Sybil has regained some strength if she is to be sandwiched between Sn- Thorsby and Mortimer," Mary virtually snorted in derision.
"To be honest I was not sure that Sybil would be up for the dinner at all, but she assured me she would be make sure she was." She smiled at the memory of her youngest daughter fretting over ruining the dinner party. "Which is just as well as otherwise I would have had to try to convince your grandmother to come and make up the numbers." Branson saw the look they shared and thought he would far rather spend a dinner with Lady Violet than with someone nicknamed Snoresby.
As they drove up the approach to the house Branson smiled on seeing Lady Sybil wandering around the grounds, picking some flowers. He sped up slightly as they passed her, hoping the others would not see so he could hope to steal a moment with her before any of the family members would look for her. But Lady Mary waved out of the car and Lady Sybil waved back, ensuring she shared the smile in his direction also. He stopped at Mary's insistence so they would drive her sister the last of the way to the domicile.
"There, I knew you were faking it to get out of going to the preparations." Mary was obviously teasing her sister and they smiled at each other.
"I thought you would both be tired of looking at flowers so decided to organise the centrepiece for tonight."
"How sweet, thank you darling. Where is your sister though? She was meant to be keeping you inside."
"I have not seen Edith in a while, but I am fine really, mother. And the fresh air has cleared my head ready for tonight. Has it not brought some colour to my cheeks?" Lady Grantham's voice and Tom Branson's mind agreed that it had, and the benefit was most agreeable.
As he helped the three out of the car, he tried to get Lady Sybil's attention, but she was engrossed in the teasing of her sister about having gotten her sat next to Snoresby. Lady Sybil just giggled clearly not minding the change as she walked away into the house, retorting to her sister.
That evening Tom had to ferry Mr Matthew to the grand house and back again and entertain the other chauffeurs for the evening. There were several other couples and a gentleman or two, and they all had with them their own cars and own drivers but none were staying the night. If they had been staying overnight, the chauffeurs would have had accommodation in the main house and have been welcome in the servant's quarters, but for an evening event they generally congregated in his cottage for an evening of cards and banter. He rather enjoyed the change in company, and got to discuss cars and motor-racing. But as the night went on he was increasingly teased about how fortunate he was to be driving around three young women. Considering the fact that he had been trying to banish the thought of one of these young women from his mind, the topic was far from helpful.
It seemed the others worked for older men or couples and wished they had the added spice he clearly must have from young ladies, even if just the gossip of their tangled love lives, or the prettiness of them and their friends he must get to pick up every so often. He tried to laugh it off, but before long tired of it and excused himself for a walk.
The light and noise of the dining room drew him reluctantly in like a moth to a flame though he had expected dinner to have been over a while ago, so he nosed in as he occasionally had done ever since he had first peered at Sybil's pantaloons through the drawing room window. He was immediately struck with how much white hair there was in the room and just how right the other drivers had been. His eyes fixed at once on Lady Sybil between the two oldest men as they all primly pushed fruit and cheese around their plates with little forks. It looked so dull, he wondered how she could possibly look so radiantly happy. Yet happy she did seem as she talked with the two gentlemen in turn or together.
Tom suddenly felt so cold outside despite the warm depth to the August air and hurried back to his cottage, doffing his coat over his chair and upping the stakes in the game. It was just as well that he had not been told that Mr Matthew had left without needing his services, or else he may have fallen on some ale.