A Fool's Errand

Part 4

By: Piperholmes

A/N: All of my thanks and adoration to you, darling readers! Your reviews and comments make my day and a day spent smiling is wonderful. THANK YOU! One day I will write a chapter and get to where I wanted to go, but alas, this is not that day. Another short chapter, but I think I can update faster and more consistently if I write these smaller chapters. So we don't wind up the chapter where I hoped but I should be able to post the next chapter by Friday or Saturday, and hopefully you gals (and guys) aren't getting frustrated. Un'beta'd.

Following the kiss in the street, a sort of truce had been reached; a silent agreement that while Tom was still in hospital life would go back to what it had been, as nurse and patient, as friends. As they had eaten their celebratory meal they had discussed the next steps in their plan. Their union and her condition would remain a secret until Sybil handed in her notice. Tom was set to be released from medical care by the end of the next week and had been promised 5 days of leave following that release, but Tom hoped he could get that extended to at least a week in order to travel with Sybil to her family home and see her settled before he had to report.

"My C.O. is a bit of a wank…uh…jerk," he amended quickly, keeping his voice low in the busy eatery. "But he and I have always seemed to get on well enough. When I tell him I've married maybe he'll be willing to give me a few extra days."

Sybil nodded, her own mind spinning with details.

"I know you said you'll be a father to this baby, but—" Sybil struggled to phrase her question. "well, time wise, are you wanting everyone to believe the baby is yours?"

His brow furrowed as he tried to follow her meaning.

Seeing his confusion she explained, "I just want to be clear on what we are telling my family. I don't like deceit and my parents don't deserve it, but I also don't want to borrow trouble. When the baby comes…you have to understand, my family will not merely accept this. Expect to be questioned, particularly by my nosy granny, who lives for intrigue. If she gets a whiff of scandal she'll hunt."

Tom nodded, beginning to understand. "You expect the baby to be born in August?"

"Late July, early August," Sybil confirmed.

"Which means, forgive me for being indelicate, but means your…uh…you," he cleared his throat. "conceived—"

"About a month before I met you," she finished, blushing. "And if we are going to act like the baby is yours something has to be nudged a bit."

Tom thought for a moment. "I don't like the idea of lying either, I am this baby's father but I won't lie to the child, but I also agree that right now it isn't necessary to go about brandishing the details. I have a feeling we're going to be in enough trouble with your family as it is."

Sybil's sympathetic smile did little to calm the rush of feelings. He felt a fresh wave of anger at the man who had so readily and willingly abandoned her and her child.

"I say we keep it all as simple as possible. We can explain that we've known each other for months, which is true, and only if we are pressed will we admit to meeting a month earlier than we actually did. Will that work?"

Sybil nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry to say that your reputation may still suffer considering the date of the birth and the date of the marriage. It's not fair, but I'm afraid if we start weaving a long tale of falsehoods—"

She interrupted him with the wave of a hand.

"I understand." She slowly spun her cup, her food picked at as her stomach still refused to settle. "And what about your people? Will they accept me? The baby? Our marriage?"

It was Tom's turn to feel a bit of discomfort at the mention of his family.

"My siblings will most likely give me a hard time, out of love mostly, but my Ma is another story. She's not too fond of the English. She lost a cousin in the Easter Rising." At Sybil's sympathetic gasp he continued. "He was walking down North King Street one day, and an English soldier saw him and shot him dead. When they asked why he was killed, the officer said because he was 'probably' a rebel."

"That's awful," she said quietly, and Tom felt her sadness at his family's loss to be genuine.

"She's also rather religious. She's not going to be happy about our marriage, and even less so about the baby, but she's a good woman. She'll be upset, with me mostly, but she'll find a way to deal with it. She'll come to love you and the babe," Tom assured, but couldn't resist teasing her. "Eventually."

"Will she love the baby knowing that you're not the natural father?"

Tom paused.

"We won't tell her," he decided finally.

Sybil had accepted his edict, despite the uneasy feeling. It seemed the more they decided, the more questions that arose. Her queasiness returned stronger than ever, causing Tom to note her pale complexion, leading the pair to cut the meal short and grab a taxi back to the hospital.

"I'm so sorry," Sybil offered again, feeling truly crummy.

Tom waved her off. "I've not been married before or a father, but I've plenty of sisters and family to know it's not easy expecting a baby. Promise me you'll get some rest."

She'd nodded, giving him a smile and his hand a squeeze.

"I'm on duty tonight," she whispered as they stood outside the back entrance, hidden in the alley. "I'll…I'll see you tonight I suppose."

It felt so awkward to be discussing her nursing schedule for the night, the first night of their marriage.

"You know where to find me," he said plainly, the twinkle in his eye the only indication of his levity. She could see the tight press of his lips, the grimace in his jaw. His leg must surely be bothering him.

"Go put your leg up," she advised, assuming her no nonsense stance. "I'll go write my family, let them know about us and make arrangements for our visit."

Giving herself a task made it easier to walk away, to not think about how sad she suddenly felt. Just before she turned to leave she impulsively grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Thank you Tom Branson," she said quickly.

She made to dash back but was caught by his hold. Carefully, slowly, he turned her hand in his, his long fingers stroking at the skin of her ring finger.

"I'm sorry I've no ring to give you right now."

Sybil shook her head, wanting to assure him it was fine, but he wasn't looking at her and the words couldn't find truth enough to move from her throat. It did matter. She couldn't explain why but part of her longed to see his ring there, to help her feel married, to pull her from the limbo she felt trapped by.

"But my promise is true," he breathed, placing a light kiss where a gold band should sit. "And as soon as I'm able to afford it I'll get a gold band. It will be simple but hard earned."

For a moment she saw her hand, weighted with a large, sparkling ring that women of her class expected and gushed over, and she hated it.

Blinking away the image, she met his blue eyes.

"I will wear it proudly."

To be continued…

Thanks for reading!