The entire staff was bustling with action. There was still so much to do until the celebrations after the ceremony. Even though most of the family had disagreed with Mr. Branson's choice of religion for his daughter, they still insisted on a proper celebration of her Holy Communion.
Thomas was supervising the hall boys as they rolled up the large carpet in the foyer. He didn't necessarily understand why they made such a fuss about this celebration, but if he had learned one thing in the almost 20 years working at Downton, it was that everything was taken seriously, no matter how superfluous the celebration! Thomas was fairly certain Sybil had no idea what the celebrations and the ceremony were about. He had never seen her overly enthusiastic about her religion. Yes, they did say grace before a meal, but that was about it. Well, Thomas couldn't really say anything about religion, could he? He was an abomination in the church's eyes, so why bother with the traditions of a group of people that would want him to burn in hell?
It was almost time for the family to leave for the church when Thomas heard his name being called. The under butler turned left and right, but couldn't see the source from where the calling was coming. Was he starting to imagine voices? Had he come that far already?
"Psst, Mr. Thomas!" he heard again, and this time he saw a dark haired head peaking around the corner leading to the servant's staircase. Thomas walked over to Sybil and immediately saw her dilemma.
"What on earth did you do?" he asked the girl, who sheepishly looked down at the red stains on her bright white dress.
"I… I found a bowl of raspberries" she admitted and then looked up at Thomas. "You have to help me! Grandmama will have my head if she sees me like this!" she begged, and with a sigh Thomas took Sybil's head and pulled her along towards the hidden staircase leading downstairs. The under butler lead her to the laundry room and set her down on the table in the middle.
"This is not in my job description, he mumbled, but still made to work at filling a bowl with warm, soapy water and rubbing a sponge over the stains on the white fabric.
Sybil sighed in relief when she saw the stains easily removed from her dress.
"Thank you Mr. Thomas!" she said when she was allowed to hop down from the table. She quickly wrapped her arms around Thomas' middle and hugged him, then skipped along the servant's corridors, back upstairs into her world.
Thomas followed behind the girl more slowly, going back to his duties in the foyer. He didn't know when it had happened, but slowly but surely Sybil had become his sole purpose of still working at Downton. His standings hadn't improved in the years of him being under butler, and more often than not people were talking badly about him.
But he had promised a mother that he would look after her child, and he would hold onto that promise.
"Mr. Barrow, do you know where the bowl of raspberries has gone to? I could swear I brought it upstairs already" Andy asked then from where he stood in front of the large table holding all the various dishes that would be served at the celebrations after the ceremony.
"Why should I know where a bowl of raspberries has gone off to?" Thomas replied, trying his best to hide the smirk on his lips.
The family came back to the house for food and drinks after the ceremony. The more casual setting called for less serving and more supervising, so Thomas was left standing to the side of the parlor, looking over the people he worked for enjoying the food Mrs. Patmore and Daisy had prepared. Peripherally he saw Sybil being offered a plate of raspberries by her aunt Edith. The girl only shook her head.
"No raspberries, Sybil? Why ever not? You love raspberries!" the woman asked, confused by the girl's refusal of the sweet treats.
"No thank you, Aunt Edith. I don't really feel like raspberries today!" Sybbie shot Thomas a small grin at her words, and Thomas smiled back. This girl was something really special!