A/N: I don't own Downton Abbey or any of these characters. My apologies that this chapter is a bit shorter than the others but trust me, there is some major development. This chapter is also kind of angsty. Sorry for that but it is bound to happen with these two. I so appreciate all your reviews and favorites and follows. It really gives me the motivation to keep going. I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves this pairing. Keep those reviews coming!
April 1923
It was a beautiful Yorkshire spring day, one of the first since winter and everyone was venturing outside. Tom was going to inspect some of the farms on the estate and decided to bring along Sybbie as company. When he heard that Mary walking to Crawley House with George to visit Isobel, he suggested they walk part of the way together.
Sybbie and George had fully recovered from their illnesses, much to everyone's relief. It had made Mary and Tom much more protective over their children though. Having felt so close to losing the young ones had thoroughly frightened the two parents. Another effect of the scare was that Mary and Tom had become much closer, even more than they had been before. It seemed that just like with losing their spouses together, almost losing their children gave them something else to bond over.
This increased closeness was not something that had gone unnoticed by the rest of the Crawley family. Violet had managed to spew out more than a few cryptic remarks on the fact that Mary and Tom always managed to end up secluded in a corner with each other after dinner to which Cora only rolled her eyes. Not surprisingly, Robert seemed oblivious to their relationship. Mary and Tom had created gossip downstairs as well. Daisy and Ivy thought the relationship was romantic while Thomas and O'Brien jeered about it and Anna and Bates tried to stay silent on the matter. The only ones opposed to it seemed to be Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes. Mr. Carson thought his Lady Mary too good for Mr. Branson while Mrs. Hughes felt that Mr. Branson was too good for Lady Mary. Despite all this talk in the house, Mary and Tom seemed to not notice any of it.
They were slowly walking down the path from the big house with Sybbie a few steps ahead of them and George drifting off to sleep in the pram that Tom was pushing. Mary had wanted to do it herself but Tom had insisted that he should do it to which Mary remarked, "You do not have to feel obligated to do everything for me. You're no longer the chauffeur."
The mention of his previous career hurt Tom. Was he never to be anything besides the former chauffeur to the Crawleys? It hurt especially since it came from Mary who he thought was one of the only ones to truly accept him as part of the family. After digesting her remark for a while, Tom responded angrily, "Is that all I am to you still? Am I still the lowly servant who is intruding on the family?"
Mary looked taken aback at his words, but she quickly answered him. "Of course you aren't. You are part of this family. I am sorry if I upset you. I only meant it as a joke. You know I think much more of you than just a servant. Sometimes I feel like you are my only friend in this house," Mary spoke and smiled at Tom.
"You are quite frank with your feelings," Tom said as he looked to check on Sybbie ahead of them.
"Why do you say that? Did you think that I had none? You would not be the first," Mary asked.
Tom paused before he responded. He was reminded of a time when he had underestimated a woman's feelings before. After this thought, he answered her, "I know you have feelings. I have been a witness to them for the past year and a half."
"Have you now? Well if you have observed them, then I cannot understand why you would think I thought of you as anything less than my equal. I don't know if you can know me at all if you don't realize that fact," Mary snapped and she quickened her pace.
Tom was getting as angry as Mary now. "Perhaps you're right. I don't know you. I know you don't know me, because if you did, then you would know that I would be offended by your little joke!" Tom exclaimed.
Tom's shouting caused a sleeping George to stir in the pram and a confused Sybbie to look back at her arguing father and aunt. Mary would not look at Tom and they continued on in silence.
They soon came to the point in the road where there was the turn to go into the village and Tom could see that Mary was anxious to get away from him. They all stopped to separate. She grabbed the pram away from Tom and jerked it in the direction of the village.
Mary bent down and kissed Sybbie goodbye and as she rose, she looked at Tom and icily said, "Goodbye, Branson." With that, she took her leave while Tom clenched his jaw tightly.
Tom and Sybbie continued on their way to the farm. Tom was stewing. He was angry at Mary, but more than that, he was angry at himself too. She probably didn't mean anything by the joke, but he couldn't leave it alone. He had gone and insulted her in return and then she had called him Branson. Damn. That one stung. She knew exactly where to hit him to make it hurt.
Mary really did know him well and he thought he knew her well too. They had been getting along so well since Christmas. Why did he have to go and mess everything up? Tom didn't want her to be mad at him. To Tom, Mary's opinion meant a great deal. He grimaced when he thought of what her opinion of him must be right now.
Tom's thoughts were interrupted when Sybbie, who had been walking by his side all this time, tugged at his hand and asked, "Daddy, why did you and Auntie Mary yell?"
Tom stopped and crouched down to her level. As he did, he smiled at how well Sybbie was forming sentences now. He paused before he answered her, "We were just disagreeing over something. You don't need to worry about it, my girl."
Sybbie looked questioningly at Tom while he spoke. "You seemed really mad. Please don't yell at Auntie Mary anymore, Daddy. I like her," Sybbie said playfully.
Tom could only laugh at what Sybbie said. "I promise I won't and I like Auntie Mary too," Tom replied with a smile.
They were at the entrance to the farm now and as Tom opened the gate, he promised himself that he really wouldn't quarrel with Mary again. He vowed that he would fix what happened today, because he knew in his heart that he really did like Mary…a lot.
