After the Storm
Branson also escaped much of the trouble of war. He stayed with the family to start with, his political beliefs providing enough of a conflict within his own head. He taught Lady Edith to drive, and carried on his duties as per usual, but was eventually drafted up in 1917. He had a strange way of dodging the major battles. He was still in training throughout the battle of Passchendale, and then was shot in late November, at the beginning of the battle of Cambrai. Over the winter he stayed in England, to recover from his injuries. While he was in a hospital in London he had been reunited with Sybil. Mary had later learnt that the pair spent the two months together before he was sent back to France. Back at the front he met another aspiring politician who he supposedly talked politics with for the rest of the war.
Branson never came back to Downton. Lord Grantham did receive a letter from him.
Sir,
As you are well aware I have held an interest in politics for some time and I have now been lucky enough to receive an opening into this exciting vocation. I will therefore be vacating the position of Chauffeur that I held with your family. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your extensive kindness, and for the freedom to use your library. I will always regard my time at Downton with fond memories.
I took all of my belongings when I left for France, therefore it will not be necessary for me to come back at all, unless you require me to do so. I did leave a couple of books, but I should like Lady Sybil to keep them, unless she does not want them in which case could they be sent to the return address in Ireland.
T. Branson
They never saw the radical Irish Chauffeur again, although he made a few surprise entries into the newspapers. He had gone back to Ireland and was helping the fight for independence. Robert had been quite impressed. Branson had taken a diplomatic approach, trying to get various leaders to talk with each other, and trying to stop the violence. He even got the opportunity, for him and his colleague to speak in America.