6. Get Away

When they pulled up the generous gravel drive, the snow crunching under the Renault's tyres, Tom could not believe his eyes. "Shit!" he exclaimed at the sight of the large manor house of sandy brick and more windows than Tom could count. "You might've told me that your family is filthy rich", he said accusingly and looked over to Sybil. She took his hand and brushed her lips against it. A smile so sweet crossed her face that he could not even feign being mad at her. He leaned over and returned the favour with a small kiss on the tip of her nose. She giggled and stuck out her tongue. "Lady Sybil indeed", he muttered and stepped out of the car.

Noticing how nervous Tom was, Sybil rubbed his arm and took his hand reassuringly as they walked up to the main door. Tom took a deep breath. His heart was beating hard in his chest. What would her parents be like? Would they accept him as Sybil's boyfriend? Would they think her too good for him? He did.

"Don't worry, my love. It'll be fine. Anyway, Granny will be there, you will love her. She always says the funniest things." Sybil snickered and stretched to give him a peck on the cheek before ringing the bell."

"Miss Sybil". A tall elderly man opened the door and took Sybil's suitcase. "How nice to see you. We haven't seen you in a while." Sybil nodded apologetically.

"I know. Thank you, Carson. How is everyone?" she inquired.

"Very well, very well. They're all very excited to meet your young man, I gather." He turned to Tom and extended his hand. "Carson".

Tom looked at him quizzically. "Branson", he replied and heard Sybil chuckle next to him. Carson huffed and turned away to take up the luggage. "You have a bleeding butler?" whispered Tom as they followed Caron upstairs.

"Sorry", mouthed Sybil, suppressing a smile.

After a quick freshening-up and settling into their – obviously separate – rooms, Tom and Sybil made their way downstairs. Sybil stopped in front of a heavy, ornamented door. "Here we go?" she asked and looked up at him.

"Here we go", he repeated and quickly brushed his lips against her forehead. They were received by excited chatter and bustle. "Sybil, my darling", shrieked a dark-haired woman – he recognised her mother from the picture – and pulled Sybil into a hug. "Finally, I thought we'd never see you again!" she said accusingly. Tom was surprised to hear her American accent. Sybil had told him so much about her family but this she had neglected to mention.

"Really mother, you know how busy I am at school", replied Sybil affectionately. She pulled out of the embrace and went over to the grey-haired portly man Tom knew was her father. "Papa", Sybil said and kissed his cheek.

The door burst open and in came Sybil's sisters, Mary and Edith. "Sybil", they exclaimed in unison and went on to hug their youngest sister between them.

All the while, Tom was standing in the room not knowing what to do. He looked around the large room which was covered in expensive furnishings and drawings. Originals he assumed. 'Rich folk', he thought to himself. How glad he was that Sybil set no store by these things.

"Now, Mr Branson." Sybil's father crossed the room and extended his hand.

"Tom, please", replied Tom and shook his hand. Bloody hard grip that man had.

"Tom", Mr Crawley repeated somewhat uncomfortably but did not offer his first name. Mrs Crawley and Sybil's sister greeted him kindly.

"Where's Granny?" asked Sybil after they had been sitting in the large room for a while. They had inquired after her studies and her hospital work, but not much had been said to Tom.

"Taylor has gone to fetch her", replied Mrs Crawley. Great. A bleeding chauffeur as well. Tom rolled his eyes at Sybil and she smirked, knowing his thoughts.

"Now, Tom", said Mr Crawley and turned to face him. "Sybil tells us you're a journalist?" Tom was flustered by the sudden attention.

"I am, Sir. I work for the Dublin Times. Politics." Mr Crawley nodded.

"And don't you miss Ireland?" he inquired.

"Not particularly, no" replied Tom and smiled at Sybil lovingly. He did not even want to think about leaving her.

"Granny", exclaimed Sybil and jumped to her feet. An elderly woman had entered the room. She wore a long violet dress and balanced an elaborate hat on top of her grey hair.

"Sybil, dear", she said and patted her granddaughter's cheek. "Now, let me see this beau of yours." Right to the point, Tom liked that. "Well, well, well", the old lady uttered as she said down next to Tom. "I see. Very handsome indeed. Like one of the chaps from the movies." Sybil's grandmother had passed her judgement. And without speaking a single word to him. Tom grinned at Sybil.

"Very handsome", she repeated and gave Tom one of her goofy winks.

After dinner, Tom went out into the garden. He pulled his scarf tighter around his neck and breathed in the clear winter air. Snowdrops were lining the path, their heads drooping under their heavy white blanket. He had really needed the air. How exhausting such a big family was. All that chatter. The two elder sisters quibbling over vanities. Mr Crawley asking him about his interests.

"Politics, well. I hope you aren't one of those revolutionaries" he had huffed.

"No, Sir", Tom had replied. Sir, he kept calling him for some reason. Sybil's mother and grandmother were nice enough. But it struck Tom that probably none of them expected to ever see him again. He would leave for Ireland soon, right? And their precious youngest daughter would find an appropriate man to marry. A rich man. A man she didn't love.

Tom pushed the snow from left to right with his boot. Sybil would not marry another man. He wouldn't let her. She belonged to him. And somehow they would make it work. Tom smiled to himself and turned back to the house. Maybe he could find Sybil, sneak her off for a private moment or two. Tell her how much he loved her. As he went up to the back door, he could hear her voice. She was in the room to the right where a door stood ajar. But she was not alone. He recognised the voice of her eldest sister Mary.

"Sybil, please", he could hear her clearly as he moved closer. "You cannot be serious." He could see Sybil through the crack of the door.

"What do you mean, not serious? I've never been more serious in my life!" His girl looked positively livid.

"He's a journalist, Sybil. For God's sake, he's Irish! And not exactly well off by the looks of him." Tom looked down at his clothes. What did she mean? He'd gotten all dressed up for the evening.

"Don't be so bloody high and mighty, Mary. And you know I don't care about such things as money!" snarled Sybil.

"Oh darling, darling. Don't be such a baby. This isn't fairy land. What did you think, you'd move to Ireland and we'd all fly over for tea?" Mary looked at her accusingly.

"Why not? I cannot wait to get away from this house, away from this life!"

Mary shook her head disappointedly. "What and burn all your bridges?"

Sybil grinned grimly and got up. "Fetch me the bloody matches."

As Sybil came storming out of the room, she crashed into Tom who was still standing outside. "Tom", she exclaimed in surprise. He could see tears glistening on her cheeks. "Did you...? You didn't hear, did you?" she asked anxiously.

"I did", he replied quietly.

"I'm so sorry." She flung herself against his chest and buried her head in his coat. "Don't listen to her. She's just jealous."

Tom sighed. "She's only saying what everyone in that house is thinking."

Sybil shook her head and pressed her lips against his. "I don't care", she breathed. "I love you so much."

They walked through the glistening snow together, hands entwined, her head resting against his shoulder. "I have to say, I did like what you said about the matches", he said by way of consolation. Would she really give up her life to be with him?

"I meant it, you know" she said as if she had read his thoughts. "But I don't see how. I mean, school and all that... Believe me, if it were only about this... this stupid life, I'd be on a plane to Ireland right now."

He grinned. "Then you'd be in Ireland and I'd be here. What good would that be?" Sybil looked at him disapprovingly and a smile crossed her face. He had succeeded.

She had loved his present. At the sight of the beautiful editions of her favourite novels, she had shrieked like a little child and jumped into his arms, not a care in the world for her disapproving family watching. In all fairness, after the conversation he had overheard, Sybil had offered to just leave and go home. But he knew that in her heart, she wanted to spend Christmas with her family. Who was he to ruin that? They were very civil to him but he could only imagine what they were saying behind his back.

All in all, he could not say he was sorry when their four-day stay came to an end. As Carson put the suitcases into the rental car - he had insisted on this honour - the entire family flocked outside to wave goodbye to their youngest. Tom had civilly shaken everybody's hand, received the obligatory invitations to return and wishes for the future, and was now watching as Sybil made her goodbyes. Her behaviour towards her eldest sister had been icy for the remainder of their stay. Now Mary hugged Sybil to her and whispered something in her ear but Sybil only shook her head and pulled away. Her father looked at her very earnestly. This wasn't the last Sybil would hear about it, Tom was sure of that.

They pulled out of the driveway and Sybil took Tom's hand in hers. "Well. That was horrible. I'm sorry." He shook his head. She was so beautiful, the way she looked out of the window, her black hair glistening, her blue eyes full of sadness. "Don't even try to defend them. They don't deserve it. There is no excuse for their behaviour." Tom didn't even want to know what they had said to her when he hadn't been around. Probably implored her to rethink. Told her not to throw away her life. Told her there would be no more money.

He sighed. "I told them I would not give you up", she said emphatically. Her way of reading his mind had become positively occult.

"We will make this work, Sybil. I know we will". Finally a tiny smile crept up to her face. She leaned over and put her head on his shoulder.

"We will", she sighed and closed her eyes.