Branson's Valentine's Thoughts

She came into the library and without a word approached him. He smiled from the bottom of his soul at her. She was so beautiful.

He gestured that she should come closer and sit on his lap and she did without hesitation. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close enjoying the warmth, loving the smell of her hair. She snaked an arm out and reached up to gently, lovingly stroke his cheek. He smiled wide and felt the love emanate from her towards him.

"Oh my Sybil." A tear came to Tom's eye. "Happy Valentine's day my darling"

He thought back to when he and Sybil had first met. He was the very recently hired-chauffeur who had come to the Abbey to earn some money to fund his ambitions. His ambitions of a free Ireland, but there were tensions rising in his homeland and he needed to get away for awhile. To collect his thoughts. And he needed to save some money. He thought this was a perfect chance to get the insider information he might need about the Aristocratic life of his oppressors. What he hadn't expected was to see the youngest daughter of the Earl for the first time and fall hopelessly and endlessly in love with her. It had complicated his plans. It had turned his ambitions into dreams. Because his new dream had become to hold Sybil in his arms forever.

He thought back to all the endless sideways glances they had exchanged. The conversations they had when he drove her around the village attending her meetings. Some of them very heated as he expressed his opinions and she expressed hers but the debates that ensued pleased him. She was so much more than everyone else thought and he was glad he saw the incredibly independent woman she was becoming. He knew she was special. His love for her grew with each passing trip they took on each passing day.

He thought of the time where he had to literally drag her out of a near riot at the bi-election debate. He knew that she would be worth waiting for on that night because she had defended him even though she was injured and in great trouble from her family. She defended him. His heart had broken when he saw the blood on her head from the altercation at the vote counting. He had never been scared but he came to a realization. She cared for his welfare and it was more than mutual. That had been the official nail in the coffin of his undying dedication to her. He wanted to protect her but was submitted many times with her words, "I thought I was the one who gave the orders." She always had him there. What could he do?

He remembered every word she spoke in his presence and every gentle touch. Them gently holding hands ever so briefly at the garden party. That moment still made him feel a warmth in his stomach to this day to think about. It was so forbidden, yet it had happened and neither of them could help it. Watching her help the maid Gwen exceed everyone's expectations and make a better life for herself beyond the service industry only showed him how dedicated and caring she could be. He had wondered who else could see who she really was.

Sybil's stubbornness and her free spirit awakening by the day was noticed by him as he watched her learn to work in the kitchen. Her dedication to help the wounded when they came to Downton to recover from their injuries. How absolutely adorable she looked in her white nurses scarf. How much she truly cared about the world that was beyond the estate where she had grown up. He had watched it all come to fruition within her.

He watched the spark in her preparing to ignite every time he saw her. He had waited eagerly for the times she would find an excuse to visit the garage. It could only be to see him and he knew it, but he tried not to press her too hard. There wouldn't have been another reason for her to so regularly visit the garage if it was not to see him. But he waited patiently.

And he waited. Loving her so intensely that he knew that he could never leave to anywhere without her coming with him. He could never exist not seeing her every day. He could not exist unless he could kiss her. Even just once.

He thought back to their first kiss and his heart swelled at the memory. It had been gentle and sweet. Just like her. A long time in the waiting but worth every second that had passed before it. And every second that passed after it was agony for he knew he wanted more. He wanted it all. And from that moment he loved her even more because he knew she felt the same way. He didn't think it was possible to lover her more, but he did. They only had to work on their plan. He had sworn his only duty would be to making her happy.

After the war, he noticed the change in her immediately. She could no longer be satisfied by the life that lay within the walls of her home. She had gone too far to go back to the way life had once been. And he was so thrilled about it because he knew his dreams were not far off from coming true. He tried with all his might to convince her to run away. And she was listening. He could see her mind racing with the decisions that they must make. And it made him so very happy. Beyond his wildest dreams.

And now he sat in the big library with his beautiful Sybil on his lap. He never could have dreamed it had come to this. Despite the incident that had brought them back to Downton, he was happy enough. He was sitting in the house, upstairs, knowing that life would go on. The life they had tried to live in Ireland was ruined by his foolishness. But here they were. Life is what you least expect sometimes

His deep thoughts were interrupted by a woman entering from the far door and approaching them slowly. He only held her closer as he knew their few minutes of private bliss were about to end, such moments were hard to find in such a big house with so many people about. He cherished each and every one of them.

"It's time to take Sybbie for her tea now Mr. Branson." Nanny reached down for the little girl on her father's lap.

"Of course. I understand." He helped lift up his daughter to the nanny and watched them go but before they left the room, his daughter turned her head to look at him and smile slightly. She looked so much like her mother that his heart broke.

"Happy Valentine's day my love" A tear rolled down his cheek. Thank God he still had a piece of her mother in her. It was enough to bring back memories of every happy moment they had in love.


oh Twist! :) See you soon.