That evening's dinner was not enjoyed by anyone. Hugh had decided he and his family would stay for dinner and the wedding, but that they would maintain a relatively formal distance from them all in their interactions. Robert found he didn't care and could scarcely tell the difference anyway as they had always been a little standoffish as cousins and their families had followed suit.
Cora felt a despair when her mother made a big point of how she was taking food from the centre of the table rather than being served it and suggested they all did the same. Cora had always maintained a pride in her American past, but sat with her mother acting so gregariously in front of Susan of all people she felt as if she was the newlywed again being watched snidely from unsympathetic types in an alien world. This time however she was comforted slightly by knowing she had become good at her role in life and had the love of her husband, a truly good man, and that they had been happy. She knew the Flintshires were anything but happy. Hugh had had a string of mistresses and it was well known throughout society that he had hit his wife on several occasions, and it was believed he had even struck Rose.
She looked at Rose and then her three daughters and felt such immense love and pride for the three amazing women they had become. Yes, they had all caused their problems in their time and things were not altogether perfect but Cora felt a slight thrill at that and a lot of pleasure that they had all faced the challenges of their generation so admirably, finding their own way through to womanhood and making matches that clearly made each of them so happy in their different ways. Rose seemed to still be sulking against the world and remained stuck in that awkward age seeming to have dug her heels in to remain there interminably.
Through all of the courses there were raised words, and snide remarks from many sides and Cora found the whole evening very trying as she attempted to find some neutral ground to steer the conversation, failing miserably.
"Gentlemen, would you care to remain and take of some brandy with me?" Robert asked as he raised to help his mother out of her chair, ensuring he looked at each of the men, Tom included, in turn as an invitation. There was some relief as the ladies made their way from the room. Sybil smiled encouragingly at Tom, who was a little miffed that she had not wholly supported his discussions with Shrimpie at the table so only managed a weak smile back and she left the room with a heavy heart. Mary looked up at Matthew and indicated Tom with her eyes. He smiled in acknowledgement and she beamed back in gratitude and loving admiration. He found, however, that he had no need to babysit Tom as Anthony had made a beeline for him carrying the three brandies for himself, Tom and Matthew from where Robert and Hugh were sat over the other side of the room.
"So, you used to be the chauffeur, hey?" Tom bristled ready for a confrontation. He had barely spoken to the man today but had thought he seemed rather nice; however the dinner table conversation had put him in a foul mood.
"What of it?" Anthony did not seem to notice the angry tone in the man's voice, but Matthew's nerves were raised as they all took a sip of the very good brandy.
"Well, you must know a great deal of cars. I rather like them myself, but since this happened I have not had the chance to drive." He waved his bandaged arm at the men. "I was wondering what your opinion was on the Hudson Racer." Anthony was worried he'd spoken out of turn as the man in front of him seemed to be silent. "If you know about racing cars at all that is." At this addition Tom's face broke into a huge smile. He was so surprised that a man of his class was even talking to him knowing of his background, let alone using that background as a way of starting conversation eagerly with him.
"Oh, I do indeed. I plan to race them one day myself, and I think the Hudson racer is an excellent motor, it would be one I would consider myself."
"Really? I was planning on getting into racing as well, which is why I bought a Hudson a few years ago. Now it's getting dusty in the garage and I wonder if you wouldn't mind coming and giving it a look over some time?"
"Seriously, Sir Anthony? I would love to."
"Please, one day we might all be brothers, please both call me Anthony. Would you care to come over too, Matthew?"
"That would be super. You know, I have ordered a Deusenberg from America. It's not a racing car, but it should be here in a day or two, let me show you." He brought out his car magazine and was glad of having people who were as keen as he was. He knew Mary would enjoy going for a drive in the car, but she showed little interest in the make of it. These two men were both enthusiasts too and they found they all got on famously. Tom was pleasantly surprised to find a level of equality here in the midst of an upper class tradition of separating from the ladies for brandy.
Robert was sat at a distance with Hugh but observed the other men along the table. At first he had been briefly concerned, but they seemed to be getting on together rather well and he wished he could join them. Playing the role as host meant he could not and had to put up with Hugh's descriptions of their plans to get Rose a husband.
"Of course, since she heard Sybil had married she has turned her back on that suffragette nonsense, which is altogether a good thing. I think we will hold her a ball during the season this year, for she missed hers you know, and though she is not of debutante age any more I think it would be acceptable. We shall not, of course, be inviting Sybil but the rest of you will be welcome, though I shall not blame you if you wish to stay away from society this summer as the news of your daughter's mésalliance will surely come out during the course of this wedding." From your gossipy wife no doubt, Robert mused listening with increased frustration to the non-stop chatter of the obnoxious man who was already on his fourth glass. With each sip of brandy his voice got louder and louder until he had arrested the attention of the other group of men.
"Of course, it will come as no surprise to anyone that she is already with child as why else would she marry such a man? Everybody knows these suffragettes have loose morals; I saw a pamphlet about it in Rose's room once. It would not surprise me if Sybil became a nurse to get closer to the men and likely took several of them while they recovered in this house, not to mention other members of staff as lov- " Tom had had enough and spun around to stop the man from speaking, but he already had been silenced as had the whole room, for as Tom turned he saw Shrimpie on the floor, dazed and with a bloody nose, and his father in law stood above him red-faced with some blood on his clenched fist.
Robert was stunned for an instant, not quite able to believe what he had done, but as he tore his eyes from the pathetic lump on the floor to Tom, Matthew and Anthony he saw three looks of complete respect and agreement for what he had done and his chest swelled with pride. What should he care for the opinion of the likes of his cousin whom he neither liked nor respected? Those three very different men looking at him now had all made his daughters very happy and were all good men, he conceded. None of them would ever raise a hand to one of his girls, all of them would do their level best to make sure each day of his daughters' lives were happy ones, and he had to admire the choices all three of them had made. They were all his family and even if it meant being outcasts to the rest of the world, if he still had them all in his life he knew he would be a happy man.
"What on earth Robert! I insist on an apology at once." Hugh stood facing his glowering cousin.
"I shall not apologise. I am not at all sorry as you were in the wrong." Hugh stormed off. "And besides, I think a man who hits his wife and child should be punched every so often."
"I will not forget this."
"Nor shall I." With that Hugh left the room and Robert made his way to the 3 men as good as sons in law. They all raised their glassed to him and Anthony slapped him on the back.
"What were you all talking about before you were so rudely interrupted."
"Cars. I have invited the chaps to come and see my racer. Would you care to join us? We could make it a man only day."
"I am not a big one for cars, but having spent most of the past thirty years almost solely in the company of ladies I do think a day for us chaps is long overdue." Robert had resolved to stop focussing solely on being a gentleman and allow himself to learn from these three fellows what it was to simply be a man.
"Perhaps we might be able to convince you a little of the joy of cars by the end of it. Shall we say tomorrow?"
"I was thinking of heading for London tomorrow. Some important talks start in a couple of days and I am not needed here for some time." Branson had been rather looking forward to getting some space especially after his disappointment at dinner.
"Can you not hold your trip off for a day?" Robert inquired. It is meant to be jolly fine weather tomorrow and I am keen for it now I have the idea in my head. Do not let Flintshire chase you away."
Tom found he could not refuse it put like that by his suddenly more accepting father in law and acquiesced as they all made plans to spend the following day in each other's company and finish up dining at Sir Anthony's.
In the parlour the ladies were shocked when the Marquis of Flintshire burst into the room with his face all bloodied and insisted he and his family leave at once, not responding to any inquiry as to what had happened. It was evident to Sybil that Rose and Susan at once suspected her husband of having unjustly punched the man and if she indeed found that to be the case then she knew she would defend him wholeheartedly in front of her family before chiding him in private later. She did think it odd if it were Tom though, for although he had been highly agitated at dinner and clearly clashed with the man he never resorted to violence. She was even more surprised later when they discovered the truth.
All of the women remaining were now on tenterhooks to hear what had happened and were expecting the rest of the men through at any moment, their brandies surely interrupted by the scene that seemed to have occurred. They did not come through for another half an hour however and when they did they all seemed rather jovial and relaxed, a thoroughly unexpected sight.
"We wondered where you had got to," Cora commented as she stood to greet her husband and kiss him lightly.
"Indeed. Uncle Shrimpie came in all a fluster with a bloody nose. Sybil has been trying to convince us you did not hit him, Mr Branson."
"Indeed I did not."
"It was I." Robert felt uneasy at the way his wife, three daughters and mother in law turned to stare at him as if he was insane.
"It was, really," Matthew corroborated with a smile and a glint in his eye.
"And well deserved I might add," agreed Anthony. With that all the women bar Sybil burst out laughing. Sybil tried to mimic their joy but she knew the sort of comments her uncle had likely been making to force her father to deck him and it saddened her. Put on top of that the fact that Tom seemed upset with her and she could not be as happy as the rest of the room. A few minutes later she excused herself to take herself off to bed. She was gladdened that Tom hopped to catch up with her and aid her up the stairs, but saddened that he would not meet her eyes.
"Thank you for believing in me – that I didn't hit the bastard!" he started tentatively. It had meant a lot to him that she knew he would not do such a thing.
"Tom!" He was still getting used to the fact that, although she did not mind his bad language in their home in Dublin, she seemed to think it inappropriate here, even when they were alone. "Please mind your language while we are guests under my parents' roof. Of course I knew you didn't do it, but don't take it as such a compliment. I would have insisted my father had not hit him as I would not think it of him either, but evidently I was wrong." He could not help smile a little over at her at that, but was pained to see the expression on her face. She was clearly troubled by thinking on what had prompted her father to such an act. He wished he could alleviate her troubles, but would not lie to her.
Tom saw the shift in her thoughts before she started speaking.
"I am sorry I upset you earlier, by not backing you up more. I just… I just didn't see the point."
"Didn't see the point in making a stand for what is right? That doesn't sound like you," he rose his voice a little as they entered their room and gained a little more privacy. Sybil gratefully flopped onto the bed.
"You don't quite get my meaning. There was no point in the way you were doing it. Do you think for an instant that what you said has gone into that man's thick head? Of course not. The sad fact is that it is mostly arrogant, pig headed men like him you will have to deal with if you get into politics though hopefully far less so in Ireland after the troubles end, and if you talk to them as you talked to him tonight then you will get absolutely nowhere. If you berate them, put them on the defensive, they will raise their shields and everything you say will simply bounce off of them. But if you find a way to talk to them in a way they can relate to and accept, even if it is not natural to you, then you might find a way of getting through to them and actually making a change in this world rather than just shouting angrily about it in the background. I think you would be able to do it really rather well, and I think that being here and meeting the people you will meet at the wedding will be perfect practice for you, if that is what you wish it to be."
Many years of loving her from afar and nigh on a year of being married to her, and she still managed to surprise him utterly. She had clearly given the matter a lot of thought and it all made a lot of sense to him.
"But I still am truly sorry I didn't jump in to defend you more. I hope you know that if you had punched that – bastard," she whispered this last word, "then I would have defended you on it until the end of my days." He smiled genuinely at her as she still looked concernedly at him.
"Don't fret about it, darling. I don't expect you to defend your daft and overzealous husband, especially when there is pie on the table. I know you and peanut can't resist pies these days." She beamed up at him and it made him feel such delight. He loved that he had the power in him to make her smile like that.
"I think I plan to be pregnant forever – I get to eat what I want and you let me behave however my mood takes me. Yes, constant pregnancy is the answer."
"That can be arranged," he said coyly as he gently lay down on top of her and kissed her tenderly. "But I had better keep in training." She simply giggled as she kissed him back, glad at how easy their relationship was to keep them both happy.
