A/N: I had this chapter sketched out but when I started writing it I became a bit side-tracked – and maybe even carried away with the gardens. I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. And it means that the next chapter is pretty much written.
Mary had an engagement in York that she offered to cancel but Tom assured her it was no problem. He still had a few places that he wanted to show his granddaughters, foremost the Estate Agent's house, so they had plenty to do.
Since it would only be Tom and the girls and Artie for lunch, Artie suggested they meet in the village at the Grantham Arms. The girls immediately voiced their opinion that it would be nice and appealed to their grandfather to agree to Artie's suggestion. Tom laughed at the girls eagerness to eat somewhere other than Downton's dining room. Even though times had changed and there were no longer several footmen serving dinner nor were the diners required to wear formal dress, there was still a formality at Downton, much more so than any of the Bransons were used to.
They decided they would spend the morning exploring some of the estate by foot. The girls were intrigued by the pillared structure they had seen from the front of the house but first they'd visit some of the gardens. Artie had talked extensively about the gardens of Downton and had promised to show them around since Downton of course did not have a single garden but rather numerous gardens each with their own purpose.
The extensive gardens had become a good source of income for Downton both as a tourist attraction and as a source of food and flowers. There had always been a kitchen garden from which came most of the vegetables and herbs used to feed the family and the staff even in Tom's days there as the chauffeur. This garden had been expanded and was now not only the main source of vegetables and herbs for the family's use but also the restaurant at the hotel.
"I can still remember so many of Mrs. Patmore's dishes" Tom exclaimed as he rubbed his belly. "I'm not sure any servants had better meals than we did."
He continued "I thought we were well fed until I started eating upstairs in the dining room."
"The servants didn't eat the same food as the family?" Aine asked.
Tom shook his head. "The servants tended to have stews or a roast of some kind with vegetables. But upstairs … ah upstairs … the family had seven or ten courses none of which were ever stew."
"Every night was so many courses?"
"Yes" Tom answered. "And each course had a different wine. Dinner would last a couple of hours. And then after dinner the men would stay and have port and cigars while the women retired to the drawing room for coffee where the men would eventually join them."
"Wow" both girls said in chorus.
"As you can see now it's not so much" Artie added. "We only have the salad or soup, the main course, and then dessert." He chuckled "and there's no port and cigars for the men either. I might have liked that part."
Everyone joined in laughing at those remarks.
"Isn't Mrs. Patmore the one who taught Grandma how to cook?" Ciara asked.
Tom chuckled. "Aye she did. When I met your Grandma she didn't even know how to make her own tea."
"She couldn't make tea?" there was no mistaking the sound of disbelief in Aine's voice.
Again Tom chuckled. "I know that sounds unbelievable but you have to remember those times. Women of your Grandma's class didn't learn to cook or clean they had servants to do all that."
"I give her a lot of credit for wanting to learn some basics before she went to nursing school" he continued. "But somehow your Grandma never did master many dishes despite Mrs. Patmore's and my mother's instructions."
"Now Grandpa" Ciara chided him. "Her beef stew was wonderful and that fish dish you like and her"
Tom grimaced. "I know there were a few dishes she did very well but"
But Ciara wouldn't be silenced. "and her cakes were …"
"Ah her cakes" Tom interrupted. "Her cakes were heaven! Yes she was a wonderful baker."
"Well whatever Aunt Sybil did was more than my Grandmama can do. I don't think she's ever cooked anything" Artie chimed in.
Tom laughed. "I'd have paid to see Mary in the kitchen cooking!"
It had been a long and tiring day and Tom looked forward to getting home and having supper with Sybil. He had been so busy he had only had an apple for lunch so he knew he would hungrily devour whatever she had fixed or so he hoped. Dinner the past two weeks had been an ordeal. One night she had burnt the lamb making it so tough they could barely chew it but they could hardly afford to throw it out uneaten. Another night the stew or was it a soup, he wasn't sure, had half raw vegetables and half that were like mush. He wasn't even sure what had been for dinner last night and he didn't dare ask her.
Regardless of how it tasted, they had to eat it because they didn't have the money to fix something else or go out to eat. Last week he had suggested they go to dinner at his mother's house and Sybil had thrown a pan at him which luckily missed him but left quite a mess, again of something he wasn't sure what it was supposed to be, on the kitchen floor. He had been left to clean up the mess when Sybil fled to their bedroom in tears.
Later when he brought her some tea and buttered toast she continued to sniffle as she bemoaned her cooking ability.
"It will just take some time" he gamely offered. "My mother will help you."
Which was the wrong thing to say as Sybil starting crying again.
"Your mother thinks I'm an idiot."
"Sybil" Tom wasn't really sure how to respond. It wasn't that she thought Sybil was an idiot but rather that Sybil had underestimated how hard her new life would be.
"Oh come on Tom. Your twelve year old sister can cook better than me."
"Well Aileen has had more practice than you. It will just take time. You can't expect to be cooking like Mrs. Patmore in a month."
He neatly folded his suit jacket over the back of one of the lounge chairs and then removed his tie and laid it on top of the jacket. It felt good to be free of the tie and he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. Feeling more comfortable, he deeply inhaled and decided he had better get into the kitchen.
Sybil was so engrossed in whatever she was cooking that she didn't realize he was home. Her back was turned to him as she stirred something on the stove.
He quietly walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her and nestled his chin against her neck.
"I think my husband will be home soon so it's best you leave now" she remarked without looking at him and continuing to stir.
"Is he the jealous type?"
"Well I don't think you'd want to find out."
Tom kissed her neck and ran his hands gently up and down her hips.
"Tom!" she called out. "Stop that or dinner will be ruined." It was on the tip of his tongue to say maybe that wouldn't be so bad but he wisely decided to keep that thought to himself.
He stepped back. "It just feels so nice to be able to do that. To hold you or kiss you whenever"
She turned to face him. "I know what you mean." She quickly kissed his lips. "Could you set the table while I finish this?"
Satisfied with whatever she had been stirring, she poured it into a bowl which she set on the counter top. She then took an earthenware dish out of the oven and placed it on a pad on the table top.
Tom once again had a moment of distress as he wondered what was the mystery dish but then he noted that the top was a flaky looking crust that actually looked quite good. To his surprise it turned out to be chicken pot pie and it was delicious.
Tom finally set his spoon down and wiped his mouth. "Since you had two bowlfuls I take it you liked the chicken pot pie" Sybil commented.
"It was delicious Sybil." Sybil beamed at Tom's words. "Dare I ask how you did it?"
"I just put my mind to it" she replied. She wouldn't tell him that she had written to Daisy and asked for some easy step by step instructions that didn't leave out anything no matter how minute for several dishes. "Did you leave any room for baked apples with warm cranberry sauce?"
Again she wouldn't tell him that in her response, Daisy and Mrs. Patmore had also sent a box full of jellies, jams, and compotes, as well as some jars of honey, marinated fruit and pickled vegetables.
They had been walking through the kitchen garden and now Artie took them into one of three greenhouses. "This one is just for edible plants and herbs. We're able to have some fresh stuff year round. And we make jams and jellies and compotes from some of this as well as the various fruit trees we have growing around the estate and in one of the other greenhouses. Papa has turned that into quite a profitable business."
Artie next took the group to one of the floral gardens which was still a riot of color with late spring as well as early summer flowering plants and bushes. There was a brick walkway that led through the garden and several benches were scattered along its path.
"It's just so beautiful" Aine stated.
"I like all the colorful plants" Ciara chimed in. "Actually Grand Da it reminds me a bit of your back garden. Did you get your inspiration from this?"
"I might have" Tom responded.
It had been rainy for five days now and the gloom was getting to Tom. He was anxious for spring to fully arrive with its longer sunnier days, the trees in full greenery, spots of color, whether it be the wild flowers in the fields or the carefully planted shrubs and bushes, everywhere one looked, and the air filled with the sweet aroma of lilacs, cherry blossoms, and magnolias.
Of course it wasn't just the rain itself that was causing Tom's gloom. When the weather was bad the family rarely ventured outside so that meant that he wasn't very busy. Other than driving Mrs. Crawley and old lady Grantham to and from dinner at the abbey he hadn't driven anyone else all week. And that of course meant he hadn't seen her.
Sybil. Lady Sybil he should say but in his thoughts and dreams she was just Sybil. He knew he was treading on dangerous territory but he couldn't help himself.
He was sitting in the garage with the doors wide open. Although it was raining it was blowing from the back of the garage so no rain was coming in the open doors. He wasn't sure why he was sitting here with the doors open. Maybe he was just hoping that one of the stable hands or groundsmen, or someone, anyone would walk by and converse with him.
He could have gone to the servants hall but they would all be busy for rain didn't affect their jobs. Plus he just wasn't in any mood to listen to O'Brien or Thomas grumble.
Since he didn't think Mr. Carson or any of the family, actually other than Sybil none of the family ever came to the garage, he undid his tie, removed his jacket, and unbuttoned his waist coat. With a cup of tea sitting on the table, he sat on his work bench reading the newspaper, so engrossed in an article that he wasn't even aware of footsteps finally entering the garage. He sensed rather than heard a presence of someone standing in front of him, his newspaper blocking the sight of them.
Finally lowering the paper, he was rewarded with the sight of the lady of his dreams standing there. He closed his eyes and shook his head thinking he was probably dreaming but when he opened his eyes she was still there.
He quickly stood up, dropping the newspaper on the floor. "Milady what are you doing here?"
Sybil giggled at the sight of the relaxed Branson now fumbling to button his waist coat. "Please Branson, stay comfortable. I was just out walking and thought I'd drop by to say hello."
He knitted his brows in confusion. "You were just out walking around. In this weather?"
She smiled that smile that made his heart flutter. "It's not cold just a bit of rain. It's not like it's pouring and with my boots, coat and umbrella I'm perfectly fine."
"But why would you be out walking?"
"I've always loved the rain. I love to sit by the window and watch it come down. Even as a child I loved rainy days. Papa or Mary would let me sit in their laps and read to me." Tom noticed that faraway dreamy look on her face.
"And then of course there's what comes after."
"What comes after" he asked now totally confused.
"Flowers silly" she replied as she lightly tilted her head. "Just watch tomorrow or the next day we'll see buds opening on the trees or some of the spring flowers blooming."
He thought she was suddenly leaving when she turned and walked to the open garage doors. She surprised him when she leaned down and picked up something from the ground.
Turning around he saw that she was holding a large pot with green sticks in it.
"I brought this for you" she said as she walked over to him and held out the pot.
He could now see that it wasn't green sticks but some of kind of stalks with buds on them.
"I bet some of these will be blooming tomorrow Branson."
"I imagine they will but why are you giving me this and where did you get it?"
"I walked by one of the greenhouses and the gardeners were sitting these out getting ready to plant them."
"But why are you giving it to me?"
She giggled. "I thought you could use something to cheer you up. Cousin Isobel said you seemed a bit gloomy last night when you picked her up to bring her to dinner."
Now he was even more curious. "Mrs. Crawley talked about me to you?"
"Not really. While she was waiting for you last night after dinner the two of us were talking about the weather and how everyone seems to be ready for some sunshine after all the rain we've had and that even you who, in her words always seems sunny, seemed a bit down."
"I thought they'd brighten up your cottage." He raised his eyebrow at that and she blushed. "I mean not that I think or know if it needs brightening up" she quickly added "but … but flowers bring … bring a bit of … I mean a ray of sunshine into a room."
Tom was rather amused at her sudden discomfort discussing his living quarters.
"I'm sure they'll look lovely" he said "and will certainly brighten up the room."
Then just because he couldn't help it, he added rather cheekily "I've never gotten flowers from a woman before."
Sybil's face turned a shade of red he would never have thought possible. Fearing that maybe he had gone too far he said "It's a very kind gesture of you."
"Think nothing of it Branson" she replied breezily as she turned to leave. Stopping at the doors she turned back to him. "I've never received flowers from a man." She sighed and got that dreamy look on her face again. "And when I do, I want something colorful with several types of flowers but men seem to only think of red roses or white lilies."
"Grand Ma always liked colorful bouquets" Ciara told Aine as they followed Artie down the garden walkway. "She said the variety of colors in nature was just too great to only have one type of flower.
Artie had led them about a third of the way down the walkway when the girls bent over to inhale the scent of some blooming roses that formed a small bed beside the walkway. When one of them turned to ask Artie what type of roses they were, they found that Artie was no longer standing beside them. In fact, they couldn't even see him.
Since she was five years old Sybil had been exploring the grounds of Downton. It was a way for her to escape her nanny or governess as well as her bickering sisters and what she would later realize was the boredom of her life. It also meant that little Lady Sybil, unlike her sisters, was a well known figure to some of the groundskeepers and gardeners who would come across her in her forays into the grounds and gardens that surrounded the big house.
It had been a bad morning for six year old Lady Sybil. In her exuberance chasing her Papa's dog around the house she had broken two vases. Luckily for her neither vase was a priceless antique, not that she understood what that meant, but none the less her Mama was quite angry and she unleashed her anger on not only Sybil but also the hapless nanny who, in Cora's words, was not providing proper supervision of her charge.
Later that day Sybil hatched the idea of bringing both her Mama and the nanny a nice bouquet of flowers in the hope that some beautiful flowers would put them in a better mood. After all she reasoned, as much as a six year old could, I always feel better just looking at beautiful flowers and if they smell good too well that was just grand.
Sybil spied her favorite gardener, Mr. Crouch, and decided to ask him to cut her some flowers. She had learned her lesson that some of the flowers she thought were most beautiful or fragrant had thorns that would hurt her fingers if she tried to pick them.
She had to run to catch up with Mr. Crouch who, pushing a wheelbarrow, had turned onto the brick walkway that meandered through the cutting garden. Sybil wasn't quite sure why this was called the cutting garden nor how it was different from the other floral gardens but she knew Mr. Crouch would let her pick out some flowers for her bouquets.
To her great surprise, when she reached the walkway Mr. Crouch had disappeared. His wheelbarrow was sitting on the walkway but he was no where in sight. How could this be she wondered? As she stood there wondering if she should run for help, Mr. Crouch suddenly walked out through the hedge, grabbed a pair of cutting shears from the wheelbarrow and then proceeded to disappear again through the hedge. Now how could this be? She could see that the hedge wasn't that wide and it bordered a very tall brick wall. The six year old was totally perplexed.
Sybil ran towards the wheelbarrow and then turned to where she had seen Mr. Crouch disappear. She approached the hedge and saw there was an opening which she gingerly crept through and to her surprise discovered an open gate built into the wall. She boldly walked through the gate and into the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. Running through the middle of the garden was a swath of grass and on either side of this was a variety of blooming plants and bushes.
"Where did he go to?" Aine asked as she looked around the garden.
She and Ciara kept looking around for their cousin when they heard him call out "I'm in here!"
Even though they kept looking around them they couldn't see him. "Just to your left" they heard his voice say.
But on their left was a tall hedge that lined the garden's solitary brick wall that rose about eight feet high. Suddenly Artie stepped out from between the hedge. "Come here" he beckoned.
As the girls and Tom walked towards him he suddenly disappeared again but they could hear him laughing as if he was standing only three or four feet away.
It was Aine that realized one of the bushes that formed the hedge was planted out just a bit from the ones on either side of it leaving a small opening for someone to walk through.
They walked through not only the hedge but an open wrought iron gate in the brick wall that was concealed by the bush in front of it to find Artie standing there.
As he flung out his arms he cheerily exclaimed "Welcome to Downton's secret garden."
Uncle James and cousin Patrick's visit had greatly upset Mary. Ten year old Sybil hadn't been privileged to most of their visit since she wasn't yet old enough to eat dinner in the dining room with her family nor had she been allowed in the library when her parents, Mary, Uncle James and cousin Patrick had met in there. It was a most unusual meeting for usually it was just Papa and Uncle James that would meet in the library.
Sybil noticed Mary had run from the library, tears flowing down her face, quickly followed by Mama. Despite Mama's pleadings Mary wouldn't return to the library.
Although James and Patrick had left three days ago, Mary was still upset. Sybil was quite use to hearing Mary's sharp tongue against Edith whether or not Edith had done something to deserve it but it was quite unusual for Mary to do so to Sybil.
She had finally concluded that Mary's behavior was caused by some serious disease and decided to boldly ask her Mama. At this time of day Mama was always in her sitting room doing embroidery work and that was where Sybil found her.
Cora, surprised to see Sybil appear in her sitting room since she should have been poring over her lessons with her governess , immediately dropped her sewing on her lap and asked "Is something wrong Sybil?"
Sybil sat down on the sofa beside her mother. "Is Mary ill?"
"Why would you ask that? Has something happened?"
"She snapped at me this morning for no reason and wouldn't let me come into her bedroom. She … she just seems so unhappy. I thought maybe she's ill."
Cora sighed deeply and then reached out to pull Sybil closer to her. She kept her arm around Sybil's shoulder and with her other hand she took hold of Sybil's hands. "Oh my baby" she murmured. "Mary's not ill she's just … she …" Cora paused. How could she explain to her youngest daughter the cause of Mary's pain? How could she explain that Mary's future had been decided?
"Sometimes life demands one take a certain path whether or not one wants to." Cora ran her hand gently up and down the side of Sybil's face. "She'll be alright soon."
"So she's not ill, she's not dying." Sybil responded.
"She's lucky she has a sister that is so caring."
The next morning Sybil sat at the top of the stairs waiting for Mary to finish breakfast and leave the dining room. She was just beginning to wonder if maybe Mary had never come down to breakfast when Mary finally appeared.
"Mary … Mary" Sybil cried out as she raced down the stairs. She grabbed Mary's arm and pulled her towards the servants stairway.
"I have a surprise for you."
"Sybil I'm not in any mood to play games."
"Please Mary come with me. It's good I promise you."
By now Mary knew that if there was one person more stubborn than herself it was Sybil and she knew Sybil would pester her until she got what she wanted.
They exited the stairs into the hustle and bustle of the servants area. While most of the servants were used to seeing Lady Sybil in their midst, if only while she ran through, seeing Lady Mary was rather unusual. But Sybil didn't stop to talk and just pulled on Mary's arm to follow her.
Ten minutes later as they approached the cutting garden, Mary had had it with her younger sister. "Sybil" she exclaimed. "I told you I didn't want to play games."
"We're almost there Mary I promise" Sybil replied unpeturbed.
Reaching the spot where the hidden gate was concealed, Sybil had Mary turn so her back was to the hedge. She then quietly walked through the hidden opening, opened the gate and stepped into the secret garden.
"Okay Mary. Turn around" Sybil called out.
Mary turned around expecting to see Sybil standing there and the surprise on her face at not seeing her was genuine. "Sybil?" she called as she looked up and down the garden.
"I'm here Mary" Sybil called back.
"Sybil!" Now Mary sounded irritated.
"Come through the hedge."
"Do what?"
"Follow the petals I dropped and come through the hedge."
Sybil stood facing the gate wanting to see the look on Mary's face when she entered the secret garden and Mary didn't disappoint her.
"What … what … how …" Mary stammered. "How did you find this?"
Sybil just rolled her eyes. "That's not important." She pointed around the garden. "Isn't this just the most beautiful place?" It was July and the garden was at its most colorful.
"Who knows about this?"
"Not many. Certainly not Edith or Mama."
"So it this where you come to hide?"
Sybil shrugged. "Sometimes."
She pointed to a bench that now sat just to the left of the gate. She wouldn't tell Mary that she had asked Mr. Crouch to put it there so Mary would have a place to sit knowing that Mary wouldn't think of sitting on the grass.
"You can sit there and feel the sunshine on your face. Or read a book … or dream."
For the first time in days Mary actually smiled.
"But there's just one thing Mary. You can't tell or show anyone else about this place."
Mary hugged her little sister. "I promise."
"A secret garden" both Aine and Ciara cried out at once.
Artie nodded and then pointed around the garden. "As you can see there is a high wall that goes all the way around and the only way in" he pointed to the wrought iron gate "is through that gate which is hidden in the wall."
"How did you find it?" Ciara asked.
"Well it's not really much of a secret anymore. All the groundskeepers know about it."
"I think this is the most beautiful garden I've ever seen" Ciara stated as her eyes took in the colorful blooming plants.
"Oh you should see it next month when it will be at its summer peak" Artie replied. "That's when it's most beautiful."
"But why have a such a beautiful garden so hidden?" Aine asked.
Tom chuckled. "I think I can answer that one. It was a place where two people could secretly meet away from any prying eyes."
"Did you and Grandma meet in here?"
Tom blushed just thinking about the times they had met in here. Of course by then they were married and although he was not ashamed he thought there were some stories that just weren't to be shared especially not with one's granddaughters.
A/N: I have never had the pleasure of visiting Highclere Castle but I have looked at the website and devoured the information on the grounds. There really is a secret garden, from which I got some of my inspiration, but my description of it isn't really accurate.