Coming Home – Part V – Chapter 17 through 20
Chapter 17 – Still Children
It had been a week since Davin had been taken ill. Redmond and Russell had extended their stay in order to help out. There hadn't been a second for Sybil and Russell to think of anything romantic with Davin seriously ill. He was so weak it took two adults to get him up and to the washroom. He had protested bitterly when Russell had insisted he sit on the commode to urinate. Davin had finally given in when Russell told him he had no problems with standing over him to make sure he complied with instructions then waited outside until Davin called for help to get back to bed. Afterwards Russell had thought about some of the Matron's on the wards he had been assigned to over the winter. They didn't take no for an answer either and it worked like a charm.
The infection was slowly responding to the drugs and Davin had been put on tablets rather than injections. Camilla was beside herself and clucked and fussed and gotten in the way until Redmond had suggested she be in charge of Davin's meals. She had thrown herself into the task whole-heartedly and was checking his meals against the prescribed diet. She'd caught Davin getting a peppermint from a bedside drawer as he was starting to respond and made him spit it out. Through it all Tom and Rose were both worried sick. Tom would get up through the night and sit by Davin's bed to watch him sleep in order to reassure himself that Davin was going to survive. It wouldn't be too long and Rose would be there as well handing Tom a cup of tea while they kept their vigil together.
"Redmond is going to have to go back for school soon and we can't keep imposing on Russell," Tom said to Rose at the end of the first week.
"I know," she sighed. "I've put everything on hold. I think I'm going to cancel the trip to England completely."
"We could send Sybil over with Redmond to her grandparents and then you make a quick trip to retrieve her," Tom suggested. "The doctor says Davin will get well. It's just a waiting game now with a long recovery."
"I don't want him going back to Scotland this fall," Rose said. "He's going to have to avoid chills all winter and follow a special diet. How is he going to do that living in a dormitory? You know how determined he is. He's likely to do something he shouldn't and have a setback."
"It's going to be hard but I think we talk to him about taking a year off his studies," Tom said. "Let him stay home and really get this thing beat. Dr. Reigler said it will be at least three months before he is up and around. That is well after the start of term."
"Davin will balk," Rose said. "And he may well loose his spot."
"He came in first place, miles ahead of anyone else. The university should allow him to defer for a year if they know the circumstances. We'll talk to him about it."
"It's going to put him and Camilla under one roof, with time on his hands," Rose pointed out.
"She's got a lot more sense now. She keeps him in line," Tom said. "When he's well enough, I'll find him something to do."
-0-
"I'm going to have to get back to England," Russell told Sybil after he had been there almost two weeks. "I really need to get to my parents'. I still haven't told them about the money."
"I'm sorry we haven't had hardly anytime alone," Sybil said putting her head on his shoulder.
"We've still got two days. The way Camilla has taken over she'll barely let anyone else in the room with your brother," Russell said with a chuckle.
"It's like she has a life size doll to play with and mother," Sybil agreed. "I'm allowed to travel back with you as far as Yorkshire."
"You could come down to Eastbourne in the next while. We could tell my parents we're engaged together."
"We'll have to tell mine before we leave for England," Sybil replied. "We'll do something special tomorrow, just us."
"That would be nice," Russell said. He kissed her softly. "I'm going to miss you, but this last while has made me realize how important my training is. I'm going to finish and I'm going to do the six month specialty."
"You're so kind," Sybil said. "I didn't want to take nursing. Now I'm not so sure."
"You've got all winter to decide," he said rocking her slightly. "We should go out tonight and look at the stars. It's so quiet here. Not like London. That is one thing I miss about Yorkshire. You could always see the stars."
"You know Redmond will want to come and most likely my younger brothers," Sybil said.
"Invite Sarah. Let Redmond spend sometime chasing after a girl of his own," Russell said with a chuckle.
"You know I think I'll do that," Sybil replied.
-0-
"I was so terribly sorry to hear about your brother," Sarah said that evening. They were out in one of the pastures sitting around a campfire. Dylan, Bradley and Garret had decided to come along as well to get out of the house.
"He's going to live," Redmond said. "It's going to take a long time for him to recover though. The doctor sent a letter to the university to say he's sick and won't be able to attend in September. Davin had a fit but it can't be helped."
"He is too ill to protest for too long," Russell said. "What are the lads from London up to during your break?"
"Visiting family and their girlfriends family same as us," Redmond replied.
"Sybil is going to England with Redmond, but I have to stay here," Garrett complained.
"What would you do with yourself in England?" Sybil asked him.
"I could be the morning piper at the Abbey," Garret said perking up.
Everyone laughed.
"I'm sure Grandpapa would love that," Sybil said. "Especially if Grandpapa Shrimpy comes to visit."
"So what are you going to do in England?" Dylan asked her.
"The same things I did when we lived there I suppose," Sybil said thoughtfully.
"All you did when we lived there was hang out with Russell," Bradley informed her.
Russell was thankful it was dark enough to hide the color in his cheeks.
"I do have other friends," Sybil said. "I'm going to ask if I can go to London and stay with Uncle James and Aunt Victoria for a while. Besides there are always garden parties and riding parties and I could throw a swimming party at the Abbey."
"I don't know who you're planning to invite," Dylan said. "Everyone from our old swimming parties is either in the Free State or going to school."
"Cousin George will be around," Sybil pointed out.
"Cousin Elizabeth too," Bradley said in disgust.
"They're the same age," Redmond told Sarah.
"I don't care for her company," Bradley said.
"She's better than she used to be," Redmond said. They heard a rustling in the grass before Garret and Bradley's three friends appeared in the light thrown from the fire.
"Bradley said there was going to be marshmallows," Bryan announced.
"There is," Sybil said handing the bag to her younger brothers.
"Maybe we should say a song for a marshmallow," Russell teased them.
"Not I said the fly," Lollan said. The others all laughed then handed over the sticks for toasting the marshmallows.
"Let's go look at some stars," Sybil whispered to Russell. They got up and walked away from the fire into the dark of the night. Dylan, Bradley and Garret made kissing sounds. They could hear the other younger boys laughing.
"Wait until you're older," Sybil called back over her shoulder. "I'll remember this."
They found a spot to sit and looked up at the stars. It was only a few minutes when Redmond and Sarah joined them.
"You're not giving us a minute alone are you?" Sybil said to her brother.
"No," he replied then laughed. Sybil threw a handful of grass at him.
"It is beautiful here," Russell said.
"It is," Redmond agreed. He wasn't looking at the stars.
"You're lucky to have so many siblings to spend time with," Sarah said after a few minutes. She was looking up at the sky. "I only have a sister and she is much older than me."
"They can be charming or annoying, it depends on the mood," Redmond said. He was staring at Sarah's mouth.
"A shooting star, make a wish," she said. She turned to look at Redmond with a smile. He lifted his hand and touched her face to bring her closer for a kiss.
"You're sister is right over there," she whispered as they parted.
"No she's not. They've gone back with the others," Redmond whispered.
Sarah glanced over to see that Sybil and Russell were indeed gone.
"Write to me?" he asked stroking her cheek. He kissed her again after she nodded.
Sybil and Russell slowly made their back to the boys who were singing songs and poking sticks into the fire.
"This is exactly what we used to do back home," Sybil said.
"We are home," Dylan reminded her.
"It hasn't felt like it all winter," Sybil said thoughtfully.
"Hasn't felt like what?" Redmond asked as he and Sarah rejoined the others.
"Home," Sybil said. "It hasn't felt like home without you here."
-0-
"Before everyone runs off," Sybil said the next morning once breakfast was done. "I have an announcement. We have an announcement."
Everyone stopped what they were doing and waited to hear what she had to say. Russell went to stand beside her.
"Here it is," Tom thought. "My baby is growing up."
"I've asked Sybil to marry me and she's accepted," Russell said. "I hope we have your blessing Mr. and Mrs. Branson."
"We aren't planning to get married for at least a year or until Russell is done with school," Sybil said quickly.
"That is good news," Rose said coming forward to kiss Sybil on the cheek. "I can't say this was unexpected. You're doing the right thing by waiting to get married." She kissed Russell on the cheek as well.
"You've done well for yourself," Tom said taking Russell's hand in a firm shake. "Make my daughter proud." He kissed Sybil on the cheek as well.
"Russell is already like one of the family anyway," Dylan said with a shrug.
"Does this mean you're going to have a baby?" Bradley said. "All Baby Violet did was cry and poop."
Everyone laughed.
"Not for quite a while yet," Sybil said. "I still have a year of school and Russell has another year and a half. Then I might go to school as well after we're married."
"Might?" her father asked.
"Will," Sybil corrected. "We still have a lot of plans to make."
"We haven't gotten a ring yet," Russell said with a smile. "Which we'll do later today."
"We should go up and tell Davin," Sybil said.
-0-
"Did you see the look on their faces yesterday when they took the buggy into Galway City," Tom said to Rose after they had seen Redmond, Russell and Sybil off on the train.
"I know. Sybil thought she was being so sneaky getting Russell alone by going into town," Rose said. "By the time they left Redmond, Camilla and Garret decided to go along. They didn't have a chance."
"They could make a chance if they really wanted to," Tom reminded her.
"For all they're growing up they're still children," Rose said. "At least Camilla took a break from Davin's bedside to go along."
"Are you going to apply for any teaching positions this fall," Tom said they headed the buggy for home.
"I don't know. With Davin so ill, I think I should be there," Rose said.
"At least think about getting involved in dance," Tom said. "The auxiliary gets on your nerves, you need a way to blow off some steam. I'm almost sorry I got you involved in it, but I'm not sorry we have a doctor within calling distance. Davin is going to be up and around this winter. He won't be too lively, but he will be up. He can manage to get to the washroom and back on his own at the moment. He's getting a bit better each day."
"It's not a great accomplishment for a boy who is almost eighteen," Rose reminded him.
"Strange isn't it how we didn't know he had a heart murmur," Tom said. "Now we find out Redmond has a slight murmur and Dylan's is significant. None of the others have one."
"How old were you before you noticed anything amiss?"
"Twenty-five and I never noticed a thing. The only time it's given me any problems was when I had that cough. The only concession I make is to dress warmly enough and take a rain slicker with me when I'm out on the property so I don't get too wet and get a chill."
"Davin is going to have to do the same thing. Dr. Reigler says it is still too early to tell if his murmur will get worse because of this thing."
"An odd disease isn't it that only really attacks people with a heart murmur?"
"Redmond said the only reason he knew about the infection was the teacher had stumped him last year on it," Rose said. "Things have changed so much haven't they? There are drugs now to treat this sort of thing and we have radios and telephones. It's not like it used to be at all."
"Some things haven't changed a bit," Tom replied. "I used to think when Ireland threw off the English rule, people would get along and the classes wouldn't be as separate. That was a mistake."
"You keep telling me it will take time," Rose said. "It doesn't hurt to dream."
Rose went upstairs as soon as she got home to check on Davin. She wasn't prepared for the scene she walked in on. Camilla had her hands on her hips and was looking determined. Davin was lying in bed looking equally determined if pale.
"How are you today, darling?" Rose asked going over to feel Davin's forehead.
"Tell Camilla I can take a bath on my own," Davin said.
"You might fall getting in the tub," Camilla said.
"I'm not a baby," Davin shot back and then coughed.
"You're acting like one. The doctor said it would be good for you to be up and the steam will stop you from getting pneumonia. You need a bath and I'm going to help you," Camilla said stamping her foot.
"Camilla it might be best of Davin's father or the groom helped him in and out of the tub," Rose said.
"Sean has his free day and Mr. Branson said he had to go to a meeting as soon as he got back," Camilla said determinedly. "Davin needs a bath and the housekeeper needs to change the bed and get the sheets washed and on the line while it's still nice out."
"I don't think it's appropriate for you to bathe Davin," Rose said.
"I can bathe myself," Davin said stubbornly.
"Now you're being silly," Rose told her son.
"I'm off to my meeting," Tom said sticking his head around the door.
"Tom can you help get Davin into the tub before you go?" Rose asked him.
"I have to be quick about it," Tom said glancing at his watch.
"I'll fill the tub," Camilla said.
Davin got up and slowly headed for the bathroom," Camilla had a fresh towel near the tub for him and the tub was filled when he got there.
"I'll make sure your bed gets changed," she said with a slight sniff.
"She used to be so sweet and agreeable," Davin grumbled while Tom helped him get into the tub.
"She's still sweet. She's grown up a lot," his father reminded him. "Need I remind you all she really wants is for you to get well. The same as the rest of us."
Davin nodded.
"Are you going to be all right on your own? I've got to get going or I'm going to be late," Tom said.
"I'll be fine, Da," Davin said sliding down in the water and closing his eyes.
It wasn't long when Camilla heard Davin calling for her.
"I'm stuck," he said sheepishly when she opened the door slightly.
"Did you wash your hair?" she asked him coming into the bathroom and closing the door behind her.
"Will you do it for me?" he asked her shame-facedly.
"You know this is not what I imagined we would be doing when I saw you without your clothes on again," she said as she helped him from the tub a few minutes later and got a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Me either," Davin said. He had to sit on the toilet seat to get dried off. He didn't have the energy to rub the towel through his hair and Camilla had to do it for him. "I've made a good mess of everything haven't I?" he said.
"You couldn't help getting sick," she said.
"I don't mean that. I mean us," Davin said as he slowly made his way back to his room with Camilla's arm around his waist. "I thought I could earn enough and get enough scholarships to support us. I can't and now I'll have lost both scholarships."
"Davin, it will work out," she said. She helped him to sit on the side of the clean bed. He dropped the wet towel on the floor and put his arms around her. Camilla held him close for a few minutes. "I'm going to go to college here and when I'm done, I can get a job to help out. You'll support us when you finish school. You can always reapply for everything."
"It's going to be even longer now," he said.
"You'll get well and it will happen," Camilla reassured him. "You need to get into bed. Do you want to put on your pajamas?"
"I'll put them on later," he said. He got laid down while Camilla pulled up the covers. "Do you ever miss us being together?"
"What kind of question is that?" Camilla asked turning bright red.
"I wonder sometimes," he said with a sigh.
"Of course I do," she whispered. "I think about it all the time when we're together."
"When I get well enough?"
"When you get well enough, we'll get married and we can be together," she said smoothing his hair back. "You'll be eighteen this fall and I'll be eighteen at Christmas. We'll be old enough."
"Last summer seems so stupid now doesn't it?"
"We were silly," Camilla agreed. "We're smarter now. Go to sleep." She lay on the bed beside him and put her arm around him. Rose came by a bit later and quietly opened the door. She was taken aback at first to see Camilla sleeping on top of the covers beside Davin. She was going to wake Camilla until she spotted Davin's old stuffed toy in his hand. "They're still children," she said once she had picked up the towels and gone to hang them up.
Chapter 18 – Two Homes
"I'm looking for Matthew Beldon," Russell said. The man he spoke to gestured down a line of stalls. Russell had thought it would be near the end of feeding time and his father would be off work soon. Russell had said goodbye to Sybil in Liverpool when she had taken the train for Downton. He and Redmond had taken the express to London. As soon as he said goodbye to Redmond, he caught a train for Newmarket.
"Hello, Dad," he said. His father was on a stool wrapping a horse's leg. His father looked over his shoulder then stood up.
"I'm surprised to see you here so soon," Matthew said.
"I'm on my way home from the Free State, I thought I'd stop in. Are you finished for the day soon?"
"Just have to clean up this lot."
"How are you keeping Dad?" Russell asked him when they left the stables.
"Fair enough." Russell could see the tiredness around his father's eyes.
"You don't look so fair."
"I've lost your mother twice. How am I supposed to look?"
"I don't know," Russell said. "Where can we get some dinner?"
"Place I'm staying. There's a woman there who cooks."
"I'll take you to a pub, Dad."
His father nodded.
Russell told him the news of his engagement over dinner.
"You're asking for trouble," his father said.
"I don't see it as trouble," Russell replied. "She's a nice girl from a good family. Her parents haven't protested."
"She's visiting her grandparents?"
"Yes, she is," Russell said.
"Good bloody luck seeing her or getting a call through while she's with that lot."
"I don't intend to try," Russell said. "Letters yes, but I'm not going near the place. How are you doing for money Dad?"
"Still got the money you gave me if that's what you're asking?"
"Did you open an account?"
"Can't."
"Anyone can open an account."
"Not everyone can fill out the papers."
"You need to learn to read and write. Times have changed. You can't get along without anymore. How are you cashing your pay check?"
"Get paid in cash."
"Don't tell me you're keeping the money in an old can under the floorboards."
The look on his father's face said Russell had guessed it.
"I'll get you an account," Russell said. "You just take the passbook to the teller and they'll take care of whatever you want. You won't get robbed that way."
"Bankers 'll rob me blind."
"Eeh. Do you want my help or not?" Russell was trying to stop from grinding his teeth.
His father was busy eating his meat pie and chips and didn't answer for a moment.
"Would be foolish of me not to wouldn't it?"
"Dad, you can be so…so…so frustrating," Russell finally said. "You need a bank account and you need to learn how to read and write."
"You never could take a joke."
"How much school did you go to?"
"First year, maybe part of the second."
"There has to be a lending library nearby," Russell said thoughtfully.
"Why would I go there?" his father said with a puzzled look on his face.
"People who read go to libraries. They may know if there is a place or someone about who teaches adults to read."
"What kind of a daft job is that?"
"The daft teach the daft," Russell replied.
His father laughed.
"Look I'll get a room here for the night and make inquiries in the morning and open a bank account for you," Russell said. "I would stay longer and make sure you get set up but I really have to get to Eastbourne. I was in the Free State longer than expected."
"What's the rush?"
"I need to help my adopted parents with their business. I promised I'd work there this summer."
"So you still work?"
"Of course I do. I work and go to college. I'm still going to finish my training and get a job. It's what I want to do. The inheritance hasn't changed me that much. I took a little vacation that lasted a bit longer than expected."
"Off having a good time then in the Free State?"
"My fiancée's brother got sick and almost died while I was there. I was helping take care of him."
"You've changed. You always used to have your head in the clouds."
"I never thought you noticed."
"I wanted you to be honest and hardworking. I didn't go about it very well."
"Not particularly," Russell agreed. "I do consider myself honest and hardworking. Game of darts before we call it a night?"
"You going to tell me how to do that too?"
"I think you can probably show me a thing or two about darts," Russell said. He knew his father used to be hard to beat.
"I might at that," he said.
-0-
Sybil looked around the room she was occupying at the Abbey. She had thought of England and the Abbey as home for the entire last year but now that she was here she had changed her mind. The chauffeur meeting her at the train had been the first thing to put her slightly on edge. It was in such stark contrast to her parents taking her to the train with a horse and buggy. Daddy was forever saying not to take things for granted and be a snob. She had felt a bit silly with a chauffeur especially as she could drive herself and had walked from the train to the Abbey often enough when she lived there it wouldn't have been an issue.
Her first sight of the Abbey with the family and servants turned out to meet her had been an eye opener as well. She'd never though of the Abbey as imposing or the pomp and ceremony that went with life there as anything but normal. It had struck her that it was not who she was anymore. In the Free State she was the Manager's daughter, just another average upper middle class girl who rode horses, went to the beach and did her chores. Here the new butler was so stiff it looked like his starched collar ran right up his nose. She didn't know the people who worked here. The days of running down the stairs to the kitchen to sit on a stool and peel potatoes while she chatted to Russell or Mrs. Barrow were gone. Nipping into the new butler's office to get a lolly from the bag Mr. Barrow and before him Mr. Carson had kept there for years for the children of the house was out. She was too old now to go for a lolly, but it had still been nice to know she could go down to visit Mr. Barrow from time to time when the mood hit her. The new butler, Mr. Fields didn't look like he would welcome any intrusions into his space and the housekeeper was just as bad.
It made her think of home and all the times she would be helping with meals or doing chores with Sean sitting at the table in the kitchen mending tack while Mrs. O'Rinn nattering at him about some task or other she wanted done. She would say he was getting the clean table all dirty with horse sweat. Sean would laugh and say, "Away with you, Mrs. O'Rinn. You're a good woman who runs a clean house but the leather needs to be warm to be worked." She would natter some more and Sean would laugh then go and do the job she wanted done. When Aednat had worked at the house it had been no secret the two of them were interested in each other. More than once Aednat had a piece of hay stuck in her hair from nipping out the stables to visit Sean. She hadn't wanted to leave her home or Sean in the end and hadn't come to England to carry on as Violet's nanny. The undercurrents in the house were part of the ebb and flow of everyday life at Eagle Cairn and had always been part of Sybil's life at the Abbey, but now the two sides of the upstairs and the down couldn't have been more distant. Sybil had never lived in a house where she had felt unwelcome in one part before and it was making her feel unsettled.
"You seem awfully quiet," Cora said to Sybil after she had been there for the first ten days. "Aren't you having a nice time?"
"Do I? I'm having a nice time and I am happy to see you as well," Sybil replied. "My old friends have invited me for all kinds of parties and get togethers."
"You don't look it dear," Cora said.
"I was thinking of home," Sybil replied. "I'm worried about Davin. The doctor said he's on the mend but he's not out of the woods yet. Mummy's letter said he had only been downstairs for a short time on the sofa. He must hate this. He's always been so active."
"He's a dear boy. He needs his rest. Try not to worry too much. Your mother and father are there. They will see he gets all the attention he needs."
"Daddy thought the less people in the house, the less he would be tempted to try and get up."
"Your father is right, Sybil. If the house is quiet Davin will rest more."
-0-
"Sybil you're not being reasonable," Mary scolded her. They were sitting in Sybil's room looking over some dresses Sybil had purchased during her stay. Sybil was planning to head down to visit Russell on the weekend then spend a few days in London where she would meet her mother. "You want to go off to Eastbourne on your own for a family celebration of your engagement, but you won't invite your young man here for a celebration with your own family."
"Russell isn't comfortable with coming here to visit," Sybil replied. "He worked as your chauffeur until last hear. It was hard enough on him having meals with Aunty Edith while he was visiting. Inheriting and having titled relatives is too new for him. He's not Daddy. Daddy fits in."
"Your father didn't fit in at all at first," Mary replied. "It was a struggle for both sides until he did. I don't think you realize what you're opening yourself up to."
"Aunty Mary, it's not like we plan to live in aristocratic circles," Sybil said. "We aren't getting married until next year at the earliest. I'll talk to Russell about coming here for a few days on my next visit when I go down to see him."
"Your looking at things through rose colored glasses. You can't change who you are or who your relatives are. You are of the elite whether you choose to acknowledge that or not."
"Russell is as well, but he wasn't raised with all this as I was. Please let him accept you when he is ready to," Sybil pleaded.
"I think you're making a mistake tying yourself to someone at your age," Mary said.
"We've waited and we are still waiting to get married. I don't see how we could be anymore responsible. We aren't hiding or going into things without thinking them through."
"There are always surprises and things you don't care for in every marriage," Mary said. "Your Grandmama and your mother will tell you the same thing."
"That's why were taking our time," Sybil said sticking out her chin stubbornly. "How can you say I don't know him? I've known him since I was little. You can't say he won't be able to support me. He can support me without any problems."
"In the more immediate future, how do you plan to get to Eastbourne?"
"On the train. I'm seventeen. I can travel by myself."
"It's not respectable for you to visit a young man on your own," Mary said emphatically.
"Redmond is busy with school. He can't go with me," Sybil said. "It's only for a weekend and I will stay over with his parents. That is respectable enough and I've known Mr. and Mrs. Barrow for simply ages. You can't say she isn't respectable."
"Your like your father, rebellious and stubborn to the core," Mary said.
"Thank you for noticing that. I would hope I'm like Daddy," Sybil retorted.
-0-
"Trains that run on time do feel like home," Sybil thought to herself on the trip south. Everyone had clucked and fussed at the idea of her taking the train on her own to the point where Grandpapa and Grandmama had decided to open the London house early so they could go that far with her. They felt better about putting her on a train at one end and someone meeting her at the other than if she had to make a transfer. Their over protectiveness had made Sybil roll her eyes and clench her teeth behind their backs but she had accepted it all good-naturedly on the surface. They were treating her like a child in her opinion. Working class girls quit school and went out to work by the time they were sixteen and many had husbands. It was only those whose parents wanted them to complete grammar school or were planning on going on to college or university who completed the last two years of grade school. Sybil could remember well the arguing that had gone on to get Aunty Mary and Uncle Anthony to allow Elizabeth to go to school.
It didn't seem right to not send your children to school, Sybil thought. Russell had written that he had found an adult group for his father where volunteers taught the adults to read and write. He didn't know if his father had gone but he was hoping he would. He'd asked her not to mention to his adoptive parents when she arrived that he was in contact with his real father since his mother's death. Mr. and Mrs. Barrow had been upset when he'd told them everything that had happened that spring and were hurt he hadn't told them sooner.
Sybil was hoping against hope this visit went well. She'd known Russell's parents most of her life. Her parents had accepted Russell as her fiancée and she was hoping they would in return. Russell had told them before her visit they were engaged and written they seemed happy to hear the news. Sybil was secretly hoping they could get some time alone during the weekend. Every time they had tried to get some time alone time during Russell's visit someone had decided to come along or was in close enough range they had only managed to get in a few kisses before they were disturbed. Once Davin was taken ill everything romantic had been put on the back burner. Sybil had to press her lips together to keep from giggling when she thought of the many sermons and lectures she had sat through from the nuns on the value of abstinence. She'd had more than one impure thought about Russell over the years. Once they had done a little exploring with her top off thoughts had popped into her head one after the other since she'd come to England and had more time on her hands. Thoughts of him kept her awake while she was lying in bed. He'd said he'd read about touching and Sybil couldn't help but wonder what he'd meant. Maybe now they'd have a chance.
-0-
"He's going to get hurt," Thomas said to Abigail once Russell had left the Inn on his old motorcycle to go to the station.
"On the motorcycle or by her?" Abigail said. Thomas had been fretting so much since Russell had told them his news she couldn't help chiding him a bit.
"Don't be smart. You know what I mean."
"They've cared for each other for years. This hasn't been a surprise."
"The way he holds things in, you can't tell me he is thinking clearly," Thomas said.
"He was protecting us in his own way. He told us part and when he was ready he told us the rest. Russell isn't going to go off and leave us." She said the last part to reassure herself as much as for him.
"I'd put money on it he's still holding something back," Thomas said.
"What if he is after all he's suffered? You know these last few months haven't been easy on him. Then he gets to visit his girl friend and her brothers who have been his friends for years and one of them takes sick and almost dies. It's a lot to bear."
"He is a good lad in spite of it all. He's put all he could spare from his allowance on the mortgage for this place. By the end of the season we'll have this place paid off. I can't fault him for being stingy," Thomas said.
"There now, he's back. Give me a kiss, put a smile on your face and welcome his girl into our home."
Chapter 19 – Alone
"Mr. Barrow, may I ask you something," Sybil said seriously once she had been welcomed and they had gone to the Barrow's sitting room to chat. Thomas and Abigail had staff seeing to the guests at the moment and didn't need to see to anything for a few hours.
"What would that be, Sybil?" He almost choked over not adding the Miss.
"Where have you got the lollies hidden? I've been dying for one ever since I got to Downton," Sybil said. Everyone laughed.
"I'm afraid you'll have to walk down to the shops along the seaside for a lolly. I haven't got a one," Thomas replied. "Didn't the new butler have any?"
"I didn't go downstairs, not even once," Sybil replied. "I went the long way to the stables too. It just wasn't the same at the Abbey without you there and Mr. Fields well. If I asked him for a lolly from his desk his starched shirt might have cracked and crumbled into a million pieces."
"At least someone from the Abbey misses me," Thomas said. "Even if it is only for the sweeties in my desk."
"I'm not really from the Abbey anymore," Sybil said then took a sip of her tea.
"What did you miss most about England?" Abigail asked her to change the topic.
"I missed trains that run on time, mail service that doesn't take anywhere from two days to a week to arrive and the village dances," Sybil said with a smile. "What I really missed most though was being together with my older brothers and Russell and our group of friends. It didn't feel like home without them all around me."
"It was good to be back with the group if only part of it for a little while," Russell said. "All of the lads have taken up with girls from my course. You'll find things a little different with the bigger group now a days."
"Are they nice?" Sybil asked.
"Nice enough in their own way," Russell replied. "Not Redmond's cup of tea though."
"Sarah will suit him. She is very reserved and polite," Sybil said. "My brother is so picky I thought he'd never find a girl to suit him."
"He's a bright boy who knows he doesn't have to settle for second best," Abigail said.
"I think we have just enough time to go for that lolly before we have to get set up for dinner," Thomas said.
"I'll stay here and keep an eye on things," Abigail offered.
"The truth is you can't stand to see anyone else in charge for even five minutes, Mum," Russell teased her.
"It's my prerogative as proprietress," Abigail informed him with a smile.
-0-
"Russell Beldon, fancy meeting you here," Beth Wilson said. Russell turned in surprise, as did Sybil and Thomas. Sybil was carrying the oversized lollipop that Thomas had bought her at a sweet shop near the beach.
"Beth, Alice, what are you doing here?" Russell said.
"Taking in the sun and sand before we're back to the drudge," Beth replied.
"This is my father Mr. Thomas Barrow and my fiancée, Miss Sybil Branson, Miss Beth Wilson and Miss Alice Collier from my training course," Russell introduced. They spoke for a few minutes until Thomas excused himself. He had to be back to the Inn for dinnertime.
"Beth and Alice are Peter and Derek's girlfriends," Russell told Sybil once they had all gone close to the shore and found somewhere to sit.
"Oh, how lovely," Sybil said. "They are both good friends of my brother's and ours."
"How did you all meet?" Alice asked.
"Peter, Derek and Nigel worked at my grandfather Lord Grantham's estate for the first two years of medical school. They know my brother Redmond from their training. Russell worked there too. We had a large friend group with my younger brothers along most days and my younger cousins."
"We had a grand time in the summers," Russell said. "Peter taught Sybil and I how to drive."
"I don't get much chance to drive now," Sybil said. "Are you both enjoying your training?"
"If you can call Matron breathing down your neck every second enjoyable," Beth said. "They keep us locked up in the dorms tighter than a drum. You have to sneak out if you want to see your young man. I ruined my stockings last term hiding in the bushes."
"Don't listen to her, she loves every second of it," Alice said. "Although I don't think anyone loves the bedpans."
"My father wants me to take nursing. I just can't decide," Sybil said.
"You can choose anything you like," Russell said smiling at her.
"Are you two free this evening?" Beth asked. "We wanted to go out and do something lively."
"We're in with my parents. They want to spend some time with Sybil and celebrate our engagement," Russell replied.
"Why don't you come around?" Sybil invited. "Mrs. Barrow would like to meet some of Russell's friends I'm sure. She knows Peter and Derek as well."
"That would be quite lovely, wouldn't it Alice?" Beth said. "We get to meet the man of mystery's parents."
-0-
"I'm surprised your grandparents haven't thrown a big do for your engagement," Thomas said to Sybil the next morning.
"They wanted to, Mr. Barrow, but I begged off until next summer," Sybil replied. "Russell and I can visit them together then. The family can be a bit much especially when they start inviting the extended family and their friends. I wouldn't be surprised if we had an engagement party at the Abbey with a hundred guests or more."
"I really don't want to visit the Abbey at the moment," Russell said.
"Perhaps you could come up to London once Mummy arrives? It wouldn't be so bad one on one. You know everyone and we could just do a short visit with both families. Grandmama and Grandpapa are in London for the season," Sybil coaxed.
"I should help Mum and Dad out. I missed quite a bit of time," Russell hedged.
"They are Sybil's family," Abigail pointed out. "A short visit of a few hours with each one isn't a party with a hundred. You could go up spend the day and take the late train back."
"Please, do come," Sybil coaxed.
"If it makes you happy, I'll come to London for the day," Russell said at last.
"What plans do you have for today?" Thomas asked them.
"Nothing really. I thought we'd walk around the town and the beach, maybe go for a ride on the motorbike this afternoon. With everything that's happened this last while we really haven't had a chance to talk or make any plans," Russell said.
"The next ten months or so is already laid out," Sybil commented. "It's school."
-0-
"Do realize this is the first time we've had alone together in quite a while," Russell said as they walked away from the Inn towards the shore.
"I've noticed," Sybil said. "Last night by the time everyone left, it was late and I could hear people walking up and down the hall outside my room."
"It was old Mr. Hickson. He has insomnia. He checked out this morning," Russell said. "What were you thinking about if you're worried about people walking up and down the hall?" he teased.
Sybil's cheeks turned pink.
"How do you know who was up last night?" she asked.
"I was thinking about the same thing," he whispered in her ear. Sybil's cheeks got even redder.
The wandered around the town for the morning. Sybil bought some rock candy to take home for her brothers and a lolly to match the one Mr. Barrow had bought her for Camilla. Sybil's nerves were on edge. She wanted to touch and kiss Russell so much she could barely think about anything else but with the crowds of tourists there wasn't a second to even steal a kiss. They headed back to the Inn at lunch.
"There isn't a tree on these barren hills," Sybil said. "It's pretty here but I miss having the trees and bushes and little places you can go to be on your own out in the country."
"I'm sure there are places if we go a bit more inland," Russell said. "Picnic supper and we take the old bike and go exploring?"
"Sounds lovely," Sybil said. "I think I'm a country girl at heart. I can only take town for so long."
The drove inland past small villages and farms until they finally settled on a heavily treed spot with a meadow that opened out with an old mill slightly down the hill.
"The bike rattles more than I remembered," Sybil said as she got off.
"It's a bit of a clunker," Russell replied. He put an arm around her waist and drew her near for a kiss before he got off the motorcycle. "Alone at last," he murmured as he released her slightly.
"It's about time," Sybil whispered against his lips as she kissed him again. She felt an overwhelming desire to feel the heat of his body against her. She undid his jacket and slipped her arms around him before he had a chance to get off the motorcycle.
"There's no rush," he said quietly once they broke apart a bit.
"I miss you so much when we're not together," Sybil said curling against him.
"Let me get off the bike and untie the blanket. We can hold each other all afternoon."
Sybil nodded and took the blanket as soon as he had it untied. She unrolled it in a spot that was partially in shade and kicked off her shoes before she sat down. Russell joined her and set down the bag with the food. He kicked off his shoes as well and dropped his jacket to the side before he sat down.
"For all the times you've said no, I can't believe you're actually saying yes," he said stroking her cheek.
"Yes to some things, no to others," Sybil replied. He slid his hand behind her neck and drew her forward for his kiss. His touch had a surety about it that made her think he knew exactly what he wanted. He trailed his lips across her cheek and down the side of her neck before he returned to his assault on her mouth. Sybil's fingers had gone to the buttons of his shirt of their own accord. She slid her hands across his chest and around his back reveling in the feel of his warm skin as though he were a ray of sunshine bringing her desire to life. His free hand made its way around to cup her breast. He broke off his kiss and looked down slightly in surprise.
"You're not wearing a bra," he said against her with a deep breath.
"I'm being wicked and wanton just for you," Sybil replied kissing him again. He tugged at the buttons until she undid her blouse and slid it off her shoulders.
"You're so beautiful," he murmured.
"And chilly," Sybil said moving closer to him. He nipples were like rocks in the slight cool of the shade. She lay back on the blanket as he dipped his head and tasted her breast. She gasped at the sensations he was creating in her. Desire was pushing her on making her want more while the sensations were building in her private areas and making her heart feel as if it were in her throat. He finally pulled her close and went back to kissing her mouth. She pressed herself against him. She felt frustrated at the fabric that was still separating them and at the same time fear of what might happen if the barrier wasn't there.
He lifted his head and smiled at her before he took her hand and guided it to the closure of his trousers in silent invitation. Sybil stroked the skin above his waistband with her fingers until he took a nipple into his mouth again while his hand kneaded the flesh of her other breast making her back arch in response. She undid his belt buckle then popped open the button at his waistband. She could feel his hardened flesh through the fabric.
"Go ahead," he said a hair's breath from her mouth. "We'll touch. That's all, I promise." He kissed her mouth again as her hand stole into the front of his pants and caressed him through his drawers. She pulled her hand away at his sharp intake of breath.
"Why did you stop?" he asked in a passion drugged state. He kissed her again.
"I'm not hurting you am I?" she asked.
"It feels lovely," he sighed. "Here." He opened his drawers with one hand and guided her hand inside. He felt like velvet and warm steel mixed together as she tentatively explored him with her fingers. She moved her hand to touch the soft warm flesh of his hip and then trailed her fingers back across his erection.
"Your skin is so soft," she whispered.
She jumped slightly when she felt him tug at the closure to her trousers.
"Sybil, I won't hurt you and we won't make a baby," he whispered to reassure her. "I love you. I want to see you. All of you."
"I love you too, I want you to see me and I want to see you," she said shyly pressing her face into his shoulder. He kissed her lips and caressed the inside of her mouth with his tongue as he undid her trousers and pushed them down with her under drawers. He didn't take his lips from hers until they were both fully undressed. They put their arms around each other and held each other close. The sensation of being against him skin to skin for the first time made Sybil gasp.
"I know this should be wrong but if feels so right," she whispered.
"It's not wrong. We're going to get married," he replied. His lips found hers again as she explored his naked body with her hands. She tensed when she felt his hand touch her pubic area softly. He stroked her thighs and teased the hair while he waited for her to relax.
"Will you let me look?" he asked when she wasn't relaxing after a few minutes. Sybil nodded shyly. He pushed himself up on one elbow and used his hand to nudge her legs apart. She had her eyes squeezed shut. "It's all right, I'll just look," he said quietly. "Sybil try and relax. I'm not going to hurt you. I'll try my best to make everything feel nice."
She let out the breath she had been holding and opened her eyes. She slowly opened her legs wider. He touched her gently pulling her lips apart so he could see her intimately.
"Now I've seen you," he said as he lay back down beside her.
"And I've seen you," she said. She looked at his erection for the first time as her fingers continued to play over the skin. He guided her hand to a firmer stroke as he began a slow sensual assault of her body with his mouth. She was arching against him when he finally slid his fingers lower and touched her folds. He found her sensitive spot and slowly rubbed it with the tip of his finger.
Sybil had thought she would die of pure pleasure when his fingers had first touched her intimately. Each touch was making her feel like more until she couldn't sense anything but the feel of his lips on her body, the sensation of his skin against hers and above all the blinding pleasure he was creating in her private area. She was gasping and pressing herself against him when suddenly sensation after sensation ripped through her making her throw back her head and cry out. She could hear him breathing hard, then he quickly moved away and allowed his orgasm to pour out onto the ground beside the blanket they were on. Just as quickly he was back to pull her close against him in a reassuring hug. Sybil placed a kiss on his chest before she lifted her face to his for a kiss.
"I've always known you were the only girl for me," he said finally.
"You read what we did in a book?" Sybil asked. She was lying curled against him in his arms.
"The more technical aspects, yes, with large names that sound anything but romantic," he said with a slight laugh. "I wish we could be married now, but we've got to finish school."
Sybil nodded and hugged him close for a moment before she moved to pull on her clothes. He pulled on his clothes as well, not bothering to do up his shirt. When she moved to button her blouse he put out a hand to stop her.
"Just a few more minutes," he said. He ran his fingers over her bare breasts. Sybil leaned forward and kissed him.
"I've dreamed of this so many times," he said. Sybil lay down against him again and rested her head on his shoulder.
"That feels nice," she said. "What else did you read in that book?"
"A few things. One or two sounded interesting a few others I didn't care for the sound of. Mind you textbooks are all about what to look for and diseases. They have a tendency to make things sound unappealing."
"As long as you don't get any ideas about those girls from your course," Sybil teased him.
"Not a chance," Russell replied. "They're alright but they're not you. Not a one of them can hold a candle to my girl."
"Just keep thinking like that," Sybil said quietly. "Russell," she licked her lips. "Could you make me feel like that again?"
"I'd be happy to," he said before he claimed her lips with his.
Chapter 20 – Where to Call Home
Davin was lying on the sofa wrapped in a blanket listening to his sister recount her trip to England. She was telling him how different the Abbey had felt without the familiar people there. She had wound up missing the odd things here in the Free State that had annoyed her no end last year. He couldn't help but wonder if England was really home anymore for him either. Camilla had refused to go to England to see her mother. She had written a letter explaining that he was seriously ill and she didn't feel she could leave even for a short time while he still needed daily help. Her mother was welcome to come to visit her at anytime.
He was incredibly frustrated as well with his and Camilla's personal situation. They functioned in every way as a couple except they didn't share the same bedroom. Financially they couldn't afford to be independent of his parents. He still had months of recovery in front of him and complete uncertainty as to how he would make out reapplying for scholarships and reentry into the university after a year absence. By next spring he should be up and around enough for lambing which would get him back in the swing of the practical side of things, but he was going to have to study to get back up to speed to where he had been this spring when he finished his first year. With all the uncertainty it was impossible to make plans and at the same time living with Camilla under the same roof was difficult in the extreme.
When they had first been together he had been infatuated with her and everything had felt so right. Last winter had been hard. He'd made friends, worked off his frustrations in the gym and been terribly homesick in Scotland. Camilla had changed. She had a resolve now to see to herself and not be a burden. She was quieter than she had been before, but at the same time she still had her underlying fire that had always been there. It was more evident now than it had been when living under her parents' rule. He had realized in the weeks since he'd become ill that infatuation he had felt and still felt all winter long had turned to love and that she felt it too. They'd gone through more than one bad situation and were still together, each looking to the other for comfort and finding it in the others presence.
"You should have seen the look on Redmond's face when this girl, Ida showed up," Sybil was saying. "We had a small get together with Redmond's friends when Russell came up to London overnight. They all brought their girlfriends and since I'm not old enough to go to a pub we had them over to Crawley House. Ida had broken up with her boyfriend and she was after Redmond like a dog on a bone. He spent almost the entire evening going from chair to chair to avoid her."
"Redmond said those girls weren't his cup of tea. How did they do when Cousin Robert was around?"
"Almost tripped on their noses," Sybil replied with a laugh. "Then Grandpapa asked Russell if he had everything he needed at Lord and Lady Newtonmore's. He was staying there while I stayed at Crawley House. I would have liked to be a mouse in the corner when they got back to their lodgings from the looks they were exchanging. They were fun but not the sort from my usual group of friends."
"The lads will loose interest and vice versa when they get into the term and barely have time for each other," Davin said. "Where's the candy you brought? I want a piece before Camilla gets back from paying her tuition and buying the books for her course."
"You're not having any," Sybil scolded him. "It's not in your diet."
"Oh Sybil, that diet is as tasteless as sand," Davin whined.
"You need to stick to it if you're going to come out of this without serious problems. Mummy told me the doctor left very strict instructions about your diet and how much you should be up."
"I can't get away with anything when you're around. Between you and Camilla you have me trapped."
"Good. You can spend your time going through course catalogues and helping me decide what I should take next year for school."
"Figure out what it is you like to do and do that," Davin said.
"I like to sew and make clothes. It's hardly a profitable line of work," Sybil said. "I brought back two older designer dresses from the Abbey to remake for myself and Camilla. We'll probably need them next year for the engagement parties and all the rest at the Abbey."
"I wonder if it would be possible to support yourself sewing. People were forever asking me where I go the shirts you made me. They're nicer than anything that comes out of the shops. They're every bit as nice as Uncle James and Cousin Robert's tailor made ones. I'll have to think about it."
"I'll leave you to think about it. I have to get my school uniforms out and make sure everything still fits. I've got doubles of everything since Camilla is done with hers."
"I'm going to lay here and think."
"You're supposed to be resting."
"I'm going to die of boredom if I don't have something to think about," Davin replied.
-0-
"Where did they find those dreadful young women," Lord Grantham complained to Cora a week or so after Sybil and Rose had headed back to the Free State.
"To which young women are you referring Robert?" Cora inquired. She was reading through the cards and invitations that had arrived with the morning mail.
"Those girls that came to the get together Sybil had for her brother and his friends," Robert said.
"Redmond's friends are nice young men but they are not of our class," Cora said looking up from her cards. "You know that. Apparently those girls are all nursing students. They are average young women the boys are dating. I overheard Redmond and Russell talking about them. Russell was saying he tries not to listen to the girls' gossip while he's at school. Redmond isn't the least interested in any of them. George was here but he's too young for them. Count your blessings."
"I wish Sybil would have waited to get engaged," Robert said. "Russell Beldon may have the money now, but he doesn't have the grooming to make him part of society, nor does he seem to desire it."
"She's like her father Robert," Cora said distractedly. "Be thankful we had as much influence as we did and it could be worse. He isn't a social climber, he can afford to keep her in any style she desires and he obviously adores her. If a war does come to pass as the papers are predicting he'll be an officer. Even you can't argue with that."
"An officer who's father was our groom and adopted parents were our butler and housekeeper."
"It's not an ideal situation but then is there such a thing?" Cora asked putting her letters to the side. "All three of our daughters entered into marriages that weren't fairy tale perfect. Sybil got more than she bargained for living on next to nothing. Edith well, that speaks for itself. She hasn't done one thing the conventional way, and Mary's current marriage? Can you honestly tell me you are completely happy with Anthony's management of the estate?"
"Anthony is too old fashioned," Robert stated emphatically.
Cora smiled at him. He chuckled when he realized it was the pot calling the kettle black.
"I meant to say he's too old fashioned in his ideas about crops and farming. There's a vast difference now in what the estate produces to when I was a young man and I dare say George will see changes in his lifetime as well."
"The young people have ideas of their own as to who they want to associate with. At least Anthony and Mary will have Elizabeth come out. We haven't a hope for Sybil on that score. Neither Tom nor Rose want her having a debut and don't forget we practically had to drag Rose to hers."
"As much as I don't like to admit it, Tom and Rose's children are all upper middle class with minds of their own including Sybil," Robert said. "It was to be expected with his influence. Even if our daughter would have lived I can't say I think our granddaughter would have turned out differently."
-0-
Tom came through from his office to the kitchen to fetch a cup of tea. The house was quiet with everyone back in school except Davin. Rose had applied as a substitute teacher at the village school and another school in the area. She had been called in for two days when one of the regular teachers had a bad cold. He was surprised to find Davin sitting at the table fully dressed and freshly shaven.
"What are you doing up, son?" Tom asked him.
"I wanted to get dressed for a change," Davin said. "Not much of an accomplishment as it took me all morning to get this far."
"I was after a cup of tea and a biscuit," Tom said.
"I could do that for you, Mr. Branson," Mrs. O'Rinn volunteered. The younger Mr. Branson had come to the kitchen to fetch his lunch and then had to sit down. He was in the way while she was trying to get the dishes put away and wanted to put up some plums for winter but she didn't know how to tell him so. "It's almost lunch. I could bring your lunch through to the dining room."
"If you would be so kind," Tom replied. He had enough paperwork today with the harvest starting it had kept him busy all morning. He wanted to get out to the fields in the afternoon.
Davin got up and slowly made his way into the dining room where he sat down again without retrieving the cutlery.
"You're going to be so spoiled when you're feeling better we won't get a lick of chores out of you," his father teased.
"Da, I would be happy to do chores at the moment if I could," Davin replied. Tom set their places and then took a seat. Davin picked up a fork and fiddled with it while he was thinking. "I wanted to talk to you about something," he said after a moment.
"What's that, son?" Tom asked.
"I need some advice, Da. I think Camilla and I should get married soon. I'll be eighteen in a few more weeks. The problem is I can't support her. Well, really neither of us can support ourselves at the moment but I don't think it's right for us to live together in the same house practically as man and wife without being married."
"You're not sharing a bed again are you?" Tom asked slowly.
"How would I manage that at the moment," Davin said in disgust. "No, we're not and haven't been, but we share everything except a bed." He said slowly. "It's been hard."
"If you got married and went back to sharing… everything, you could have children," Tom pointed out. "You've admitted you can't support yourselves. Things would be worse if you had little ones."
"We would take precautions," Davin said. "Camilla really feels the loss of her family. She doesn't say much but I know she's having a hard time. I want her to feel like she belongs and that she isn't just a guest."
Mrs. O'Rinn brought their lunch through. Tom waited until she was back out in the kitchen to say anything.
"Cold chicken on a salad with no dressing and a glass of water," Davin said. "The most flavorful meal I've had all week."
"It's no wonder you've lost weight on that diet," Tom said.
"It's deliberately light so as not to tax the organs," Davin said. "If I keep on this diet I won't be able to keep from being healthy." He made a bit of a face.
"Getting back to whether or not to get married," Tom said. "There's no rush and you'll be here all winter. Camilla has her course to finish. It will be hard going back to school with a wife in tow."
"It would be worse going back to university without her," Davin said. "I don't even want to think about being separated from her again. You can't say we won't be able to weather what life throws our way. We've already done that."
"Perhaps that's your answer, Davin. If you can't imagine your life without the other person in it and you love them, then it's time to make a serious commitment. As far as the money goes, most don't have an easy time of it when they're starting out. You wouldn't be any different from hundreds of others."
"Thanks Da, I'll think about it a bit more," Davin said. He set down his knife and fork and wiped his hands on his napkin. "I need to go lay on the sofa," he said. "I asked Camilla to bring me a book or two from the library at her college. This forced inactivity is driving me batty."
"I'll bring a hot drink through in a minute," Tom said.
Davin nodded as he made his way to the sitting room.
Tom came in a few minutes later with some tea on a small tray and set it on the table beside where Davin was lying. He was struck by how much Davin resembled his natural father.
"What is it Da?" Davin questioned when he noticed Tom looking at him with a slight frown.
"I was just thinking how much you're like Daleigh," Tom said.
"I look like you."
"Daleigh and I were a great deal alike," Tom replied. "You're very like him. Even your personalities are similar."
"I don't remember him at all," Davin said. "I only have vague memories of before. There all mostly of Redmond taking care of me. What was he like?"
"Daleigh was as bright as they come and always on the go," Tom said. "He was always laughing and telling jokes. He adored your mother. He'd just been made foreman before the accident."
"Didn't like the English I'd wager," Davin said with a half smile.
"Hated them," Tom said with a chuckle. "I do know he'd have been proud of you and your brother. He was always saying he wanted his children to go to school and get a good education."
"It's going to be hard to do now with no scholarships," Davin said quietly. "I probably won't get any next year with a year off."
"I want you to stop worrying about your tuition," Tom said sternly. "Your Mother and I have enough put aside we can pay for your university for a year if it comes to it. You need to concentrate on getting better."
"I wanted to be so grown up and independent," Davin said with a sigh.
"Part of being an adult is realizing when you need help and taking it," Tom told him. "Now drink your tea before it gets cold and have a rest before the women get home and start fussing that you're up."