As they left the church, the afternoon sun warming their faces, Thomas, who was walking ever so slightly ahead, stopped and turned off the path and began to walk carefully through the rows of gravestones. Richard followed for a moment but hung back a little, when Thomas stopped in front of a grave. Richard was, however, close enough to see the name on the stone. The news of the tragic death of Lady Sybil Crawley, had reached Buckingham Palace and, like any news amongst the royal family, it inevitably trickled downstairs amongst the servants. Richard didn't know who she was at the time, so couldn't mourn her, but from the way Thomas was standing, and how he ran his hand through his raven black hair, it seems that he did know her enough to do so, even after all these years. Richard stepped a bit closer, so he was standing just behind Thomas. "It makes me angry sometimes. She was one of the best, one of the few out of everyone who was kind to me. Even though she was a different class to me, it never really felt that way. She was not really bothered by all those rules. Probably why she married the chauffeur" Thomas laughed a little at that last remark. "She was the best thing that came out of the war for me. Because of that we became equals, I had a friend, an ally. After I came back from France, I worked in the hospital with her where she was working as a nurse." Thomas paused for a moment, taking another shaky breath in before continuing. "Her daughter, Sybbie, is so much like her mother already. She will be just as independent when she's older. I can tell," Thomas said, smiling at that thought.

"I didn't have the pleasure of knowing her. But I reckon that if she were here now, she would be extremely proud of how you have turned out Thomas. You were lucky to know someone like her, even if it wasn't for as long as it should have been. Treasure those memories," Richard said, putting his arm around Thomas' shoulders, they turned away and headed back out of the churchyard.

...

Back at the farm and preparation for the wedding reception was going nicely. With tables set out along one wall, hay bales along the other and an open floor in the middle that had just been swept clean, this barn was looking a lot more like a dance hall and much less like a barn on a working farm. "Looking good," Richard says, from up in the hay loft where he had just finished putting a few odd pieces of clutter out of view.

"Thank you!" Thomas said.

"No, not you, I was talking about this place, but yes you do look perfect too," Richard said, playfully rolling his eyes as he climbed down the ladder.

"Richard you're covered in dust! Come here," Thomas said. Richard did indeed have dust, wood shavings and pieces of whatever else had been up in that loft for ages all over him.

"If you insist," Richard said with mock reluctance. Thomas ruffled his hair, which really wasn't looking like its usual perfectly neat self, kissed Richard on the cheek, then brushed down his chest and his back, his hands lingering on his chest after for a while.

"My goodness! This looks amazing!" Daisy exclaimed as she entered the barn, while Thomas had his hands on Richard's chest. Thomas was pleasantly surprised with himself, that he didn't immediately jump back a few feet when she came in.

"Glad you like it. I think it should serve its purpose very well," Thomas said, feeling satisfied with their afternoon's work.

"And there is plenty of room for dancing, which I hope Thomas will do a great deal of, apparently he is quite good," Richard said proudly.

"I know. He taught me some dances when I was younger," Daisy said.

"The grizzly bear," Thomas said, smiling as he remembered one of the happier moments of those earlier years. Daisy smiled too, though afterwards her smile faded a little.

"Are you alright Daisy? You look a bit pale," Richard said.

"Yes I'm fine, it's just that everyone will be looking at us, Andy and I when we dance and I've never been the centre of attention in my life. I'm usually invisible to most people. It doesn't help that I have no idea how to dance in a more romantic way. Never had a chance to learn really."

Thomas thought for a moment, wondering if the idea that just came into his mind was a good one or a step too far. "Would it help if I could demonstrate how?" he said.

"Thanks Thomas, but wouldn't it be a bit weird with us two slow dancing?" Daisy said.

"You're younger self would have jumped at the opportunity am I right?" Thomas said. Daisy went a little red when she thought back to when she fancied Thomas badly. "It's fine. Besides I wasn't thinking of demonstrating how with you," Thomas said, offering his hand to Richard. "Richard?"

"We are hardly experienced at this type of dancing either," Richard said, gladly taking Thomas' hand.

"You've never danced together?" Daisy asked, sounding a bit surprised.

"Well it's not exactly easy to find the opportunity," Thomas said. Thomas drew Richard closer to him, hesitating a little at the oddness of the situation, before putting his arms around Richard's waist. Richard responded by doing the same to Thomas. "There aren't exactly any steps as such," Thomas said to Daisy, whilst not taking his eyes of Richard. "It's more of a feeling of being close to someone you love, any footwork just sort of comes naturally." Daisy nodded, even though she knew neither of the men in front of her were paying the slightest bit of attention. She wondered if she should just slip out of the barn and leave them alone with each other. This did make her wonder what all the fuss was about, why laws had to be in place to stop this from happening. Just didn't make much sense, she thought. They aren't harming anyone. Wasn't the purpose of a law to protect people?

"I wish you could dance together at the wedding," she said eventually. Thomas and Richard stopped and let go of each other partly, at this. "Just thought you should know."

"That means a lot Daisy, thank you," Richard said.

"And I do feel a bit easier about the whole dancing thing too," she said. "Thanks."

"You will be fine. Most of the time everyone else will be dancing anyway from what I have heard," Thomas said.

"You will probably be too distracted by your new husband to worry about what we are all doing," Richard said, as they walked out of the barn. Richard's head was full of the wealth of different emotions he had felt throughout the afternoon. This was absolutely the best wedding he had been invited too.