Rain
After 2 x 1
Tom listened to the steady stream of rain as he changed the oil of Lord Grantham's motor, wondering why he was here.
Especially as Lady Sybil was no longer dropping by to chat. She was in York, training to be a nurse. He knew it was a wonderful opportunity for her, to become more than just "a lady", but Tom missed her kind, beautiful face.
Worse yet, he was foolish enough to propose, and now he'd been rejected. By the most wonderful girl he'd ever met. Tom had tried to tell himself that she loved him more than she realized, or she would have reported his inappropriate behavior to her parents, but on days like today, it was difficult to believe.
The rain poured down harder, and Tom scowled even more.
Not only was Lady Sybil absent, but the Irish Republic was dead. He'd had such high hopes when he read about the Easter Rising, but all they had to show for it now were innocent people like his cousin Eoin, dead.
The oil leaked over his overalls, and he shook his head. Tom had always been an idealist, and he still was. When Lady Sybil returned, he would continue pursuing her, and someday Ireland would be a republic.