Thanks to those who left a review for the last chapter. I started this with something else in mind but somehow I got on a different track so at least the next chapter is partly written.
Sybil poured herself a cup of tea before sitting down at the small round kitchen table. Picking up the newspaper that Tom had left on the table, she scanned the headlines of the front page before idly sitting it back down on the table. She looked at the stationary she had set on the table before filling the kettle with the intention of writing some letters to her sisters and maybe Mama but instead of grabbing her pen Sybil cupped her hands around her tea mug and stared blindly at the kitchen window.
She had thought she'd enjoy this solitude but instead she found herself restless in this unfamiliar quietness for if there was one word to describe the Branson house it would be bustling. Unlike Downton it seemed that people came and went at all hours, neighbors popped in to borrow something or sit for a cup of tea and a bit of gossip as did friends and relatives. It seemed as if there was always a kettle of hot water on the stove ready for tea and the enticing aroma of freshly baked bread filling the kitchen. It was a house of wild conversations and strong laughter so different from Downton.
After a couple of minutes of staring at the window Sybil finally picked up her pen.
Dear Edith,
She hesitated then leaned back in her chair, her pen still in her hand.
Sybil took a deep breath for what would she write? It had all seemed so simple when she had left Downton; they'd live with Tom's mother while the banns were read, she'd find a job as a nurse, then she and Tom would move into their own flat after the wedding. They'd been here two weeks but those plans had run into the realities of Dublin. The parish priest hadn't agreed yet to announcing the banns, maybe if Sybil were to convert he'd suggested. The hospitals Sybil had visited had lost interest in her as soon as they heard her English accent. The few flats in their price range had been undesirable.
What would she write of the Bransons? The bright and bubbly Ciara, the youngest Branson, had been the most welcoming of the Bransons. Four years younger than Sybil, Ciara had accepted her without reservations. Sharing her bedroom with Sybil the two had talked sometimes far into the night. While Sybil loved both her sisters, she felt a bond with Ciara that she never had with her own sisters.
Unlike his sister, Sean, the youngest Branson son and the only other Branson sibling living in the house, was an enigma. Although he was taller and slimmer than Tom, facially he resembled Tom so much they could almost be twins. He had at first been rather distant but polite but seemed to be warming up to Sybil. He was evasive as to what he did work wise and his comings and goings at all hours added to the mystery.
And what of Mrs. Branson, her future mother-in-law? Of all the Bransons she was the one Sybil would have the hardest time describing. She was often what one would call a no-nonsense type with those attributes of seriousness, efficiency, and directness, but then at the most unexpected times with her dark blue eyes twinkling she would say something amusing. Just what the woman thought of Sybil left Sybil perplexed.
"So have you been left in charge of the house this morning?" the voice of Tom's brother Eoghan surprised Sybil since she hadn't realized he was here. "Sorry didn't mean to startle you."
"No one mentioned you were still here." Sybil smiled at the Branson brother who was between Tom and Sean in age. Unlike his brothers his hair was quite dark and his eyes while blue were a much darker shade than Tom's. He was quite handsome but she thought his only resemblance to Tom was his smile.
"Not sure if Ma knows I stayed. But Tom, Sean and I stayed up so late talking I just decided to sleep in my old bed." He lit the fire under the tea kettle. "Well maybe it wasn't just the talk there might have been a wee bit of the drink."
Sybil laughed. "Based on how Tom looked this morning I'd say it was more than a wee bit."
"Well that's the thing" Eoghan returned her laugh "in Ireland it's all relative."
He brought his mug over to the table and sat opposite Sybil. "It was good seeing Tom. I didn't realize how much I had missed him."
"He's glad to be back here."
"And you what do you make of Ireland?"
"Well I haven't really seen much yet what with Tom starting work right away but once we're settled I hope we have time to explore" Sybil responded.
"So is Edith your sister?"
"What?"
"You've written Dear Edith."
Sybil shrugged her shoulders and sighed as she looked at the page of fine stationary she had brought with her from home. She hadn't gotten any further than 'Hope you are doing well'. "She is."
"My name is spelled Eoghan."
"What?" Sybil looked across the table to his smiling face.
"I'm sure you're going to write about us and now that you've met the most handsome of the Branson brothers I just want you to spell my name correctly."
His answer caused her to laugh again and she retorted "Well if I was going to write about the Branson boys I'd say they all have a certain smugness."
"Not Kiernan … which you'll understand when you meet him."
"Oh he doesn't have the Branson looks and charm?"
"Aah so we're charming eh?"
In response Sybil gave a soft snort as she shook her head.
"So what are you doing now?" Eoghan rapidly changed the subject
Sybil chuckled. "Obviously not much. I was going to look at adverts for flats but …" she shrugged.
"Would you like to get out and see a bit?" Then grinning mischievously he added "and maybe learn a bit more about that lug yer set to marry."
On the tram ride Eoghan regaled Sybil with a few choice stories from his and Tom's childhood. "Tom was always the smart one, always building things or trying to figure out how something worked. Things around the house would disappear and then reappear in one of Tom's creations. Or he'd take something, like a clock or a doll, apart to see the innards. Of course he didn't always get in put back together correctly. So if you had something you valued you'd have to hide it."
Sybil was enjoying hearing about this side of Tom.
"One time he made a chair and put it at the kitchen table where my brother Kiernan always sat. So we sit down to dinner and Kiernan sits in the chair which immediately throws him on to the floor." Eoghan started to laugh. "You should have seen Kiernan's face. Seems Tom had designed it so when you sat on it the front of the seat would tilt and you'd slide right off."
Eoghan turned his face to look directly at Sybil. "It was done in jest. Tom was never mean or cruel."
"When Ciara was very little she had this story book that one of us would have to read to her every night before she went to sleep. Tom got so tired of reading the same story he glued every other page together so he could finish reading it to her really quick."
Eoghan laughed. "I have a million of these stories to tell."
Sybil had no idea where they were when Eoghan motioned for her to follow him to the tram exit. They walked down a block to a tree-lined street with elegant townhouses on either side. As they walked along the block he said "this is the easy part of our work … these railings and fences. Sometimes the customer wants something a bit elaborate like butterflies or birds between the posts."
"This is the type of work you do?" a wide eyed Sybil asked as she noted the intricate iron work of the arched gate. "It's beautiful."
"Aye." Eoghan stopped in front of the house and ran his hand across the gate. "If fact I made this one."
"I'm impressed" Sybil remarked. "How long does it take to make something like this?"
Eoghan shrugged his shoulders. "Depends on how fancy the customer wants it."
Sybil enjoyed walking with Eoghan as he talked about this and that with them occasionally stopping to admire a gate or fence. When they turned down one street Sybil said "this street looks sort of familiar."
As he said "So you know where your intended works" Sybil saw Tom standing outside a building as if waiting to meet someone.
He spotted her a few seconds after she had noticed him and his face broke out in a wide grin as Sybil and Eoghan approached.
"I found this lass idly staring out the kitchen window and thought I'd bring her along" Eoghan said as Tom kissed Sybil on the cheek.
"Brought me along?" a puzzled Sybil asked.
"Thought I'd take my big brother to lunch to celebrate his new job and his impending marriage" Eoghan looked from Sybil to Tom "but she might be coming to her senses and thinking twice about the marriage bit."
Tom laughed. "And what stories has he been telling you?"
Before Sybil could answer Eoghan jumped in with "don't worry Tom I didn't tell her about that time Ma caught you with Mary Kathleen out behind the shed or the time-"
"We were five years old!" Tom told Sybil.
"Ah but what about you and … what was her name … Niamh or was it" Eoghan scratched his chin as if deep in thought "Maeve or there were quite a few"
"Eoghan!" Tom cried in feigned horror.
"Would you prefer I tell her how you tried to kill me?"
"I was trying to teach you how to swim" Tom replied.
Eoghan looked at Sybil. "His idea of teaching me how to swim was to take me out in a boat that he had put holes in and in the middle of the lake it starts to sink."
"Well it worked didn't it" Tom retorted. "You are standing here."
Sybil had high hopes that this day of flat hunting would be much better than their first one. That day, after seeing several places with a shared bath, she told Tom she had one demand - their flat had to have its own bath.
Yet this day of flat hunting did not get off to a good start. The first place was suddenly unavailable although the notice had been in that morning's newspaper. They didn't even make it to inside the next flat for the battered door opened to a small dimly lit hallway. On the left was a narrow staircase leading to the upper floors while on the right the hallway stretched past the staircase into almost darkness. Sybil suspected the dimness hid the dents and scratches of wear while also giving the impression of a place in need of a good cleaning. As she stared down the hallway something small and furry scuttled across the wood floor.
"Tom" she said as she grabbed his hand "I don't even want to look at this flat" and before he could remark she had opened the door and hurried out on to the pavement and into sunlight.
The next place on their list was certainly in a much better maintained building with a brightly painted entrance door. Light poured into the entranceway through a rather large transom window above the wide door and the tile floor in a black and white pattern looked as if it had been recently washed.
A wide staircase led them to the second floor where a burly man stood in the open doorway of the flat. "Mr. O'Hara?" Tom called as he and Sybil approached the man.
"Aye" the man responded as he stepped aside to let them enter the flat.
It was without a doubt the best flat they had looked at Sybil thought as she stepped into the large sitting room that stretched across the entire front of the building. The two large windows that faced the street let in plenty of sunlight and made the room seem light and airy.
"Oh Tom this is quite lovely" Sybil said as she walked across the room towards the doorway that led into the kitchen. Neither Tom nor Sybil noticed the man flinch as he heard her speak and he stood silently in the sitting room watching them and listening as they wandered about admiring around the flat.
"The missus seems quite taken with this place" the man said as Tom walked back into the sitting room. "As she said it is a quite a lovely flat" he said as Sybil joined them. "It certainly won't be on the market long." He pulled out some papers from his pocket. I'm afraid there was a mistake in the newspaper ad. The figures for the rental price were reversed."
"That makes it quite high Mr. O'Hara" Tom said. "I'm afraid that puts it out of our range."
"But Tom" Sybil began but he took hold of her arm and rushed her to the door.
"Tom" Sybil said as they stood on the pavement in front of the building "why didn't you try to bargain with him? We can afford to pay a bit more."
"There was no mistake Sybil. He raised the price as soon as he heard you speak."
Her eyes widened as she looked up at the flat; then lowering her face, her voice almost breaking she murmured "it's just like at the place where the landlord suddenly said the flat was already rented."
"It's … I'm sorry Tom I shouldn't have said a word" she began but Tom pulled her into his arms and gently kissed the top of her head. Then looking up at the sky, a brilliant blue with a few slivers of wispy pale clouds and a bright sun giving an unexpected warmth to this early spring day, he suddenly had an idea.
"Let's forget about this for today" he said. Then his face breaking out in a broad grin added "I think we should take advantage of this sunshine."
Sybil had some hesitation; after all they needed to find their own place but since the wedding wasn't yet scheduled, Sybil succumbed to his infectious grin. "And just what would this be?"
"Trust me my lass" Tom murmured as he took hold of her arm and they started walking towards a tram stop.
Tom refused to say exactly what his plan was as the tram headed south and east out of Dublin proper. It was only as she caught glimpses of what she thought was the sea that Sybil realized where they might be headed but the names of the stops along the way meant nothing to her.
At Sandymount Tom and Sybil stepped off the tram and into the dazzling sunshine. Despite the sun's brightness the air was a bit cool and heavy with the briny smell of the Irish sea. It was a short walk to the long stretch of sand known as the Sandymount strand. Sybil was bedazzled by the seeming endless stretch of sand. "I had no idea how close we were to the coast."
"I don't know why I hadn't thought of bringing you out here before" Tom said as they began walking along the hard wet sand. "Actually I've not been here much myself."
"I don't think I've been to the beach since the last time we went to New York to visit my Grandmother and that's been ages" Sybil said. "I was probably about twelve the last time."
Tom took a deep breath. "I forget how clean and fresh it smells out here. You forget how close you are to the city."
They must have walked for a good half hour before Tom, noticing Sybil pulling up the collar on her coat, remarked "it's quite a bit chillier than I thought."
"But it feels" Sybil shrugged her shoulders "wonderful. Although I'll admit a cup of tea and a bit of something to eat would be nice."
They left the beach and found a little café that was still serving lunch. From its spot at the top of a hilly street there was a great view of sea from the large picture windows. They decided to share a ploughman's lunch which was the lunch special of the day although Sybil had no idea what exactly was a ploughman's lunch.
"This has been a wonderful treat Tom" Sybil said as she leaned back on the leather covered bench and looked out towards the sea. "We'll have to come here again as it gets warmer."
"There's more places like this along the coast than just here and all are just a tram ride away." Tom took a sip of his pint. "It gives me an idea for a honeymoon."
"We're going away for a honeymoon?"
"I think we can afford a night or two" Tom smiled. "Although maybe that would be money wasted spent for a hotel at the shore since-"
"Tom!" she blurted as she blushed. She was saved from making any further comment as the waitress came with their lunch.
"I'm certainly glad we only ordered one" Sybil remarked as she looked at the serving board topped with a small loaf of soda bread and an array of ham slices, slices of Irish cheddar cheese, halved hard boiled eggs, pickle spears, apple slices, and four small bowls filled with pickled onions, butter and two kinds of chutney. "But it looks wonderful."
A few minutes later after devouring some of the tasty offerings Sybil set her fork down. "This is delicious. I think even I could make this kind of meal."
"Well except for the hard boiled eggs you can buy everything else" Tom said as he reached for a slice of cheese.
"Tom!" Sybil gently slapped his hand.
"It would be lovely to come home after a hard day at the office to a meal such as this." Tom smiled.
"Do you realize this is the first meal we've ever had together in a restaurant?"
Tom set a piece of ham covered bread on his plate. "Do you not count McGinty's last Friday night?"
Sybil rolled her eyes. "That was some pints and a sausage roll!"
"A sausage roll doesn't meet you definition of a meal?" Tom teasingly countered. "And least you forget there was also pickled eggs."
Once again Sybil gave a sigh of exasperation.
"So I guess I won't be coming home to a meal of sausage roll and pickled eggs?" Tom teased.
"Keep talking like that and you'll be lucky to get a cup of tea and a piece of bread" Sybil retorted.
"Well could you at least put a bit of ham and maybe pickle on the bread?"
