My Family

Sybil met Tom at the door two weeks later with Riordan in her arms.

"Rory's been offered a seat from his second interview," Sybil told Tom cheerfully. I told him we would stop by when we are in Downton next month.

"That's good. You know I never thought he would make something of himself back in Dublin."

"It was worth a try," Sybil said. "The alternative was too awful to think about."

"That's true. If he doesn't get enough together for the dormitory fees, do you want him here?"

"I'd have to think about it," Sybil said. "He is rather messy."

"His Ma either ignored him or spoiled him. Mine let me have it if I didn't do my chores.

"We'll make the decision when the time comes," Sybil said. She waited a minute to get up the courage to mention her other news to Tom. "I was talking to Mary."

"What did Lady Mary have to say?"

"Oh, not much. She mentioned Evelyn Napier had moved back to London. He was working in France for a while after the war."

"Sybil," Tom said with a groan. "He doesn't even know I exist."

"You don't know that. He's an only child as well. He might be glad to find out he has a brother."

"And he might not."

"Will you at least think about it?"

"Yes, I'll think about it."

After much cajoling Sybil finally managed to convince Tom to accompany her on a call to see Evelyn. They left Riordan home with Lauren. Viscount Branksome's London residence was every inch the "falderal" as Tom referred to it associated with someone of his rank.

"Lady Sybil, it has been a long while," Evelyn greeted Sybil.

"Too long," Sybil said. "I'd like you to meet my husband Tom Branson."

"How do you do?" Evelyn said politely. "I don't believe we've met before although you seem quite familiar."

Everyday when you look in the mirror, Sybil was thinking. She had never noticed the strong resemblance between the two of them until they were in the same room.

"I used to work for Sybil's father on the estate. Perhaps you saw me at a distance, although I'm sure we never met."

"Perhaps," Evelyn said.

They chatted a bit catching up on family and the latest news.

"Evelyn," Sybil said at last. "Has your father ever mentioned having any other children?"

Tom tensed beside her.

"He's never mentioned it, but then nothing would surprise me," Evelyn replied. "My father is, well was rather, ahem, adventurous. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. I was thinking if I had any long lost siblings I would like to meet them."

Tom stood up and went to look out the window.

"It would be an interesting revelation," Evelyn agreed.

"I though you might like to know you have a nephew."

"I beg your pardon," Evelyn said.

"He's your half brother's son."

"How did you come by this information?" Evelyn was looking pale.

It was a minute or two before Tom spoke.

"I got the identity of my natural father out of my mother before I left home when I was nineteen," Tom said still looking out the window. "Made her show me the documents as well. She hates him with every fiber of her being. Almost threw us out of the house when she found out I had married a peer. I wasn't going to tell you."

Evelyn was speechless. He was sitting staring at his half brother. Tom turned back from the window and moved over beside Sybil.

"We should go and let you think it over," Tom said quietly.

Evelyn stood up and suddenly hugged Tom tight. It was such an usual display for a member of the aristocracy all Tom could do was hug him back. Sybil got up and left the room to allow them to be alone for a moment.

"You're really my brother?"

"Yes."

"Do you realize that this makes your son my heir?"

"What! Oh No, No, No, NO. Absolutely not," Tom said. "You can get married and make your own heir."

"I've been trying. It hasn't quite worked out."

"Well, look in a different fish bowl and leave my son out of the aristocracy mess."

Evelyn started to laugh. "The son of a viscount who wants nothing to do with the title or fortune or any of the rest of it. You are going to be an interesting brother."

"It's bad enough I have to deal with my wife's title."

Evelyn smiled. "How did you wind up with one of Grantham's daughters?"

"Kept asking until she said yes," Tom said. His eyes were full of the devil. He had heard of Evelyn's spectacular crash with Lady Mary.

Evelyn went over and poured two glasses of whiskey.

"To my long lost brother, who isn't so lost anymore. So how are brothers supposed to act?" Evelyn asked.

"Don't know. I've never had one before."

"I've never had one before either. I guess we'll find out."

"What are you doing?" Sybil asked when she stuck her head back around the door. "Tom we have to go. I need to get back." She was trying to shield her chest from view as it was past time for feeding the baby and she was starting to drip.

"We're trying to figure out what brothers are supposed to act like," Tom told her.

"I have no idea. Thank you for having us Evelyn, but I really need to get home."

"Come by and see the baby," Tom said. "We're in Crawley House. I assume you know where it is. Just don't be shocked. I don't like the servants, so we only have one. Well not even that really. She's more of a nursemaid."

"I'll stop by soon," Evelyn said before Tom hurried off after his wife.

It was the dead of summer when Tom and Sybil were scheduled for their visit to Downton. Tom's work was going well and his distribution had been increased to two more papers in Ireland. He was now published in five papers and his pay was increased accordingly. Tom had booked a week off. Parliament wasn't sitting and the labor movement was quiet in the middle of July.

"I want to buy a car," he blurted out one day before their trip. He had a stack of brochures for the new cars being produced after the war and was dying to get back to driving.

"Oh Tom, we don't need a car in London."

"Come on, live a little. It could be fun."

"Honestly, you're the one who always worries about money and now you want something frivolous."

"It is not frivolous. I work all the time. I want to do something fun. We could go on picnics and country drives. We could drive to your parents and have some freedom when we're there."

"You know it's too far to drive to my parents, but I wouldn't mind driving down the coast when the weather is hot."

"Now you're talking. Let's go looking at cars."

"Alright!" Sybil threw up her hands in surrender. "Car shopping it is."

By the time they got to Downton it wasn't only Riordan who was fractious. Sybil had enough car shopping to last her for years. Tom had wanted to stop in Coventry and try every car, inspect each motor and get every detail. She was bored to tears.

"Enough, you're making us both crazy," Sybil complained. "Come back on your own."

"But I want to look at just one more."

"No!" Sybil finally said. "Tom I can't stand it. Just pick what you want and I'll write a check from my settlement. I don't care. Just pick one."

"Fine, I'll come back on my own."

"Oh Thank goodness," Sybil said. Her arms were aching from holding Riordan. She handed him to her husband. "I wish you were this interested in pram shopping."

"But that's boring," he whined.

"Ugh," Sybil said. "You take care of your son for a bit. I'm going for some tea while we wait for the train."

"Fine. We'll go car shopping while you have tea."

"Fine, go ahead," Sybil said walking away.

"You like car shopping with Daddy don't you, Riordan," Tom cooed to the baby.

The only response was a loud wail.

The next morning Tom and Sybil took her father's town car and went to visit Rory.

"This would be so much easier if we had our own car," Tom griped.

"Enough with the car," Sybil said. "Go pick one out tomorrow."

When they arrived at the Drake farm Mrs. Drake came out to meet them with a worried look on her face.

"Milady, Mr. Branson. I'm glad you're here," she said. "Something is wrong with Rory. He was so excited. He's hardly stopped chattering since he was accepted to medical school. A letter arrived from Ireland two days ago. He hasn't spoken hardly a word since."

"Now what," Tom muttered.

"He's so easily hurt," Mrs. Drake said. "We've been so worried."

"We'll talk to him, Mrs. Drake," Sybil said. "He trusts my husband. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of it."

"Where can we find him?" Tom asked.

"He should be down around the dairy. Follow the lane to the left. It's the last building on the right."

Tom and Sybil headed down the lane. They had left Riordan with Sybil's parents as they valued any opportunity to cluck and coo over their grandson. The Bransons spotted Rory loading milk jugs onto the back of the lorry. When he saw them he stopped what he was doing and came running. He threw his arms around Tom and burst into tears.

"Here now, what's wrong," Tom said rubbing Rory's back. Sybil stepped closer and rubbed his back as well.

"Come now, M'éan, it can't be all that bad," Sybil said quietly.

"It's my Ma," Rory snuffled, finally getting ahold of himself enough to stand on his own. He scrubbed his arm across his eyes. "I wrote to tell her I got accepted to university. I got a pretty good scholarship too. She said I was no son of hers. I've sold out to the British. She never wants to see me again."

Sybil gasped. She new the woman was harsh, but this was ridiculous.

"Oh Rory, she can't mean it," Sybil said. "Are you sure?"

He nodded and pulled the crumpled letter from his pocket. Tom took it, read it for a minute folded it and put it in his pocket. His face was like stone and his jaw set. Sybil had never seen him this angry before.

"I'll take care of this," Tom said through clenched teeth. "You stop this nonsense. If she doesn't have the sense to see what you're making of yourself the rest of your family does. You're part of my family now. I'm sure the Drakes feel the same way."

Rory shuffled his feet uneasily and nodded.

"I wish my Da was like you," he said finally.

"He was what he was," Tom said. "You can't change it, but you can choose who you listen to and who you associate with. Your family now is proud of you. Don't throw it away."

"I won't."

"When's your half day?" Sybil inquired gently.

"In two days," Rory said.

"Can you come to the Abbey and see Riordan? We could go on a picnic."

"Yeah, sure," Rory said unenthusiastically.

"We'll make some arrangements," Sybil said.

"I've got some business to attend to," Tom said. "We'll let you get back to work."

Tom and Sybil headed back to talk to the Drakes.

"That miserable old cow," Tom said.

"Tom what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to Ireland. If I have to bring that old hag back by the roots of her hair, she is going to make it up to that boy."

"Tom don't do anything drastic."

"Her husband was nothing but a drunk and she isn't much better. I suspect she was in her cups when she wrote that trash."

Mr. and Mrs. Drake were waiting for them when they got back from talking to Rory. They explained what was going on. Tom pulled the letter out of his pocket and handed it to John Drake. When he read it John Drake sat down at the table in shock.

"What kind of a mother would write that to their child?" he said.

Tom took the letter back and stuffed it in his pocket before the women could read it.

"It may be best if you ladies don't read it," he said. "I'm going to get his mother. She is going to make this up to him, I swear. I'll be back in two days if I make a fast turn around. Just whatever you do, don't let on about Sybil's title in her presence. She's Mrs. Branson from here on until we get this settled."

"I knew there was some reason, he didn't talk much about his life in Dublin," Mr. Drake said.

"That life is over," Tom said. He was still furious. "If I had my way, he'd never see that woman again. It's going to be his decision though, not hers."

They headed back to the Abbey. Tom threw some clothes in a satchel, borrowed some cash from Sybil's father and was on the train headed for the boat within the hour.

"I wouldn't want to be whoever he is going to see," Mary commented when Tom left the house.

"Nor would I," her father said.

Late the next day a telegram arrived at the Abbey with details of when Tom would be arriving back in Downton. It had definitely been a flying trip with only four hours in Dublin to complete his business. The morning of the third day the train pulled into Downton Station. Tom stepped down followed by his mother and Rory's mother last. Edith had driven the town car to the station and was walking back to the Abbey as Sybil had warned her to avoid the woman Tom was bringing back at all costs.

"Sybil, I thought I'd take the opportunity to come and see the baby," Tom's mother said.

"I just wish it was under better circumstances," Sybil replied quietly.

As her mother-in-law hugged her she whispered in Sybil's ear. "I thought it best to come along and help control her."

"Are we going to see my son or not," Mrs. Lester said waspishly in Irish.

"I have the car parked right over here," Sybil said. "How nice to see you again, Mrs. Lester." She said the last part in Irish.

Tom was carrying his mother's bag and left Mrs. Lester to carry her own small case. She was glaring at Sybil.

"I let the Drakes know you would be arriving this morning. They were nice enough to move Rory's half day so he could spend some time with you."

Mrs. Lester didn't reply. Sybil didn't doubt that she was hung over and continued to ignore the woman's rude behavior.

Tom got behind the driver's wheel and they headed off.

"Did you drive to the train?" he asked Sybil.

"No, Edith did. She decided to walk back."

"Good," Tom replied.

It wasn't ten minutes and they were at Drake farm. Tom had not been wasting anytime on the roads. When they got out of the car Rory came to meet them dressed in his new suit. Mr. and Mrs. Drake were behind him at the front door of the farmhouse.

"Hello, Mrs. Branson," Rory said to Tom's mother. "It was nice of you to come."

"Rory, you're looking so handsome and grown up since I last saw you," Mrs. Branson said. "It's obvious your life here agrees with you."

"It does," Rory said.

He turned his gaze on his mother who was looking at him disdainfully.

"Hello, Ma," he said.

She turned her face away from him.

"If you don't have anything to say to me, I have a few things to say to you," he said in English.

"Can't you speak your own language," she spat at him in Irish.

"No. I'll say what I have to in English so my family can all understand it," he said. "These people I live with here, from now on I'll be living with in the summers when I'm not in school. I'll be going to school in London in a few months, not far from Tom and Sybil. I'll live at the university and spend my other holidays with them." Rory paused for a few minutes to let his words sink in.

"You taught me nothing but hate for as long as I can remember. I don't even know how I got away from it all. These people have taken me in and shown me there is another way. They're my family now. I don't want anything more to do with you. I'm going to be a doctor and help people who are sick regardless of where they come from. You aren't going to hurt me anymore."

"You're a traitor to the cause," Mrs. Lester said to Rory's back when he had turned to walk away from her. Rory balled his fists and turned back. Tom moved to step between them but Sybil put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"The only traitor to Ireland here is you," Rory yelled pointing a finger at her. "You love that bottle of whiskey you keep in the broom cupboard more than your own children, more than your own country. If you really cared so damn much you'd clean up your act and do something worthwhile for a change. I've had enough. I'm getting on with my life and doing something that matters."

Mrs. Lester's mouth dropped open. Her hands flew to her face in embarrassment.

"Don't bother to write Ma," Rory said before he turned to leave. "Mrs. Branson can let me know if you've decided to dry yourself out."

"I guess that about says it," Tom commented. "I'll see Mrs. Lester back to the boat. I should be back tonight. Maybe you and Ma can get Rory to drive you over to the house in the Lorry."

"Don't worry Tom, we'll be fine," Sybil said. She took her mother-in-law's arm to go inside after the Drakes.

Sybil turned back to look at Mrs. Lester before she headed inside.

"Don't worry about Rory," Sybil said. "He's with people who love him."