A/N: I started out writing something for The Crawley Girls but it morphed into this instead. I hope you'll like it. thank you so much for all the lovely reviews.
"I'd be happy to do that for you Mr. Carson."
A hush fell over the servants hall as all eyes turned to the dark haired man seated at the long table. It wasn't often, if at all, that Thomas volunteered to do something for someone else and when he did most immediately thought he must have some nefarious plan.
But today Thomas didn't have any such intent unless one could call wanting to just get away by one's self for just a bit some unsavory plan. Once upon a time just taking a smoke break would satisfy Thomas but now that O'brien was being quite vile to him he didn't relish hanging around the courtyard just outside the servants entrance for she'd be sure to follow him there.
Although he tried not to show it, Carson was taken aback by Thomas' apparent offer of helpfulness but before he could speak Mrs. Hughes spoke up "That's quite nice of you to offer Thomas and if you could also get some stamps."
"Of course Mrs. Hughes" Thomas smiled at the housekeeper. While he would describe Carson as pompous and overbearing he would never describe Mrs. Hughes in those terms.
It was one of those glorious summer days with a bright blue sky punctuated here and there with billowy clouds and a soft breeze blowing that kept the air from getting too hot. Since he didn't really have any chores demanding his attention, after all it was the small window of time between the servants' lunch and the upstairs tea time when the footmen like him had time for a bit of a rest unless Carson decided the time would be better spent polishing silver serving trays or some such other nonsense, Thomas decided to take a bit of a walk before returning back to the Abbey.
Although the Abbey had glorious grounds, plenty of woodlands and meadows as well as pastures were scattered throughout the property, Thomas thought it was the gardens that were probably the most magnificent part of the estate. Not that as a servant he was permitted to loll about or even stroll among the array of blooming flowers and bushes nor could he remember ever having a reason for being in the gardens, there were plenty of gardeners for that, he never the less sometimes would sneak away for a quick walk in one of the gardens.
Usually he would just walk around the garden, maybe stopping to admire a particular bush or flower, but today he thought he'd sit on one of the benches and have a smoke. He had sometimes done that during the war for when he sat here among such beauty he could forget the horrors he had witness in his short time at the front as well as those he saw daily at the village hospital.
He had taken off his hat for he liked the way the soft breeze brushed his hair and for just a moment he leaned back with his eyes closed.
"So you go further afield than the courtyard for your smoke breaks these days?"
Thomas snapped to attention although the voice was tinged with amusement. "I'm sorry my Lady" he said as he stood up so fast his hat went flying off the bench and he was aware of her giggling as he ran to catch his hat before the breeze took it too far off. He had always thought her throaty giggle was a most delightful sound.
"No it's me that should say I'm sorry for disturbing you" she responded.
She plopped, for really that was the only way to describe it, on the bench and motioned him to also sit. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable with her, after all they had spent many hours together at the village hospital during the war, but somehow he wasn't sure about such a display of camaraderie these days. But he was curious of her life since she had left Downton and even more curious of the strange circumstances that had brought her back here. Her husband turning up alone on that dark rainy night had given rise to any number of unsubstantiated rumors of dubious dealings.
"After all Thomas we both are known to flaunt propriety."
He was surprised to hear such talk from her and the expression on his face must have baffled her because she added "I won't tell Carson we shared a bench."
He realized then she meant they were both known to break the rules and not hinting at something more sinister and he was a bit annoyed with himself for misinterpreting her words as he doubted if she was even capable of such malice.
"It is lovely here isn't it?" She smiled as she took in the array of colors, so many shades of blues, reds, pinks, and purples. "I remember as a little girl playing for hours here or even coming here to read a book. I loved the peace and quietness."
He quirked his eyebrow and she shook her head as she once again did that throaty laugh. "I know you're astute Thomas and surely my sisters haven't changed that much."
"Well I don't remember actually seeing you out here. What I do remember is a little girl coming in through the servants hall, or should I say running through the servants hall, stockings torn, splotches of dirt on her face and hands, hair flying every which way and often decorated with leaves and heaven knows what else, muddy-"
"Alright … alright" she laughed as she threw her hand out "I get the picture."
He nodded at her bulging stomach "so you think that one will be like you?"
She ran her hand across her belly and laughed. "Oh Thomas, with the genes she's inheriting from her father and I … I think she'll be a handful."
"So you think it's a girl?"
Her eyes gleamed as she chewed on her lower lip and nodded her head up and down. "I do. I honestly do."
She suddenly closed her eyes, her hand running more vigorously across her belly. "Oh" she murmured.
A moment of panic alarmed Thomas and he stood up as if to hurry away to summon help. "Is it the baby … do you think it's time?" His eyes widened as he looked at her belly and could swear he saw it move.
She chuckled. "No … no it's … oh!"
"I think she's dancing in there" Sybil finally said.
"You really can feel it moving?"
"Definitely. Sometimes she keeps me awake at night dancing."
"Or maybe it's a he and he's practicing kicking a ball."
Sybil shook her head. "No it's a girl. Mrs. Branson says she can tell by the way I'm carrying her."
"So is Mrs. Branson always correct these matters?"
Sybil rolled her eyes. "My mother-in-law always thinks she's correct about any matter."
Before Thomas could comment, Sybil turned to him "Did you know there is a correct way to hold a broom or to wash a pan or to fold a sheet or to tie an apron?"
"Do you think she's ever met Mr. Carson?"
Sybil burst out laughing, a full on belly laugh. "Mr. Carson wouldn't stand a chance with her!"
Wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes, Sybil suddenly became quiet before finally speaking so softly he could barely hear her. "I'm sorry she's going to miss the birth. I do trust her knowledge in that area."
She looked once more around the garden. "As lovely as it is here, I do miss my life in Dublin. I miss the freedom I had. I miss …" she stopped as her hand once more rubbed her belly.
She looked up at Thomas. "One thing for sure. Wherever we are … here or …" she shook her head and glanced down at her stomach. "This little one will be able to run freely."
xxxxx
Thomas took a sip of his tea and set the cup back on the table. He looked over the front page of the newspaper that was sitting in front of him on the table. Most of the page was taken up with the disappearance of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine last seen going for the top of Mount Everest.
"Thomas!" the voice was loud enough to rattle his teacup. "Have you seen Miss Sybbie?"
"Why Nanny Phillips the last I saw Miss Sybbie she was in the library reading a book" he spoke without looking up from his paper.
"Reading a book?" the voice sounded incredulous. "The child isn't old enough to read."
Thomas looked up from his newspaper and stared directly at the nanny.
"She likes to look at the pictures and I believe her father has taught her a few words to read."
The nanny glared back at Thomas thinking it was bad enough the child had a father that thought his daughter could do no wrong but she suspected the child also was aided and abetted by this man. She stomped her foot and then turned and clomped up the stairway.
Her footfalls had just faded when the outer doorway burst open and in blew the whirlwind that was Miss Sybbie Branson. It seemed that Miss Sybbie went from sitting to walking with hardly a break for crawling. And once she learned to walk there was no stopping her. She didn't just walk, she bounced, she jumped, she hopped, she ran. She loved to be on the move. That there was so much energy in such a small body was a constant source of amusement, and amazement, to all in the household, not just the family but the servants too.
She broke out in a big smile when she saw Thomas sitting at the table.
"Thomas!" she called. "Do you have a knife?"
Thomas creased his brows as he looked at the rosy red cheeked little girl for he couldn't imagine why she wanted knife. "Ah been running I see."
With her left hand she swept back her hair. With her right hand she held out a two foot long tree branch. "I want to make this into a sword."
Trying not to laugh he asked "And what would you be needing a sword for?"
The child tilted her head back and rolled her bright blue eyes as she took a depth breath and in that moment Thomas thought she couldn't look more like her mother. "All pirates need a sword silly."