Sybil's sadness did not lift, but seemed a bit deeper to Branson each time she visited him in the garage. She rarely asked for news for the war anymore and slowly Branson developed the realization that she now knew – and had seen – more of the war than he had. He saw her name less often on the register of books that had been signed out of Lord Grantham's library, knew she rode less than had been her custom, and thought perhaps her dresses hung more loosely than they had earlier in the year. Still, he was surprised when his Lordship had approached him with a request to drive her to York for a surprise visit – of two nights, no less.

That autumn, Isobel was visiting York as part of her work with the volunteer nurses and had written to Cora that perhaps one of the girls would like to visit her there, arriving in time for luncheon on Friday and staying through breakfast Sunday morning. She even offered a room for Anna, should she also come, and quarters for Branson nearby. Cora and Robert had both noticed that, while Mary and Edith carried on much as they had before the war, their youngest daughter had been deeply affected, particularly since her truncated visit with Lady Rosamund in London over the summer. Although Isobel had suggested any of the Crawley sisters would be welcome, between the lines Cora understood that the offer applied truly to only Edith or Sybil. She raised the idea of a visit to York with Robert, who was reluctant at first – petrol was more expensive than ever and more difficult to come by these days, and of course it wasn't a particularly short distance – but agreed when Cora asked if he had a better idea for something, anything to brighten Sybil's mood. He did not.

They determined to surprise her and so Cora had replied to Isobel fixing the details of the visit. As she would only be away two nights, Cora decided Anna need not accompany Sybil; after all, they certainly wouldn't be changing for dinner. It was left to Robert to arrange the journey with Branson, whom he had never before asked to undertake such a trip, and was pleased with the young man's easy agreement. He was turning out to be quite the chauffeur, Robert thought, and would be hard to replace if he were to enlist.

When her mother told her of the arranged visit as she readied for bed the night before her departure, Sybil felt a stab of genuine happiness she had not known for many months. Not only would she get to spend several hours in Branson's company, but she looked forward to seeing Cousin Isobel. Sybil had always like Cousin Isobel, even if the rest of her family had been slower to accept her and even, Sybil felt, looked down upon her. Sybil, on the other hand, admired Isobel's strength after the death of her husband and particularly her work as a nurse. Why, it was her own medical knowledge that had saved the life of Mr. Drake shortly after arriving at Downton! Sybil really could not understand why the others felt anything other than admiration toward her and inwardly cringed whenever she heard Mary or her grandmother impugn Isobel's middle class breeding. It would be lovely to spend time speaking with her about life in Manchester and her medical training without the rest of her family listening in.

When Anna brought a tray early the next morning, she noticed a brightness about Sybil's expression that she had missed recently. Lady Sybil had always been Anna's favorite – the nicest sister, by far – and Anna had thought for weeks over anything she might do to help lift the black mood that hung heavily around her ladyship. Anna knew how much Lady Sybil looked forward to seeing her cousin, but she was also certain that the impending drive with Branson was a major contributor to Lady Sybil's mood, but she certainly wasn't going to say anything that might darken it.

"You look lovely, milady," Anna said, smiling.

"I've had William take your trunk downstairs and I believe you've got everything you need now. I do hope your visit with Mrs. Crawley does your spirits good."

"Thank you, Anna. I am looking forward to it!"

Downstairs was quiet, but Carson stood waiting in the hall and walked with her the few steps to the waiting car.

"Have a fine visit, Lady Sybil," Carson offered as he saw her into the car.

"Please offer Mrs. Crawley my regards."

As Branson settled into the driver's seat, Carson bid them both a safe journey before striding back inside the great house.

"I must have been the last to learn that I would be traveling to York, Branson," Sybil said with a laugh as she sank into her seat and they started toward the main road.

"Yes, milady, I think you might be right. I believe it was meant as a happy surprise – something to cheer you."

"Oh, and it has. Terribly."

Yes, Sybil, thought, this was the best surprise she had received in many years. She was greatly looking forward to her visit with Cousin Isobel, and was no less content for Branson's company either. As he drove, she began to tell him then more about this distant cousin who had been thrust so unexpectedly into their lives. Branson did not know Mrs. Crawley well, and as Sybil spoke this middle-aged woman came alive to him and he almost felt he was meeting her for the first time. He had not known that Isobel had saved the life of a local farmer, for example, and Sybil relayed the story of Mr. Drake's dropsy and Isobel's cure with the pride of a mother. She spoke openly, in a tone that conveyed respect, Branson noticed, something you rarely – or never – heard when an aristocrat spoke of anyone not also addressed with a title. They did not speak of the war at all, but shared stories of their childhoods, compared London to Dublin, and even New York, and discussed the books they read.

Sybil was especially fond of Little Women and did a fine job retelling much of the story, complete with different voices for each of the March sisters. She would make a fine teacher, Branson thought. Or mother. Branson suggested she might like James Joyce, perhaps the book Dubliners that had been published just last year, he offered. As he described it and she agreed eagerly that she would like to read this book, he couldn't help but reach for the copy on the seat next to him and hand it to her in a gesture not unlike his initial offering of pamphlets on women's suffrage two years before. The book had not been easy to come by and he certainly couldn't find a second copy, so although he'd always planned it as a gift for her, he couldn't help but read it before he offered it to her. He had intended to give it to her on the return to Downton, but as she clutched it to her and beamed, he knew he'd made the right decision just now.

"Thank you, Branson. Really, though, you shouldn't have." A beat later she added, "Oh, it's lovely, it is."

"It's a small gift, milady. I know how you like to read and I thought you might like something by an Irishman. Being English and all I thought you might need proof that we can write just as well," he teased.

She laughed. "I look forward to reading it and after I do, we must discuss it. I'm sure no one else I know has read this book. You have read it, haven't you?"

"I have, milady, and I did hope you would like to discuss it with me. I hope you won't mind, but I've marked a few passages for you that I thought you might especially enjoy."

As she looked through the pages now, Sybil saw where he had done just that. Here and there his handwriting filled a margin, pointing her to a sentence or two, or briefly explaining something he thought he wouldn't understand – and would want to know more about before they had a chance to discuss it.

Soon they arrived in front of the modest house where Isobel had taken rooms while in York for the month. As he helped her from the car she appeared nearly to be her old self and he was glad of whatever part he had played in this transformation.

Sybil's visit with Cousin Isobel was as good for her as everyone had hoped. They discussed Isobel's nursing, what news of Matthew she received from the front, life at Downton, and any number of other topics. Sybil had even hinted at her friendship with Branson, mentioning the map he had purchased in Ripon where they marked the names of places like Artois and Isonzo, as well as the copy of the Dubliners he had offered her "recently." Isobel was worried about Sybil after receiving Cora's response and was glad for her to have a friend to help her navigate this terrible war. She had seen and heard far stranger things than a lady befriending a chauffeur. In any case, the girl's mood had been far lighter than she had expected given Cora's somewhat anguished reply to her invitation and felt anything and anyone who cheered her to be welcome.

Sybil was disappointed Sunday morning that her visit was at an end so quickly, even if she was looking forward to the return drive with Branson. Not accustomed to embracing, she nevertheless hugged Isobel tightly as he pulled the car in front of the house. It was a gray morning with a light rain falling, but she resolved that her mood would not match the weather.

"Thank you, Isobel, really. I mean it."

"You'll be alright, Sybil, and remember that you can always write to me yourself. I don't often receive a letter from Matthew, and I'm always happy for whatever news the post brings me of my friends from before the war."

They embraced again quickly and she slid into the car. Sybil heard Isobel's voice speak in a low tone to Branson, something too quiet for her to hear, and they both smiled. Yes, it had been nice to admit her friendship to someone, even if it was just Cousin Isobel.

"How was your visit, milady?" Branson asked as they set out toward Downton.

"I had a very fine visit, and I'm so grateful to you for driving me here. It's not a short drive."

"No, but I'm happy to do anything for a friend."

She smiled at that last comment, had heard the catch in his voice as he said it, acknowledging aloud for the first time that she was really and truly his friend.

"Thank you, Branson."

She was quiet for a minute before she decided to tell him the advice her cousin had imparted.

"Cousin Isobel gave me some very wise advice. She told me that I won't end the war by losing my spirit, nor even shorten it by a day. When there is so much darkness in the world, she said, I must try to bring a bit of light into it and not add to the darkness."

"I think that's very wise advice, milady. I couldn't agree more."

Branson was relieved that someone had finally told Sybil what he had bitten back for weeks. Yes, she was his friend, and she often sought his opinions and counsel, but as anyone in service could tell you, it was important to know when to hold back unbidden advice.

The rest of the journey passed happily as she shared the details of her visit and then lapsed into memories of earlier visits to York. She liked the city very much and thought York Minster every bit as grand as Westminster Abbey, while the surrounding countryside, she argued, was more beautiful than the area surrounding London. When she had finished, he good-naturedly countered that neither had anything on Dublin. In some ways it was a repeat of their conversation on the way to York, but livelier this time, as Sybil seemed to have recovered much of her fire.

"I do wish I could see Dublin, Branson, for you speak of it so often."

"Perhaps one day you shall. One never knows what can happen in life."

Given the near state of war in Ireland now, he doubted very much that an English Lady would, should even, travel to Dublin anytime soon, but they could both dream, couldn't they?

Arriving back at Downton, there no was mistaking how tightly Sybil squeezed Branson's hand as he helped her from the car. Had Cora not been so focused on the transformed expression Sybil wore – even her color looked healthier than when she had left – she might have raised an eyebrow in disapproval. Anna, too, was struck by the changes in her mistress, and missed this small gesture. Sybil thought perhaps Carson had not, but she couldn't be sure and anyway he wouldn't scold her, not in this mood at least.

"Sybil, darling, you look wonderful. It seems that the visit with Cousin Isobel agreed with you nicely."

"Oh, mama, but it did! Thank you so much for arranging it. It was lovely to spend the weekend with her."

Sybil used the word just to see if her mother would cringe as her grandmother had the first time Matthew uttered it over the dinner table. Whatever her natural reaction, Cora showed no reaction, but resolved to try to take a kinder view toward this woman. Cousin Isobel could be abrasive, but clearly her heart was in the right place and Cora had to admit that two days in Isobel's company had done for Sybil what two months in her own company had not.

"You must remember to write her a proper thank you, Sybil. I'll send my own by tomorrow's post – Branson can take it into Ripon for me – and I'd like to include yours as well. Write it this afternoon and take it to him to post along with mine."

"Yes, mama, I shall do so."

With that, Sybil entered the hall and made her way upstairs happier than she had been in many months.