A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews, alerts and favorites from the last chapter. They make me very happy. Many thanks to my patient betas, Tripp3235 and mswainwright.
Disclaimer: Not mine. All Downton Abbey characters belong to Julian Fellowes and ITV. I'm just playing with them.
Chapter 2
Reading by the brook while waiting for Tom had been much more difficult than Sybil had considered. Every noise made her jump, so trying to concentrate on the antics of the five Bennet sisters was next to impossible. Often, Sybil's mind wandered from the text in front of her eyes to the elopement the previous night. Just as Sybil read the part where Lydia's elopement was discovered by Elizabeth in Derbyshire, she heard the sound of someone running toward the stream. He must have gotten my note.
She quickly placed her bookmark back in the book before setting it on the bench. When she stood up, Tom broke out of woods. When their eyes met, Sybil hurried toward him and they came together in a hug halfway from the path to the bench. Before saying a word, Sybil turned and looked up at Tom with adoration in her eyes and leaned in to kiss him. Tom returned the kiss with all the love he could muster. As the kiss deepened, Sybil's arms went about his neck and Tom pressed her closer to him. After what seemed like an eternity, Tom pulled out of the kiss.
When she looked into his eyes, she felt the overwhelming warmth of his love. Sybil broke the gaze so that she could place her head on his shoulder to hug him tighter. After their separation last night, Sybil needed to feel that he was actually there. Tom placed a kiss on her hair before leaning his cheek against her head and closing his eyes to savour her presence.
"I'm so very happy you came back," said Sybil, closing her eyes to breathe in his essence, which was his own masculine scent mixed with faint traces of an engine.
After a few minutes, Tom said, "I was so worried that when I came back that you would not want to see me, then when I returned to the garage and saw your note, my heart jumped for joy. I came as quickly as I could."
Sybil moved to look up at him. "Never doubt my love for you. Something that took me so long to realize cannot be sundered in such a short duration."
Tom searched her eyes for the truth and found her love for him in them. "I'm sorry. There are times that I still can't believe that you are mine."
Sybil smiled at him. "Believe it, Tom Branson. Though the banns have not been read and we have not been wed, know that I love you from depths of my soul and the bottom of my heart."
Lost in her eyes, Tom leaned in and kissed Sybil again to seal her words and Sybil returned the kiss with equal fervour.
After they parted this time, Tom led Sybil to the bench, sat down and pulled her onto his lap. Giggling, Sybil placed her arms about his neck and her forehead against his. Savouring their closeness, Tom asked, "I don't ever want to be parted from you again. Since eloping is out of the question, how should we proceed? I still want to marry you as soon as possible."
"And I you," said Sybil. "I would like to tell my parents, but we need a better plan this time. Are you planning to tell your mother about us?" They had discussed his family on occasion and she knew that his mother was a widow living in Dublin.
"I can write to her tonig-" started Tom. Sybil interrupted him with a quick kiss.
"You may want to wait until you've slept some," said Sybil, smiling. "You look tired. Were you able to sleep any after we left?"
"Not much," Tom admitted. "I promised Lady Mary that I would bring the car back in the morning and I needed to return in time for the staff breakfast if I didn't want to raise any suspicions. You?"
"I slept from about the moment my head hit my pillow until about noon," said Sybil. "I had spent the drive back crying on Anna's shoulders."
"So she was there with your sisters?" asked Tom.
"Yes," said Sybil. "She was waiting in the car. Why?"
"She gave me an odd look this morning when I headed into the servants hall for breakfast. She looked as tired as I did and I just wondered," said Tom, taking one of her hands from about his neck and intertwining her fingers with his.
"I am certain she didn't sleep any last night since it was dawn by the time we returned," said Sybil, caressing his hand with her thumb.
"We should thank her then for keeping our escapade a secret," said Tom, looking at Sybil. "When I came back this morning, I was surprised that I wasn't tossed off the grounds for what we did last night."
"Anna is very discreet," said Sybil, glancing briefly at her lap. "You never have to worry about her gossiping or telling my parents about us."
"Good. What about your sisters?"
"As I've said before, Mary won't give us away," said Sybil, glancing at the buttons on Tom's uniform. "She will want to avoid a scandal and hope things will blow over. She said as much during the walk to the car last night. So she will keep trying to persuade me in private but will hold her peace. As well, she will be spending all her time helping Matthew with his recovery to be bothered too much with us. Edith doesn't want to go back to the way things were so she won't give us away either."
"I am surprised that they aren't following your every step," said Tom, looking at her.
"I promised them that I won't elope again and it's true," said Sybil, glancing at Tom. "I won't elope again. I can't bear the thought of not telling my parents."
Moving a stray hair from her face, Tom said, "When do you plan to tell them and then come away with me?"
"I'm hoping that we can tell them before Matthew and Lavinia's wedding or shortly thereafter," said Sybil. "Because knowing Mama, she will have eligible young men at the house for me and Edith to entertain not long after."
"We can't have that," said Tom in mock earnestness.
"Especially, since I'm engaged to be married to you," said Sybil with a smile.
"We're engaged now?" asked Tom with a smile. In the rush to Gretna Green, he hadn't considered it or properly asked since he asked her to bet on him over two years ago.
"Well, I did agree to elope with you and we're still together though not yet married," said Sybil.
"Since we're not eloping anymore, we better do this properly," said Tom, pulling her off his lap, standing up and then going down on one knee.
Taking her hand in his and looking into her eyes, Tom asked, "Lady Sybil Crawley, I have loved you for many years and we have been friends for many more, will you marry me?
Sybil's face broke into a wide smile. "Yes, of course."
Pulling Tom up from the ground, Sybil guided him back onto the bench where they kissed to seal the promise.
After a few minutes, they broke apart and Tom looked at her. "I wish I had a ring for you, but what I've saved up will allow us a few nights at inns, our passage to Ireland and a few months rent after that until I find a job."
Sybil looked at Tom adoringly. "Until we both find jobs. I don't need a ring to know that you love me. I've known that for a long time."
"And I love you so," said Tom, leaning in for another kiss.
When they finally broke apart, Tom cleared his throat. "So, what's next?"
Sybil glanced at him with a mischievous smile. "I think it best if we had a plan of action next time, I already have my letter of reference from Dr. Clarkson, so that when we arrive in Dublin, I can find a job in nursing. Perhaps if you had a job waiting for you, you would not need to worry about having a reference from Carson."
"That's a good idea," said Tom. The lack of sleep was slowing his normally quick thinking processes. "What do you have in mind?
"I've been thinking," said Sybil. "You know how you've had some pieces published in the newspapers in Ireland."
Tom nodded.
"What if you tried pursuing a career as journalist?" said Sybil quickly and excitedly.
"Wait," said Tom. "It's completely different getting a few pieces published occasionally than to pursue a full-time career as one."
"I've read them and they are well written," said Sybil. "I think you can become one. Have you applied?"
"Well, no, but I've only written a few opinion pieces for monthly circulars," said Tom. "It's not the same as if I was reporting the news."
"If I could help Gwen find a job, I can help you find one," said Sybil confidently.
"Well, I know that you have connections here in Yorkshire," said Tom, not entirely convinced of the scheme. "But I'm not sure that you would have the same connections in Dublin."
"How can you doubt me when you haven't even tried?" said Sybil with a hint of disappointment.
"Very well," said Tom. "I'm too tired to argue with you. Help me find a job as a journalist. Why a journalist?"
Sybil smiled at her small victory. "You must be tired," she teased. "Because you need a respectable career for Granny to accept you and you already have some experience as a journalist. You told me that you won't always be a chauffeur."
"Well, I doubt I will ever be able to work again as a chauffeur without a reference," said Tom. "And I doubt that Mr. Carson will give me one after I take a daughter of the house with me when I leave. You know I don't need your grandmother's acceptance. I just need you to come with me after you've told them."
"After we've told them," said Sybil emphatically. "I want you by my side when we tell my family. But don't you see, if Granny accepts us, then the rest will surely follow."
"Very well," said Tom. "You know your grandmother better than I."
"You will get to know them as well as I do someday," said Sybil.
"For your sake, I hope so," said Tom. Changing the subject, he asked, "So what are the plans for the rest of the afternoon. I have to leave by half past four to go to the village for Mrs. Crawley and Miss Swire, so we still have a couple of hours or so."
Sybil put her hand on his cheek. "Why don't you take a nap? You look so tired."
Tom gave her hand a quick kiss. "I don't want to be away from you and I couldn't sleep if you were with me in the cottage. In any case, as tired as I am, I would need someone to wake me."
Sybil smiled suddenly with a twinkle in her eyes. "What if you were to bring a blanket here and then you could have a lie down and I could wake you. No one comes here any more. We wouldn't be discovered."
"All right," said Tom. "I'll come straight back. You wait here."
"Don't you want me to come with you?" asked Sybil, not wanting to part from him a moment more than necessary.
"It would be better if you didn't," said Tom, smiling wanly at her. "Someone might see us coming out of the woods together and be suspicious. We can't have that now if we want to have our plans in place in time for Mr. Matthew and Miss Swire's wedding."
"Very well then," said Sybil. "Come back quickly."
Tom returned within five minutes with two blankets and his newspaper from the village. They quickly found a spot hidden from the path and spread one out. Tom shuffled the other to use for a pillow. Sybil sat down on the blanket, and Tom laid down, gave Sybil his pocket watch and started to get comfortable.
When Sybil asked about the purpose of the newspaper, Tom pointed out the article he read earlier. "This happened just outside of Dublin, probably about five miles from my mother's home. Are you certain that you still want to live there?"
Taking the newspaper, Sybil looked at him with love. "You want to be involved with fighting for Ireland's freedom and my home is where you are. I know that now. Leaving you last night was the hardest thing I have ever done. Your last words to me and the look on your face haunted me the entire drive home."
"You know that it won't be easy and I want you to be happy," said Tom.
Looking at Tom earnestly, Sybil said, "My happiness lies with you. After last night, I know now that I could never be happy without you."
"I've been hoping to hear you say that for a long time," said Tom with a tender smile. He then pulled Sybil down to his level and they kissed. Sybil then broke the kiss and shifted to lie down beside him with her head resting on her elbow and her arm about his waist.
If he wasn't so tired, Tom would have taken advantage of the situation to cuddle with Sybil, but just having her there with him was enough for him to be sufficiently relaxed to fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon.
Once he fell asleep, Sybil sat up and read the article and other parts of the newspaper while he slept.
Tom awoke from the sensation of someone kissing him. Sybil knew he was awake when his hands held the back of her head in place and deepened the kiss. When she broke it off, he looked up at her with a huge grin. "That is the best wake up I've ever had."
Sybil smiled down at him. "Sleep well?"
"Better than in a long time," said Tom, returning her smile.
"It's quarter past four," said Sybil. "You need to leave in ten minutes to get Cousin Isobel and Lavinia."
Alerted to the time, Tom sat up. "We'd better pack up then."
Looking at his sleep-mussed hair, Sybil giggled. "You'll need to comb your hair before you go."
Smiling at her, Tom started folding up the blankets. "Did you read the article?"
"Yes, and a few more things," said Sybil. "You need your sleep tonight so I won't bother you with my thoughts, but I'm likely free tomorrow afternoon after church. I'll come by the garage if you're not out and we can talk. Here's your pocket watch."
Tom took his watch back and put it back in his pocket. "Very well. Let me leave first and then wait at least five minutes before you go to keep suspicion at a minimum."
"I will," said Sybil.
Tom then kissed Sybil quickly and left to prepare for his scheduled trip.
A/N2: So our Dynamic Duo are now reunited and are starting a plan. Please review to let me know what you think. :)
