A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, etc., since the last chapter was posted. All of it is, as always, greatly appreciated. I value every single one. Thanks to those who reviewed for the first time. I hope that you choose to review again.
Thanks to those who noticed various typos in the last chapter. They have all been fixed.
I want to especially thank my wonderful betas: Tripp3235, mswainwright and _livingfree (on Twitter) (in absentia for the remainder of the story due to school work). Without these wonderful people, who listen to me gripe and have the patience to slog through chapter after chapter despite their busy lives, the quality of every aspect of this story would be much poorer indeed! :)
To provide a time reference for the weekly readers, we pick up in this chapter the evening of Sat. May 31, 1919.
Disclaimer: Not mine. All Downton Abbey characters belong to Julian Fellowes and ITV. I'm just playing with them.
Chapter 37
Cathleen returned soon after Sybil and Tom exited Mrs. Branson's bedroom with a large fragrant bouquet of seasonal flowers. Cathleen noticed Sybil's ring almost immediately and effusively commented on how beautiful it was. When Tom found a moment, he took Cathleen aside to ensure that she wasn't upset that Ma had given him and Sybil the claddagh ring Da gave to her and Cathleen told him that she was just happy that Sybil finally had a ring.
Sybil went to change after setting the table with Tom's help. Mairin and Kevin arrived a minute to six dressed in their Sunday best and Kevin was nervously fidgeting on the sofa asking Tom for pointers on how to behave, while Mairin went to look at the set table with the fine china and the food on which her mother was putting finishing touches. Connor came out of his room at quarter after six and helped Cathleen sweep up the front hall and the main area for the second time that day. Ciaran and Aileen arrived ten minutes later and everyone could hear her before they walked in the door as she rarely stop talking.
"Sybil." Aileen called her when she walked straight to the sofa after a curt hello to everyone else. "Is this dress fancy enough for dinner with your sisters?" She was wearing a large maternity dress in royal blue that reached to just above her ankles.
When Sybil was in the room, Aileen was always sweet and seemed to value Sybil's opinions, but when she was in her own home, her true opinion would come forth, even when Tom was within ear shot. It was as if Aileen thought that Tom wouldn't talk to Sybil about it. However, Sybil being Sybil, she was never unkind to Aileen. Sybil looked at Tom and smiled. She then walked over to give the dress a cursory inspection. "It looks lovely, Aileen. It suits your figure quite nicely." Aileen was always asking Sybil about how she looked thinking that Sybil would know all about fashion being the daughter of an earl when Sybil couldn't care less.
"I'm glad to hear it," said Aileen, beaming. "Thank you. I have another one just like it for tomorrow night."
Mrs Branson then spoke up from the set table. "Before I go to change, I want to remind you that Sybil's sisters are to be addressed as 'Lady Mary' and 'Lady Edith' or 'my lady' unless they ask you to call them by their given name. Also, seating at the table has already been arranged with place cards to reflect seating practices in England. I suggest you find out before they arrive at seven where you are sitting. Finally, I suggest that incendiary topics of conversation such as politics and religion be avoided. If you can't find something to discuss in common, you can always talk about the weather either in Yorkshire or here." Seeing that no one had anything to say, Mrs. Branson went to her room.
Promptly at seven o'clock, there was a knock at the door. Tom's family, who were all seated in the main area in various chairs that Mrs. Branson had borrowed for the evening, stood up. Nora went to the door and Mary and Edith were announced to the family in the main area after Libby took their things and placed them on one of the beds in Cathleen and Sybil's room. Mary was in her red dress and Edith was in her burnt orange one.
Sybil and Tom walked up to her sisters to greet them. "Lady Mary and Edith, I hope that your trip from the Gladstone Hotel was uneventful."
"Quite," said Mary, smiling politely.
"Thank you for asking, Tom," said Edith, smiling.
Sybil then took the lead. "Mary, Edith, I'd like you to meet Tom's family."
Mrs. Branson came forward and Sybil introduced Mary. "Mrs. Branson, this is my eldest sister, Lady Mary Crawley. Mary, this is Tom's mother, Mrs. Rose Branson."
"How do you do, Lady Mary?" asked Mrs. Branson.
"Mrs. Branson," said Mary, nodding and smiling very politely.
"You've already met Edith the other day," said Sybil.
"Lady Edith, lovely to see you again. Welcome to my humble home." Mrs. Branson gestured for them to come into the main area where Sybil introduced them to Mairin and Kevin, then Ciaran and Aileen and finally to Cathleen then Connor.
Once everyone was seated, Sybil looked at her sisters. "How did you spend the afternoon?"
"We shopped first and then visited Christ Church Cathedral," said Edith. "We wanted to go see St. Patrick's Cathedral but it was time to return to the hotel to change. Have you been?"
"No, not yet," said Sybil, smiling. "But I have a few months after the wedding."
"Perhaps you can come with us when you're staying with us at the Gladstone next week?" asked Mary.
"That's a lovely idea," said Sybil, smiling.
"Those churches are beautiful are they not," asked Mrs. Branson.
"They are lovely," said Edith, her hands on her lap.
"Christ Church was extensively rebuilt by G. E. Street in the 1870s and St. Patrick's was restored in the 1860s," said Mrs. Branson with some pride. "Prior to that they were both in significant disrepair."
"How interesting," said Edith. "Did any part of the church from the Medieval period survive?"
"I'm afraid that I don't know the details," said Mrs. Branson. "But I'm sure they preserved as much as they were able."
"Mrs. Branson," said Mary with the politest of smiles. "I wanted to thank you for designing the bridesmaids dresses for Edith and me. You have quite an eye for design and detail. As I'm sure Sybil has told you, they are currently being made by Madame White."
"Yes," said Edith. "They are lovely. Sybil said that you were able to put them together based on a few descriptions from her."
"Thank you so much for the lovely compliments, Lady Mary and Lady Edith," said Mrs. Branson. "Yes, I knew Madame White as Miss Hayes when we were both starting out. I've always enjoyed designing and making clothing. Mairin and I used to design and make wedding dresses for family and friends before her children came along, but it's too much work for me alone and Cathleen doesn't derive the same enjoyment from creating clothing."
"It's a shame that you're not able to exercise that talent more often, Mrs. Branson," said Mary. "You managed to integrated our personalities into the dresses and yet maintain a specific look for the wedding. That's quite a talent. Often at weddings, the bridesmaids dresses are all the same regardless of the shape of the wearer and it can mean that they are ill-fitting for some members of the bridal party."
"It wasn't all me," said Mrs. Branson, looking at Sybil with a smile. "Sybil was able to provide succinct descriptions of both of you, which helped immensely. Are you finding the Gladstone suitable accommodations?"
"We are indeed," said Mary.
"We understand that it was built recently," said Edith.
"Yes, it was," said Mrs. Branson. "Nearly a block of buildings and shops were taken down just before the war and they just finished it earlier this spring."
"A lot of new buildings are springing up in that neighbourhood, Lady Edith," said Mairin, the first of Tom's siblings to speak.
"Yes, Mrs. Sullivan," said Edith. "We pass a number of construction sites every day. I don't think that I've seen that many at once even in London."
"Do you visit London often?" asked Mairin.
"We usually visit our Aunt, who lives there," said Mary. "But we do spend the season there in June and for the first part of July, though that stopped for the duration of the war."
"Your aunt is Lady Rosamund Painswick?" asked Cathleen, finally feeling relaxed enough to speak.
"Yes, she is, Miss Branson," said Edith, surprised. "How did you know?"
"Sybil has been telling me about your family, Lady Edith," said Cathleen, smiling. "I've gotten to know about quite a number of them."
"Has she indeed?" said Mary. "Only the good parts, I hope."
"Would Sybil say anything bad about anyone, Lady Mary?" said Cathleen.
"You are correct, Miss Branson," said Mary. "Sybil would not."
"Of course not, Mary," said Sybil, smiling. "You know me better than that."
Mary turned to Mairin. "Mrs. Sullivan. How many children do you have?"
"I have five, Lady Mary," said Mairin proudly.
"Five!" said Mary, unable to keep the look of shock completely hidden. "That must keep you busy. How old are they?"
"My oldest is Conall who's ten in a couple of months," said Mairin. "Then there's Emmet who's seven, Brigid is five, Liam is two and Dierdre is not a year. The older boys are in school and I have a girl who comes to help me out during the day, so it's manageable. I must thank you for having a flower girl dress made for Brigid. She is so excited to be in the wedding."
"It's no trouble," said Mary. "We were having our bridesmaids dresses made anyway. What's another child's dress?"
"Thank you nonetheless," said Mairin. "Brigid will be able to use it as her Sunday best after the wedding."
"That reminds me," said Sybil. "Mairin, could Mrs. Branson take Brigid to the dress fitting on Tuesday morning at ten?"
Mairin looked over at her mother. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all," said Mrs. Branson. "I wouldn't mind seeing Caitlin Hayes again."
"We understand that you worked with her, Mrs. Branson?" said Edith.
"I did," said Mrs. Branson. "Over thirty years ago before I married, but everyone in the neighbourhood knows or knows of Caitlin Hayes. Her marriage to Edmund White was the talk of the neighbourhood twenty-five years ago as he was from south of The Liffey and the fact that she decided to continue working throughout her marriage despite being financially settled was gossip worthy then. She's made quite a name for herself as one of the premiere dressmakers in Dublin."
"She was recommended to us by the Gladstone," said Edith.
"Mairin," said Aileen. "How lucky Brigid is to have a dress made by Madame White." Ciaran was unable to keep from rolling his eyes at this comment because he knew he was going to hear all about it for the next week about why Maeve should have been the flower girl. Fortunately, he was seated at the other end of the living area and Mary and Edith did not see.
Fortunately, Mairin was rescued from having to respond as Nora announced that dinner was served.
Once everyone was seated at the table, which Mrs. Branson was able to lengthen sufficiently by borrowing an identical one from her sister, Nora and Libby started serving the first course which was a potato and leek soup. As usual with a lengthy dining table, conversation broke out between various groups including surprisingly, Mary and Ciaran who were seated next to one another and Edith and Connor.
Ciaran, emboldened by information given to him by Sybil earlier that evening, turned to Mary. "I understand from Sybil, Lady Mary, that yours is a hunting family."
"Indeed we are," said Mary, surprised by this turn of conversation. "Though they were stopped during the war. Do you hunt, Mr. Branson?"
"Not any more, my lady" said Ciaran, smiling. "But I did as a boy of ten or eleven, when I was sent to live with my grandparents near Cork for a few months. My grandfather's distant cousin had an estate there and we were invited to go on several of them to enlarge the party."
"So you know how to handle a gun?" said Mary, smiling.
"I do," said Ciaran, grinning. "A long gun at least. I was mainly invited as Grandda's reloader, but he taught me how to use a hunting gun and he let me take a few shots on each drive. I managed to hit a bird or two. I never forgot the feeling of bringing dinner home to my grandmother. I still have my grandfather's rifle which is a Westley Richards model from the 1850s, given to him by his grandfather."
"A Westley Richards?" said Mary. "That's quite impressive, Mr. Branson. We use them mostly because of the way they handle. Does the rest of your family hunt?"
"I'm afraid not," said Ciaran, chuckling. "My father was a man of peace and both my brothers take after him in that regard. Tell me about your family's hunts, Lady Mary."
Meanwhile, Edith and Connor were conversing about the aviation industry which started with Edith asking Connor a question. "What year in school are you, Mr. Branson?"
"I'm in my third year, Lady Edith," said Connor, surprised by being addressed.
"And your favorite subject is?" asked Edith.
"Mathematics, my lady," said Connor, smiling.
"Do you understand all the formulae?" asked Edith, wondering what a fourteen year old boy would know.
"I do, my lady," said Connor. "I have to if I want to design airplanes for a living in the future."
"Designing airplanes!" Edith looked at Connor more critically.
"It's a growing industry," said Connor. "I mean now that machinery has proliferated on the roads, in the cities, on the farms. It's bound to get into the air."
"Indeed," said Edith, surprised to learn that Tom's brother was considering his future already.
"I understand from Tom that even you drive, Lady Edith," said Connor.
"I do," said Edith. "You must know that your brother taught me when he was working for my family."
"Yes, he told me." Connor then added hastily, "My lady. If people like you drive, can you imagine if you wanted to fly to America or China rather than travel by ship. There would undoubted be growth when everyone wants to fly to their destinations and the trips would be shortened as well."
"Would you not have to attend university?" asked Edith.
"I would," said Connor enthusiastically. "Sybil has told me that I could apply for scholarships to Trinity College Dublin, if I maintain my first placement in mathematics until I graduate secondary school which I aim to do."
"Would you not consider applying for scholarships at other universities?" asked Edith, intrigued by the boy.
"I would, my lady," said Connor. "Except that if I applied to Trinity College, I could live at home. My mother has offered me a home so long as I stay in school."
"I have read that some scholarships can include living expenses," said Edith, feeling a need to share. "You never know unless you try, Mr. Branson."
"You have a point, Lady Edith," said Connor, smiling. "Can you tell me about the universities in England? Sybil mentioned that you were considering attending, so you must have read about them."
The courses continued to come and the conversation continued to flow nicely. The soup was followed by pot roast. When that was finished, the next course was oysters, which were followed by Irish lamb stew served in a small bowl made from fresh Irish soda bread. Once the lamb stew was finished, roasted chicken was served. Finally, the last meal course was cheese tart.
Once that was over, the dessert course was brought out and it was apple charlotte, a receipt that Sybil got from Mrs. Patmore when she was learning to cook.
Seeing the look of surprise from Edith, Mrs. Branson said gently, "I hope that you like apple charlotte. I got the receipt from Sybil who has made it for us since she arrived."
"I do, Mrs. Branson" said Edith. "It's just that it was the favorite dessert of one of our neighbours."
"Really?" said Sybil from the other end of the table. "Who, Edith?"
"Sir Anthony Strallan," said Edith, looking up at Sybil. "I had it once at his sister's, Mrs. Chetworth's, before the war."
"Have you seen him since?" asked Sybil.
"No, our paths haven't crossed in some time," said Edith. "He was in the war you know and I don't believe he has returned from the continent yet."
"No, he hasn't," said Mary. 'I heard Granny mention him in passing the day before we left. He is apparently still in France."
"I thought that they would have all returned by now," said Sybil.
Tom spoke up at this juncture. "I was talking to one of the correspondents at work the other day. A number of troops are still stationed on the continent. There's expectation that not all will be home until possibly the new year."
"Why is that?" asked Sybil.
"Likely it's because they are still negotiating the peace treaty," said Tom. "Until that is signed by all parties, everyone at the table would like to have some troops at the ready to persuade the others to sign to the terms."
"Such a horrible war," said Mrs. Branson. "Such sacrifice by all parties. It's a shame. I hope that the peace lasts a long time. If women ran armies, they'd be dispersed as there would never be any more war."
"I quite agree," said Mary.
When the apple charlotte was consumed, the party moved back to the main area. Connor excused himself to return to his studies.
After Connor left, Edith said, "I had a fascinating conversation with that young man at dinner."
Mrs. Branson asked, "About what, Lady Edith?"
Edith turned to Mrs. Branson. "About aviation and universities in England, Mrs. Branson."
"He wants to fix airplanes?" asked Mrs. Branson, who wanted to make sure that Connor didn't bore Lady Edith with airplane talk.
"No, that he wants to design them and he plans to go to university on full scholarship," said Edith. "I don't believe I knew what I wanted at his age."
"Connor's always had a drive," said Mairin with pride. "When he was six, he told me that he was going to move the the south side of The Liffey when he grew up, where the buildings are newer and there's more room. My mother's family has lived in this neighbourhood for four generations. If you include my children, we've been here for six. Connor has always looked beyond."
Mrs. Branson turned to Edith. "What else did he ask you, Lady Edith? I saw the two of you conversing quite animatedly for some time. Connor usually doesn't talk nearly as much."
"He asked me to tell him about the universities in England," said Edith. "He had heard from Sybil that I was considering attending and wanted to know the ones I had considered."
Mary's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the thought of Edith attending university. When they were younger, Edith was the one who liked studying the least. Mary made a mental note to discuss it with Edith on the ride home. "Which ones did you tell him about, Edith? Surely Cambridge and Oxford."
Edith turned to look at Mary. "And York and Manchester and London and quite a few others. He was surprised that there were so many in England, but only two in Dublin and a scattering of colleges in Ireland. I did tell him that some scholarships included living expenses and that there were no ill consequences to applying. I wish him luck as I was never that studious as a child."
Mrs. Branson was about to reply when there was a knock at the door. Nora went to find out who it was and she announced that the car had come to pick up Lady Mary and Lady Edith. It was already ten o'clock. The entire party rose to bid them goodnight.
After Libby retrieved Mary and Edith's things from the bedroom, Tom and Sybil and Mrs. Branson walked Sybil's sisters to the front door.
"Thank you for your excellent hospitality, Mrs. Branson," said Mary, putting on her coat. "The dinner was delicious and a lovely introduction to Irish foods."
"Yes, thank you so much for the lovely dinner," said Edith, pinning on her hat. "Goodnight."
"Thank you for coming to dinner," said Mrs. Branson. "It was a pleasure having you both."
"We'll see you tomorrow at seven," said Mary. "We'll send two cars to pick all of you up from here at half past six. Goodnight, Mrs. Branson."
"Thank you," said Mrs. Branson. "Goodnight, Lady Mary, Lady Edith."
Edith and Mary then said their goodnights to Sybil and Tom. Sybil pulled each of her sisters in for quick hug and said her good nights while Tom nodded and said goodnight. Finally, Mary and Edith were on their way to the car and Mairin and Ciaran and their respective spouses put on their hats, caps and shawls and headed into the night.
Mrs. Branson and Cathleen bid Tom a good night before Sybil walked him back to the door of the flat.
"The first dinner was a success," said Tom, smiling and taking Sybil's hands into his. "Thanks to you. I never expected Lady Mary to converse with Ciaran or Edith with Connor so extensively."
"I always thought that conversations would flow if your family and mine had common ground," said Sybil, returning his smile. "We just had to find the right ones for the right people."
"And you did a marvelous job." Tom reached up with one hand to touch Sybil's cheek. "I love you so much."
Sybil leaned into his touch.
"Five more days until you become Mrs. Branson." Tom caressed her cheek.
"I can't wait, Tom," said Sybil, smiling broadly.
Tom leaned in for a kiss that lasted longer than it should. "I better go," said Tom, huskily. "We have another long day tomorrow."
"I'll see you tomorrow at half past ten," said Sybil, nodding. Sybil held on to Tom's hand until she was going to be pulled out of the flat and she watched him until he disappeared down the stairs.
When Sybil returned to the main area, Libby and Nora were just packing up the last of the borrowed dishes into their crates and Mrs. Branson was counting out the money she owed them.
"Thank you, Libby. Thank you, Nora," said Sybil. "You did a wonderful job tonight."
"Thank you, Lady Sybil," said Nora, looking up at Sybil while putting the remaining pieces into the right crate. "And your secret is safe with us."
"Yes, it is," said Libby, nodding. "Thank you, my lady."
Mrs. Branson was paying them double the normal wages after being sworn to secrecy as a condition of the job. "Thank you again, girls." Mrs. Branson then put their wages in their hand.
"Thank you, Mrs. Branson," said Nora, pulling on her shawl to guard against the cool of the night. "Goodnight."
"Thank you and goodnight," said Libby.
Once the girls had departed, Sybil said goodnight and headed to bed.
A/N2: The dinner at Mrs. Branson's went reasonably well. Next up is the third reading of the banns and dinner at the hotel.
As always, please feel free to point out any typos and grammatical errors. Sometimes no matter how hard you or your betas look, these things get missed. Also, please feel free to point out cultural misnomers or anachronisms, I live in Canada and I know that our terms are often different than those in the UK and Ireland. As always, I'd love to hear what you think of this chapter good or bad, so please do review. :)
