New chapter! Nearly done with the next 2 chapters so they should be up relatively soon :) The story's looking to be around 25 parts overall & it will be finished! :P
Please take the time to review, I love to hear what you think! :D
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"An older sister is a friend and defender - a listener, conspirator, a counsellor and a sharer of delights. And sorrows too."
- Pam Brown
June 1916
Sybil had decided not to tell Tom about her imminent departure to France. She had withheld the information from the last letter she had sent after the announcement. She of course knew that he would be fully supportive, yet in the back of her mind she was quite sure he would still be unhappy about her being so close to the ongoing conflict. The last thing she wanted to do was worry him needlessly; she would be quite safe, but felt his worry may distract him, by however small a degree, to his task at hand in the looming battle.
She was currently sat at the table in the kitchen, reading though Tom's last letter. She was always amazed at his way with words and knew he was far more educated though his reading than most gentlemen she knew. She smiled at his references to their last meeting, yet sobered up towards the end as he became more serious, knowing this could very well be his last letter.
A knock on the doorframe of the open door pulled her out of her melancholy thoughts. Sybil glanced up to see her eldest sister smiling at her from the doorway. She leapt up immediately, mirroring her sister's look of glee and flew across the room to embrace her.
"I didn't know you'd be coming so soon!" Sybil exclaimed.
"I wanted it to be a surprise; it's so good to see you! I hardly recognised you when one of the other nurses pointed you out," Mary paused, appraising her youngest sister, "don't you miss the beautiful dresses you used to wear?" she asked, gesturing to her rather unflattering nursing attire with a fleeting look of distaste.
Sybil sighed in bemusement; the war obviously hadn't changed everything about Mary. But still, the fact that she was there was like having a little piece of home. A home that it seemed she was unlikely to return to considering how her relationship with her parents was going. She immediately shook that thought away and focused on her sister.
"I was so happy to hear about you and Matthew!" Sybil began.
They sat and talked for what seemed like hours. After they had exhausted the topic of Mary's love life, Sybil sighed and prepared herself for the next topic of conversation, deciding to prompt it herself.
"So Mary, tell me honestly. Will Papa and Mama ever talk to me again?"
Mary paused, her previous smile fading into a look of sympathy. "Papa was livid when he found out about you and Branson, and Mama supports him wholeheartedly. I tried to help you my dear, but you must have seen this coming. I told you to be careful. He's not of our class and there is no way Papa would accept you two together. I'm so sorry. I'll help any way I can, but you may have to go to Downton yourself, see if you can talk them round."
Sybil gave a short nod, the news was not totally unexpected, "Well, going back won't be possible anytime soon" she began, "they're sending me to France." She stood up and smoothed down her dress, trying her hardest to avoid her eldest sister's stunned expression.
At first Mary was lost for words, but then she quickly came to her senses, "You can't be serious?"
Sybil looked back at her from across the room, "There's to be an offensive. No one's sure when exactly, everything's kept secret, but I can do some good over there Mary, so much more than I'm doing here in England."
For Mary this conversation was too familiar to the one she and Sybil had had before her youngest sister left Downton. Sybil had argued she could do good in London, much more than she was doing at home. Considering how determined she had been to go to London then, there was little doubt she would follow through with her plans to go to France now.
"There is no way Papa would let you go-"
"Well then it's lucky he's all but abandoned me then, isn't it?" Sybil snapped back harshly.
Mary sighed, "Don't speak of him like that, Sybil. This is hard for him too you know, and Mama as well. They still love you, it's just you're making choices that are going against everything they know. A lady and a chauffeur? It's unheard of!"
When her youngest sister failed to reply, Mary returned the conversation to the topic that was bothering her most, "So when are you leaving for France?"`
"Soon, possibly by the end of the week. Though first they need to organise where we're being sent."
"Sybil, are you certain it's not dangerous? And anyway, aren't you too young to go?"
Sybil considered telling her she'd told them she was older, but figured, just in case Mary felt the need to prevent her from going, she shouldn't give her any ammunition. She instead answered the first question posed, and ignored the latter; "It shouldn't be too dangerous, I won't be that close to the line anyway. They have Army Medics that tend immediately to those on the line, and then send them up to us in the field hospitals."
Mary nodded her understanding, though the thought of her sister in a war zone still greatly troubled her.
"So, have you heard from Branson at all? Matthew returned to the line last week and I can't help but worry for him."
Sybil was initially caught off guard by the mention of Tom in such a conversational manner, but welcomed the fact Mary had seemed to have accepted them together. She was also grateful there was someone else that knew just how she was feeling; the anxiety of looking through the casualty lists, and even the newspaper headlines referencing wherever in the world Branson was stationed, was enough to put Sybil on the verge of a heart attack every time she looked at them. She could tell Mary was also feeling the dark cloud hanging over them, especially after hearing mentions of a larger offensive than had ever been seen before involving thousands of soldiers, Tom and Matthew most likely included.
"Yes, he's sent a couple of letters, but thanks to censorship and the unpredictable communication lines the system is slow, so it's taking much longer than it should to get letters though. Though I received a letter yesterday and he's in good spirits so I'm happy," Sybil replied with a faint smile to her sister.
Sybil soon found that she had to get back to work soon, and Mary had to get to Aunt Rosamund's in time for dinner. Mary was leaving London the next morning as it was only a fleeting visit, so it was likely the last time they would see each other until Sybil returned.
As they parted ways, Mary embraced her fiercely and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Good luck."
