8A Love To Cross Oceans For
"I don't know what a love like Juliet's feels like- a love to leave loved ones for, a love to cross oceans for- but I'd like to believe that if I did feel it, I would have the courage to seize it."
~Letters to Juliet.
Her cheeks had lost their deathly paleness and had, thankfully, regained most of their former colour as the days passed and Dr Clarkson could finally declare that she was well on her way to a full recovery.
Having come out the other side of her dangerous bout of Spanish Flu, Cora Crawley was lying in bed-propped up by a handful of soft duck feather pillows- as she wordlessly observed Sybil (her youngest daughter who had gone back into full-nursing mode for the first time since the war) fussing over her wellbeing.
"You'll be leaving soon?", Cora said softly, her words sounding far more similarly to those of a question as apposed to the statement that both women knew they truly were.
She reached for the hand of her youngest daughter -her baby- and gestured for Sybil to stop what she was doing and sit down to talk.
Cora found herself wondering when the two of them would be together like this again- just sitting and talking as mothers and daughters do.
'Would it be weeks? Months? Years?', Cora thought to herself, frightened that she couldn't know the answer to that question for sure.
Sybil smiled discreetly, glancing away from her mother's concerned and wistful gaze.
Despite the fact that she would soon be leaving her family and going to live on the other side of the Irish Sea, it was evident to Cora that her youngest daughter couldn't help but feel excited for the future that lay ahead of her.
A future that would be with a young man whom the family scarcely knew beyond his questionable politics and reasonable abilities driving...
"Not until you're fully recovered, Mama", Sybil answered reassuringly. "But after that, Tom and I will be leaving for Dublin."
Cora sighed deeply, fixing her daughter with a firm gaze.
She knew that Robert and Sybil had been involved in some rather intense discussions on the topic of Sybil's rather unorthodox choice of husband, but given her own poor wellbeing at the time Cora hadn't played much of a part in the proceedings.
At least not until now.
"Are you sure about this?", Cora prodded gently.
She tried her best not to sound accusatory for she knew Sybil well enough to know that her youngest daughter would shut down on her completely if she did.
After all, Cora had always harboured an inkling that her youngest daughter would only ever marry for love.
"It's a big decision to make...", the older woman tried, deciding to make use of the last remaining deterrent in her and Robert's arsenal if only to make absolute certain that her daughter knew exactly what she was doing. "...leaving your friends and family."
Sybil smiled calmly, her voice laced with the signature amounts of sweetness and cheekiness that Cora could only ever describe as being unapologetically 'Sybil'.
"I suppose you must have had similar apprehensions when you left America to marry Papa."
Cora's frown deepened, finding herself unable to respond right away.
Her daughter's unexpected response had left her quite flummoxed.
"Sybil darling", she said gently, inadvertently reminding herself of days gone by, days when she had been trying to reason with her stubborn youngest daughter as a child.
"A great deal of planning and consideration went into my decision to marry your father. You simply cannot compare the two situations."
Sybil folded her arms determinedly, appearing a little defensive for the first time since their conversation began. "Why ever not? Didn't you leave your home and family to be with your husband?"
Cora sighed deeply, desperately hoping that their conversation wasn't just about to turn into a shouting match.
In truth, it had taken quite a while for her and Robert to fall in love once they had wed. However, that was something that had always been kept from their three daughters.
Even though Cora was sure that Mary suspected, she had always preferred that her girls not know the full extent of the less than idyllic circumstances that had brought their parents together...especially Sybil who had always been quite the romantic.
"Things were easier for your father and I...", Cora implored, reaching out once again to take one of her daughter's hands, in an attempt for her to understand.
"Our families both approved. He was the heir to Downton and I had more than enough money to keep both of us in comfort and the estate afloat. We didn't have to worry about money or our place in society, there's a lot to be said for having those securities in life."
Sybil made to argue but was silenced by the next words that left her mother's mouth.
"I promise that I'm not going to stop you, my darling...because I know that I wouldn't be able to if Mr Branson is who you truly want. My only hope is that you understand that the life you will be signing yourself up for in Ireland will be very different from the one you could have had here."
In that moment as she awaited her response, Cora saw something soften in Sybil's eyes.
Whatever it was, it made her feel reassured that everything between them would eventually be alright.
"Mama", Sybil whispered adamantly, a quiet conviction replacing the defensive that had been in her eyes. "I understand that you're worried about me, but I'm not a child anymore. Despite what you and Papa have told me over the years, I do know that things were different between the two of you at the start, that fortunes and titles played a role in your union."
Sybil paused for a second, as though waiting for her mother to contradict her, and continued on when she didn't. "But if someone were to ask you now 'what is more important, Papa or the security you have in life', which would you choose?"
Cora bit her lip, for the first time completely believing in her daughter's determination to marry the young Irish chauffeur.
She could feel her eyes well up with tears at the honest and heartfelt nature of her daughter's words.
Even though Sybil hadn't said it aloud, she could see it as plain as day in her baby girl's eyes...her youngest daughter was a woman truly in love.
"Your father", Cora responded, giving Sybil a watery smile in return. "Every time I would choose your father over everything else."
For the first time the two women had come to see each other, not only as mother and daughter, but for the kindred spirits they truly were. Both of them were lucky enough to experience a love that had been worth leaving loved ones for, a love that had been worth crossing oceans for.
And both of them had found the courage within themselves to seize the chance at that kind of love, even if the circumstances surrounding that acceptance had been very different for both of them.
"Then surely you understand why I have made my decision", Sybil said softly, sharing in her mother's smile as tears began to appear in her own eyes.
"I know leaving home is going to be difficult, but it will be worth it in the end. I love Tom, Mama. I love him with my whole heart. He asked me to bet on him, and I will...I'll bet on him every day for the rest of my life. "
At her Sybil's final words, Cora couldn't withhold her emotions much longer. She launched herself at her daughter in what was a very unladylike fashion, giving her the biggest of hugs.
"Oh my darling", she said tenderly. "My beauty and my baby."
Cora could feel Sybil smile against her shoulder.
She could sense the slight shake of her daughter's shoulders as they both fully burst into tears...happy tears...at the prospect of the changes that would soon be taking hold in their lives.
"And my Mama!"
Cora held onto her daughter tightly and instead of worrying about the future and when she would see Sybil again, she began to look forward to all the other milestones she would see her little girl go through in the future.
As Sybil hugged her back, Cora began to imagine the weddings, the christenings, the birthdays and the Christmases that would inevitably bring their family back together in the coming years whether they occurred on one side of the Irish Sea or the other.
This wasn't the end...Cora was certain of it...This was only the beginning.
She had years with each of her daughters -her baby girls- ahead of her.
When she and Sybil finally released their hold upon one other, Cora couldn't help but feel a sense of maternal warmth and comfort in the pit of her stomach as she witnessed the sheer happiness that seemed to radiate from her daughter.
Internally, she berated herself for not having noticed it until now, especially when that glow in Sybil's eyes had so evidently been there for quite some time when she truly stopped to consider it.
She could see it; that same sort of happiness, the happiness that she had found with Robert and Sybil had found with Tom Branson...it was the only thing that Cora could truly wish for her daughters.
Hiya everyone! I hope you enjoyed that! Let me know in a review if you did, I wouldabsolutely love to hear what you think! If you're into Sybil/Tom stories I've gotten plenty of other oneshots and a Victorian AU called 'I'll be out there somewhere' in progress as well if you fancy checking them out.
In case anyone was wondering, the quote from the top that I incorporated into the story comes from the 2010 film 'Letters to Juliet'...what can I say, I have a soft spot for rom-coms haha!
Anyways, in the meantime I really hope you all have a really lovely day and you enjoyed the story.
Talk soon,
Pearlydewdrop xx
