Christmas Lunch
Dec. 20th, 2013 02:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
adifferentlifeThe best way to celebrate any holiday is to share it with people that one care's about, Sybil is sure of that. It's why she's organised this, a luncheon for any and all that she's friends with. It's not something she's done before, and it feels very adult to be hosting a party within her own home. It's not something she ever imagined doing in such a small space, or without a staff to support her, or even before she was married with her own home, but those aren't things that are considerations here.
Instead she's let everyone know when to come and to bring something to share with the others. She's ordered in the main part of the meal, a roasted turkey instead of a goose and a roast of lamb as well. There's champagne and wine, and she has the record player Kaine gave her in the corner playing christmas carols by Bing Crosby. There's a small tree of real pine with strings of beads strung through its boughs and little elecric lights twinkling. Henri has helped her to decorate and do the cooking that she's tried, even if most of the cookies she made needed to be thrown our they were so burnt.
Once people start to arrive she relaxes, allowing herself a glass of wine once she's sure everything is in order and things are going well. At some point there is nothing else she can do, other than talk to her guests; her friends. It's nothing like a Christmas at Downton, but her second one here in Darrow and it feels like the Christmas it's supposed to be.
Instead she's let everyone know when to come and to bring something to share with the others. She's ordered in the main part of the meal, a roasted turkey instead of a goose and a roast of lamb as well. There's champagne and wine, and she has the record player Kaine gave her in the corner playing christmas carols by Bing Crosby. There's a small tree of real pine with strings of beads strung through its boughs and little elecric lights twinkling. Henri has helped her to decorate and do the cooking that she's tried, even if most of the cookies she made needed to be thrown our they were so burnt.
Once people start to arrive she relaxes, allowing herself a glass of wine once she's sure everything is in order and things are going well. At some point there is nothing else she can do, other than talk to her guests; her friends. It's nothing like a Christmas at Downton, but her second one here in Darrow and it feels like the Christmas it's supposed to be.
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Date: 2013-12-30 12:38 am (UTC)"Thomas," she says to him warmly, offering him a kiss on the cheek in welcome. "You came."
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Date: 2014-01-04 05:41 am (UTC)"Of course. I wanted to drop by and give you this," he said, handing her the neatly wrapped gift. "And to offer my apologies in person. I really can't stay long."
He'd promised T.J. that he'd go out, try and have a bit of fun, but no matter how good Thomas had gotten at faking it over the years, it seemed somehow inappropriate not to be honest with her.
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Date: 2014-01-04 11:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-07 09:13 pm (UTC)He considered telling her nothing. It was T.J.'s business, T.J.'s story to tell, but Sybil was his friend, one of the few he'd had in his life.
"T.J.'s just come out of hospital. He's out of danger, now, but he'll be leaving, for a good while, to receive treatment."
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Date: 2014-01-09 12:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-14 06:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-14 08:08 am (UTC)"Of course. I wouldn't dream of telling anyone a thing, I swear it to you." Sybil makes the promise willingly, her concern greater than any small desire to gossip.
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Date: 2014-01-19 05:34 am (UTC)"Of course," he murmured, nodding absently, "He overdosed on an illegal substance last week. It's part of a legal agreement that he complete treatment for a dependency. But required or not, he needs to go, for his own well-being."
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Date: 2014-01-19 10:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-22 07:37 pm (UTC)"Of course. There isn't, not now, but I do appreciate the sentiment," Thomas said, offering a tight smile. These sorts of situations were entirely foreign to him. He wasn't quite sure how to express something as simple as gratitude.
"Now, I'd like to have an hour, at least, without dwelling on our misfortunes. What do you say?"
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Date: 2014-01-23 02:26 am (UTC)Sybil grabs the small package from beneath the tree, handing it to him. "Happy Christmas."
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Date: 2014-01-26 04:02 am (UTC)"Ah, yes," he said, his smile noticeably tense, though he was putting in an effort. Pulling a box from the pocket of his coat, he handed it over, echoing her sentiment of a Happy Christmas, though that seemed unlikely, now.
The gift, a small hair comb of crystal flowers, at least continued to seem like the right choice for her. It would've been entirely inappropriate for Thomas to give her such a gift, at Downton, but many things had changed between them.
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Date: 2014-01-27 10:13 am (UTC)"Thank you," she says sincerely, opening the box to see the comb. It's lovely, and very much something she would wear. Her eyes are brighter when she looks up to him again, her smile wider. "Thomas, it's beautiful, thank you."