Dedication

This story is dedicated to my lovely and faithful reviewer, alertthecorgis. It is based on the writing prompt that she gave me: "Tom teaching Gaelic to his daughter plus Robert learning about it."

An Irish Lullaby

1922

Sybil Branson couldn't find her husband and her daughter anywhere. Tom usually informed her each time he was taking Saoirse for a walk. Sybil was almost sure that Saoirse was with her father, but what if Tom had gone somewhere on his own?

Suddenly, she heard a girlish laugh coming from Edith's currently unoccupied room (her older sister was right now living in London). The young mother was certain that it was her little girl's laugh.

When Sybil opened the door to Edith's room, she saw Tom and Saoirse lying together on the floor, laughing. The child noticed her mother first and greeted Sybil with a cheerful, "Hóigh Mamai!"*

The young Mrs Branson was stunned. She wasn't aware that her daughter knew Irish! She gave Tom a questioning glance and sat on the edge of the nearby bed. Saoirse squealed and ran into her Mamai's arms. Sybil put the toddler in a close embrace, but still continued to look at Tom quizzingly.

"I've decided to teach Saoirse some Irish Gaelic," finally came a much-awaited explanation.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I told you one day that I would like to teach our daughter Irish and you agreed with me."

"But I thought this would happen when she is older?"

"This was the original plan, but this morning she heard that I called you Mo chuisle** and she got really curious. So, I've decided to start the lessons now. I didn't tell you straightaway because you were sleeping soundly. Very soundly," finished Tom with a mischievous grin. "Anyway, why are you so indignant? Do you have anything against the idea?"

"No, it's nothing of this sort. I'm just accustomed to the fact that you tell me everything. I was also worried where Saoirse had disappeared."

Tom rose from the floor and approached Edith's bed. "My poor darling, always so concerned about her family." He finished the sentence by placing a soft kiss to his wife's hair, which caused Saoirse to start fussing in Sybil's arms.

The young woman laughed, "See? She's such a daddy's girl. She's jealous even of her own mother."

Tom laughed too and bend to kiss his daughter's hair as well, which made the little girl smile delightedly.

Teaching Saoirse Gaelic gave Tom a lot of pleasure; Sybil noticed that he was devoting nearly every moment of his free time to those lessons. Of course, he always tried to ensure not to tire or bore his little girl. Sybil suspected that teaching Irish Gaelic to Saoirse was in a way therapeutic for Tom and helped him in coping with the banishment from his country. Moreover, it was also a good way to pass the days until their visit to Downton was over. To some extent, teaching Irish made Tom feel rebellious; he might wear a dinner jacket in the evenings, but then he was regularly using Gaelic in the house of an English lord.

Sybil worried that one day someone might discover what Tom and Saoirse were doing in Edith's room. She didn't suspect, though, that it would be that person.

One day Sybil returned home from her visit at the Downton Hospital and immediately headed towards Edith's room. She was certain that Tom and Saoirse were having their lesson at that moment. When she finally approached the above mentioned room, she heard raised voices coming from the other side of the door. Unfortunately, one of the voices belonged to her father. But what was he doing in Edith's room? Sybil couldn't recall whether he had ever entered that room before.

But yes, here he was, staying beside the window and glaring at his son-in-law. "So, are you trying to turn my granddaughter against me?" Lord Grantham suddenly yelled.

"I'm not trying to turn your granddaughter against you or to teach her some secret knowledge. I only want her to become acquainted with her heritage," responded Tom peacefully, but firmly.

"So why did you keep it a secret? Besides, my granddaughter is not Irish."

"Since when do I have to ask for your permission when my daughter is concerned? Yes, Saoirse is half-Irish. She's my daughter as much as Sybil's, you know, unless you want to tell me that it was an immaculate conception."

Robert was stunned both by the tone and the content of his son-in-law's speech. Especially since this son-in-law was his former servant. In an attempt to regain his composure, he began looking around the room and spotted his daughter standing at the threshold.

"Do you agree with what he's saying? Did you know about those lessons?"

Sybil only nodded. Lord Grantham sighed angrily and made his way out of the room, without uttering even one more word.

Sybil's eyes welled up with tears. Again, we will part on bad terms. But I had to stay true to my opinions and support my husband. Tom has every right to teach Saoirse about her Irish heritage.

It was the Bransons' custom to sing a lullaby to Saoirse every day before sleep. Another was that they took turns, so that the little girl didn't listen to the same parent for two consecutive days. That day was Tom's turn, while Sybil was standing at the threshold, watching her loved ones tenderly.

Suddenly, she heard some footsteps and a moment later Robert Crawley appeared in the corridor leading to the nursery.

"It's quite unusual to see you here, Papa. Same about Edith's room," the young mother dared to state.

Lord Grantham was quite taken aback by her observation, but he nevertheless managed to murmur quickly: "I was searching for Isis and that's why I found myself near Edith's bedroom, and now… your mother… well…."

He didn't need to finish the sentence – Sybil knew what he was trying to say. It wasn't the first time that Lady Grantham urged her husband to apologize to Tom so that they would part on good terms. Sybil appreciated that, but still hoped that one day her father would try to understand Tom and herself instead of keeping the truce only in order to preserve the family reputation.

At that moment, a singing voice came from the nursery:

Trasna na dtonnta, dul siar, dul siar,
Slán leis an uaigneas 'is slán leis an gcian;
Geal é mo chroí, agus geal í an ghrian,
Geal bheith ag filleadh go hÉirinn!

Sybil knew that even her father wouldn't deny Tom's singing ability. Curiously, she glanced at the male figure standing next to her. Robert Crawley was listening in complete silence.

Chonaic mo dhóthain de Thíortha i gcéin,
Ór agus airgead, saibhreas an tsaoil,
Éiríonn an croí 'nam le breacadh gach lae
'S mé druidim le dúthaigh mo mhuintir!

Tom's voice was full of emotion; it expressed deep longing for a lost country and a dream of returning to one's homeland. It wasn't necessary to understand the words; everything was contained in the singer's interpretation.

"He does love Ireland," murmured Robert unexpectedly.

"Yes, he does. Tom's love for his country is as genuine as your love for England. He doesn't support Irish freedom just to spite you or to be rebellious. You and he have some things in common – for example, you're both passionate about the things you love. And yes, you both love your country and its heritage very much."

Ar mo thriall siar ó éirigh mo chroí
An aimsir go hálainn is tonnta deas réidh
Stiúradh go díreach go dúthaigh mo chliabh
'S bheidh mé in Éirinn amárach!

Sybil looked at her father, waiting for his response. But Lord Grantham was too engrossed in listening to his son-in-law's singing to produce any verbal response; he simply nodded in agreement.

Muintir an Iarthair 'siad cairde mo chroí,
Fáilte 'is féile bheidh romham ar gach taobh.
Ar fhágaint an tsaoil seo, sé ghuidhim ar an Rí
Gur leosan a shinfear i gcill mé.***

The song ended. Robert awoke from his reverie, looked at his daughter and whispered, "Tell Tom that I understand him now." Then, he headed back to his room, leaving his stunned daughter behind.

Sybil's eyes welled up again – but this time with happy tears.

"Do you know that you have a new admirer of your singing talent?" Sybil told Tom as she was preparing for the bed.

That statement made Tom close the book that he was reading. "Who? Maybe your mother?" he inquired in a curious tone.

"No. My father," his wife replied loudly and clearly.

Tom's eyes widened in disbelief. Sybil laughed in delight and headed for the bed. Once she was in her husband's arms, she gave Tom further explanation, "I think that he understands you now, you know. Irish words clearly affect even people who do not understand them at all. And we should not forget about your singing abilities, of course."

Tom, however, still looked incredibly shocked, so Sybil gave him a warm, encouraging smile and continued, "You know, I want you teach me Irish too. You taught me only a few words, but I would love to explore this language in more detail. I think that since we've always treated each other as equals, it would be great to be equal also in this respect. You do respect my heritage by coming here for visits and obeying some of the Downton's customs. I'd love to learn more about your heritage as well." She finished her speech and gazed at her husband in search for a response.

Finally, she heard Tom saying, "So, I will have to deal with two pupils from now on."

"No."

"Excuse me, Sybil?" asked a shocked Tom. He would never understand why it was so frequent for women to change their minds so quickly.

"Not two pupils, Tom. Three," explained Sybil with a big grin on her face.

"Do you mean?"

"I've been to Dr Clarkson today. It's certain."

At that moment, Tom decided to demonstrate her the Irish way of expressing happiness.

Well, and the Irish manner of kissing.

THE END

* Hello, Mama.

** My darling.

*** Over the waves, going west, going west!
Good-bye to loneliness and to the distant remoteness;
Bright is my heart and bright is the sun,
Happy to be returning to Ireland!

I saw my fill of countries abroad,
Gold and silver, the wealth of the world,
My heart rises in me with the break of each day,
As I draw closer to the land of my people!

On my journey - oh! my heart rises!
The weather is beautiful and the waves are settled
Steering directly to land of my bosom
And I'll be in Ireland tomorrow!

People of the West, they're the friends of my heart,
Welcome and celebration awaits me on every side.
Leaving this life I pray to the Lord
That it's with them I'll be stretched in the graveyard!

The song's title is "Trasna na dTonntha". I took the translation from the songsinirish dot com site.