Chapter XI
Tommy didn't even look up when I entered his small office. He was reading a letter that seemed quite important but I am afraid that will have to wait. I had even more important news.
"Mr. Shelby" this time I could keep my voice steady and my emotions under control. I was so numbed by all the pain that he had caused that I didn't even bother to feel anything anymore. He finally looked up and was surprised to see me standing there. He put his letter down.
"Ms. Brown, what can I do for you." He leaned back in his chair and took out his tin case of cigarettes.
"It's not what you can do for me. But what you can do for your sister; Aida." He rubbed the cigarette between his lips while he never took his eyes of me.
"Can't Aida come for herself? Did she make you her servant now?"
"No she could not." I took a deep breath to calm myself because I didn't like to be compared as a servant. "I am here as her friend"
"Well go on with it then, I don't have all day."
"She is pregnant" He didn't show any emotion on the outside but I knew he was hurting deep down and I could feel his blood boiling.
"What?"
"You heard me"
"Yes and I want to know from all people why you are telling me this and not Aida or Aunt Pol?"
"Because that is not everything" Tommy stared at me as if he could kill me with his own bare hands but it didn't let that scare me off"
"Freddie Thorne is the father" He slammed his fist on his desk and it made me jump. He got up immediately and wanted to walk to the door, but I couldn't let him leave like this. So I jumped in front of him to stop him. In the action I put both my hands on his chest to keep him from moving any further. We both froze by my sudden touch.
"It would be wise for you to get out of my way Eleanor." His voice was deep and stern. I shook my head.
"No, I can't let you leave like this" and I slightly pushed him back with my hands but he kept his ground so as a result I just came closer to him. My face only inches from his, the numbness left me and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach flutter again. I thought those were dead.
"Eleanor" he said my name as if it was an ultimatum. But I was determined.
"I can't let you leave, not like this." He grabbed me with both his hands and pushed me to the side. I didn't have time to think about his touch so I rushed to the door before him and place my body against it.
"I said NO" I didn't know if it was brave or just simply suicidal to stand up to Tommy like this.
He growled and ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
"You need to calm down Thomas."
"How can I be calm for fuck's sake, that is my little sister we are talking about. I need to find Freddie and kill him"
"No, no that's not what you need to do" I exclaimed as I saw him grasp for his gun. I needed to distract him from his anger.
"What if it were me"
"what?" yeah what indeed? I had no idea where I was getting at but I had to distract him.
"What if it were me. What if I had gotten pregnant with your child when you still loved me." I gasped for breath " What if I was pregnant with your child and saw you with Lizzie at the bar that night. What if I had rushed myself to one of those women and took care of it. How would you feel?" Tommy looked as if I took him off guard.
"You would never" it was meant as a statement but came out as a question.
"I wouldn't because I knew you loved me and I loved you. So there wouldn't have been any problem with raising a child."
"This is not the same. Do you really think he loves Aida? He is just using her"
"how can you know that?!" I raised my voice. "You cannot know that, what goes on between two people is up to them, and not between anyone else. Do you really think Freddie would be stupid enough to use your sister to get to you ? Not everything is about you Thomas." He reached for the doorknob but I put my hands on his chest again as I pushed my back against the door. I wouldn't let him go out of the room without a fight. But his hands were quick and he grabbed my arms and put them over my head with force. I slammed my head against the door and his body was on mine. A rush of excitement went through my body and I looked into his eyes without shame. For a minute there I thought I saw the old Tommy in his eyes but that soon disappeared. He leaned in and I thought it was for a kiss but instead he put his lips next to my ear which made a shiver go through my spine.
"Not everything is about us either" He whispered and took a step back so he could push me from the door more easily and this time I let him. This wasn't about us but I he wanted to go and rip his family apart, he could be my guest.
As I walked out of the betting shop I saw Esme's little sister running up to me.
"Eleanor! Eleanor! Come quickly!"
"What's wrong Dorothy?"
"Esme needs you! There is no time to explain!" so I just followed her as we ran to the place where the Lee's had temporarily settled. I walked into a carriage where I could find Esme sobbing on the floor. I immediately ran towards her to pull her in a hug but she pushed me away.
"they're going to marry me off Eleanor!"
"Who?" I asked in confusion because I had no idea what was going on.
"My own bloody family Eleanor. They're going to sell me like some stupid cow to those Shelby friends of yours"
"Oh Esme I had no idea" I pulled her in a tight hug and comforted her as she continued crying. When she had calmed down we went for a walk where she asked me everything she needed to know about the Shelby brothers. Because she didn't even know to which brother she would get married.
"Arthur is the oldest. He is very tall and has a moustache and his hair is always slit back. He is very sociable, especially when he drinks" I let out a little laugh thinking about the funny memories I had of drunk Arthur from before the war. "He does have some anger issues but to be honest three of them have, it's just Arthur that has the least control over it"
"Then you have John, he is the third brother. He also served in the war and was married before but his wife passed away, leaving him with four children."
"Four children?" Esme's voice was filled with concern.
"Yes, you remember the children I used to watch for Polly during the war? That were his children. They're very sweet if you get to know them."
"What about John himself?"
"He is very sweet too. He likes the idea of love and romance. That's why he got married so young. He is funny but also very attentive at times." Esme nodded as she was taking in all the information.
"And then you have the second brother, Thomas, he has piercing blue eyes and high cheekbones. He might be emotionless on the outside but he is very caring once you get to know him. He loves his family more than anything in the world though. But once you marry him will become part of that family. "
"Oh my God" Esme cried out
"What?" I immediately reacted because I wasn't sure why she said that.
"It's him isn't it?" I just froze. "It all makes sense now. How could you know he is very caring without getting to know him yourself." My eyes immediately teared up, giving Esme her answer.
"I am so sorry Eleanor"
"No it's not your fault Esme, he doesn't love me anymore so it doesn't matter anyway"
"You're still coming to my wedding tomorrow, aren't ya?" I hesitated "Please El, I can't do this without you please" she cried out and I couldn't let my only friend alone at a time like this.
"Of course!" and we hugged. I was happy I could get all this misery with Tommy off my chest and tell it to someone and I am glad it was Esme, even though she might be married to him by tomorrow.
I went home to grab myself some clothes and make up for tomorrow, I decided to stay the night with the Lees.
"I am staying the night with Esme. Apparently it's a tradition for them to have all the girlfriends sleep together as closure before she turns into a woman."
"Okay sweetheart, when are you coming back?"
"Tomorrow after the wedding, is that fine for you?"
"of course it is. What was wrong with Aida earlier ?" my father asked before I could leave.
"She had some trouble with her family, and she felt comfortable talking to me about it so I helped her confronting her family." My father nodded with a frown.
"Just be careful okay sweetheart. They're not the safest people to be around" There would be a time where I could object that statement but I knew that wasn't the case anymore so I just nodded and kissed my father a goodnight. But before I went back to the Lee's, I had to go check on Aida to make sure she was doing fine. I knocked on the door and Finn opened it for me.
"Hey Finn, is Aida home?"
"Yes, she is upstairs" he opened the door to let me in and I gave him a kiss on his head as a thank you. Instead of going through to the kitchen as I normally did, I just took the stairs to Aida's room.
"Aida?" I whispered as I pushed her door open.
"Eleanor? Oh thank god you are here. And she pulled me in a tight hug. "Thank you"
"For what ?" I asked her with a smile.
"I can keep the child, and I am going to marry Freddie!"
"that is amazing Aida!"
"Pol says I have you to thank for it, if you didn't talk to Tommy about it he would never let me keep the child"
"Well it was the least I could do! But I need to go now, no one knows I am here, I just sneaked inside to see how you were doing" Aida let out a little laugh.
"Why would you have to sneak in ? I mean this is practically your second house." That was true but I couldn't tell her I was avoiding tommy because he broke my heart.
"I don't know I just had to stand up against Thomas so I think it's for the best if I lay low for a couple of days" Aida nodded that she understood and hugged me before I tiptoed myself to the door. I closed it carefully behind me making sure no one could hear but just at that moment Thomas walked out of his room at the end of the corridor. He was only wearing a pair of pants and his hair was wet. He must just have taken a bath. He wasn't wearing a shirt so I could see his naked chest which now had a tattoo on it. So did his arms. The one on his chest looked like a very bad crafted sunset just where his heart is. Wait that is where I used to place my head when we laid down together. I loved placing my ear to his chest and listen to the beats of his heart as he talked. I just shook the idea away because it probably wouldn't even be related to me.
"What are you doing here" he broke the silence.
"I just came to check on Aida, I was just leaving"
"What have you got there" he pointed to the bag I was holding. Why was he so interested? I just wanted to say that it was none of his business but Tommy had said it in a calm voice so I should not wind him up by being rude.
"Just some spare clothes, that's all"
"You're leaving?" He said with a frown.
"Just staying with a friend for a couple of days, that's all. Now if you excuse me, I am late" and before he could say something I made my way down the stairs where Polly was waiting for me at the end of it. Tommy had followed me and was just heading down when he saw Polly and decided to turn back. Polly just looked at us in confusion.
"I just came to check on Aida, that's all"
"Yeah Finn mentioned. Want to grab some tea?"
"I'd love to but I have to get going, I am expected for dinner at a friend's" Polly nodded but I could see she was imagining all kind of scenarios of what just might have happened upstairs. I had to gasp for air when I walked outside not realising I was holding it in all this time. Tommy his half naked body had left be speechless and aroused. I couldn't help but think about all the things we did together and how much pleasure I had gotten from it. He was even more muscular than before and I had to take a moment to get rid of the thought of a half-naked Tommy in my head.