Chapter fifty-three: Watching you without me


Five days later,


Kate let out a groan and called. "Thomas!"

He comes around the corner, buttoning up his shirtsleeves. "Yes?"

"I can't," she turns in frustration. "button up the back of this skirt."

"Hmm." He heads towards her and begins to button the skirt. Kate inhales sharply, willing this skirt to fit. Soon, Thomas stops and then begins to undo the skirt. "I'm sorry Kate; if I keep going I'm going to tear this skirt." Kate groans and covers her eyes, not wanting to cry. "What about that red skirt you wore a few days ago?"

"It makes me look….pregnant."

"Good!" he spins her around towards her, a smile on his face. "I like showing the world that you're my wife, my property."

Kate's pout wobbles before turning into a smile. "Alright. I'll wear the red one."

He chuckles and heads back to the closet to finish getting dressed. Tomorrow, they were going to get married again. Kate had been perfectly calm and in control, until an hour ago because her father was arriving for dinner. Then, she had gone to pieces.

Kate huffs as she steps into the skirt and pulls it up around her waist. Thomas helps her with the few buttons. She sighs and places her hands on her hips. "I should object to how you refer to me as your property," he pulls her against him and nips at her earlobe. "but, I like the way you say it."

"Open your mouth." He orders and Kate obliges him. she lets out a groan as his tongue touches hers, resulting in a heated, wet kiss. Kate holds onto him as he dipped her backwards slightly, forcing her to hold onto him. After a minute of kissing her till, she was certain that she'd faint in his arms, Thomas broke the kiss. "There." he exhales, as he places a chaste kiss on her lips. "Now you look as if I've just finished making love to you."

"Have I ever mentioned," she inhales deeply. "that…I love it when this dark of you comes out, when you're making love to me?"

His brow arches. "No. But, I'll keep that in mind for tomorrow night."

Kate's eyes bulge. "Tomorrow night!"

"Kate, we're getting married tomorrow, so, tonight," he plants a kiss on her nose. "you will be sharing a room with Ada."

"Now, that's just ridiculous!" Kate declares. "We're already married and I'm pregnant!"

"I'm not changing my mind Kate." He grips her arm and guides her towards the doorway. "Let's go."

"Ugh, you're a horrible man at times!"

"And you, my dear wife, have become a right proper hoyden." her mouth drops open in shock at his words.

"Well, guess who made me into one?" Thomas laughs loudly at her and she joins in. "I don't know why I let you talk to me like that."

"Maybe because you know it's partly true."

She laughs and leans into his shoulder. "Maybe I do."

"Tom," Polly said serious at the foot of the stairs. "it looks like they've arrived."

He frowns. "What do you mean 'they'?"

"You'll see."

Kate holds onto his arm as they step out onto the porch. Her father is getting out of the car and her heart pounds in her chest as her brother comes around the side. Thomas moves quickly, pulling her behind him so her brother can't even look at her.

"I believe my orders were that he is never allowed on my property."

"He was just dropping me off." her father explained. "He'll be leaving soon."

Anton glowered at him. "I'm here to see that my father is safe."

"Anton," her father said sharply. "the terms were quite clear that you weren't to visit. I am safe, go home and tend to business."

"I want to see Kate." She could hear Anton stepping towards the porch.

"You don't get to see her." Thomas states darkly as he turns towards her and guides her back into the house, keeping her shielded from Anton's eyes. Polly steps out to guide her back inside the house. "Now get the Hell off my property."

"You can't treat me like this." Anton snaps. "I'm her brother."

"Then you shouldn't have murdered her fiancée." Her father said. "If you hadn't, Kate would have been married to Emmet, not Mr. Shelby here. Then, you'd have been allowed to see her. now, please go back and thank you for driving me here."

Thomas holds his hand towards him. "You're welcome in my house, Mr. Kovach."

"Eh, call me Gil, if you prefer it. after all, we must be like family." Kate turns towards her father as he enters the house. he reaches for her and she hugs him, allowing him to kiss her cheek. Her eyes briefly collide with Anton and he moves to approach her. Thomas, however, stops him before he can approach her.

He closes the door in his face and locks it. Anton slams a fist on the glass, causing her to jump. Thomas clears his throat. "Shall we move to the parlor?"

"Yes." Her father sighs as they head down the hall. "I do feel sorry for Anton being cut out of this, but, after what he did, I'm at least grateful you spared his life. I've made sure he's paid for what he did."

"Tell me," Kate inquires. "how was he punished?"

"I made him write a check for $20,000 for Emmett's family." Kate is shocked; her father never handed over that kind of money to anyone. "The $8,000 for the hit and $1,000 for each year he's been absent. He is to pay them $1,000 per year until their death."

Kate stares. "That's…very generous of you."

"I can't kill my son Kate, anymore than you could kill him. However, I can try to write the wrongs. His family, will live in comfort for the rest of their days. They've no need to work so hard anymore."

Kate smiles. "I appreciate that."

"Now, let me look at you." Kate steps back and smiles as her father admires her. "Ah, you look lovely, being pregnant suits you." he grins at her. "I'm betting it's a boy."

"No!" Ruby wails loudly from her seat in the parlor, causing all eyes to go to her. "I want a sister!"

Kate laughs. "It could be a sister Ruby, your grandfather's just making a guess."

"There are too many men around here!"

"Ah, plucky one isn't she?" her father chuckles as he moves to sit down, ironically picking Thomas's chair. "Ruby, is it?"

Ruby nods. "Yes Sir."

"And you," he looks to Charlie. "what's your name?"

"Charlie."

"Well, Charles, a pleasure to meet you."

"My name's Charlie," he says politely. "and you're sitting in daddy's chair."

"Well, if your father objects, he'll let me know." Kate laughs as Thomas moves her towards the couch and sits beside her. "However, your father seems to prefer to sit with your mother."

Ruby makes a face. "They're always kissing."

Kate rubs her neck as her father laughs. "That's good. means he loves her." Polly enters the room and her father, not so subtly checks Polly out. "And who is this?"

"Ah, my aunt Polly Gray." Thomas states. "Poll, this is Gilbert Kovach."

Polly bobs her head. "Nice to meet you."

"Let me assure you," her father says smoothly. "the honor is all mine."

"Don't even think about it dad." Kate says swiftly. Elton enters into the room with tea, cookies and some fruit. Kate sighs, until he presents her with a plate of strawberries, which excited her. "Where did you find strawberries?"

"Ah, Mr. Shelby put in a few inquiries; I think he managed to find the last few strawberries in England."

"Thank you." Kate plants a quick kiss on his lips before taking a bite. "As sweet as this is Tommy, you really shouldn't spend money like this on me."

"Well, next time don't get pregnant in January." She choked on the berry and he winks at her. "Fruit's difficult to come by."

"You'll get used to this." Polly assures her father. "They're always, 'flirting' with each other."

"That's flirting?" her father rolls his eyes. "I I flirted like that, I'd have gotten nowhere with my wife. there's an art to flirting and seduction, an art that's been forgotten to this day and age. The art of writing a love letter to a woman, has started falling away as well."

"Well, Thomas prefers to tell me in person about his feelings, not leaving notes for me to find."

"Besides, who's got the time for writing letters?"

"Why don't you tell your father how you two first meet?" Polly asked conversationally. "Neither of you said."

Kate glanced at him and he nodded at her. Now, the truth about their meeting was to finally be told. "Actually, Kate and I met for the first time, at least twice." All heads went towards him. "We may have met during the battle of Verdun, but obviously, neither of us can remember the details surrounding it because of the war."

Her father nodded. "Yes, Kate mentioned you were a decorated soldier."

"Well," Noni suddenly enters the room with Arthur. "that would certainly be romantic if that was the first place you met."

"Spooky, more likely." Thomas muttered. "I was wounded, but, it wasn't a bad wound. Maybe she was the nurse who tended me, I don't remember."

"The next time we met," Kate said clearly. "was almost 11 year ago. I was depressed and upset; Emmet had only been dead a month, so I ran away from home. It was raining that night."

Her father nodded. "I remember that day; I was up half the night worrying. And you came back wet and smelling like a horse."

"That would have been my horse." Thomas supplied with a smile.

Polly's eyes widened as she quickly derived a conclusion. "Kate was the mystery girl who fixed Aspen?"

Arthur blinks in surprise. "No kidding?"

"Yes." She hesitated before adding. "I should confess that, had I not bumped into him…I probably wouldn't be alive now." All heads went towards her. "Because that night…I was planning on killing myself."

Her father gasped sharply. "Katherine!"

"I had stolen a bottle of arsenic from you; I had it in my pocket." The confession made things seem easy. "The guards spotted me and I ran. I hide in the stable with the Aspen." Kate turned towards Thomas. "He came in to the stall and…the rest is history. You told me something that night, a little speech about how I should value my life. those words stuck with me and as you can see…here I am." she reached for his hand and squeezed it. "I may have saved your horse, but you saved my life that night."

Polly shook her head. "You two were so close…even back then. It's a shame you didn't stay Kate."

She smiled. "It wasn't the right time Polly. Tommy had Grace and I still had to reconcile with Emmet's death. When we did meet, the time was right for us."

"When we met again for the third and final time…Kate stopped me from killing myself." Everyone stared at him, even Kate. She didn't think he'd actually admit a thing to his family. "I told you back then Kate, that you'd never know who'd need your help in the future. I wasn't planning on you rescuing me that day."

"That is so romantic." Noni declares. "Call it whatever you want, but, you two are just perfect for each other."

"I agree." Polly said. "The two of you should have been together years ago."

Her father lets out a sound. "Hmm, indeed, it does seem like you two were thrust together when needed. A very interesting love story, I'll admit that. you should write it down Kate."

Kate shakes her head. "I've actually given up on writing for the time being. I'm finishing up my last novel, then, I become a full time mother."


Thomas shuts the door to the nursery and walks Kate towards Ada's room. the night had gone well, her father was enchanted with Polly. He enjoyed talking business with Arthur and Thomas, but most of all, he loved playing with Ruby and Charlie. He'd already promised to engage the Chipperfield Circus to come give a private performance on the front lawn for them.

"Right," he stops outside Ada's door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Make love to me." she says as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"No." he pulled away from her. "Tomorrow, we're getting married."

"But we're already married." she says with a pout.

"I know." he studied her. "But…you deserve the traditional feeling of a wedding. This means, I'll see you at the altar tomorrow."

"Fine!" She groaned. "But…kiss me real good before you go."

"Oh," he gripped her wrists and slammed her into the wall, causing her to smile at him. "believe me; I think I can do that. and tomorrow night…I'll make such passionate love to you, that you'll cry."

With that, Tommy's mouth closed over hers and he kissed her hard. She moaned and bucked her body against his and he kept her hands over her head.

"Oi," She gasped for air at the sound of Arthur's voice. "get a room you two."

"Like we're doing!" Noni adds as she blatantly follows Arthur into his room.

Kate moaned in protest as Tommy released her. "Don't. it's our last kiss until tomorrow afternoon."

"Now, now, Kate." Tommy rubbed her shoulders. "He's right. I should move along now." She pouted, causing him to grin and rub her chin with his thumb. He planted a kiss on her nose. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She brushed a kiss on the corner of his mouth. "I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, Tommy."

He smiled at her as she walked away. "I luv you."

She continues walking. "I luv you too."

He laughed at her. "Your accent is bloody rubbish, Kate."

She nearly double over laughing as he exaggerated his accent for her. "I know, I know!" she turned in the doorway and blew a kiss at him. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight Kate."

Kate stepped into the room and smiled. Ugh, she was alive with anticipation and she could barely wait to become his wife, again.


Idcam: Yes, she is. I actually got to thinking, I've been having fun with Peaky Blinders that maybe, I'd write an alternate version of this story. I'd take it back to season 1. Instead of Kate leaving, Thomas offers her a job and we'd see how things go down from there. With Grace still being alive, things would be interesting.