Chapter eighteen: Hounds of love


"You can't be up here!" Kate sets down the icepack and goes towards her door at the sounds of Abigail shouting. "Mr. Shelby!"

A bang on the door follows Thomas's voice. "Kate?"

Kate smirks and opens the door. "It's alright Abigail." Thomas stares down at her, his blue eyes closely examining her face. "Mr. Shelby doesn't really listen to people."

Thomas takes her chin gently and turns it so he can see her face. Abigail gasps in shock. "Oh my word, miss Kate! What happened?"

"I'm alright." she smiles as Thomas continues to examine her face. "Mr. Shelby saved me before I had any real damage done to me."

"I want someone on your staff to stay here until she locks up every night." Thomas turns to Abigail. "Last night she was lucky I happened to be in the area."

"Thomas, I am fine."

"You can be on your way now." Thomas says to Abigail, who shoots him a dark look.

Kate nods at her. "It's alright. I'll see you downstairs later."

Abigail nods her head and moves down the stairs. Thomas leans against the doorframe. "Well, I think that thanks to you and your attitude, people aren't as scared of me anymore."

Kate laughs. "You're really not as scary as you seem." He rolls his eyes at her. "Do you know what Christopher told me this morning when I let him in?" Thomas keeps a straight face. "That there were 4 men guarding the front and back of the restaurant."

"So? Did you really think after what happened I was going to leave you unprotected?"

"That was sweet of you, but unnecessary."

"Kate," he lowers his voice. "when two men break into your house and physically threaten you, I'm not comfortable leaving you alone."

"I'm fen." He looks as her skeptically. "I'm fine, nothing happened, outside of a bruised face. At least my nose isn't broken." She studies his face before asking. "What happened to those two men last night? And please say you didn't kill them."

"I didn't kill them."

Kate frowns. "Really?"

"You told me to say I didn't." Kate lets out a groan. "I didn't kill them, just…beat them pretty close to it. As I said before...no one touches you." He studies her face closely. "Tell me, how long will it take you to get dressed up and ready to go to a wedding?"

Kate stares at him in shock. "A wedding?" he nods. "I'm going to a wedding? Whose?"

He smirks at her. "You'll see."

"Surely not yours?" she asks as he turns and heads down the hall towards the stairs.

"Not unless, you're the one wearing white." Kate's mouth drops open in shock at his outrageous statement. "Ada and Polly will be along in an hour or two to pick you up."

"Wait a minute! Why am I going to a wedding?"

"You'll see when you get there!"

Kate groans and turns to go back into her room. That man was growing more infuriating by the day. She went to her bedroom and studied her reflection in the mirror. Her face was sporting bruises and her lip was cracked. She exhaled deeply. It was going to take her a good hour to get her face looking decent.


After adjusting her rose colored hat one more time, Kate comes down the stairs. Her makeup is perfect, hiding every bruise on her face. She heads to the kitchen. "Christopher, I'm off to a wedding. So, you and Abigail are in charge."

"Right. You off with Mr. Shelby?"

"He invited me to a wedding, but I have no idea who the bride and groom are."

"Maybe you're the bride." He teases, causing everyone in the kitchen to chuckle.

"Very funny." Kate smirks. "However, Mr. Shelby and I are not in a relationship."

"That's right," Abigail states from her spot in the corner where she's checking on a plate. "my father says that if anyone's going to marry him, it'll be that barmaid Grace." Kate is barely able to keep a straight face. "Says they're always chatting at night and he walks her home."

"There you go!" Kate says with a smile, even though Abigail's words are somewhat upsetting. "See?"

Christopher shakes his head. "He doesn't look at Grace, the way he looks at you Kate. It's obvious to anyone with half a brain that you're the one he wants."

"Are you saying Abigail, has half a brain then?" those words immediately cause Abigail to glower at Christopher.

"Kate?" she steps out of the kitchen to see Polly and a pregnant Ada waiting for her.

Kate approaches with a smile. "Hello there. How are you doing Ada?"

"Alright." she says with a smile. "Baby's due soon."

Kate smiles at her. "That's good. You must be getting anxious to hold them."

Ada nods. "Yeah."

"Well, shall we be going?" Polly inquires. "It's a short walk, but we don't want to be late for John's wedding."

Kate stares as she follows behind Polly and Ada. "John's getting married? Who to?"

"Don't know actually." Polly opens the front door for Ada. "We've never met the girl before."

Kate shakes her head. "I do not understand this."

"You will." Ada says. "You see, Thomas made a deal with the Lee family to put an end to the feuding by offering John up as a groom for some girl in the family."

Kate's eyes bulged in shock. "He did what?!" she turns to Polly. "He actually did that to John!?"

"Tommy assures me the girl is pretty."

"That doesn't matter." Kate exhales. "Poor John, getting stuck in an arranged marriage!"

"Should have married him when you had the chance." Ada states, earning a glower from Kate.

"Thomas wouldn't have allowed it." Polly says with a smile. "Can you imagine him allowing John to propose to his girl?"

"I'm not Thomas's girl." Kate says defensively.

Her words cause Polly to laugh. "Is that so?"

"That's right." Kate says.

"Not the barmaid?" Ada questions. "Sorry, she wasn't much help to me after you left."

"Grace is rather sweet, she has her moments."

"I don't like her." Polly says. "I can't get a read on her. There's something odd about that girl."

"She's welcome to him; I've no interest in either man."

"Well, that's a shame." Ada says. "I'd love to have you for a sister-in-law."

"Thank you for such a lovely compliment Ada, but I can't marry a man I don't love." Kate shifts uncomfortably as they approach a small crowd. She still doesn't like weddings.

"You feel him." Polly says her voice low. "You can feel his eyes on you."

"Sorry?"

"That Thomas is staring at you. He's a good fifteen feet away from us and you can feel it." Kate looks up and sure enough, Thomas is looking at her. The moment she looks at him, he looks away. "Deny it all you want Kate, but that man is interested in you."

Kate shakes her head. "Trust me; he's in love with Grace."

"Without completely betraying his confidence," Polly states lowly. "I know it for a fact, that it's you he wants. He told me you keep insisting that it's Grace he wants."

Kate gasps in shock as she shakes her head. "Because I don't want him. I don't want any man."

"Well, you better tell him that. Because that man wants you and mark my words, Thomas Shelby always gets what he wants."

"Not this time." Kate says quietly. "I made up my mind last night that I'm leaving Birmingham this week."

Ada and Polly both stop in their tracks. "You can't do that." Ada says. "Everyone here loves you."

"Ada," Polly guides Ada away from her. "you go make amends with your brother. I want a word with Kate in private." Ada nods and reluctantly does as Polly asks. After studying Kate for a moment, she takes her by the arm. "I know, you lost someone in a horrible way. But, it's alright to love again."

Tears well up in Kate's eyes unwillingly. "It's just," she inhales. "I feel so guilty and… it's so hard to let go."

Polly nods in understanding. "It will be but when the time comes to let go…you'll find you have the love of a strong man to hold onto." Her eyes narrow. "Do you feel anything for him?"

Kate bites her lip, unsure why she's confessing all of this Polly now. "I do, it's just…I don't know what I feel for him."

"Of course you don't," Polly says with a smile. "this whole thing is just starting between you two. Nothing's been confirmed between the two of you as of yet. Trust me, once you two have a talk, all will become clear. Believe me, since France, I never thought that Thomas would ever love anyone again. But look at him now." Kate glances up to look at Thomas. He's watching them intensely. Kate flashes him a wobbly smile. "That's your future Kate; don't run away from it just because you're afraid."


Shariebery: In the next chapter, he'll make sure that doesn't happen.

Idcam: Lucky for her she ran out of that barn so fast leaving everything behind. Compared to 'Moments of Pleasure' Thomas is the more emotionally stable one of the two. Kate's just learning to let go and Thomas hasn't lost anyone yet.