Chapter twenty-four: Oh England, my lionheart
The following morning,
Kate exhaled deeply as she surveyed her barren room. All her belongings were neatly packed up and ready to go. Now, for the most difficult part. Saying goodbye.
The door opened downstairs and the light laughter, testified that Abigail and Christopher had arrived. She picked up her hat and went down the stairs to Christopher kissing Abigail's hand. That gesture made her smile; to be young and in love like that again. Truth to be told, they were almost an hour early.
"Abigail? Christopher?" The two immediately straighten up, causing her to smile. "Don't worry, you two are practically engaged at this point."
"I'm not sure I'm the marrying kind." Christopher states with a serious face, causing Abigail to give him a shove.
"Well, how do you two feel about being partners?" they still and Kate gestures towards a table. "Let's sit down for a minute."
Abigail sits, but Christopher opts to stand. "Is everything alright?" he asks.
Kate exhales. "Not really. I'm leaving Birmingham today."
"What?" Abigail gasps. "Why so suddenly?"
"Something's come up. I have to leave."
"What does Mr. Shelby say to that?" Christopher inquires.
"I haven't told him yet." She states calmly. "I'm going to tell him before hopping a ride on a barge with Curly. I arranged it all last night."
"Well, you can't just leave!" Abigail states. "I'm not ready to handle this!"
"Harry is next door and he gave me his word that he'll help the two of you out with whatever you need. The restaurant belongs to the two of you."
"I wanted to buy it from you." Christopher bit out. "Not have you hand it over to me."
"I'm not leaving forever." Kate says. "I'll be gone for at least four months."
"I still don't understand why you've got to-
"Christopher, I'm sorry, I can't explain." She stands up. "I've got a limited time already. Possibly hours." she glances at the clock. "I've got to go get some papers for you two. I was up all night writing down instructions to help the two of you run this place. But I'll be back."
"Sure." Christopher turns on his heel and heads into the kitchen. "This is Birmingham, no one ever comes back."
"It's alright Miss Kate," Abigail says gently. "he's just upset. He'll be fine in time."
"I'm sure of it." she glances at the clock. "Look, I'll go get the papers and we'll discuss this. I've got fifteen minutes for you. Mr. Shelby," she stands up and heads towards the stairs. "is going to need a good thirty minutes."
Abigail laughs at that statement. Kate hurries up the stairs and picks up her large green hat. After securing it with hatpins, she picks up the paper and reviews it quickly before pulling on her gloves. Kate's heart pounds in her chest as she tucks the paper under her arm so she can pick up her suitcases
At that moment, her door bangs open, causing her to shriek and drop her bags in fright. It was Thomas and he looked positively thunderous. "Christopher came into the pub to inform me, that you were leaving Birmingham this morning. Why?"
"For God's sake, will you calm down for a moment?"
"Were you going to just take off without a word to me?" he demands.
"I wouldn't do that to you!" She glowers at him. "I was going to find you in fifteen minutes to explain why I have to leave."
"Well then," He gripped her wrist and tugged her towards the door. "you can explain it at the family meeting."
"I'm not family!" she struggled to break his grip, but it was too firm.
"Yet, this will be your second time attending a meeting."
"Thomas, please let me go."
"Kate," he turns towards her. "I know what you did for Freddie. You're coming to this meeting."
"No!"
Thomas lets out a groan as he turns towards her. "Fine. Where's your gun?"
She frowns. "In my purse, why?" Thomas suddenly grabbed her around the waist and heaved her over her shoulder. "Put me down!" Kate shrieks. He naturally ignores her and heads down the stairs. "For God's sake Thomas, I'm not a sack of potatoes!"
"And I'm not a horse either," he states as he hurries down the stairs. "but you leave me no choice. Watch your head."
She groans. "I'm going to slap you if you don't put me down!"
"If you can reach me from that angle. This isn't how I was planning on spending the morning with you."
"Mr. Shelby," Christopher states from the bottom of the stairs. "if you still want that breakfast for two, have someone call the pub and I'll personally deliver it."
"Thank you. You'll also have a bonus for letting me know that she was planning to take off."
"I wasn't going to take off without talking to you!" Kate protested. "You're making this far more difficult than it needs to be, Thomas Shelby!" her head shoots up. "Christopher informed you? You traitor!"
"Someone had to talk sense into you, figured it might as well be him. Especially since you two are getting married soon!"
"You're fired when I get down from here!" Kate shrieks as Thomas heads out the front door."
"No, I'm not!" he says cheerfully. "You handed the restaurant over to me!"
"Thomas, please, put me down!" she begs. "We're making a spectacle!"
"Trust me, this wasn't what I was planning on doing to you. It was supposed to be breakfast, since I wasn't going to be here for lunch. Then you had to decide to go take off!"
"Ugh! You're such an impossible man!"
Kate protests and argues all the way down Watery Lane, to his amusement. There was never a dull moment in his life with her around. He reached for the knob of his house and opens the door. "Watch your head."
"Thomas," she begs for the hundredth or so time as he closes the door "will you please put me down!"
"Not yet."
"For God's sake!" she calls loudly. "Polly, will you make him put me down! He dragged me through the streets like this!"
Thomas laughs as he heads into the kitchen. However, that laughter fades when he enters the room and sees his bastard of a father seated at the table. "How are you son?" He has the audacity to ask.
"Get out." he orders as he sets Kate down on the ground again. She sways slightly, probably dizzy, but she holds onto his hand firmly for support.
"Come on son." His father makes no move to budge. "I'm a changed man."
"This family needed you 10 years ago and you walked out on us." The anger he feels towards his father is still as raw as it was the day he abandoned them. "Not now." Get out of this house."
"Tommy-
"Shut up." he orders Arthur.
"It's alright son." His father says, attempting to be accepting of Thomas's feelings towards him. But he knows he's attempting to undermine his authority. "Arthur Shelby never stays where he's not welcome." Thomas can't keep the look of disdain for his father off his face as he stands up and looks at him. "Quite something you've become." He could have almost appreciated the admiration in his tone, had he cared anything for his father. "Fine looking woman you've got there too."
Kate steps closer to him, clearly uncomfortable. Thomas grips her around the waist and guides her to his other side away from his father. All eyes shift uncomfortably around the room as his father picks up his hat and leaves the room. Thomas doesn't even bother to spare him a backwards glace. Finn does, but John places a hand on his shoulder, causing him to face forward. Now, his family is angry with him for another reason.
"He's our dad." Arthur says.
Those words fuel another fire inside him. "He's a selfish bastard."
You're calling someone a selfish bastard." Arthur says quietly. "That's a bit rich Tommy, I mean thanks to you we're already down one bloody sister.
"Do you want to see him Arthur? Do you want to see him?" he questions. "You can go with him, after this meeting." Thomas exhales and turns towards her. "Sorry you had to see that."
"My father isn't much to shout about either." She exhales. "But Thomas, I really need to get back and-
"No." her eyes widen. "You're staying for the meeting."
"Ugh," she groans as he grips her shoulders and moves her to seat her next to him. "One of these days-
"I know, now sit down!"
"You're such a gentleman." She says sarcastically. "How can I refuse?"
Polly frowns. "What is going on?"
"Now, Ada and Freddie should be here any minute." On cue, Ada, Freddie and their baby boy come around the corner, causing everyone to jump up and head towards them. "Here they are."
"You got them out?" Polly asks as she fusses over Ada and the baby.
Thomas shakes his head. "Wish I could take credit for it, but not this time."
"It was Kate." Freddie stated. "Two of the guards said some mad woman had Campbell over a barrel. Humiliated him in front of everyone."
Kate twiddles her thumbs, uncomfortably. "Of which, I will probably pay a terrible price for later."
"Which is why, I called this meeting, if everyone will sit down." Everyone moved to his or her designated seats, except for Arthur, who stands by the door. "First, we all would like to acknowledge you, Kate, for helping get Freddie back to our Ada." Everyone nods in agreement. "Now, I know you've got a foolhardy idea in your head to leave," everyone starts to murmur in disagreement. "but you're not going anywhere." She scowls at him. "I give you my word, you'll be safe here."
Kate shakes her head. "No, I won't be Thomas." she addresses everyone else at the table. "Look, I may have gotten Freddie out of prison, but I did so at my own peril. I can't stay here, I made a deal with the devil to get him out."
"But we owe you a debt." Ada declares. "You can't just leave."
"If you two want to repay me, do what Thomas asks and leave Birmingham." Ada and Freddie both stiffen at her words. "Don't let me putting my neck out on the line go to waste because I won't be here to get you two out of prison should something go wrong. You've both got a child to think about. That should be the most important thing of all."
"Who are you running from, Kate?" Polly inquires. "You're more than welcome to stay here under our protection."
"My father is Gilbert Kovach." She exhales deeply as anyone reacts to that name. Well, everyone except for him. "I called him to get Freddie out of jail, and you can imagine what he's got on Campbell to make him release Freddie. He's most likely called Campbell back and he now knows what area I'm in." Kate stands up. "He's probably on his way here now, so, I've got a barge waiting for me." everyone starts to protest. "Look, it's not forever. I'll be back in a few months."
"You're not going anywhere Kate." Thomas stated as he firmly gripped her shoulders and seats her back into her chair.
"You know his reputation!" Kate states. "You know what he's capable of! I'm not risking anyone's safety!"
"It's time for you to stop running. You're not leaving."
Kate glowers at him. "Yes, I can and I will. You don't get to tell me what to do."
"You're not leaving me." Kate is barely able to hold his gaze. He can see that she's frightened, but, there's also a part of her that's begging him to make it safe for her to stay. She'll never admit to it, but she doesn't want to leave. "If your father wants you…he's going to have to take you from me, which I won't let happen."
Kate can barely breathe as Thomas stares her down. Her heart has seemed to still in her chest at his statement. For a second, it's almost as if they are the two only people in the room.
"What the hell's going on?" Arthur mutters loudly. Polly shushes him; she like everyone else is positively mesmerized by the scene unfolding before them.
"I don't want you or anyone here to get hurt." She states quietly as he gently cups her cheek with his hand. "You don't know what he's capable of."
"He, like most fathers' do, is to have to get used to the idea that you're not his anymore." Thomas kisses her firmly on the mouth, causing everyone to stir in surprise. The kiss is brief and the tender expression on his face is her undoing. "I'll have a few men keep an eye on your place and should anything go down, I'll be there for you. Understand?"
She nods as she whispers. "Yes."
He faintly smiles at her. "That's my girl."
"Damn, you and those blue eyes make a persuasive argument." She gives him a light push, causing everyone to chuckle.
"Well, I'll be," Freddie says drolly. "someone actually found Thomas Shelby's heart and put it back in his chest."
"Thank God." Polly states. "For a while I thought you had your eyes set on that barmaid."
Thomas rolls his eyes. "More Kate's idea than mine."
"When did this start?" John asks. "Last we saw, the two of you were fighting each other!"
"We still do!" Kate declares with a laugh. "Just, not as much as we used to."
"It started John, the night you and Esme married."
"And neither of you said?" he frowns. "This is big news!"
"I trust," Ada questions. "that Kate will really be family the next time she joins another meeting?"
"We haven't discussed marriage or anything like that yet." Kate says hurriedly.
"No, but," Polly smirks. "whether you know it or not, everyone at this table knows that it's just a matter of time before you find yourself walking out of church, wearing a white dress and a ring on your finger with the last name Shelby."
Kate flushes red in embarrassment. "Pol," Thomas says calmly. "stop scaring Kate before I have the chance to propose." She whirls about and stares at him as he sits down again. "Now, back to business. Ada and Freddie, we need to discuss where a safe place for you two to go is. It won't be permanent, just for a few months."
Kate barely hears a word he says after that. All she knows is that he's obviously started thinking about proposing and Kate still had no idea about how she felt. Neither of them had even said 'I love you' to each other. For her part, Kate knows that he loves her, she just wonders if her feelings are as strong as his are. His feelings are obviously strong and she knows that given time that she will able to love him as strongly and fiercely as he deserves.
Idcam: They will, especially with Freddie out.
