Elizabeth had been lost without Charlotte. She had cooked enough food for two and had eaten all of it anyway. She had a strange sense of feeling lost. This wasn't her home. This was Pol's home and she was simply looking after it while the woman was away, but it didn't feel right to Elizabeth. She wanted her own home. She wanted the bed she had gotten used to. More than that, she wanted the man she used to wake up next to. She would do anything to go back to the time when they were just in their twenties and in love. They had problems, but they were a cause of circumstances, not problems made by Tommy.

Waking up on the Sunday morning, Elizabeth had picked herself out of bed and changed. She ate breakfast after having dismissed Pol's maid the previous night. She wanted time alone and not have someone fussing around her. A part of her considered looking for her own place. She had her job and was earning her own money. She should be able to afford something soon. It would never be as grand as the house Tommy had bought them, but Elizabeth didn't care. She had never wanted grand.

Sitting at Pol's dining table, she set about reading her book with a cup of tea. It was gone eleven when there was a knock on the door. Frowning, Elizabeth checked the clock to ensure that it was eleven in the morning. That couldn't be Tommy. He was supposed to have her until this afternoon. Standing up, Elizabeth pulled at the red cardigan she wore, shifting it onto her shoulders before wandering to the door. She unlocked it and pulled it open, Tommy stood there and Charlotte by his side. Before she could say anything, Charlotte was running into the house and up the stairs, leaving Tommy stood there.

Elizabeth spun on the spot, her cardigan once again slipping down her arms. "Charlotte!" she called after her daughter, but she didn't turn around. Looking to Tommy as he placed her small case in the hallway. Arching her brows on her forehead, Elizabeth looked at her husband and shrugged. "What happened?"

"She…she 'asn't said a word to me since last night," Tommy informed his wife.

"Why?"

Tommy shook his head once and looked to his wife before pulling his cap from his head. "Can we talk?"

"Where?"

"Not here," Tommy said with a shake of his head. "I'll get Finn to come and look after Charlotte. He's in the car…we can go somewhere…but we need to talk."

Nodding, Elizabeth pulled her coat from the coatrack and shrugged into it as Finn moved from the car and into the house. Elizabeth placed a hand onto his shoulder, giving it a squeeze as he passed into the house.

"Look after her," Elizabeth urged from Finn. "She's upset and I think I know why."

"Yeah," Finn agreed with her and he moved up the stairs.

Grabbing hold of her gloves, she slipped them onto her fingers and left the house, following Tommy to the car. He opened the door for her and helped her climb the step, his touch feeling so familiar. He closed the door and then moved to the driver's side. He started the ignition and began driving. Elizabeth wondered where they were going before she bit down on her lip. They were going to Tommy's office. She suspected it was the place where he felt the safest. He was in control there.

Following him into the office, Elizabeth said nothing as she noted Lizzie Stark sat behind the desk. Lizzie looked to Elizabeth, saying nothing as she simply looked intrigued. Elizabeth managed a small quirk of her lips before entering Tommy's office. Closing the door behind her, Tommy went to sit behind his desk after moving out of his coat and placing it on the coatrack with his cap. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at his choice of seating, but she took the chair across from him, acting as though this was some kind of business meeting.

"She is upset," Elizabeth said, beginning conversation as Tommy pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. She kept her coat on, but removed her gloves, placing them in her pocket. "She is a little girl, Tommy-"

"-She said that I 'urt yer," Tommy said, recalling his daughter's words perfectly. "She said that yer cry all of the time and it is because of me. She blames me for what 'as 'appened."

"I will talk with her and tell her-"

"-A lie?" Tommy interrupted his wife. "Because she is telling the truth, isn't she, Liz? I did do this to yer. I did this and I 'urt yer…and it is killin' me, Liz, the idea of yer spendin' every night cryin'…sleepin' alone…it kills me. I go to bed and all I want is for yer to be there. I want yer to be there and waitin' for me."

"We cannot keep going round in circles."

"What if we didn't?"

"Tommy," Elizabeth sighed his name. "I need to go and see Charlotte and not have this conversation with you. Go home…I will talk to Charlotte and bring her to see you in a few days."

"Liz-"

"-Not now," Elizabeth interrupted as she shook her head, closing her eyes and leaning back in the chair. "Tommy, we cannot do this now."

"I want you back."

"I want you back too, but we both know you are never going to change," Elizabeth said with a shrug of her shoulders. She went to sit up straight again as Tommy moved to his feet and went to her side of the desk. He knelt down and took hold of her hands as she looked down to him, sighing softly, her breath shaky.

"I can try."

"Try," she echoed to him, "means that you will not. I need to go, Tommy. I should have stayed with Charlotte."

"I need yer, Liz. I need yer and Charlotte."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No," she said sternly to him. "You want us. You need the business. There is a difference and we are not doing this again. Just take me home, Tommy."

"What can I do?" he asked her. "What do I 'ave to do to make yer change yer mind?"

"Work it out, Tommy," Elizabeth said and she squeezed his hands. Moving to her feet, she went to grab her coat and let go of her husband's hands. He remained knelt down on the ground, a hand going to hold the side of the chair. It was another moment before he went to stand and Elizabeth slipped her coat onto her shoulders. "I will talk with Charlotte. I will bring her back in a couple of days and she will be fine. I promise."

"Liz, yer know we don't need to make a decision straight away," Tommy said and stood up tall, hands going to his hips and holding them. "Divorce…we don't need to do it. We can 'ave time and we can work through this. I promise yer."

"I am in no rush to divorce you," Elizabeth said to her husband, buttoning her coat up and Tommy watched her push her hair behind her ears. "I have no intention of moving on, Tommy, but we both know that things…they cannot be how they were…we aren't the same as we used to be."

"We're not broken, Liz," Tommy said adamantly. "We can be mended."

Elizabeth didn't respond to that. Instead she looked to Tommy and nodded her head. "I will call you, Tommy. Take care."

"Liz," Tommy tried to call her name again, but she was already walking out of the door.

Banging a fist on the desk, he let out a deep breath and did his best to maintain his temper. He couldn't let himself lose his temper, not now. He had to work something out before it was too late.

Charlotte was in her bedroom in Pol's house, curled up on her bed. She was resting on her side as Finn read her a story and tried to tell her that everything would be fine. Finn had changed. He was a different man. He was no longer the young boy who spent time with Charlotte, but he had a soft spot for Charlotte. He had watched her grow from a baby to a toddler and now she was a little child. She was different, but he found her endearing.

"Yer know that Tommy…yer dad…he misses yer, right?" Finn asked as he closed the book and Charlotte sat up, brushing her hair from her eyes as she looked at him. Finn tossed the book to the side before he folded one leg over the other and Charlotte pulled herself to sit with her legs crossed underneath her, her dress flowing around her.

"I want to go home," Charlotte admitted to Finn, looking down as she played with her hands in her lap and bit down on her tongue for a moment. "I want mummy and daddy to be happy, but he makes her cry all of the time. He does bad things."

"Tommy only does bad things because he 'as to," Finn said to Charlotte. "Listen to me, Charlotte, one day you will understand that."

"Why?" Charlotte asked and Finn's eyes widened at that question and his brow furrowed. "Why do I have to understand when I am older? Just because you get older doesn't mean you can do bad things and understand them."

Finn realised then that he had no response to that point. She had him caught out there. He remained silent for a few moments, trying to think of a response, but he came up blank. Since when did a child understand how to make good and valid points? He raked a hand through his hair for a moment before shrugging.

"I guess it doesn't," he admitted to her.

"Thought so," Charlotte mumbled and went back to lie on her side, stuffing her hand underneath her pillow. Finn stood up then and looked down to the little girl who clearly didn't want to talk anymore. He left her alone in her bedroom, wandering down the stairs of Pol's home.

He was growing bored when he heard the door open and saw Elizabeth walk in. Standing in the doorway of the hallway and sitting room, Finn watched her remove her coat and hang it up. She tucked her hair behind her ears before looking to Finn and managing a small smile.

"Thank you for staying with her," she said to the young man.

"She's upstairs," Finn said, pointing to the staircase.

"How is she?"

"I…sad," Finn finally decided on a word after a moment as he thought back to the sad face of Charlotte he had just seen. "She's sad."

"Aren't we all?" Elizabeth responded in a mutter and folded her arms over her chest. Looking to Finn, she managed a small smile to him, the motion clearly forced. "Thanks again, Finn. I won't keep you."

"It's alright," Finn said with a shrug and Elizabeth almost saw him look bashful for a moment. He looked like the young boy she had looked after when he had felt lost and didn't know what he wanted to do. "Maybe I…well…I can stay for a while?"

"I would like that," Elizabeth nodded her head. "Come on, I think we need a drink."

Elizabeth didn't want to do this. She didn't want to go to this dinner with Tommy. She had told him to make up some excuse. She had urged for him to tell them that she was ill so she didn't need to attend. She had promised Tommy months ago that she would attend the dinner and dance for a charity he was patron of. Tommy had come around and begged for her to come with him. He didn't want people knowing about their marital issues. His wife was the best part of him at dinners. She knew high society better than he ever could. She could charm anyone. Without her, Tommy doubted he would be able to function at one of those dos.

"This is the only time I am doing this," Elizabeth informed her husband as he drove the car and he felt her watching him. "I mean it, Tommy."

"Aye, I know," Tommy said to her.

"People are going to talk eventually, Tommy," Elizabeth continued and Tommy pulled up outside the Midland, queuing behind other cars as the event seemed to be in full swing. "I know you don't want them to, but eventually it will come out."

"And I will be prepared when it does," Tommy said to her. "I just ain't prepared yet, am I?"

"I suspect not," was all she said back to him. "So what do you need me to do?"

"Do what yer do best," Tommy said, finally stopping the car and turning the ignition of. "What yer were trained to do, wasn't it, Liz? Act like a whore…sell parts of yerself…let people see what they wanted to see…the high class Kimber girl."

"Is that what you think of me?" she asked him. "You think that I enjoyed that life? I thought you knew me, Tommy…you knew…"

Tommy was about to apologise. He was being stupid. He knew that she was being stupid, but he wasn't himself. He wasn't himself and he was taking it on the very same woman he was trying to win back. Pushing the door open to the car, Elizabeth shook her head.

"I am not doing this," she said and climbed down.

Tommy cursed under his breath and opened the door, moving around the car. He tossed the keys to the valet as Elizabeth walked along the footpath and away from the hotel. Jogging to catch up with her, Tommy took hold of her forearm, stopping her from moving off.

"I'm sorry," Tommy said to her. "Liz, I didn't mean it. I know yer 'ate this, alright? I know that."

"Why are you being so cruel?" Elizabeth demanded from him, looking him in the eye as her hair flapped in her face and her face was a mixture of anger and upset with her husband. She continued to watch him as he looked around for a moment and shook his head. "We have split up, Tommy, but why do you insist on saying these things to me? Hurting me?"

"No," Tommy said quickly, taking hold of her shoulders and holding them tightly, his fingers splaying almost the length of her upper arm. "Liz, I don't mean to do it. I don't…it just…I'm angry…upset…everything…and I shouldn't take it out on you. Yer the last person I want to take it out on."

"I don't want this, Tommy," Elizabeth said with a shake of her head. "I don't want to do this."

"Then we won't," Tommy said. "Look, we can go 'ome and forget about tonight."

"That isn't what I meant," she said with a shake of her head. "Well, that too, but all of this, Tommy…all of it…"

"Neither do I," Tommy admitted to her in a soft voice before daring to wrap his arms around her, a hand snaking around to cup the back of her head as she wrapped her own arms around him and burrowed her cheek against his neck. "Neither do I."

….

A/N: Do let me know what you think!