Watching his wife move down the stairs, Tommy felt his breath almost catch in his throat. He stood at the bottom of the staircase as she walked down, tucking loose strands of her hair behind her ear. She had one hand holding up the deep purple dress she wore, making sure she didn't trip down the stairs while her other hand held the bannister. Tommy continued to hold onto Charlotte, his daughter wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He looked to her for a moment, noticing that her eyes were firmly on her mother. Her mouth was even slightly gaping.
"Mummy, you look like a princess," Charlotte said as Elizabeth came to the bottom step and stood on it, beaming widely down to her daughter. She reached out and ran a hand down Charlotte's cheek, stroking it softly.
"Why thank you," Elizabeth commented back. "Now, you be a good girl for Frances, yes? We will be home tonight and see you in the morning."
"Yes, mummy," Charlotte said and Elizabeth kissed her forehead.
"I'll keep a good eye on her, Mrs Shelby," Frances said.
"Thank you, Frances," Elizabeth responded.
"Alright," Tommy muttered and kissed his daughter's cheek as he held her. "We'll see yer tomorrow, Charlotte."
Tommy moved then, placing Charlotte back on the ground and she reached for Frances. The kindly maid took hold of her by the hand as Tommy offered his own hand to his wife. Elizabeth placed her fingers into his, holding onto them softly as he looked to her.
"Yer look stunnin'," he whispered only for her. "Absolutely stunnin'."
"You don't scrub up too bad yourself," she teased him and took the final step down. She let her dress fall down to her ankles then as Tommy reached for her coat from the coat rack. He helped her into it before the two of them left, saying goodnight to their daughter on the way out.
Once in the car, Elizabeth turned to face Tommy. "Can we not just skip this and go somewhere else?" she asked of her husband, pouting as he chuckled as he started the car up. Shaking his head, he looked to his wife and reached a hand out to rest on her thigh.
"I'd love to," he said to her, "but if yer want this school to 'ave charity status then yer need to schmooze the right people, Liz. Just one night, alright? One night and then we should 'ave enough people invested. Besides, Ada will be there and she's good with people."
"Better than us, I imagine," Elizabeth said to her husband as she gave his hand a quick squeeze and he then turned his attention to driving away from the house. "Just tell me that it will be worth it. I never thought that I would do this…hold my own function."
Tommy chuckled at that and shook his head. "You and me both," he assured her. "We've come a long way, Liz…a long way since that night in Small Heath when we talked about gettin' married."
"And despite everything, I still don't think that I could be without you," Elizabeth said to her husband. "Your Aunt Pol was right when she said you were like a drug, Tommy, but then isn't that love?"
"Yeah," Tommy said to her, "I think it is."
Elizabeth smiled at hearing that and looked out the window. Tommy glanced at her quickly for a moment and counted himself lucky that his wife had come back to him. He was trying to be the better man. He was doing his best, but the allure of business was always there. It was always there so long as he could keep his family safe, that was the main thing.
….
Elizabeth's cheeks hurt from smiling too much during the evening. She had sipped on orange juice as she spoke with members of society about her project. The more she talked to them and told them about everything she wanted to do, the more she found herself enjoying herself. She was passionate about it. She wanted people to support it and she wanted it to work. Tommy was also working, moving around the room and talking to everyone. He tried his best to keep conversation on his wife's school, but people wanted to talk business. They always wanted to talk about his business.
Feeling a hand on the small of her back, Elizabeth turned to see Andrew stood there. She smiled widely, a genuine beam on her face. Turning to face him, she moved and wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Pulling back, she pecked him on the cheek.
"You made it," she commented.
"I did," Andrew confirmed to her. "I finished work early enough to be able to go home and put Eve to bed before I came. How are things going?"
"Well enough," Elizabeth said to him as he reached for a glass of champagne from a passing tray.
The function room Tommy had hired was grand, decorated with white swags down the wall. The tables were decorated with intricate tablecloths and vases of fresh flowers. The piano in the corner was grand, with a pianist playing a soft melody as people socialised before dinner.
"I'm not a fan of these things," Andrew said to her, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
"That makes two of us," Elizabeth confided in him. "But I see this more as work than anything. I think people seem to be genuinely interest. I am hoping we can secure some funding this evening."
"I would hope that we could," Andrew said to her.
"Well, Tommy has a speech prepared," Elizabeth said to him. "He is going to deliver it after dinner this evening. I asked him to make sure you were sat with us tonight considering you are now my number two on the project."
"The idea is all yours," Andrew said and Elizabeth laughed and shook her head.
"But the numbers is all you," she said, "so get used to accepting some of the credit, Andrew. Come on, I will introduce you to Ada. She is Tommy's sister, but much less brash than the rest of his family. Wait until you meet Arthur."
Elizabeth took hold of Andrew by the arm and led him further into the room. She stood before Ada as she spoke with Arthur. Tommy looked on from the circle he was stood in over to the group of them. Elizabeth still had a hand on Andrew's arm as she introduced him to his family. Tommy had to admit that Andrew seemed harmless enough. He had looked into the man's background secretly, choosing to do that instead of telling his wife he was going to do that.
Once Elizabeth was confident that Andrew was in safe hands with Ada, she wandered back around the room before she saw him stood in the doorway. He was wearing a smart three piece tuxedo and he had that smug look on his face. She hadn't seen him in a long time and she had hoped to keep it that way. What was he doing here? Had Tommy invited him?
"Mrs Shelby," he spoke, her name rolling off the tip of his tongue as he finally moved over to her, his eyes roaming from her feet to her face. She did her best not to shudder. "You look beautiful, as always."
"Mr Mosley," she said, voice holding contempt. "I was unaware that you were coming this evening."
"It appears my invite must have got lost in the post," he said to her and Elizabeth wanted to get away from him. She wanted him nowhere near her event and it turns out that her husband had not invited him. "I heard about the event from a fellow member of the party…and your husband appears to have distanced himself from my party."
"Tommy has been very busy," was all that Elizabeth offered.
"Yes, I had thought as much," Oswald said to her and he leaned in closer, the back of his hand brushing over her cheek. "I had heard that you had left your husband, but clearly that did not last."
"My marriage is private," she retorted.
"Of course," he said, smug smile on his face. "Regardless, you look well."
"Thank you," she managed to say. "Well, I should go and check that dinner is on course to be served on time."
"Yes," he said to her.
She moved off then, making a beeline for Tommy. She took hold of his arm to distract him from the conversation he was in. She smiled at the people surrounding him as he looked down to her.
"Excuse me," she said, voice polite. "Can I just steal my husband for a moment?"
They nodded and Tommy turned around. He followed his wife to the small hallways outside the function room. She moved into a small alcove away from the passing members of staff who carried drinks and food into the room. Tommy looked to her as she glanced around to make certain they were alone.
"Oswald Mosley is here," she said to him.
"What?" he demanded.
"Mosley, he is here," she repeated to him. "What is he doing here, Tommy?"
"I don't know," Tommy grumbled. "I didn't invite 'im, Liz."
"I know," Elizabeth said. "But why has he turned up? What does he want? He mentioned the party…about you not being an active member in it. Tommy, please tell me you are not going to get involved with him."
"I'm not," Tommy said to her. "I've been tryin' to avoid 'im, Liz."
"I don't like this," Elizabeth said, hand going to hold her forehead as she looked around. Tommy took hold of her upper arms, trying to stop her from looking so edge. He stepped closer to her, dropping to press his forehead against hers. She let out a shaky breath as she moved her own hands on top of his.
"It'll be fine," he promised in a soft voice. "He isn't goin' to ruin anythin'. I'll keep 'im away from yer, yeah?"
"I want him away from you," Elizabeth said to Tommy. "I want him away from our family."
"I'll sort it," Tommy promised her, voice low and husky. "I'll sort it, Liz."
Elizabeth nodded her head once and Tommy kissed her quickly on the lips. He took hold of her hand and walked confidently back into the function. Dinner was called and he pulled out the chair for Elizabeth, letting her sit down before he sat next to her. Andrew sat to her other side and Ada on his side, the two of them discussing socialism in depth while Arthur talked with Finn. Elizabeth looked around, wondering where Mosley had sat as she ran a hand over her chest, crumpling the material of her dress. Tommy knew she was still on edge and he moved his hand under the table to rest on top of her thigh.
They ate dinner and conversed around the table. Tommy, Arthur and Finn spoke about horses while Elizabeth spoke to Andrew and Ada, discussing the current state of politics together. They moved on to talk about their children too, beaming widely as they discussed schooling and how they were growing up too fast.
Once dinner was served, Tommy stood up and delivered his speech. He thanked everyone for coming and then told them about his wife and her idea. Elizabeth looked up to him as he placed the cards down on the table once he had finished reading from them, going completely off script as he described his wife. He managed to get soft sighs from the crowd alongside laughter before he toasted her and her cheeks blushed as she nodded gracefully. He sat back down then and Elizabeth kissed him, hand on his cheek.
"That was lovely," she said to him, voice earnest.
"All true," he promised her.
Once dinner was over, people began milling around again. The lounge was a hive of activity, with people laughing and clearly having had too much to drink. Andrew made his excuses to leave early. He shook Tommy's hand and said goodbye to Elizabeth with a brief kiss on the cheek before leaving. Ada had watched him with intrigue and she managed to grab hold of Elizabeth away from Tommy as Arthur demanded his attention.
"He is nice," Ada said to Elizabeth.
"I know," Elizabeth agreed with her. "You know, he lost his wife and has raised their daughter on his own. I feel that he just needs a friend, but your brother was particularly rude when he first met him."
Ada chuckled. "I can imagine," she said. "Tommy is very possessive over you, Liz. I imagine he sees a nice, normal, handsome man as competition."
Elizabeth chuckled and rolled her eyes. "I have been with your brother since I was eighteen. We have a daughter together. I have stuck with him through everything. He has absolutely nothing to worry about."
"We know that," Ada promised her, "but you know how Tommy is."
"I do," Elizabeth said to Ada.
"Liz," Tommy's voice suddenly called her away. She looked to him and he ran a hand down her back. "I've booked us a room for the evening."
"Why?" Elizabeth asked from him.
"Because I don't fancy drivin' back 'ome this evening. We'll be 'ome before Charlotte is up in the mornin'."
"Is that the reason?" Ada teased her brother and Tommy's lips quirked at her. Elizabeth said nothing, instead she leaned back into Tommy's hand and kissed him on the cheek, the prospect of spending an evening in a hotel room not entirely horrible to her. "Then again, I doubt your real intention is something that should be spoken at an event such as this."
"Agreed," Tommy said. "Ada, we're goin' to retire for the night. Can yer keep an eye on Arthur and Finn? Make sure they don't do anythin' stupid?"
"I make no promises," Ada said defensively and Tommy chuckled.
Tommy walked with his wife towards the reception desk. He asked for the key to his usual suit as Elizabeth stood by his side. He took hold of her hand as they walked to the staircase, only to see Mosley stood at the bottom of the steps.
"I had hoped that I might get chance to talk business with you, Mr Shelby," he said and Elizabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the sight of him. Tommy ran his thumb across her knuckles, trying silently to reassure her that things would be fine. She didn't feel like things would be fine.
"Perhaps we can talk when we are back in London?" Tommy suggested to him. "I was intendin' on retirin' with my wife."
"Yes," Mosley said in a drawl. "Your wife is looking rather ravishing this evening, Mr Shelby. I can see why you would like to retire."
Elizabeth ignored his comment completely, turning to look away as she noted his smirk.
"Yeah," was all Tommy said.
"Perhaps we can compromise?" Mosley suggested. "We can meet over breakfast tomorrow morning? My business really cannot wait until you avoid me in the House again."
"Alright," was all Tommy agreed with.
"Excellent," Mosley said. "Well, until tomorrow then…and I would like for business to be just between us. No doubt your wife will be exhausted come morning anyway."
Elizabeth's grip on Tommy turned her knuckles white as he almost winced at the pressure. He simply nodded and led her away from Mosley and up the stairs.
"Liz, yer can let go," he urged from her. "Yer squeezin' almost as 'ard as yer did when yer gave birth."
"Who does he think he is?" Elizabeth demanded from Tommy. "He spoke about me as though I was not there. And what business does he want to discuss? Why does he want to discuss it?"
"I'll find out tomorrow," Tommy said to her. "But don't let 'im ruin our night, alright?"
Tommy came to the door of the suit and opened it up, letting Elizabeth in first before closing and locking the door behind him. He sniffed as his wife moved over to the curtains and closed them, shutting out the outside world.
"He is the worst of the worst," she complained to him, voice low and stern. "I mean it, Tommy. I despise him."
"Same," Tommy said to her, moving to take hold of her by the waist, forcing her to look at him with a hand holding her chin. "Come on, I booked this room as a treat, Liz…you and me…big bed…large bath…"
"Hmm," Elizabeth said, trying to put Mosley to the back of her mind. "That does sound terribly romantic, Mr Shelby."
"Only for you," Tommy said, kissing her once more and urging for her to forget about Mosley completely.
…
A/N: Do let me know what you think!
