Entering the room, Elizabeth looked around and saw Oswald Mosley and her husband sat there. Mosley was leaned back in the armchair, his hand holding a glass of scotch while Tommy was perched on the edge of the sofa. His eyes shot up and over to his wife as he saw her enter and he knew the look on her face. It was the same look she reserved for him whenever she was angry with him. He wondered what could possibly have happened as her narrowed eyes fell on Mosley and Tommy almost felt the need to groan out loud, knowing what was possibly coming next. Something had happened that, no doubt, Mosley had caused.

"Mrs Shelby," he spoke, his voice soft and almost velvet like. Elizabeth balled her hands into fists and her cheeks puffed out.

"Why did you say that to him?" Elizabeth demanded, forgoing any pleasantries that there might have been between them. She did not have time for that, nor did she have any inclination of being pleasant to him when he had spoken to James as he had done. "Why did you tell him that he would not be a part of this family?"

Mosley looked to Tommy, almost as though he expected him to stop his wife from her outburst. But he did nothing. Instead he simply held his glass of whiskey, letting it rest on his knee as he kept his legs crossed. His eyes remained on Elizabeth, her arms now folded over her chest in defiance. He said nothing for a brief few moments, looking from Tommy and back to an expectant Elizabeth.

He shrugged. "Come now, Mrs Shelby," he said to her. "You cannot mean to tell me that you intend to keep the boy around forever? I had suspected that this was simply a kind deed until you found a place for him…or do you intend to turn this Manor into an orphanage?"

"What we do is none of your business," Elizabeth sniped. "But James is just a young boy…he is a young boy who deserves to be looked after and it just so happened that I met him. Perhaps it was fate or perhaps it was just coincidence, I do not know, but what I do know is that he does not deserve to have doubt placed into him like you did."

"I just wonder if he can fill that void for you…the void left by being unable to have any other children," Mosley said.

"Alright," Tommy finally interjected then, knowing that a line had been crossed. No one spoke to his wife like that. He would not let them. He would never let them do that. Moving to his feet, Tommy placed his glass down on the coffee table and dropped his hands to his hips. "That's enough."

"I apologise," Mosley said. "I have often heard of how difficult it can be for women when they are unable to have any more children. I was simply intrigued as to whether or not that was your reason behind taking in a stray."

"My motivations are none of your concern," Elizabeth said bitterly.

"As you say," Mosley said.

Elizabeth swept out of the room then and Mosley finished off his drink, placing the glass down and then moving to his feet. Looking over to Tommy, he wondered exactly what went on in that man's mind. He could not quite work him out sometimes. He was a man who prided himself on terrifying individuals, yet he allowed his wife to speak with such impunity, regardless of the harm she could do to his reputation.

"What have I told you about your wife?"

"I do not control my wife," Tommy responded. "Many men 'ave told me the same thing and each time I 'ave told them that she 'as her own mind."

"She needs to be careful who she speaks to in such a tone. I tolerate it to an extent, but others in the party will not. You will not want to see their response to her tone."

"Elizabeth 'as nothin' to do with business."

"Mr Shelby," Mosley said, slapping Tommy on the shoulder. "She is your wife. She will always have a part of it."

He began to leave the room and Tommy followed him, making sure that he left the house before he sighed. He shook his head and reached for a cigarette, popping it into his mouth when he had lit it up. He took a drag of it and blew out a puff of smoke as he remained in the foyer. He headed up the stairs after a moment of gathering his own thoughts, moving over towards their bedroom. The door was firmly closed and Tommy took his time in reaching for the handle and pushing the it open. Stepping in, he found Elizabeth sat on the bed and staring out of the window, arms folded over her waist as she remained bent over slightly.

Tommy closed the door and let out another puff of smoke. Heading towards the bed, he stubbed the cigarette out on his way and sat down next to his wife. He said nothing, instead he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and felt her move to wrap both of her arms around his waist, her cheek buried against his shoulder.

"Is that what I am doing?" Elizabeth whispered into her husband's neck, her warm breath tickling his skin and he moved his free hand to her hair, stroking it down softly and feeling her soft curls. "Am I looking after James to fill that empty void I have?"

"Perhaps," Tommy whispered against her forehead. "But why does that 'ave to be a bad thin', eh? You 'ave a motherly instinct, Liz. Yer always 'ave…why is it wrong to want to want to use it on James? Besides, he isn't the children we lost, is he? No one will ever replace them…and he doesn't 'ave to…he is 'is own person."

"I hate how he can make people feel, Tommy," Elizabeth said, clinging tightly onto his waist. "I detest how he speaks to people. I can handle it, to a certain extent, but James is just a kid. He is just a boy and he shouldn't have to have thoughts like that in his head."

"I'll do my best to keep business at the office and away from the 'ouse," Tommy promised his wife. "James will not have to deal with anything like that again, I promise you. I will keep him away. Besides, I bet yer 'ave dealt with 'im?"

"Dealt with him?" she echoed back to her husband and peered up to him, frowning. "Tommy, you do not just deal with a scared child."

"Yer know what I meant," Tommy responded, pushing her hair behind her ear and running his hand along her cheekbone, stroking it softly.

"I know," she said to him. "I told him that what Mosley said was just rubbish. I assured him that he would always have a home here and I meant it. He…so long as he needs us, we will be here for him. Besides, I've found myself quite taken with him."

"I can tell," Tommy said.

"And don't pretend you haven't either," Elizabeth urged from her husband. "I saw how you have been with him."

"He's a good kid," Tommy shrugged. "He makes yer 'appy and he looks out for Charlotte…she adores 'im. I doubt she would want him to leave anytime soon."

"Mosley still being involved in business scares me, Tommy," Elizabeth informed her husband. "When can you sever ties with him? When can you be free of him?"

"As soon as I can," was all that Tommy said in response to her. "As soon as I can."

"You look distracted."

Andrew spoke and snapped Elizabeth out of the daydream that she had been in. She looked up from her desk and over to him as he perched on his own chair at his desk. They had agreed to go to the school and look at the resumes of potential teachers. Already there was a waiting list for children to join the school from the council. There were too many children who had been abandoned and the sooner Elizabeth could get the school completely up and running then the better it would be for all of them.

"It's nothing," Elizabeth said to him with a shake of her head.

She had grown herself becoming quite close with Andrew. He was a nice man and his daughter was just as adorable as Elizabeth had imagined her to be. She often came to the school with her father and played with Charlotte and James, the three of them running up and down the corridors and playing their games as decorators finished off. The school had begun to look like a school. They had desks and chair. They had enough toys for copious numbers of children. They also had a number of dorms they had tried to make as homely as possible.

"So," Andrew drawled, "it is definitely something."

Elizabeth sighed and leant back in her chair. Looking over to Andrew, she folded one leg over the other. "I have been thinking of asking Tommy something, but I don't know how he will take it," she said. She trusted Andrew not to tell anyone else. He was good at acting as her sounding board. He seemed to enjoy it.

"Well, if I was the one who had to ask your husband something then I would be scared, but that is because he terrifies me," Andrew said. "You, on the other hand, have never been scared of asking him anything so I am wondering what is going on."

"I want to adopt James," Elizabeth blurted out and his eyes widened at hearing that from her. He had suspected it might happen eventually, but he did not think it to be so soon. "I do not want to do it if he does not want to do it…James, that is. It is not something I want to rush into either…but in the future, if James can see himself as being part of the family then I want to make it official. I want to adopt him and look after him."

"I know," Andrew said. And he did know. He knew what she was saying and he understood completely. Elizabeth had a maternal instinct inside of her that she could not hide. "But, if that is what you are thinking, then you should talk to Tommy about it. Why are you anxious about telling him?"

"I don't know," Elizabeth complained, dropping her pain and standing up, tucking her hair behind her ears while she wandered around the office, adjusting files on the bookshelves and tidying things up as she manoeuvred around the space. "I guess he just makes a big deal about being a Shelby and I don't want him to think that…well…I know that there is a difference between looking after James and then adopting him."

"Well, that is something that you will have to take up with Tommy, Elizabeth," Andrew said, closing his notebook and standing up. "But, as you said, it isn't something you have to do brashly. Just tell him that it is an idea you have had if things keep on going well with James living with you."

"And I do not want him to think that we are replacing his mother or father," Elizabeth continued to explain herself. "I know that no one could ever do that. I am well aware of that fact."

"But he already looks at you like his mother," Andrew said. "Trust me, he is lucky in a sense…to have someone who cares for him like a mother."

Elizabeth smiled softly. She moved over to Andrew and placed a hand on his shoulder as she perched on the edge of his desk. "I know how hard it is for you, Andrew. I understand."

"Thanks, Liz," Andrew said. "It's Eve I worry about. I know that a time will come when there will be things she would be more comfortable speaking to her mother about…and I want that for her…someone she can talk to."

Elizabeth smiled softly and squeezed his shoulder once more. Before she could say anything else, the sound of heels clicking on the floor echoed into the room and a loud voice followed.

"This place is like a maze, honestly, it is bigger than your house, Liz," Ada's voice carried into the room and she froze as soon as she saw Liz with her hand on Andrew's shoulder, sitting on his desk. "Not interrupting, am I?"

"Not at all," Elizabeth said, dropping down from the desk and moving towards Ada. She embraced her tenderly. "How are you, Ada? You've grown since I last saw you."

"The joys of pregnancy," Ada said and then looked over to James. She nodded her head once. "James, isn't it? I remember you from the dinner."

"Yes," Andrew said, standing up and moving towards Ada, shaking her hand in a polite manner. "It is nice to see you again, Ms Shelby."

"Ada, please," she responded. "That evening was some of the most intellectual conversation I have had in a while. It would be nice to pick up the conversation at some time in the future."

"I would like that," Andrew said and moved to his feet. He reached for his hat and coat. "I should be taking Eve back home. I promised her I would pick up cake on the way."

"Ah, and you must always follow through on the promise of cake," Ada said. "Karl is downstairs with the children. I told him to stay with them, but he seemed more interested in sitting and being surly. He's at that age."

"I am dreading Charlotte hitting that age," Elizabeth admitted.

"Cherish them while they're young, that's what I say," Ada said, sitting down in the cushioned seat across from Liz's desk as she found her feet aching.

"Good advice," Andrew concluded. "Elizabeth, I will see you tomorrow…Ada…a pleasure."

"Bye, Andrew," Elizabeth said.

"Yes, I will see you again soon," Ada said to him and he left the room.

Elizabeth headed around to her own seat and sat down in it. She leant back and looked over to Ada. "How are things going, Ada?" she enquired. "I have missed you up here."

"Really?"

"Really," Elizabeth said. "You and Pol are the only ones who can keep me sane sometimes."

"Living with Tommy has a certain effect on people," Ada confirmed to her. "What has he been doing now?"

"Who says I've been doin' anythin'?" Tommy's voice suddenly sounded from the doorway and Elizabeth smiled at the sight of him with Charlotte in his arms. He was wearing his coat, but his cap was stuffed in his pocket. He looked over between the two women and waited expectantly.

"When are you never not doing anything?" Ada retorted.

Tommy took that as a good point. He said nothing else as Charlotte moved and rested her head on his shoulder. "Charlotte, yer go back to Karl and James. We'll be down in a minute, alright? And then we'll go for cake."

"Cake?"

"Eve told 'em that her and Andrew we're goin' to get cake" Tommy explained and Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Tommy kissed Charlotte on the top of her head before she took off and rushed away, heading back to the others.

Sniffing, Tommy moved into the room and greeted his wife with a swift kiss, standing behind her chair, hands holding her shoulders as she peered up to him. "I didn't think you were coming here. I thought that we were meeting at home?"

"Change of plan," Tommy said. "I finished work early so thought I'd drive yer and Charlotte home. Didn't know yer would be 'ere, Ada."

"I heard about the school nearly being finished and I wanted to see it with my own eyes," Ada said to him. "It is looking good. I was hoping for a full tour while I was here."

"That can be arranged," Elizabeth said to her.

Elizabeth moved to her feet and took hold of Tommy's hand, squeezing it tightly as Ada struggled to her feet. Tommy kept hold of his wife's hand and walked with her around her desk.

"So, we have everything nearly finished, but-" Elizabeth was cut off as the noise of a loud explosion ran through the house and knocked all of them from their feet, knocking them out cold.

….

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