Later that night, I woke up to banging on the front door and shouting outside. I heard Tommy stir from across the hall but John barely shifted beside me. I listened intently as I heard Tommy open his bedroom window, shout down to someone, shut it again and then come out of his room. The banging on our door awoke John. "Bloody hell!" he shouted, ripping back the blankets from himself and getting up. He went to the door and flung it open to a bedraggled Tommy. "I need Evie to come to the yard with me. Now." he said before turning back to his own room. "It's the middle of the fuckin' night, Tommy." John shouted back but I had already got up and started getting dressed. "Go back to bed." I told him, pulling on my dress and stockings.
I had put on two cardigans before John came over and tugged his own jumper over my head. I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him as soon as my face was free from the material. It was a sweet short kiss as Tommy had already started banging on our door again. I rolled my eyes. "Get back into bed. I'll be back soon." I told John, pushing him towards the bed. He gave me a mock salute and collapsed back into bed.
I opened the door to see Tommy waiting for me in the hallway. "It's the horse." was all he said before running down the stairs. I followed him, pulling on my coat, boots and hat by the door which Tommy opened to reveal the torrential rain. Curly was waiting outside for us, soaked through. We all ran through the rain down Watery Lane and towards the yard. Tommy looking at me every few moments to make sure I was keeping up.
Once we reached the yard, Tommy pulled off his cap. I looked at the beautiful horse who's front foot had been tied up under it. Curly went to the horses face, whispering to it. I got closer to the creature looking at the foot with Tommy. "It's a curse, Tom." I told him, rubbing my hand along the animals side. Curly became distressed at this and started pacing the makeshift stable. Tommy went to calm him down. "Tell me. Tell me, Curly, what's wrong with the horse?" he asked, holding on to the bigger mans face. Curly looked over Tommy's shoulder to me and began nodding. "She she she's right. You bought it at the fair in bad feeling. The Lees put a bad seed in the hoof. Got an old woman to put a spell!" he said before disintegrating into mumblings.
Tommy turned to look at me, "So those Lee bastards cursed her. Is there anything you can do?" he asked. I shook my head, "I can't be certain what they did and even if I could, I couldn't guarantee it would work." I told him, gently stroking the creature beside me. "Whatever it is, he says it spread to the other foot." Charlie told us. "It's going to his heart by tomorrow, I'd say." Curly exclaimed behind Tommy. "I told you, Tommy. Better enemies to have than black blood Gypsies." Charlie said before walking away, taking Curly with him. Tommy looked at me. "There is nothing that can be done, Tommy." I told him. He nodded before looking at the horse again. "Go with Charlie, get a hot cup of tea and then we will go." he said, without looking at me. I knew there was no point in arguing with him so I did what he said, giving his arm a squeeze as I walked pass.
I joined Charlie and Curly in the hut, Charlie passed me a cup of tea and I leaned on the doorway looking towards the stables. I heard the gunshot ring out a few moments later and watched as Tom walked out, coat wrapped around him and his eyes vacant. He was a gentle soul when it came to animals and that destroyed him.
The walk home was quiet and something told me that Tommy wanted it to be that way. The rain had stopped so we walked leisurely through the lamp lit streets, my hand in the crook of his elbow. "Did you give the letter to Freddie?" I asked, looking up at him for his response. He was silent. "He deserves the opportunity to do the right thing." I told him, going back to looking ahead. "If you were in his position, wouldn't you want to do the right thing?" I continued. "We are two very different people, Evie. Freddie just sees Ada as a Shelby that he can manipulate and use." he told me, "I think he will surprise you." I responded, letting the conversation drop.
John stirred slightly when I got into bed, he pulled me into him as soon as I had laid down. My head was near his chest and his chin was on the top of my wet hair. "You're freezing, Eves." he told me, sleepily. "I know, I'm sorry." I whispered back, gently kissing his bare chest. "Go back to sleep." I told him, gently rubbing his back. He kissed the top of my head before drifting back to sleep. It took me a while to get to sleep, the sound of the gunshot and the look on Tommy's face going round in my head.
It felt like I had only been asleep a few minutes when Ada shook me awake. I looked up at her through sleepy eyes and groaned as I remembered the plan for today. Polly had given Tommy the letter and, as far as Ada knew, Freddie wasn't bothered. John groaned beside me, tightening his arm around my waist. He looked up through blurry eyes and saw Ada standing over us. "Piss off, Ada." he mumbled, burying his head into his pillow. I let out a laugh. "Bloody charming!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm awake, Ada. Go and make me some tea and butter some bread and I will be down in a minute." I told her, stretching my arms above my head.
Ada had just closed the door when John pulled me closer to him again, moving so his head was resting on my breasts and his leg was over mine. "I've got to get up, sweetie." I told him, kissing the top of his head and stroking his hair. "No!" he groaned, tightening his grip on my waist. "I won't let you go." I laughed at him. "I'm not happy about it either." I told him, moving to get out of bed. John was resilient, keeping me by his side with one arm. I decided to use another tactic.
I tilted his head up so he was looking at me and gently pressed my lips to his. This seemed to pull him from his sleep and he quickly started kissing me back. As the kiss deepened, I pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him, straddling his waist. I continued the kiss for a few more moments before pulling away from him. He looked up at me with hungry eyes and I fought a smile. "John, I love you so much and I want to apologise for what I am about to do." I told him. He looked confused and before he could work out what was going on, I jumped off him. I quickly grabbed my robe, flung open the door and ran downstairs, leaving him alone. "Evie!" I heard him shout once I was at the bottom of the stairs. "Sorry! I've got things to do!" I shouted back, laughing as I pulled on my robe.
Arthur, Finn, Polly and Ada were all in the kitchen when I walked in, still laughing. "Morning, everyone!" I said, sitting down at the table. Ada, Finn and Polly responded in like while Arthur laughed. "You haven't left him hanging, have you Eves? Cruel girl." he laughed before going back to his paper. Polly placed a plate of bread in front of me and Ada along with some butter and jam. "Eat up, girls. Then go get dressed, we need to leave soon." she told us, looking between the pair of us. We both nodded at her, digging into the food.
Ada and I had made our way through most of the bread in front of us by time John came down. His frown setting Arthur off again. Ada and Finn joined in with the laughing, even though I was certain Finn didn't know what he was laughing at. He scowled at his brothers and sister before coming to sit next to me and turned his scowl on me. "You are not very nice sometimes, do ya know that?" he said as Polly put a cup of tea down in front of him. "Go get ready, girls." she told me and Ada. We both nodded at her and got up from the table. I kissed Johns head as I stood and went upstairs to get ready.
"I think there are some carriages over there that are gonna be empty." Aunt Polly told us, pointing to the other end of the train platform. We all stopped in our tracks when we saw Freddie Thorne leaning against the ticket booth, cigarette in hand and surrounded by a cloud of smoke. "Jesus." Polly mumbled the other side of Ada. He looked stunned when he saw the three of us, his eyes fixated on Ada. He threw away his cigarette and walked over to us.
"Freddie." I said, shocked. "You came back?" Ada questioned, walking tentatively towards him. "I got a tip-off." Freddie said, then looked at me. "Apparently you can be very persuasive when you want to be." he told me. I smiled and did a little curtsy. "That's me." I laughed. "It was Tommy that tipped me off. Told me to get out of town and take you with me." he explained to Ada. I watched as her face lit up. I had to take a step back once Freddie got down on one knee. "Ada Shelby, will you marry me?" he asked, holding up a simple ring. "Yes!" she nodded, smiling from ear to ear. He slipped the ring onto her finger and the exchanged a sweet embrace.
Ada then turned to me, bobbing up and down on the spot. I laughed and pulled her in for a hug, Polly came round and joined us. The three of us must have been a right sight, bouncing up and down and squeezing each other. "Right," Polly started, breaking away from us. "Get on that bloody train and get out of here." she told them, pushing Ada towards the carriages. "Come on, both of you." I told Freddie, grabbing his arm and attempting to pull him towards Ada and Polly but he wouldn't move. "Freddie, come on. Freddie, Cardiff's okay. Anywhere but here's okay." Ada pleaded. "We're not going anywhere, Ada." Freddie told her, shaking my hand from his arm. He looked between me and Polly before approaching Ada. "We are going to stay here, we are going to marry here." he told her, taking her hand and pulling her away from Pol. He then turned to Polly. "I'm not afraid of Tommy Shelby." he told her, before leading Ada back down the train platform. Polly and I could do nothing but watch them walk away, arm in arm. "I think it's your turn to break the news to Tommy." Polly told me, still watching the pair.
A/N What did you think of this chapter?! I wanted to get some more Evie/Tommy in! Let me know what you thought :)