Maddie woke bleary eyed and fuzzy headed the next morning, squinting as the morning sun radiated into the room to signal her to get the hell up. Why the hell didn't she shut the fucking curtains? She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and turned to look at the clock on the side table. Nearly half past seven. Maddie whined quietly to herself as she rolled over under the warm covers of the four-poster bed that she'd spent the night in. She felt the faint remnants of a hangover headache tapping at the back of her skull and she was grateful for the ability of her body to shake off hangovers like raindrops from an umbrella. In another hour the headache would be completely non-existent.
As Maddie became more aware and conscious, the last tendrils of sleep gave way to the memories of the previous night which came rushing back and she sat bolt upright and moaned in despair. The reality of her situation came flooding back to her, as did the embarrassment of getting almost paralytically drunk in front of the Shelby's the previous night.
'Fuck Maddie, you absolute twat,' she muttered to herself, putting her head in her hands and shaking her head.
She took her time recounting the events of the night and reassured herself that it wasn't all bad. She had thoroughly enjoyed herself she realised, relishing the attention that the Shelby family had given her as she showed off her weird and wonderful talents. Maddie had gotten along well with everyone, even Lizzie, and they seemed to accept her a lot quicker than she initially expected. She remembered that she had talked an awful lot about her world and debated whether that was a particularly wise decision. Nevertheless, what was done was done and she had no choice now but to trust the Shelbys and hope that they trusted her. But she then she remembered the ridiculous amount of beer she had drunk and grimaced at the memory. How many had Tommy said she'd had? Sixteen?
Oh fucking hell! Tommy must think I'm a right drunken fool! Maddie cursed herself for letting herself get too comfortable that night. She remembered how Tommy had to help her get to her bedroom and cringed at the thought that she, the slayer, the chosen one, had needed a man to help her get to bed without having to crawl up the stairs. Despite this thought however she felt her heart skip a little of the admittedly blurry memory of Tommy holding her gently as he had stopped her from falling. They had exchanged a moment right outside her door and she could scarcely believe that she had had the balls to hold his hand, all be it briefly.
She also couldn't believe that she had been blatantly flirting with him at every available opportunity, she hadn't even tried to be subtle about it either. It didn't help that he had spent the entire evening staring at her, she had noticed his gaze on her several times, and it had made her skin feel hot with prickly heat the whole night. Not only that but he had looked remarkably stunning and sexy. He had discarded his suit jacket and the sleeves of his shirt had been rolled up to his elbows. Even when he had a cigarette hanging from his mouth it had only succeeded in making him look more irresistible. Maddie visualised Tommy's face again, his chiselled cheekbones and jaw and the encapsulating blue of his eyes. She felt a familiar throb between her thighs and sighed, rapidly pushing the feeling away.
She couldn't afford to let herself develop feelings for Tommy. No matter how fun it was to flirt with him and wind him up. His history, or rather his future, Maddie knew didn't involve her and her being in this and place and this time was only messing that up. But was there really any harm in some innocent flirting? No, no, no, Maddie thought. She needed to start acting on her plan to get to London and out of this time before she really did do some serious damage. Then she realised that they hadn't discussed her part of the deal at all last night, with everyone getting a bit carried away having too much fun. Which was surprising knowing how famously pragmatic Tommy was when it came to business.
'I guess it's time I got up and got on with it,' said Maddie to herself, getting motivated to tackle a new day.
As Maddie got out of bed, she noticed that she'd slept in her underwear rather than the nightdress which she then spotted on a stool at the foot of the bed. God she must have been much drunker than she realised. She winced when she spotted herself in the mirror that was sat on the dresser; her hair was knotted and was sticking up in various directions. For once Maddie mentally thanked Frances who had left an assortment of items on her dresser including a hairbrush and some ribbon. It was times like these that she missed the simplest things from her time, including her favourite scrunchie.
Maddie made herself look somewhat presentable although she felt a little conscious of putting the previous night's clothes back on, she didn't want the Shelbys thinking less of her, assuming of course that the drunken episode hadn't already achieved that. However, without any alternatives she had no choice but to pull the dress back on and hope that she didn't look too scruffy, or in fact smell too bad. She gave herself a sniff and concluded that she would need a shower sooner rather than later. Do they even have showers yet? After this thought occurred to her she facepalmed as she remembered there was a bathroom attached to her room.
She investigated her bathroom to discover that there wasn't a shower, just one of those old metal bathtubs sat in front of a fireplace. Maddie didn't know how people had managed without showers; they were her favourite part about coming home after a long night of slaying. She settled for washing her face in the sink and thanked the gods that there was at least a toothbrush and toothpaste, even if the taste of it did make her wretch.
Finally admitting that her rudimental morning wash would have to do, Maddie made her way out into the upstairs corridor barefoot. She hadn't been able to find her stockings or shoes and recalled that she had discarded them at some point during last night's party. The corridor was abandoned and eerily bereft of any noise. She wondered if she was the only one who was up but thought it highly unlikely. She wandered down to the staircase and took a moment to admire the foyer from the balcony. How did Tommy ever get used to living in a place like this?
'Good morning miss.'
Maddie nearly jumped half a foot in the air before she raised her hands in front of her in a defensive posture instinctively. She was met with the disapproving face of Frances who regarded her like she were a rat who'd ran over her shoes. Not many people could sneak up on Maddie without her knowing; maids really did move like shadows in the night.
'Oh shit... sorry! You startled me,' Maddie apologised, regaining a more relaxed posture.
Frances quirked an eyebrow at Maddie before flitting her gaze down to her bare feet, a silent judgemental question in the old woman's eyes.
'Er… I must have taken my stockings and shoes off last night and misplaced them.' Maddie attempted to smile humorously at Frances, who ignored her and continued to glare at her suspiciously. 'Jeez, right barrel of laughs you are,' she huffed. 'Do you treat all the guests in this house like this?' She was thoroughly fed up of Frances looking at her like dirt under her shoe. If she could have gotten away with it, she would have landed a sharp punch to Frances' nose just for her own satisfaction.
'Mr Shelby and most of his family have already left for the day,' said Frances, ignoring Maddie's snide question.
Maddie felt her heart sink a little, despite what she had told herself that morning, she had been looking forward to seeing Tommy and the rest of the Shelbys again.
'However, Ms Thorne is currently taking breakfast in the kitchen and asked me to tell you to join her once you decided to arise,' Frances continued, yet another sarcastic remark curling from her thin lips.
Ms Thorne? It took Maddie a couple of seconds to realise that Frances was referring to Ada, remembering that Ada preferred her married name.
'If you'd follow me please,' ordered Frances, not waiting for a response from Maddie.
Maddie followed Frances to the kitchen where she was greeted by Ada, who was sat eating a slice of toast as she perused a newspaper, a piping hot mug of tea steaming in front of her.
'Good morning Maddie,' she smiled as Maddie entered and sat herself down opposite her.
'Morning,' replied Maddie cheerily. Maddie could feel her stomach growling and bubbling as she detected the delicious smell of freshly cooked bacon, sausages and eggs.
'I had the cooks prepare a bit of everything for you. I wasn't sure what you'd want.' Maddie praised Ada's forward thinking.
'I'll have two of everything please,' said Maddie to the maid who had just that moment entered to serve Maddie her own pot of tea.
Ada chuckled heartily. Maddie loved the sound; it had a childlike quality to it and gave her a comfortable sense of relatability with Ada which none of the other Shelbys possessed.
'Nice to see that you're looking unaffected by last night's indulgences,' said Ada, giving Maddie a knowing smile. 'When it comes to drinking, my brothers can often get rather carried away.'
'Don't worry about me Ada,' laughed Maddie. 'Believe it or not I've drunk at lot more than that and come out the other side alright.' Ada nodded, eyebrows raised in calm surprise at this news as Maddie took her first sip of tea, sighing blissfully as the hot liquid passed her lips.
Maddie was glad that it was Ada who had greeted her that morning. She had found Ada to be easy to talk to the previous night. She had a warm and inviting presence about her that had made Maddie feel like that if she had known Ada in her time, she was certain that they would have been best friends, maybe even like sisters.
'You really are an incredible woman Maddie,' said Ada. 'Even if you are just a little peculiar.'
They laughed together for a minute, both acknowledging the ridiculousness of Maddie's predicament. She was reminded in that moment of her current priorities for rectifying that problem. She needed to know what the Shelbys wanted in exchange for their help so she could get the ball rolling in terms of getting herself home. But she doubted that Tommy would leave an important discussion like that solely to Ada.
'So er… where's Tommy? I would have thought he'd be eager to discuss the terms of our arrangement, or whatever you want to call it,' probed Maddie cautiously, hoping that Ada would share anything she may know. She also hoped that Ada hadn't heard the hint of hopefulness in her voice. From Ada's smirk Maddie knew she'd failed in keeping her treacherous emotions from working their way into her voice.
'Tommy left before the crack of dawn this morning,' sighed Ada, rolling her eyes. 'He's asked me to spend the morning with you. I'm to take you into town and help you buy a new wardrobe. You need something else to wear other than my spare things.'
'I didn't realise these were yours,' said Maddie, looking down at her dress. 'Thank you'. Maddie was thankful that the clothes hadn't been Grace's after all, that would have been weird and creepy. She was excited at the thought of a shopping trip in 1924, but where did that leave her in terms of her plan?
'Did Tommy happen to say when he would be planning on getting to the topic of my getting home?'
'Unfortunately, not. My brother in his infinite wisdom often thinks it prudent to not inform me about certain matters of business. Although I am sure the main reason for not addressing your problem this morning is to keep you around longer.' Ada looked Maddie in the eye, throwing her a look of concern. 'You do remember what I said to you last night don't you?'
Maddie nodded. How could she forget? She replayed the scene in her mind's eye, recalling the conversation she'd had with Ada and Polly the night before.
'You're making quite an impression on us Maddie,' Ada had said, smiling sweetly as she hooked her arm through Maddie's. 'Tommy especially it seems. He's done nothing but stare at you all night. He's still bloody doing it now.'
Maddie blushed tomato red and tried to hide her face from Ada, though she was sure Ada had certainly noticed. Maddie quickly shook her head in protest.
'He probably just doesn't trust me,' she lied poorly. Ada scoffed loudly, letting her know she didn't believe a word of it. She faced Ada again and was met by a more concerned expression.
'My brother has a way of using people Maddie. And if there is something…or someone, that he wants he usually gets it,' Ada sighed. 'If I were you, I'd take the first opportunity to get away from us and from Tommy before you get too involved with our life,' she warned.
Maddie knew Ada was right but her stubbornness about not letting the Shelbys intimidate her wouldn't let her heed Ada's warning. Plus, she would be stupid to refuse the help from people with as much power and influence as they had.
'I'm not afraid of Tommy. Once I've fulfilled my end of whatever bargain he has planned there's nothing he can do to stop me getting home,' Maddie countered with steady confidence.
'I wouldn't be so sure of that,' came Polly's voice as she joined the conversation. 'But I know that you're going to give Tommy a run for his money whilst you're here. And that I look forward to.' The three of them smiled and laughed together, the thought of taking Tommy down a peg or two fuelling their little reverie. It also gave Maddie some security knowing that these two influential members of the family were there to support her.
A full plate of breakfast was placed in front of Maddie, snapping her out of her memory. She immediately began to tuck in as she thought about Ada's warning. Maddie wasn't fully convinced that Tommy's interest in her was for anything other than business. But she also couldn't deny the sexual tension that had vibrated between them whenever they were close. She needed to pull herself together and gain a little self-restraint. The man was dangerous, but not in the way Maddie was familiar in dealing with. He wasn't a super strong seven-foot demon, neither did he possess any power with the dark magics. He was formidable in a whole different and human way and she wasn't sure she was equipped to defend herself against it.
When Maddie cleared her plate, she felt the discomfort of hunger disappear in her belly replaced by a rush of energy spreading through her muscles. This was the longest she'd gone without doing anything physical, whether it was training or actually fighting evil and she could feel the tension coiling like a tightly wound spring in her body; begging to be released. Ada watched her curiously as Maddie stretched out her arms above her head in a rudimental attempt to stretch the tension out.
'So, when are we leaving for our little shopping trip?' asked Maddie excitedly. She must have sounded like a child who had just been told they were going to the toy shop.
'I can have Frances call the car round now if you like,' Ada chuckled as they stood up from the table. Ada looked down and noticed Maddie's bare feet. 'Although I think it would be best if you put some shoes on first.'
Ada had Frances fetch Maddie her shoes and stockings at the same time she asked for the car to be made ready. Ada graciously showed Maddie a helpful trick to hold her stockings up so they wouldn't be uncomfortable, obviously remembering how Maddie had struggled with them the previous day. Soon they were in the car and setting off down the drive. Maddie was chuffed that they had a driver, she felt like royalty sat in the back of the car with Ada. This car was just as exquisite as Tommy's had been and she was curious as to how much money the Shelby Company had spent on cars alone. The snow from last night had already mostly melted, leaving remnants of sad muddy slush on the ground that sloshed around the car's tyres as they sped down the driveway.
During the journey Maddie and Ada engaged in energetic conversation. Ada was particularly curious about what the future held for socialism. Maddie felt a bit out of her league when it came to talking about politics, especially political history, it rarely entered her usual life as she spent most of her time in a world that wasn't effected by the laws and goings on of the human race. But she did her best to give Ada the information she had asked for, tactfully leaving out the bits she thought would be better left unknown. Ada became even more interested in the conversation when Maddie said that the country would eventually have a female prime minister, two in fact, even if they weren't going to be as widely popular as one would have hoped.
'Your world sounds fascinating. I would very much like to see it for myself,' stated Ada wistfully.
'It may sound better than what you have now, but don't get me wrong, there are a shit tonne of things that are still wrong after a hundred years,' said Maddie. 'Women are still held back by men, despite men proving themselves to be complete idiots most of the time.'
'Why doesn't that surprise me?' exhaled Ada, looking at Maddie in mock despair. The two of them sat in fit of giggles again as they shook their heads at how insufferable men could be.
Their conversation carried on like this as they were driven into Birmingham. The driver eventually pulled up on a street that was lined with expensive looking shops selling a variety of garments that Maddie could see displayed elegantly in the windows. Ada instructed the driver to wait for them in the car as they got out.
Maddie decided she was in fact glad she'd been thrown back in time as she and Ada perused the many garments in the first shop. It was like playing an adult game of dress up. Ada picked out a rather large selection of outfits for Maddie to try on and with each one she modelled Ada added it to the 'yes' pile, quickly creating a large collection of stuff to purchase. The woman who owned the shop didn't complain that they were using the only dressing room for well over an hour. Maddie realised that the woman must have known who Ada was and she therefore must have thought it best that she say nothing if she wanted to keep her eyes.
'I wasn't expecting for you to buy so much you know,' said Maddie. 'Can you afford all this?'
To this Ada laughed the hardest Maddie had heard her laugh since meeting her, 'Oh don't worry about that Mads. Tommy insists on accumulating more money than we know what to do with.'
Maddie grinned widely at the use of her new nickname the Shelbys seemed to have come up with. She liked how it made her feel welcome in their family despite only knowing them for a day.
When they finally decided on the outfits for Maddie, Ada paid for them with a large bill of paper which must have been a note. Maddie caught what was written on it: One hundred pounds. Shitting hell, she thought. She knew that a hundred quid in this time was worth considerably more than it did back home. Just how much was Ada planning on spending? The owner looked particularly pleased with the business she had made and thanked Ada profusely.
After they left the shop, they deposited the several bags they had acquired into the car before moving onto the shoe shop. Again, Ada had Maddie try on virtually the whole shop before buying most of it. Maddie insisted on a pair of more practical and flatter boots that looked ideal for the outdoors to be added to the pile as well. All the other shoes Ada had chosen had a heel and didn't look overly appropriate for slay-age.
Maddie also realised that all the clothes they had just bought consisted of long skirts and dresses, no trousers. Also, not ideal. Ada said they would nip into another shop that sold attire usually for horse riding that would be more than suitable for her fighting needs. Happy with how well the shopping spree was going, they laughed and chatted together like they were lifelong friends as they continued into various other shops that sold hats, jewellery, underwear, hosiery and a number of other accessories to complete Maddie's new wardrobe. In the jewellers she spotted a silver necklace with an ornate crucifix and pointed it out to Ada, explaining that it would be another useful item to add to her slayer repertoire. Maddie put it on as soon as they left the shop, feeling a bit more steadfast with the cold metal resting against the skin of her chest.
By the time they had eventually finished and got back in the car they had accumulated the amount of stuff it would take a normal person several years to collect. There was so much of it that some of it had to sit on the back seat between Ada and Maddie as the boot was so full. The wardrobe Ada had created for Maddie had clothes suitable for all seasons it seemed, and Maddie wondered just how long Ada suspected Maddie would be stuck in 1924.
'Are you expecting me to be here until summer or something?' Maddie asked chuckling in shock at the amount of money they must have spent.
'I thought it would be best we covered all the bases. I wouldn't put it past Tommy to try and keep you here for as long as possible,' Ada replied, a hint of an apology on her lips.
Maddie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She couldn't afford to be stuck here too long, even if she was having a great time so far. But she had a feeling Ada was right and Maddie accepted that she was probably going to be stuck here for longer than what she wanted to be. If that was the case, she thought, then she was going to make sure she enjoyed herself and learnt as much as possible during her time here.
The drive back to Arrow House was spent in comfortable silence, the two of them exhausted from their trip, both happy to watch the world go by out the window. They drove through a small village as they neared Arrow House, Maddie estimated it must have been about a twenty-minute walk from the mansion. They passed a church on the outskirts of the village which had a copiously sized graveyard that looked almost too large for the size of the village.
Yes! Maddie thought. She had been afraid that there would be few opportunities out here in the middle of nowhere to put her slaying to good use. Hopefully there would be at least one vamp she could beat up to expel some of the energy that was building up inside her. Ideas of sneaking out in the middle of the night were quickly being formed in Maddie's brain. She was confident she would be able sneak out that night and return without anyone noticing.
Upon return to Arrow House, Frances and several of the staff emptied the car and took all the spoils up to Maddie's room. Ada walked round the car to her as she watched them all efficiently lug her new clothes into the house.
'I'm afraid I have to get straight off. I'm needed back at the office before I head back to London.'
Maddie whipped round to face Ada, 'Couldn't you just take me with you? If I need to get to London surely it would make sense that I come with you?'
Ada shook her head, 'Sorry, I thought the same thing but… Tommy's orders I'm afraid. I think he likely suspected you would try to get to London without honouring your arrangement.'
Maddie bristled, her heckles rising at Ada's statement. Despite the numerous complaints Ada had shared about her brother he was still able to manipulate her without even being there and Maddie felt she resented him for it. Surprisingly though, it was the only negative feeling she had had towards Tommy since she met him.
Ada gave Maddie's arm a friendly squeeze. 'Feel free to do what you want for the rest of the day. You can go wherever you want around the house and the grounds. I'm sure you can keep yourself occupied until Tommy gets home,' said Ada, loudly enough so that Frances who was stood by the front door could hear. And with that she climbed back into the now empty car and was driven away back down the driveway.
Well now what? As if on cue Maddie felt her stomach rumble again, it must have been almost mid-afternoon by now and she hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast.
'Any chance of some lunch?' Maddie asked Frances as she walked over to her.
Back in the kitchen, Frances prepared a sandwich of ham and cheese which Maddie wolfed down in seconds. Frances turned her nose up at her as she ate, which irritated her enough to inspire her to annoy the old battle-axe even more.
'Thanks for that, Frances. I think I'll go get changed and explore a bit. And I think I'd like a nice hot bath to be ready for me in a couple of hours,' Maddie ordered, channelling a Tommy - like air of authority.
Frances looked as though Maddie had just slapped her in the face and it took a considerable amount of willpower for Maddie to keep a straight face. Evidently deciding that denying Maddie's request would incur Tommy's wrath, Frances nodded stiffly and marched out the kitchen quickly, her skirt billowing behind her. This left Maddie alone to snicker satisfactorily to herself before she left the kitchen herself.
Maddie returned to her room and rifled through all her purchases until she found one of the pairs of jodhpurs she'd bought in the equestrian shop and paired it with a thick winter shirt, the practical boots and mid-length overcoat. She admired herself in the mirror and how much she looked like a 1920's lady, even in the trousers.
She practically bounded down the stairs as she headed toward the door. She had been itching to get outside to stretch her legs and explore the grounds of the huge house, a childlike sense of adventure overtaking her.
As she walked across the foyer Maddie heard a child giggling and turned to look down the corridor to her left to see a small toddler being cooed and played with by one of the maids in room at the end. The little boy bared an uncanny resemblance to Tommy; Maddie suspected that this child must have been Charlie, Tommy and Grace's son. Maddie wondered how the hell she had forgotten about Tommy's son and felt a sense of mourning for them both for losing the most important woman in their lives.
Maddie watched the maid pick up Charlie and walk down the corridor towards where she was stood watching. But before she could slink away unnoticed the maid spotted her and called out to her.
'Good afternoon miss! I apologise, I didn't see you there. Are you needing something?'
'Oh no I'm fine, I was just about to head outside,' Maddie smiled nervously, glancing to Charlie who was perched on the maid's hip. Charlie looked at Maddie, trying to decipher who this odd stranger was before smiling and reaching out a chubby hand towards her.
Maddie had very little experience with children and wasn't sure if she particularly liked them, they had little place in her dark and violent world. She recoiled slightly, grimacing as Charlie tried to reach out to Maddie more, chuckling sweetly.
'Looks like little Charlie likes you miss!' The maid laughed in surprise. Maddie returned the laugh nervously before holding out her hand to Charlie. He grasped one of her fingers with his pudgy hand and she was surprised how strong his grip was.
'Hello there Charlie,' Maddie cooed awkwardly, thinking how ridiculous it was that the slayer could face the stuff of nightmares and the occasional apocalypse on a regular basis without feeling as out of her depth as she did now.
'Would you like to hold him miss?' asked the maid, chuckling. Maddie quickly stepped back, holding her hands up in protest and the maid gave her a confused look.
'No, no that's ok.'
Maddie caught Charlie's little face beginning to scrunch in a frown, his bottom lip jutting out, as she turned away hurriedly from them and towards the front door. She hoped that Charlie wouldn't start crying, she imagined that making his son cry wouldn't go down well with Tommy. Man, that was weird, she thought, praying she wouldn't have to interact with Tommy's infant son too often during her stay. She ventured outside into the brisk chilly air. All the snow had melted and had left the lawn like a swamp under her feet. She admired the superb craftmanship of her boots as they didn't let even a drop of moisture in as her feet were submerged in mud.
Maddie did a few laps of the grounds, exploring all the nooks and cranny's she came across. She decided to leave the exploration of the woods that lined the property for another day. She didn't want to exhaust all her sources of entertainment in one go. She let the walk clear her mind and used it to regain her focus. She had been swept up in this time travelling adventure completely and she needed to regain some mental control before the current of it pulled her under completely. One worrying revelation occurred to Maddie; she had no weapons. Her extensive armoury from home was obviously inaccessible and she was left with nothing but her own two fists. She decided then that her first step in regaining some of her slayer control was to make herself a stake. She recalled the stables she had passed during her walk and assumed there would be some tools there that she could use to fashion a stake.
As Maddie entered the large stables, she was not at all surprised to be greeted by several magnificent horses. She knew absolutely nothing about horses but even she could tell that these were particularly fine specimens.
'Can I help you miss?' came a voice from the corner of the stable. A lanky boy who Maddie estimated to be about fifteen walked out from behind the door of one of the pens.
'Oh hi. I was looking for some supplies and thought there might be some in here,' Maddie replied with a friendly tone. 'I'm a guest of Tommy's by the way,' she quickly added, realising that the boy might not know who she was.
'Oh, I know that miss,' replied the boy. Of course he did, thought Maddie. She imagined then that the news about Tommy's peculiar guest had travelled round all the house's staff within minutes of her arrival. 'What exactly are you looking for?'
'Well all I really need is a smallish log of wood and good sharp knife,' she answered with a smile.
The boy looked at her for a moment confused before eventually saying, 'Well, there's a sharp knife on that table there and the shed next door is where we keep the firewood. May I ask what they're for?'
'I like to whittle wood as a hobby.'
Maddie thought it wise not to share with everyone that she was the slayer. The Shelbys may believe her, but she didn't want to try her luck with everyone she met, so telling a semi-lie seemed like a better idea. She went and found the perfect sized piece of wood in the shed the boy had directed her too and soon returned to the stable to retrieve the knife. She spotted a rather comfy looking bale of hay against the wall and asked the boy if she could sit there whilst she worked.
'Of course, miss,' he smiled.
'Please call me Maddie!' she said cheerfully. 'What's your name?'
'Eric miss. I'm one of Mr Shelby's stable hands.' Eric felt like an odd name for such a young boy, Maddie thought, but she realised that in her time Eric would be very old or more likely dead.
'It must be nice working with horses all day! You barely see them where I come from,' she babbled as she began to expertly run the knife down the wood.
'It's a good job and I enjoy it, especially when Mr Shelby keeps such fine steeds.' Eric mused as he brushed the mane of the largest horse that had a mesmerising dark brown coat that shimmered when the light caught it.
Maddie sat there in the stable for what felt like hours, Eric long since wandering out of the stable saying he was done for the day, waving his goodbye to her as he left. When she finally finished her brand-new stake, she rolled it from one hand to the other, feeling the weight and the texture of the wood. Satisfied that the stake was good enough she spun it around in her hand, admiring her craftsmanship and tucked the stake into the inside pocket of her coat as she stood up to leave.
Maddie then realised she needed to return to the house soon. Frances was probably getting her that bath ready by now and the temperature outside had dropped markedly as the sky had grown darker. She decided to take a moment to stroke one of the horses before she left. It had a grey coat that looked silver in the dim light of the lanterns that were lit in the stable and she decided that it was her favourite. She admired and cooed the horse as she stroked its soft hair and mane. After a couple of minutes, sheheard the loud tap of expensive shoes on the brick courtyard outside and knew immediately who they belonged to. She couldn't help but smile in anticipation to see his face again, she also smiled at the fact her acute sense of hearing had returned after letting multiple people sneak up on her over the last twenty-four hours. Maddie kept her attention on the horse as Tommy strode into the stables.
'Frances said I'd find you here,' said Tommy in his low, gravelly voice. It was the sexiest voice she'd ever heard, just the sound of it made Maddie's heart thud against her ribs in betrayal. 'I think she's been keeping an eye on you through the windows.'
'Why do I get the distinct feeling that woman doesn't like me?' chuckled Maddie. She turned to face Tommy as he came to stand beside her. Her breath hitched in her chest as she saw him. He stood with his hands in his pockets, the early evening shadows danced off his face, exaggerating his prominent cheekbones and jaw. Maddie wanted to reach up and run her fingers along the bold lines but thought that would be an unwelcome invasion of his personal space.
'Has she been causing you trouble?' Tommy enquired with a touch of concern.
'Oh... nothing that's bothered me too much,' Maddie waved her hand to him dismissively. She wasn't too keen on Tommy's head housekeeper but that didn't mean she wanted him to punish her for being rude. Tommy nodded slowly, seemingly satisfied with Maddie's reply.
'Your new clothes suit you,' he complimented, a hint of a smile pulling one corner of his lips. Maddie admitted she adored this smile, it never failed to draw her own lips up into matching his. 'Nice to see that your shopping trip with Ada went well.'
'Thanks, I had a great time!' Maddie enthused continuing to stoke the horse. 'I know it must have cost a lot to buy all that.'
Tommy shrugged off her statement, not saying anything further on the subject. She felt him watching her as she patted the horse and ran her hand along the hard muscles of the creature's neck.
'Do you know how to ride?' asked Tommy after watching her rub the horse's nose affectionately.
'Ha! No. Not many people ride horses in my time. It's more expensive to have a horse than to have a car,' Maddie said with a laugh as the thought of her riding a horse crossed her mind. She had always wanted to learn to ride but living in a big city and focussing on her slaying meant she'd never had the opportunity.
'I could teach you if you'd like?'
Maddie could have sworn she'd been hearing things if Tommy hadn't looked at her expectantly for an answer.
'Are you sure? I would have thought a busy man like you wouldn't have time for stuff like that,' she inquired, feeling her cheeks blush. A silence fell between them and Maddie couldn't help but feel the same tension that she'd felt between them before. Tommy looked into her eyes with his blue piercing gaze from under the peak of his cap. She became acutely aware of her breathing which had become deeper and more panty as she looked back at him.
'I'm sure,' he finally said, breaking the silence briefly before it surrounded them again, neither one of them able to break eye contact with the other. Then he stepped forward, close enough to her so that only an inch of air separated them. Maddie found she was rooted to the spot as if in a trance, unable to move her body or her eyes away.
Tommy started to slowly bring his face towards Maddie's, and she caught a whiff of his cologne mixed with the musky scent of cigarette smoke. God it was intoxicating. Her eyes flitted to his lips, licking her own reflexively as she waited for them to connect with hers as he hovered, hesitating slightly with his face inches from hers. She felt his cool hand touch her cheek and she inhaled sharply at the unexpected contact. She felt the rough skin of his thumb run along her bottom lip, tracing the route her tongue had just made. Maddie's breath hitched in her throat as he eventually moved to eliminate the little space left between them and she closed her eyes in anticipation for his lips to connect with hers.
Then, as if with perfect timing, the horse snorted loudly next to them and Maddie's eyes shot open as she stepped back from Tommy and his touch, the spell between them shattering. She felt her body light up with electricity, reverberating as the tension broke, leaving her with the uncomfortable feeling of blood roaring violently through her veins. Tommy's hand lingered in mid-air where it had been as Maddie looked down, avoiding his gaze as she attempted to stop herself from panting.
'Er… I think we should probably get back. I asked Frances to prepare a bath for me and it's probably stone cold by now,' Maddie laughed awkwardly unable to bear the pregnant silence.
Tommy cleared his throat gruffly and established his previous posture, putting his hands in his pockets, returning to his usual cold self as if nothing happened. Not like they nearly just kissed, Maddie thought. And not another kiss like the last one. She was sure that they were about to have one of those sickly passionate kisses that would have left her breathless and tingling between her legs.
'Yes, I agree,' Tommy said, indicating for Maddie exit the stable first.
They walked back into the house side by side and Maddie keenly grappled to eliminate the silence by asking Tommy how his day had been. Busy, he said, Not giving her any further detail. They walked the rest of the way in silence until they entered the foyer. Frances appearing as soon as her master had stepped through the door.
'Shall I come and find you later Tommy, to discuss business?' Maddie asked as firmly and as matter of fact as she could as they handed Frances their coats.
Tommy cleared his throat again, 'Yes, come and find me in my office when you're ready.'
They parted ways in the foyer as they had done the previous day, but this time with a definite air of sexual tension Maddie was sure anyone could cut with a sodding knife. She practically ran up the stairs and to her bedroom, not caring that she still had on her dirty boots and were probably leaving a trail of dirt behind her. As soon as she shut herself in her bedroom Maddie leant back against the door and buried her face in her hands as she tried to wrap her head around what had just happened.
'What the fuck are you doing Maddie?' she whispered. Was she falling for him? Falling for Thomas Shelby? She shook her head frantically, trying to shake the thought out of her head. He's a gangster, a killer, you know this, she argued with herself internally. But part of Maddie yearned to know what that kiss would have been like, yearned to continue flirting with Tommy to see what would happen.
She sighed in frustration, shaking out her hands to try and release the tension from her body. Fuck did she need to punch something, she could kill to kick the living hell out of some poor vampire in that moment. Maddie was sure that everything that she was feeling was exacerbated by the sudden lack of regular violence in her life. Surprising considering, she was currently keeping company with murderous gangsters. She looked around her room and noticed that all her new clothes had been neatly put away in the drawers and the wardrobe, the room now spotlessly tidy.
Maddie marched herself into the bathroom and was relieved to see the bath was full of piping hot soapy water, the steam curling off the water's surface invitingly. Thank you, Frances! She stripped naked, discarding her clothes in an untidy heap on the floor and submerged her body in the water and moaned with relief. The heat penetrated her tense muscles and gently eased the knots out of them. She soon calmed herself down as he reclined back in the tub, inhaling the steam through her nose letting it carry her into a tranquil haze. However hard Maddie tried though, Tommy kept tiptoeing back into her mind. That moment in the stable played out again only this time their lips had managed to meet. Their lips pressed together softly at first but quickly became firmer and more heated as she imagined him tasting of a mixture of whiskey and cigarettes. Tommy's hand then wandered to the small of her back and pulled her flush against him as his lips moved away from her lips to her jaw and neck. She felt her pussy begin to throb and quiver as she pictured the scene, only just managing to stop herself from reaching her hand down between her legs to feel herself. It took even more willpower to push the daydream from her mind and bring herself back to reality. She grabbed a glass bottle from the little table by the bath and scrutinised it, trying to determine if it was shampoo. She decided she didn't really care and just needed to do something with her hands that wouldn't lead to her masturbating at the thought of Tommy's hands on her. She poured a handful of the liquid into her hair and began scrubbing furiously. Maddie remained in the bath until her fingertips began to wrinkle and turn white when she begrudgingly lifted herself out of the water and towelled herself off. The bath had considerably improved her nerves, despite her little sex daydream making an impromptu appearance.
Maddie perused her newly purchased wardrobe in her towel, knowing she should choose something modest that wouldn't attract Tommy's gaze and wind him up too much. But she felt like her hands weren't her own as she pulled out a black dress that was sheer around the neck and shoulders. It was also slightly shorter than all the others, sitting just above her knee. Hardly scandalous for her but she was sure it was considered risqué now. Maddie was being spurred on by her carnal needs and desires she knew, more like their slave in actual fact. She dressed in fresh underwear, enjoying the feeling of the expensive silk on her skin. Ada certainly hadn't saved any money on any aspect of her wardrobe. She plaited her wet hair and hung it down and over one shoulder. Maddie then pulled on the black dress and a matching black cardigan, finally finishing with black heels and regarded herself in the mirror. She couldn't help but feel something was missing, then she remembered the makeup Ada had also bought as part of the hoard. Maddie rifled through the small bag on her dresser and found a tube of red lipstick. She applied it generously to her lips, making them look immediately plumper and fuller.
'Why am I doing this?' Maddie muttered to her reflection in bewilderment. It was a silly question because she knew exactly what she was doing. She was going to waltz into Tommy's office looking like a bloody harlot and her confident rebellious side was buzzing to do it.
With that revelation, she made her way downstairs to Tommy's office. She stopped short at the foot of the stairs, realising she didn't know where his office was. She looked around debating whether to try each door individually when she recognised the laughs of John and Arthur coming from a door down the end of a long corridor. Oh, thank god, Maddie breathed. She was glad that Tommy's brothers were there, she wasn't sure she could trust herself to be in a room alone with him for too long.
She approached the door and gave it a sharp knock. After a short pause she heard Tommy's voice ordering her to come in. Maddie pushed the door and found herself in an attractive office. There was floor to ceiling bookshelves along one wall and the middle of the room was furnished with luxurious sofas and low tables on an equally luxurious looking rug. Tommy was sat at his desk which must have been wider than Maddie was tall, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. John and Arthur looked up as Maddie entered and jumped up to greet her.
'Here's our Mads! Finally decides to show her face after keeping us waiting!' John laughed, bounding over to Maddie and lifting her up in a hug. He spun her around in his embrace as she giggled uncontrollably, not expecting such an informal form of greeting.
'It's nice to see you too John!' she said as John put her back down on the floor. 'You too Arthur.'
Arthur nodded, grinning cheekily, 'You scrub up nice in your new rags don't ya? Go on give us a twirl then!' Maddie flushed at Arthurs cheeky smile and indulged them a little twirl, finishing the pirouette with a curtsey.
'Very nice indeed!' Arthur complimented with a wink. 'Don't you agree Tom?'
The three of them turned to Tommy now, who had been mostly ignored during their childish interaction. Maddie met Tommy's gaze and knew her choice of outfit had had the effect she desired. His eyes dragged themselves up from her feet to her head, the rest of his body unmoving as he regarded her. She saw the muscles in his jaw flex in an effort to remain indifferent.
'We are here to discuss business with Maddie,' Tommy leered, voice dripping with venom. 'Not discuss her new fashion choices.' He put his cigarette out in the ashtray and leaned back in his chair, glaring at the three of them in command to sit down. Maddie saw Arthur and John glance and smirk at each other out of the corner of her eye as she locked her gaze with Tommy, neither of them blinking. She pursed her lips together in a smug smirk as she approached the chair in front of Tommy's desk, not breaking eye contact with him once as she sat.
Arthur sat on the sofa to Maddie's left as John leaned against the bookshelf to her right. They waited there a moment before Tommy cleared his throat and began to speak.
'My family and I have discussed what uses you may have for us in Shelby Company Ltd and we have managed to draw up a list of those possible uses to discuss with you,' he began, picking up a sheet of paper which he began to read from. 'Item one: training of our new recruits in hand to hand combat. Item two: support Arthur and John with various takeover of pubs in Birmingham and finally item three: stand in opponent for a boxing match. You help us with these and I'll take you to London on my next visit personally.' Tommy finished his itemised list, lit up another cigarette and looked over at Maddie as her jaw dropped open in pure shock.
Did he say boxing match? Train in hand to hand combat? Take over pubs? Maddie's heart began to pick up speed rapidly, all these things sounded like gang related business to her. But of course, that would be how Tommy would use her, her talents were far more useful as a member of the Peaky Blinders than as an employee of Shelby Company Ltd.
'That all sounds… rather violent,' stuttered Maddie, still reeling from hearing Tommy's list.
'Well your abilities do lend themselves to this kind of work,' Tommy replied with his brow furrowed.
She nodded 'I suppose you're not wrong,' she sighed. She thought about his proposal a minute before asking the only burning make or break question that occurred to her. 'Are you expecting me to kill anyone?'
Tommy shook his head, his expression softening slightly at the sight of Maddie's sudden nervousness and fear.
'Arthur and John will make sure you won't have to kill anyone while on jobs with them. You'll just be there as muscle and for intimidation purposes.'
Maddie scoffed, 'How are you so sure anyone is going to consider me intimidating Tommy?'
'One good punch in the gut from you should be more than enough to intimidate a room full of drunken men,' laughed John giving her a reassuring smile.
She let out a sigh and looked back over at Tommy. Just these three jobs and she could go home, back to her comfy bed, pyjamas and modern-day food. More importantly, away from this dangerous dance she'd entered into with the Peaky Blinders and with Thomas Shelby.
'Alright,' she said confidently, sitting up straight and giving a wry smile. 'I agree to your terms.'
The next hour was spent discussing the fine print of Maddie's contract, for want of a better word. Including the when, where and what of her duties over the next couple of weeks. Two weeks. That was all Maddie needed endure. Two weeks of trying not to get in too deep with the activities of the Peaky Blinders; more importantly two weeks of resisting the temptation of getting too close to Tommy.
When they had reached an agreement, Tommy stood from his chair and walked to the front of his desk to stand in front of Maddie.
'I look forward to our successful partnership, Maddie,' he said as he held out his hand to her and she stood and took it; squeezing it more firmly than was necessary. The handshake lasted half a second longer than normal, Tommy's grip becoming gentle as he held her hand in his. He ran his fingertips along the inside of her wrist and palm as they finally pulled their hands apart, sending a shiver up her spine before she replied.
'Me too.'
Maddie lay on her bed in the dark staring at the ceiling. Another large dinner that evening had juiced up her muscles yet again, and she was trying her best to relax before the time came for her to sneak out to the graveyard in the nearby village. That evening had been considerably more reserved than the previous as she had made a point of avoiding alcohol the whole night. Only John, Arthur and Tommy had been at dinner and Tommy's brothers soon announced their departure home, meaning Tommy and Maddie would be left alone. Luckily it was late enough that she could give him the excuse of wanting to have an early night.
'I have some business to attend to in my office anyway,' Tommy had said as he nodded his agreement to Maddie's suggestion. His lips moved into the familiar kissable non-smile as they stood at the bottom of the stairs after dinner. 'After the… excitement… of your first day here I would think an early night would do you some good.'
Maddie knew his alliteration of the word 'excitement' was in reference to their almost kiss in the stables, and from the fact that he gave her a knowing look with his eyebrow slightly raised.
'Yeah, I think you're right. I doubt my body can take much more excitement,' she replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm. She couldn't help but raise her eyebrow back flirtatiously at him who inhaled deeply in response, his jaw muscles flexing.
'Good night,' said Maddie, giving Tommy a parting cheeky smile as she began to climb the stairs.
'Good night Maddie,' he echoed with a cool evenness. She didn't look back as he she heard him walk away to his office, worried that if she did, she would be tempted to follow him there.
Once in her room, Maddie had gotten changed back into her trousers and shirt form earlier which had been hung back up in her wardrobe by one of the maids and proceeded to pace the room trying to keep herself occupied until she would be fairly confident the house had gone to bed. This proved to be difficult as Maddie found that she missed having her mobile phone for the first time since arriving in 1924, only now feeling the absence of something that was so commonly used to pass the time back home. She toyed with the idea of going to find a book but didn't want to ruin the illusion that she'd fed to Tommy of her being tucked up in bed. Eventually she had thrown herself on the bed in annoyance. She shut her eyes and attempted to do some meditation in preparation for her little night-time escapade and managed to pass some time in this position.
Maddie glanced over at the clock and saw that it was past midnight and decided the time had come. She put her coat on, glad that Frances hadn't found the stake she'd left in the pocket form earlier and opened her bedroom door a crack to peer outside. The corridor was dark and quiet and reassuringly empty, the coast was clear. She snuck out into the corridor and towards the stairs. As she moved through the darkness, she felt the gloom was flipping on switches in her body that heightened her senses an reflexes. Naturally a slayer's natural habitat was the darkness.
She crept efficiently like a predator though the house until she reached the foyer. She looked around her to check she was still alone and felt her heart lurch when she saw a thin line of light coming from under Tommy's office door. Was he still up working? Maddie remained frozen to the spot as she watched for any sign of movement from the other side of the office door. After a couple of minutes of seeing no sign of movement she decided she needed to move before someone found her. She continued her path to the front door and turned the large brass knob. Locked.
'Shit!' she whispered. She looked around her frantically and decided to try a back door. She wandered down the corridor towards the kitchen and scullery area before finally coming across another locked door to the outside. Maddie sighed and wondered if her midnight walk was going to have to be cancelled when she spotted a key hung on hook on the wall next to the door. Huh that was lucky, she thought. She unlocked the door with the key as quietly as she could and shut and locked it again behind her, tucking the key into her pocket.
Maddie breathed in the cold night air and felt herself relax. She rolled her shoulders back and began to run across the grounds of the mansion towards the tree line to warm her muscles up in preparation, she hoped, for a half-decent fight. She started by sprinting to the trees to get her heart rate up and slowed to a jog to run along the tree line to the spot where the driveway entered the trees. Her eyesight had already adjusted to the darkness and she found it easy to traverse the uneven boggy ground. She made good time getting to the graveyard, making it there in less than ten minutes. She started by circling the graveyard, scouting it for exits and for any obvious signs of vamps lurking about. She was in luck because she spotted a newly dug grave from her lookout point behind the gate. She leapt and somersaulted over the top of the fence, landing with the stealth of a cat.
Maddie inspected the new grave and crossed her fingers. Please make there be just one vampire here tonight so I can kick some fucking butt, she though to herself. She decided to sweep the rest of the graveyard again whilst she waited to see if some poor unsuspecting vamp would emerge. This proved to be a rookie mistake as when she returned to the grave, she realised she had indeed been lucky. There was now a hole that went down to the coffin buried underneath the grave and claw marks that marked the soil surrounding the grave where a vamp had dug its way out. Well shit...
Then a low menacing growl emanated from behind her and she couldn't help but smile to herself when she turned. A female vampire was crouched about ten feet away from her with its fangs bared, the black dress it was wearing was torn and caked with dirt.
'Oh, thank god! I thought I was going to have to track you down to fight you!' said Maddie. The vampire bared its teeth more and started towards her. Here we go!
The creature leapt towards Maddie and she grabbed it; bringing her knee up to kick it in the chest. She followed with an uppercut to the vamp's face which sent it staggering backwards. The vamp looked at her in confusion before advancing on her again. Maddie brawled with the vampire for as long as she could draw out the fight, pummelling the vamp within an inch of it's un-life. The vamp began to give as good as it got when it realised it wasn't going to be able to kill her easily.
Maddie laid a series of kicks and punches to the vamp's head; she still hadn't felt ready to pull the stake out yet, deciding she was still enjoying the first proper fight she'd had since travelling back in time. The vamp eventually caught her leg before her boot contacted with its head again and turned and threw her by her leg several feet through the air. She crashed into a rather old looking gravestone which crumbled to bits as he collided with it; she let out a huff of air with the impact. Now this is more like it, Maddie thought. She was unphased and quickly flipped herself back up to standing and continued to pummel the vampire ruthlessly. The vamp succeeded in connecting its fists with her face which stung, but she found that she relished in the rush of adrenaline that the pain was giving her.
After another round of kicks, punches and throws around the graveyard Maddie finally drew her stake from her jacket pocket just as the vampire managed to grab a hold of her neck, digging its claws into her throat and drawing blood. A swift swipe to bat the vamp's hand away caused the vamp to flail backwards and Maddie plunged her new stake into the vamp's chest; the vamp disintegrating into dust.
Maddie tilted her head back and took a long deep breath, closing her eyes and letting the aftermath feeling of the fight wash over her. She admitted that that was more of a hunt rather than a standard fight she got when out on her usual patrols back home. But the excitement of the last two days had wound her up more that she originally realised, and that fight was more than needed.Excitement. She laughed as she remembered the word Tommy had used and pondered what he would think about Maddie's method of releasing her pent-up energy.
'That's better,' she sighed.
She did one last sweep of the graveyard just in case before making her way back to Arrow House. On the walk back Maddie could feel how sweaty she had gotten during her fight and could also feel her muscles and joints begin to ache deliciously.
'Fuck, have I missed this feeling!' she laughed to herself as she weaved her way through the trees back to the house.