𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖘𝖐𝖊𝖞 𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘, 𝐭. 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐲 ¹

✧ 05 ✧

𝐍𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄. Her boots crunched on the cinders beneath her feet as she gently waved her hand before her face to dispel floating ash and cobwebs.

Thomas didn't try to stop Nellie as she pushed open a half burnt door, her hand coming back black from the soot. She came to a stop in the doorway, her hands falling to her sides as she looked into what should have been the office.

But all that that was left was just a few walls. "This is where it started, isn't it?" she asked softly, feeling Thomas's presence behind her.

He sighed. "Nell," he began.

"Don't." She cut him off quickly, raising her hand to stop him from speaking. She felt his chest rise and fall as she pressed the back of her hand against it. "I need this, Tommy." She finally looked at him as she cleared her throat. "Is this where it started?"

He stared at her in silence for a moment, his brilliant blue eyes holding the answers to all of Nellie's questions. If only I could read him, she thought to herself.

He finally answered her question with a curt nod. "Yes. The coppers said the fire originated here."

Nellie looked away and exhaled sharply, feeling as if something sharp had been driven into her gut. She slowly stepped inside, stepping into a ray of sunshine that pooled through a gaping hole in the ceiling.

She looked around, feeling weak in her knees as she looked at the wreckage. She swallowed thickly. Thomas was directly behind her and Nellie felt comforted by his presence. She turned and walked past him, stepping out of the wreckage and into the center of the property.

That was where the main pasture was. The once gorgeous field was boxed in by the stables that branched off the main building. She stared at the overgrown grass in dismay. Her mother would have a fit if she could see the state of the property.

The pastures were completely wild now, small saplings and various bushes overtaking the area. Thomas stepped up next to Nellie, his arm brushing against hers. "The horses, how many perished?"

Thomas lifted his chin. "None." Nellie snapped her head over at him, her brows coming together in abject confusion. He looked down at her, his jaw grinding. "They stole 'em all before the fire started."

Nellie's jaw fell open as she turned out to face the pasture once again. "My horses are alive..." Her eyes narrowed as she curled her hands into fists. That means that attack was staged. It wasn't as spontaneous as she was previously led to believe. "Mother said it was random...that a lot of businesses were targeted whilst the men were away at war."