EYES LIKE RAZORS

(19) Judes Diary

"Hey, um, do you know where I can find a Madison Shelby?" Jacob asks Scudboat as he entered the betting den.

"Who's asking?" Scudboat replies. "My name is Jacob, I need to talk to her about something." He answers.

"Business?" Scudboat questions and Jacob shakes his head. "Can't tell you where she is, you wanna know, go ask one of her brothers." Scudboat says, "if I were you, I'd just turn around and go home. Especially if you want to sniff round their sister."

"I'm not sniffing round her, this is important. Look, I've been looking for her since the war ended." Jacob says, "and why've you been doing that?" Scudboat asks, "I need to talk to her, it's about Jude." Jacob insists.

"Who the fuck is Jude?" Scudboat questions. "Where can I find her?" Jacob replies.

"I thought we told you to stay the fuck away." Ashton inputs, coming to stand next to Scudboat.

"What are you doing here?" Jacob asks. "I work here, what the fuck are you doing here?" Ashton replies. "I'm looking for Madison Shelby." Jacob states.

"Are you fucking stupid? Did we or did we not tell you to stay the hell away from her?" Ashton says. "That was Madison?" Jacob questions.

"Why do you need Madison? Because if you're here to continue your conversation from a couple nights ago, you can fuck right off." Ashton replies.

"It's about Jude." Jacob states, and Ashton narrows his eyes at the man, before grabbing his jacket and slamming him against the wall. "How the fuck do you know about Jude?" Ashton asks.

"He-he's my brother." Jacob stutters. "Jude is my brother."

"Then what do you fucking want with your brothers ex girlfriend?" Ashton whispers. "To talk. They sent his diary back home, it has something that belongs to her." Jacob answers.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Madison questions, "who's this? What's he done?"

"I'm Jacob, we met the other night." He says, offering his hand to her. "Ash, why've you got him pinned against the wall? Let him down, he's only small." Madison says.

"He wants to talk to you." Ashton tells her, releasing his hold on Jacob who thanked Madison.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" Madison asks, "it's about Jude, his diary got sent back." Jacob explains.

"Who the fuck are you?" Madison questions. "I'm his brother. I brought my birth certificate just incase." He says, holding out a folded piece of paper which Madison unfolded.

Jacob Benjamin Montgomery

23rd November 1896

"We can use Arthur's office." Madison says, handing it back to him.

"Might not be the best idea." Ashton tells her, "why?" She questions. "Your brothers have already kind of, threatened to take his eyes if he came near you." Ashton whispers.

"And why would they do that?" Madison asks. "You were very, very drunk, he brought you back to the snug, and you mentioned you thought you were going back to his to fuck. They weren't too happy." Ashton informs quietly.

"They're just gonna have to get over it. Ash, this is important to me, alright? I- there was nothing left of him in Belgium, if there's something here of his that I can have, I don't want to lose it, like it lost him." Madison replies.

"I get that, I get that. But your brothers don't know about Jude." Ashton says. "And you're not going to tell them, I'll tell them when I'm ready." Madison states, turning away from him and back to Jacob.

"Come with me." Madison says, leading him through the betting shop to Arthur's office.

"Arthur, I need to use your office." Madison says, stepping into her eldest brothers workroom. "Why?" Arthur asks. "Need some privacy." Madison replies.

"Alright." Arthur nods, getting out of his chair, passing his sister, who had kept Jacob hidden to the side whilst speaking to Arthur.

"Come in." Madison says, holding the door open for Jacob, closing it once he'd stepped inside.

"So what is it?" Madison asks. "This, does it belong to you?" Jacob questions, pulling a ring out of his pocket, "it has your name and his engraved inside."

"What? I've- I haven't seen that before in my life." Madison says. "You are Madison Shelby, right?" Jacob asks. "Yeah, yeah I am." Madi nods. "In his diary, it says this is for you. So here." Jacob says, handing it to her. Watching as the young woman, closes her fingers round it, before lifting it up so she could see the inscription.

"I believe it was his intention to ask for your hand in marriage." Jacob tells her.

"Is that everything?" Madison asks, looking at him. "I thought I'd leave this with you aswell. I'm sure he'd want you to have it." Jacob says, leaving the diary on Arthur's desk.

"Do you mind-"

"No, of course not. I'll let you have some time alone. I know it must be overwhelming. If you ever want to talk, I'm staying at the Small Heath Inn." Jacob says. "Yeah, thanks." Madison replies absentmindedly, still observing the ring.

"How do I evade your brothers? I'm quite keen of my eyesight." Jacob asks. "Right, sorry. I'll walk you out." Madison says, putting the ring in her pocket, and heading out the door with Jacob.

"Look, whilst you're in Small Heath, I'd anyone gives you any trouble, just mention my name." Madison tells him, opening the front door for him. "Will do." Jacob nods, obviously understanding that her family was quite a big deal in this town.

After he'd left, Madison decided she too needed some fresh air and decided to head down towards her Uncles yard.

-

"Oi Tommy, did you leave this in here?" Arthur shouts, holding up a book of sorts. "Haven't been in your office Arthur." Tommy replies, taking the book from his brothers outstretched again hand.

"Madison was in there, might be hers." Arthur says as Tommy opens it up.

2nd July 1916
Belgium

Dear Diary,

A new nurse has just joined our squadron, she's arrived with two boys who look our age. I'm not sure of their names yet, but it's been a while since I've met anyone else my age. My station is filled with men old enough to be my father.

The nurse seems kind, she dotes on her friends. I wish someone cared for me the way she cared for them. It must be nice in times like these.

The men have already started flirting with her, she just makes jokes out of them and sends them away. She's very charming, none of them seem too disheartened by her rejection, all walking away with smiles on their faces.

I haven't seen people smile for almost a year. It's nice.

I'll update you tomorrow, if I get the time.

All the best,

J.H. Montgomery

"This isn't Madisons." Tommy says, reading the first page. "Does it have a name?" John asks.

Flipping to the back of the diary, Tommy looks at the name, "someone called Jude Montgomery."

"Never heard of him, so why's his book in my office?" Arthur questions.

"That is a good question." Tommy sighs.