Falling Through Time - Thomas Shelby

Chapter Twenty-One

"But the main thing is, you bunch of fuckers, despite the provocation from the cavalry, no fighting." Tommy said, dangerously calm.

Isaiah looked away first and Tommy caught the act, storming towards him with an angry finger. "Oi! No fighting. No fucking fighting. No fighting. NO FUCKING FIGHTING!"

Charlie had to bite her lip as she found herself enjoying his anger and one of the rarer moments of him losing control around other people. A poor waiter happened to walk through as Tommy finished and he found himself thrown to the floor, a bottle of champagne rolling away from his grasp. Charlie swiped the bottle needing a taste of something to suppress the heat warming up her neck. Tommy threw his jacket on and pointed to Charlie as she drank from the bottle hastily.

"Drawing room now." Tommy ordered and John winked at her as he headed to the stairs to join the party.

Grace noticed Tommy walking through the hall talking closely with a stranger until they entered the drawing room. Curious to find out what they were doing, she excused herself from her cousin's latest tale of his time in India only to be interrupted by Polly.

"There's a man I don't recognise from the guest list. Is he one of your lot?" Polly asked, pointing to a solitary figure standing in the corner.

"No, he isn't. Also, I saw a woman with Tommy that I didn't recognise. Who is she?" Grace asked, glaring at the closed drawing room door.

"Lady Charlotte." Polly smirked. "She's certainly one of our lot, like family that girl."

Grace could see the hatred in Polly's eyes and had hoped to have moved past their historical bad blood but Polly still despised her. It made Grace even more curious as to the relationship with the woman because Polly clearly liked her and Polly was known for hating any woman that came around the Shelby boys.

Grace began to walk away from Polly but she stepped in front of her, holding her arms tightly and leant in close to Grace's ear. "Be content with knowing you are married to him, but know you will never possess Tommy's heart again."

Grace ripped her arms out of Polly's grasp and rushed to the door, knocking madly as she rattled the locked handle. Her chest was constricted at the thought of what they were doing behind the locked door when suddenly it was ripped open by Tommy. His lips were swollen and hair disheveled as he tried to comb it back with his fingers but his clothes were still adorned.

"Where is she?" Grace asked, voice cracking.

"Where is who?" Tommy asked, lighting another cigarette.

"Lady Charlotte." She sneered as she searched the room, tearing curtains from the rails to find the woman but couldn't find a trace of her.

"You look like a mad woman." Tommy said as he watched her look in every nook and cranny for Charlie.

"I saw her, I saw you enter with her. I know what I saw."

"She left a minute ago, after we discussed some business."

"Business at our wedding, Tommy." She sighed.

"You wanted the wedding not me."

Tommy dropped leisurely onto the couch in front of the fire and blew smoke into the air.

"I didn't want our son growing up a bastard." Grace growled. "But with a father like you it seems inevitable."

"Watch it Grace." Tommy warned, feeling his anger rising after she not only interrupted the incredible blowjob Charlie had been giving him to relieve his tension but now insulted him directly. "You've got what you want but I can easily take it all away from you. Now get out of here before this wedding becomes a fucking funeral."