When The Boys Are Away

Part 77

As the sun began to peak over the trees the next morning, most of the guests had either made their leave or plodded off to their allocated rooms within the Shelby mansion. Much to her discontent, Grace spent her wedding night alone. She was sprawled on the new king sized bed whilst the man it was made for stalked around in the basement, desperate for answers. 

Alfie and Dale had hauled Harlow's attacker down to the lower levels, each of them too angry to comprehend the excessive force they were exerting in doing so. The offender groaned at each sudden turn, receiving a harsh array of profanities from the Solomons whose language lacked the sophisticated tone that the Wentworths shared. 

Meanwhile, Harlow remained frozen in shock. She couldn't wrap her head around the severity of the possible outcomes. If they would have been a minute later checking on her, that would have been the end. Death felt so close, but she had escaped it once more. 

Polly stayed by her side, shouting orders at Tommy who left the room with an infuriated expression to address the situation. He had never felt rage like it, knowing someone had managed to sneak into his house and attempted to kill someone so close to him. Banging his fists aggressively against Jay's, Arthur's and John's doors, they were up in a heartbeat; some more alert than others. 

Jay had raced off in Harlow's direction the second he heard the news, leaving the Shelby brothers to trek down to the basement in pursuit of Dale and Alfie. Nobody knew what happened to that man who nearly succeeded in killing Harlow Winters; nor would anyone ever find out. 

As Jay entered the room and saw the sight of his sister, his heart broke. One small exchange with  Polly told them both exactly what they needed to know. They had both known it for a long time. They refused to live like this anymore.

They needed out. 

***

Three Years Later:

"Letter for Auntie Harlow!" Chirped Lizzie and Jay's daughter as the almost three year old was carried into the living room by her mother. The envelope was being waved around ferociously as the child struggled to contain her excitement. Harlow grinned, placing her book down on the side table to retrieve the letter from her niece, "Thank you Emmie." 

Lizzie smiled at her daughter, placing her softly down on the sofa before returning her hands to the baby bump that was once again forming in her stomach. Although Emmie was still a toddler, Harlow was surprised that it had taken this long for her to become an aunt twice over, given the amount of time Jay and Lizzie now spent together. 

"Do you feel any better than you did yesterday?" Harlow asked with concern for her friend, as Lizzie pulled a grimacing face, "Slightly, though I wouldn't wish morning sickness on anyone." 

Harlow smiled sympathetically, twisting the letter over in her hands as she spoke, "If you ask Pol, I'm sure she'll have some ancient herbal remedy for it. God knows that woman can solve anyt-" 

Lizzie's gaze darted to Harlow as she stopped mid sentence, watching anxiously as a her friend's face gradually paled. The letter in her hand was stamped with a burgundy seal, concealing the initials 'T.S'. This was a name nobody had spoken of in a while, particularly not around Harlow. 

As she locked eyes with her best friend, her heart dropped, "It's from Tommy?". It wasn't meant to be a question, but it came out as such. She didn't even think he knew what country they were in, never mind their address. Yet, here was the proof that even three years later, he still had them under surveillance. 

"I'll take it." Lizzie reached over to grab it quickly, but Harlow pulled back, hesitant to give away a scrap of her former life without finding out what he had written. "Harlow..."