Devil's Backbone (A Peaky Blinders Fanfiction)

Chapter 14

"She's a good woman, so be nice" Tommy warned with a smirk as he helped Ana get out of the car. The journey to London was a long one and hadn't been comfortable for Ana due to her injuries.

"Look at the size of this house" Bear starred in awe at the lavish property "And she's a widow?"

"Bear" Ana frowned "This poor woman has been kind enough to let us stay here, please don't make her regret it"

"Good afternoon, It's so lovely to see you all" May appeared at the door "Usually my butler would answer the door but I thought under the circumstances" May opened her door wider, welcoming Tommy, Ana and Bear into her home. She paused when she saw Bear standing beside her, he towered above "Good gracious"

"Nice to meet you Miss Carleton, I'm Bear" Bear introduced himself.

"Bear...yes quite" May smiled still in shock, Ana and Tommy threw each other a knowing glance.

"May I take your coat madam?" A kind female voice came from behind them.

"Oh yes please" Ana nodded and Tommy instinctively helped her take it off. As Ana removed her hat it was then the full extent of her injuries were revealed to May.

"Oh good heavens" May gasped, her voice was full of concern, Ana looked at her and May looked away quickly to avoid any awkwardness. May's eyes were quickly drawn back to Tommy's gentle touch as he swept some hair away from Ana's face.

What was curious to May was that at that very moment, Tommy and Ana seemed to disregard everything around them. They were completely lost in eachother, at this moment it was obvious to May more than ever how much they loved eachother.

"Well I have told the maids to light a fire in one of the guest rooms" May interrupted and Bear hid a slight smile as she turned to look at him "There's a room for you aswell"

"Oh I don't mind sharing...with you I mean not them" He grinned and May blushed.

"Guy" Ana scolded "Please excuse my brother May, he was raised in the wild"

"Quite" May looked the tall man up and down before turning her attention to Ana and Tommy "Would you like something to eat? I can have the maids fetch you something"

"No thank you" Tommy replied quickly and Ana looked up at him "Could you show us to our room?"

May nodded and quickly gestured for the Shelby couple to follow her. Tommy took Ana's bag and led her by the hand.

May stopped and opened the door into a beautifully decorated room. There was a four post bed and thick drapes hanging at the windows "This is your room for as long as you need it"

"Thank you" Ana smiled politely and watched as Tommy walked past her and inside the room.

"If you need anything just ring the bell on the dressing table, one of the maids will serve you" May smiled, she was still extremely curious about both Tommy and Ana "I shall leave you to settle in, you can find me at the stables with your horse"

Tommy didn't speak, he just nodded "Okay then" May said before quickly vacating the room. She lead Bear further down the corridor.

"Would it have killed you to say thank you Tommy?" Ana scolded and Tommy shrugged "She's going out of her way to help..."

"I have paid her an unforseen amount of money to stay here" Tommy paused "So she is doing us no real favour"

"What's wrong with you?" Ana snapped "You seem very on edge Thomas? This isn't like you"

"I'm sorry" Tommy's expression changed and he moved closer to Ana, placing his hands gently against her waist "It's just seeing you like this..."

"It's just a few scratches my love" Ana smiled weakly.

"Ana we lost our..." Tommy sighed and Ana brushed a hand across his left cheek.

"We don't lose what we never knew we had" She whispered gently.

"I'm still going to make him pay" Tommy snarled "When I catch up with the man who did this to you..."

"Hush now" Ana silenced Tommy with her touch again "Let's not talk about this now" Ana walked towards the window, it overlooked a green field and stables "As I understand it, that beautiful horse you brought me is out there...can we see her?"

"Anything you want" Tommy replied as he eyed the bruises around Ana's neck. He wrapped an arm across her shoulders and let his face sink into her neck kissing each bruise "I love you Anastasia Shelby"

"I love you too" Ana reached up and rested a hand on Tommy's arm "Promise me one day we'll have this" Ana spun her body around in Tommy's arms and wrapped her own arms around his neck "A big house like this in the country, with stables and horses and green pastures as far as the eye can see..."

"One day my love" Tommy nodded "One day we will have all of this"

×××××××××××××

"Curious aren't they?" May sighed as she followed Bear into his room "Thomas and Ana I mean"

"How do you mean?" Bear asked as he looked around his room with an amused look on his face. It was a very feminine room.

"Well before, when they were embracing it was almost like there was no-one else in the room. It was very...I don't know...intense I think" May explained and Bear laughed lightly.

"Tom and Ana have always been very intense" Bear grinned "What you have to understand about them two, is that they have always come as a pair. Even as kids, one never went far without the other. It was almost dangerous to try and separate them"

"Dangerous, how?" May's questions made Bear feel a little uneasy.

"The last man who tried to separate them ended up dead" Bear's reply surprisingly didn't shock May "Besides I think Ana and Tommy are in very good company here"

"How so?" May paused.

"Because I believe you too are very curious" Bear grinned.

"Same can be said about you" May frowned "Anyway what is your real name? I find it impossible to believe that it's Bear and I refuse to call you anything other than your real name"

"It's Guy ma'am" Guy smiled and May blushed a little.

"Oh there really is no need to call me Ma'am, May will do" she replied before hurrying herself along "It's you need anything ring the bell and the maids..."

"I am a man of little means, I have all I need right here" he patted his chest and gestured to the window "Thank you though"

××××××××

Ana stood on the fence as the horse galloped around the large enclosed paddocks with Bear and the horse trainer standing in the middle "Her strides are beautiful" she smiled as she turned to May.

"Yes she is very confident on the gallops" May replied "Would you like me to have her readied so you can take her out?"

"NO" Tommy snapped "Not today, I'd rather Ana took it easy"

"Very well" May replied as she turned back to watch Ana still standing on the fence slats a few metres away "She has alot of spirit"

"The horse...or my wife?" Tommy grinned playfully.

"Both I suppose" May chuckled "I admire her"

"The horse?" Tommy was now a little confused.

"Your wife" May laughed, which caused Ana to look around, it was at that moment May saw the natural beauty in Ana's face. Even through the bruises and cuts, May saw exactly what Tommy saw.

As Ana stepped down she slipped off the fence whiched sent Tommy rushing towards her, he caught her almost effortlessly as if he had seen the whole thing unfold before it even happened. May's eyebrows raised there was something about this pair that intrigued her, Tommy seemed to play his cards every close to his chest. So May hoped that maybe she would get more from Ana...