The Poisoned Rose

Chapter Thirty-One

Mist crawled around the base of the house, as though it was trapping them in. Excruciatingly slow, it traveled along the bricks so that from a far distance the house was completely hidden. 

 Sighing, Rose carefully wrote down in her leather bound book. Her hair was down and pushed behind her shoulders, her cheeks were tinged with pink, and a shine covered her face. 

Tommy gulped his drink down quickly before smashing it down onto his desk, he was tired of nothing going his way. Things had to change. Things were going to change. 

A baby's cry was heard from the top floor, Arthur grinned happily as he watched Linda cradle their child. He wrapped his arm around her waist and gently caressed the cheek of his baby.

John stared out of the window, looking at the mist swirling around. A toothpick was in his mouth and he slowly chewed it.

A cloud appeared in front of him as Michael blew out the smoke from his cigarette, his eyes staring in front of him as he refused to look over at his mother.

Quickly and angrily, Polly searched through all the different business records that hadn't been touched in months. 

"I want to do something." Rose said, boredom evident in her tone, "Why do I have to be stuck in this room?"

Glancing over at his wife, John laughed, "Because someone in your condition needs to rest."

"Rest?" Rose groaned, "All I have been doing for the past six months is rest."

"We don't want anything to happen to you." John told her as he lay beside her, "Or the baby."

Rose smiled as she placed her book onto the beside cabinet, "At least there's not that long left until the baby comes."

"You'll be a mother."

"And you shall have another child to look after."

John laughed as he caressed her cheek, "It shall look like you hopefully."

"Why? I think you are very handsome." Rose told him honestly, "And all your children are lovely looking."

Looking up at the ceiling, John replied with, "They are looking forward to seeing their new brother or sister. Katie yesterday was running around, asking a million questions about what they will be like."

"I'm looking forward to when the baby is finally here." Rose whispered, "Then I'll finally be able to do something instead of being stuck inside this bloody room."

"Nothing is happening." John said, "You wouldn't be needed with the business anyway."

Nodding, she replied, "There's nothing going on at the moment. But I can feel something big coming and it is not childbirth. Tommy will be planning something, things have been quiet for too long."

"Don't worry about what Tommy's plotting." John said as he protectively placed his hand on top of her bump, "I don't anymore, there's no point until he reveals it to us all."

"I must worry John, for Tommy is unstable. He is in danger of losing all the power he has managed to regain." Rose told him quietly, "And he won't go down by himself, he will drag us all down with him."

"Rose, darling, stay calm. I shall make sure he is not up to anything. And if he is then I shall stop it from being very serious." 

"I fear even with your help, that whatever is coming, will not be good." She held his hand, "Tommy loves power, no matter how much he has, he will always want more. And that will get killed one day."

"No it won't. Not with us behind him, supporting him."

"What if we are not there John?" Rose said, trying not to shout at him, "What if he goes against us?"

"He would never go against us. He trusts you too much Rose."

"Doesn't mean he won't do something stupid. Something wicked is coming, something stronger than him."