Promises Not Kept

40

           Charlie Shelby was positive he was dying. Spending hours in the dressmaker's shop in Warwickshire was certain to do him in. It didn't matter to him that they'd only been there half an hour. To the restless little boy, it felt like a lifetime.

Ruby was contently playing on the floor with the dolls she'd gotten for her birthday a few weeks earlier.

"Muuuuuuum." Charlie whined and flopped over one of the chaises that decorated the back room of the shop. "I'm boooooored!"

Leah was standing as still as she could so the shopkeeper, Harriet, could pin adjustments to the dress. She glanced back at Charlie in the mirror. "Charles, poppet, why don't you play with your sister?"

He made a guttural sound of discontent and buried his face into the silk pillows of the chaise.

Leah sighed and gave Harriet an apologetic look. "Alright, go into my purse and you can get something at the candy store but you have to get something for your sister as well."

He leapt up like a spring and dashed for Leah's purse to retrieve a few coins.

"Be quick and come right back!" Leah called after him as he dashed out of the shop. She sighed. "I'm sorry."

Harriet, a pretty young woman, just smiled. "It's alright. Can't believe how big he's gotten." Harriet was the daughter of the dressmaker who had opened the shop. When she was learning the trade, she helped make dresses for Grace Shelby.

"I know. They just keep growing." Leah looked at her daughter on the floor. How long her hair had gotten. It was incredible.

"I've heard of what Mr. Shelby's doing for your birthday." The young woman commented. "How extravagant."

Leah smiled sheepishly. "I told him it was a little much but he insisted." Deep down, she was afraid he had ulterior motives for the party. But he wouldn't exploit her own birthday, would he?

"Well, I'm sure it'll be quite the night."

"I'm hoping it's quiet," Leah admitted, her brow wrinkling. "That's all I can hope for anymore." She mumbled under her breath.

~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a new hole in the ceiling of the Garrison, he was going to come into seven tonnes of opium, and he'd just seen his dead wife on a barge. Never a dull day. Tommy arrived home with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Daddy!" Johanna skittered down the stairs in her pajamas. She launched herself off the last two stairs into his arms.

"Did you escape mum, aye? You're supposed to be in bed, Joey-bear."

The little girl giggled mischievously. "Mummy's fallen asleep."

Tommy frowned. Leah usually didn't go to bed so early. She always waited until the children were asleep before she headed to bed. Sometimes she even stayed up to wait for him to come home. Checking his watch, he saw it was only nine o'clock.

Johanna chattered on about her day at the dressmaker as Tommy carried her upstairs. He put her back to bed, despite her protests, before going to find his wife.

Leah was fast asleep in the rocking chair in Charlie's room. There was a book on the floor beside her, appearing to have slipped out of her hand as she fell asleep.

Charlie was out cold as well, Cyril curled up on the foot of his bed snoring away.

Tommy stepped inside quietly and carefully scooped Leah up in his arms. She hardly stirred, only coming to on the way to their bedroom. He nudged open the door with his hip and she began to wake.