HUMBLE BEGINNINGS || T. SHELBY (1)

TWO (EDITED)

Finneas knew what Tabitha we about to say, but cut her off as she parted her lips to speak.

"I'm not powerful enough to fight, and we're lucky Thomas has agreed to put our feud at rest. If you won't do it for the family, do it for me, for your sisters, your brother, and your mother," he explained. "You are the only one to fix this. It's time for you to step up, to honor the family."

Tabitha scoffed at the request, looking away from her father. "All you care about is honor," she mumbled. "Even if you have to sacrifice your children for it."

"But the greatest honor is having you for a daughter," Finneas whispered as his daughter looked back at him. A faint smile forming on her lips before he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

________________________________

Finneas went into his study after breakfast with Kezia and went straight to work. Tabitha's younger siblings went off to their daily routines out of the house as Tabitha spent her time reading books in the living room. When she wasn't at the stables or in her room, she was in the living room, curled up with a book. She read works from the Brontë sisters, Mary Shelley, and Jane Austen.

Tabitha's favorite book was Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë though. She enjoyed the all-consuming passion Catherine and Heathcliff had for each other, which while noble in it's purity was also very destructive. She was secretly a romantic even though she was the most independent of Finneas Hearn's daughters, and read that book at least five times at that point.

She closed the book at the end of a chapter, deciding to move to the piano across the room. Kezia made sure all of her children learned piano and a variety of other instruments. Penelope favored, while Charity favored the flute. Ocean favored the guitar, and Tabitha and Theo were the best at playing the piano. They would play during Christmastime for the whole Hearn clan.

Tabitha sat down on the piano bench, lighting touching keys until she began playing a poignant melody. It was one she learned as a little girl, but no played it better than Theo did. As she played on and on, Tabitha lost herself in the music, playing the notes as She poured all out of her emotions into it.

Thomas walked into the Hearn home to meet with Finneas, but Arthur and John didn't accompany him. Thomas was about to make his way to the study when heard music playing a couple doors down. He followed the sound, and silently opened the door to the source, seeing someone familiar with wavy, light brown hair playing a poignant melody on a piano. He entered without making a sound, leaving the door halfway opened as he listened to Tabitha play beautifully.

Tabitha didn't hear Thomas come in, her eyes closed as She continued to play. His footsteps were silent, approaching her thinking that she was just ignoring his presence. He stood right beside her, seeing her eyes closed and putting herself fully into the melody. When Tabitha opened her eyes, her fingers landed on the wrong notes when she jumped at the sight of Thomas standing right beside her.

"Oh my," Tabitha mumbled to herself before looking up at Thomas. "Do forgive me, I didn't hear you come in."

Thomas didn't react to the apology, and the tension in the room grew between them. Tabitha got up from the piano bench and pushed it under the piano.

"How long have you played?" Thomas asked, his voice deep and raspy, with a thick Birmingham accent. It was the first time Tabitha heard his voice, and sounded like music to her ears.