𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐄 ♚ 𝙩. 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙗𝙮

xx - 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦

As interested as she was in hearing the delightful recount of Charlie's day, Verity could not help but gaze around the dining room she had not stepped in for so long. She did not remember there being so many paintings – many of portraits of Tommy, some of his prized horses and other family portraits – namely one of Charlie, Grace and himself sat happily together. Gazing back down at the table, she focused on how the shining oak top carried on for miles like some optical illusion. How lonely it must have felt for a poor young boy eating there alone night after night. How lonely everything must have felt in general in a house so big that was inhabited by so few.

At the end of the room, the door creaked open and surprisingly Tommy stepped in. What was not surprising was his usual unemotive expression and the lit off-white cigarette that hung loosely from his lips.

"Daddy!" Charlie called excitedly, nearing the bottom of his bowl of soup – Verity still managing to finish hers despite getting it later. She had been starving, not having eaten properly for the entire day.

"Aren't you going to eat with us?" Verity dared to ask, a disguising politeness to her tone when really, she felt rather awful for his son who had wanted to spend quality time with him since he got home.

"I can't. I have things to do." Tommy quickly said, remaining at the end of the room with his hands tucked into the pockets of his smart black trousers. Verity could not exactly say she was extremely surprised by his response.

"I was just letting you know Francis has prepared your room for tonight so feel free to go to bed at whatever time you want." He stated, and an instant pout came from his son.

"That's not fair!" Charlie sulked, "You say I have to go to bed when you or Francis tells me to!"

Tommy started to pace across the room towards his son, drawing a long take on his cigarette.

"That's because," Tommy started, a plume of smoke following his patronising words, "I don't want you to end up looking like me."

His statement rather amused both Charlie and Verity alike. She ended up covering her face slightly, it was more the shock of him saying it that took her by surprise. He may have been a bastard to her early on, but Verity had to give it to him that he was always one step ahead.

"Now come on," Tommy ushered, "Finish up your dinner. You need a bath." He ruffled his son's hair. The mention of the word bath caused an instant crumpling on Charlie's face.

"I don't want a bath!"

Lifting her spoon from her empty bowl, Verity gently tapped the flat side of the spoon against the tip of Charlie's nose, leaving a red blob from the remnants of tomato soup.

"You need one now." She teased playfully; the sounds of his little giggles made her feel a lot less burdened in this incredibly crazy situation. "Now come on, if you get bathed in time – I'll read you a story before bed."

That promise was enough for Charlie to wolf down the remains of his tomato soup. Leaving Tommy to silently skulk back off to his large bookcase lined office in peace.

-

Whilst Charlie was taken up to the main bathroom by Francis, Verity settled into her room. It was the same suite she stayed in last time and unpacking her things there with a feeling of somewhat permanency felt overly alien to her. As she hung things up in the oversized wardrove and tucked things away in the broad French dresser, Verity began to ruminate about how she felt little place of belonging in the world at the moment. She felt like a poor sly trapped in a spider's web between so many different people's worlds – Tommy's, Arthur's, Scarlett's and Eli Valentine's. She had lost everything she had known – her career, her family and her normality and she found herself in a position she would have detested to be in 6 months ago.