The skies cleared somewhat as a new day dawned on Verity's current imprisoned feeling state of living.
The psychologist found with the help of some pain medication and lots of tea from Francis, she had felt a little better overnight. Not that it helped her rest any easier, her mind aflame with all the thoughts about her sister.
The more Verity delved into the intricacies of it all in her mind, she found she was really quite stunned by the fact Tommy had gone out of his way to speak to Nina.
Yes, the Tommy Shelby she knew only to cater for himself and burn any bridge behind him.... But there he was, laying himself out for slaughter for the sake of repairing the damaged relationship between Verity and her sister.
She stewed over it all night long, catching a few fleeting periods of sleep but nothing all too substantial. It led her into the new day with the same questions, none the less.
As the morning dawdled on, it carried with it less stormy skies than the day previous - and even the sun threatened to break through all the grey of the so far miserable weather.
She started her day off, still hobbling but at least mobile - carefully making her way through the morning quiet to Tommy's office, using his phone once again for another call that was just bound to disappoint.
"You didn't phone yesterday." Henry's dulled voice answered the moment Verity has greeted him, as chirpy as she could. It seemed her efforts to appear bright hadn't wavered his concerns.
"I'm sorry, I had some medication and it made me drowsy." Verity explained, a partial truth at least... but more so because her mind was racing with the possibilities she might have to make a choice. If Nina did call, then she was automatically preparing herself to have to distance herself from Henry. It hurt a lot, giving up her new life - but she ultimately knew her family was worth more than the seemingly idyllic life she had created in the country. Verity missed her nephew too dearly to turn her back on her bloodline.
"What's happening?" Henry sighed, sounding tired. "You won't tell me what this is all about, I can't help but worry. You don't want to give me a solid answer."
The female psychologist chewed nervously on her nail, eyes straying down the long aspect of the office before her, brain trying to concoct an answer that would at least satisfy her colleague.
"Henry, I'd rather you not get tangled in any of this." Verity explained with a discouraged tone of voice, "I just need to sort some things out. Regardless of what happens over the next few days, I will be coming home by the weekend."
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, followed by a breathy sigh.
"You do nothing but stress me out at the moment, Miss Grant." He exchanged, the intonation of his voice somewhat withdrawn and tired. "But fine, I believe you. You know you can contact me before then if anything changes."
The call ended, the inevitable frostiness of it leaving Verity feeling even more conflicted than ever. Henry had been nothing but pleasant to her, and now she knew her mind games were irritating him (understandably so) she wondered just how hurt they would both be if she chose to leave Castle Combe.
The psychologist lifted herself from the desk, a weighty feeling to her body like no other. She felt she was turning to stone, and part of her so wished she could just freeze up - fall down and not have to think anymore.
-
Around midday, Verity only found sanctuary from her own torment in the fresh air of the field, watching Charlie riding his little pony.
The boy was having a lesson from one of the more knowledgeable stable hands, and it was a joy for Verity to see Charlie having such a good time. The breadth of the little boy's grin and laughter removed her from her own painful reality; even if that just was for half an hour or so.
Hands stuffed into her coat pocket, she stood there in a borrowed pair of Wellingtons from the stable and watched on- the wind breezing past her ears and almost completely defeating her from the shouts of her name from the house.
Turning, wondering if she was perhaps imagining it - Verity caught sight of Francis waving fanatically. The psychologist somewhat nervously began her trek back up towards the house, meeting the maid at the back door.
"Miss Grant, I have a phone call for you." She said politely, arms tightly wrapped around herself in the cold breeze. "A lady by the name of Nina."
It may have looked rude, the way Verity dispatched from her steadfast spot and broke into a jog. She kicked off the Wellington boots just inside the door and bolted for the office, heart hammering and brain thumping as if it could not comprehend this moment had finally arrived.
She had no idea what she was supposed to say... it had been so long.
Hands cold from the blustery outdoors, Verity scrambled to pick up the receiver as she engaged the call, still breathless from her sprinting and anxiety alike.
"...Verity?" Nina's voice. She sounded so calm, yet apprehensive with the wavering flickers of her tone. It was such a contradiction to the last words Verity had heard from her younger sister, filled with such animosity and shame.
Clutching her hand over her mouth, Verity felt a wave of deep sadness and joy combined crash over her. Her eyes instinctively began to tear, thinking about just how much she had missed her sister.
"Nina... how- how are you?" Verity stumbled, the obvious tearful stammer in her voice that was trying so hard to appear as collected. The wall of formality between them felt so incredibly stale considering everything that had happened.
"I'm good," Nina replied pleasantly, but there was an air of sadness lingering in her voice, "I wanted to reach out... I'm sure you know by now Mr Shelby came to visit."
Verity looked down quietly at the desk beneath her, tapping her nails nervously against the wood as Nina took a short breath.
"I would love to meet, to talk properly... if you would like?" Nina offered, and already Verity's heart felt fit to burst out of her chest. "I think Harry wants to see his aunt too."
Verity's smile blossomed like a wild Rose, as she clutched that giddy feeling growing in her stomach.
"Wild horses couldn't hold me." The psychologist said earnestly, "I'll get the next train I can down to London. Shall we meet for dinner?"
"Sounds perfect," the sister corroborated, "will you be ok to get here? I was told you had injured yourself."
Verity didn't care at this point if she point blank snapped her ankle trying to get down to London, she was going, even if it was the last thing she did.
"I will be fine, perhaps let's meet somewhere closer to the station so I don't have to walk so far?" Verity commented, already an excited flourish in her chest as the two sisters arranged to meet a small bar/restaurant only a street away from the station.
Collecting whatever she had of her things, Verity glanced at her Groundhog Day outfit, cursing the uncomfortable heels. A few steps in them proved highly painful, she had underestimated the sheer agony wedging her feet back into those stilettos would do to her.
So, eyeing up the black slippers in her room - she slid those on instead and headed out. They weren't exactly incredibly noticeable as slippers, only if some nosey Londoner happened to look too close.
But that was the last thing on Verity's mind - as she arranged for one of the garden staff to drive her to the train station.
-
London.
All the pain it carried and joy alike, the combined memories thick like the smog in the air. Busy cityfolk wandered the streets, the last calls of workmen bound home for their dinner.
The evening skies were a tepid shade of blue, darkening at the peak of the horizon where night was crawling it's way in like lazy cat readying to settle for the night.
Verity was quite understandably thankful for the fading light in her rather obscure shoe choice, as she reached the fairly busy restaurant and quickly found Nina and Harry waiting at a table.
The little toddler she had last seen barely talking and playing with his toys now looked more of a boy than a baby. Verity could see so much of her sister in him, and her panged momentarily for the memories she had missed. Harry had grown so much whilst she was wrapped in this crazy whirlwind.
Nina spotted her sister, and stood up to greet her. The two Grant sisters locked eyes, a frozen section in time as if reality itself had paused just for them.
Nina eventually broke into a greatly relieved emotional laughter, her teary eyes evident as she pulled her older sister into her arms and held her tightly.
Verity wanted to cherish that moment forever, as she clutched tightly onto her little sister. She had missed her so much, and hated the way things had gone between them.
"I've missed you so much." Verity confessed as she stepped back, glancing down at young Harry as she crouched at his level, brushing his cheek tenderly with the back of her knuckles.
"And you too, you lovely young man." Verity cooed, her nephew laughing and smiling as widely as ever - as if nothing at all had changed.
The two sisters sat at the table, the atmosphere thick with the mutual understanding a conversation needed to be had over this altercation that ripped their family apart.
Two glasses of rich red wine were served first, before Verity even felt comfortable approaching the elephant in the room.
"I hate what happened with our family, Nina." Verity stated factually, "if I could go back and change it-"
Nina swallowed a mouthful of wine and quickly shook her head, halting Verity in her tracks.
"-you're not the one who should be feeling you need to apologise or explain." She assured her sister, "Shelby explained it all. He ruined your business... our business... for his own selfish gains." Her voice turned sour at the mention.
"I was ignorant. I thought you were stupid and getting wrapped up in his world for no good reason," Nina explained, her eyes blown a little wide as if she was mentally torturing herself all over again, "turns out I threw you out of my life in the time I should have been there for you most."
Verity watched her little sister's lip wobble slightly, a true anguish on her expression. A child like fragility there lesser seen on the likes of Nina Grant.
"What kind of sister does that make me?" She bawled, as Verity reached across the table and gently held her hand.
"Don't do this to yourself, Nina." Verity soothed, "we were both victims of Tommy Shelby's stupid plights. There's no use picking it all apart - we need to move forwards." She assured quietly, her career skills coming well into play.
Grabbing the napkin, Nina dabbed carefully at her tear stained rouged cheeks and took a deep breath in, settling her anxious and deeply saddened breaths.
"Verity, would you consider coming home?" Nina then asked directly, a hopeful look in her eyes.
"If we could get everything back in order, would you come and restart the clinic again?" The little sister further pressured, an ambition gleaming in her eyes.
"I realised I lost pretty much all of my happiness once you were gone. Our clinic brought me purpose." She explained further, feeling as if she had to justify even though Verity was already excitedly dying to make the arrangements.
"Nina, nothing would bring me more happiness than to go back to how things were." She replied earnestly, "to see Harry again... and mother and father..." all of it seemed like a glistening dream that had before been some wild fanciful idea... and was now in reach.
"This time, no one is coming between us." Nina confirmed happily, eyes sparkling in elation. Verity felt a quiet peace restore in her, like a part of the turbulence in her life had partially settled. The mudslides had stopped, the howling winds had calmed a little and the seas had stopped thrashing.
A part of her she had been so desperate to claim back was once again returned rightfully. She hadn't smiled like that in the longest time.
"Where do we go from here? What's next?" Nina put forward keenly.
"I need to go back to Castle Combe... get my things and close up shop there." Verity informed, an anxious flutter beginning to cluster in her stomach at the thought of disappointing Henry.
"...then we can start preparing things." Verity forced a smile, all whilst her mind was running rings around the fear she had of letting Henry down.
Could she actually be brave enough to tell him the truth, and close that comforting chapter in her life?
—————-
A/N: I at last updated this goddamn story.
I have been missing Confide a lot. It is definitely my most well received fic and one of my personal favourites for showing the development and evolution of my writing. I had left it last with a very vague and unclear plot line. The plan I made was half done and I hadn't verified what I wanted to do.
After a whole 2 days planning I have at last got something to carry me through for the next set of chapters (still not sure about how I want the story to end though... there's a lot of you that want Verity to steer clear of Tommy forever but then there are also a bunch of you who want them together in the end so... conflicted author moment)
Anyway I wanted to apologise if you got mega excited for this chapter and then it was a bit of a let down. Unfortunately one of the other reasons I had been avoiding writing this for so long was because I knew this chapter was going to be a bit of a filler, but there's lots of twists to come.
Thank you all so so much for all the support on this story. You have all been so kind and to see it flourish has made me so happy.
I will finish this bloody fic if it kills me. I owe it to myself.
Fun fact; when I started writing this I was like 'I will get it finished ahead of S6' LOOOOOOL.