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"Ugh, this is way too much stress for me" Adeline groaned as she laid down, her head in the lap of her friend Lady Katherine who was beside her reading the new vogue magazine.
"I'm sure" her firmed murmured. "Which of this coats is prettier?"
She showed her a page of the magazine with two drawings of women wearing coats, one of them was a white fur and the second one was a honey brown fur coat.
"I don't know, but I sure want the white one, order them if you want" she told her to which the friend smiled and rang the little bell in the coffee table. Immediately one of the butlers entered and Katherine told him of the order while Adeline rubbed her temples to subside her headache. "I love retail therapy. You know what else would help me?"
"What?"
"I quite think Daisy is a bit lonely, shall we get her a friend?" The blonde asked with a mischievous smile.
"Why, I think Daisy does need a friend" Katherine giggle. "I think there was a horse auctions in some days in London, if I remember well"
"Perfect, when does those coats arrive?"
"Well, they usually take two days when I order them, but if it's a order from between the royal family lands then I think, tomorrow"
Whoever said money can't buy happiness was terribly wrong.
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Adeline and Katherine were going to the horse auction, the driver had noticed the state of the two from the get go. Both of them already tipsy with golden bubbly champagne that had sprayed all over the car when Adeline had opened it.
"My goodness, we are already so late!" Katherine announced.
"Well, if someone had decided on what to wear earlier, then we wouldn't be late" Adeline said.
"You know not everything fits with brown furs, you've got the white one, everything fits with white!" Katherine replied with raised boys and Adeline bursted out laughing.
"We are here, my Lady" the driver said looking worriedly at the ladies in the backseat.
"Why, thank you, Henry. Are the butlers already here?" Adeline asked tilting her head in question.
"They are right behind us, my lady"
"Perfect" Adeline said before her door was opened for one of the said butlers. "Thank you"
Both of the ladies got out, and walked towards the main room where the horses were being shown.
The big doors opened for her and Katherine and the balcony was full of people at the sides, thankfully, the butlers had advised of her presence and made a private space on a part of the balcony. She leaned over the wooden balcony railing and saw the horses, the announcer was yelling the prices, but she didn't particularly liked that horse, so she didn't really paid attention.
"Bloody hell" John said from one of the sides of the railing. He swallowed harshly when he caught the figure of Adeline. She was looking right at the horses, and nothing else.
"What, John?" Arthur asked besides him and when he didn't respond the older Shelby looked at the direction he was looking and his eyes widen. "Alright, don't say anything"
"Look, that is what I meant when I said that people bring their butlers" Michael said besides them, and it seemed like Arthur's eye twitched.
Expectedly, Thomas turned to where Michael was pointing at and nearly choked on the smoke of his cigarette when those golden locks were seen.
"Holy shit" Charlie said under his breath as they all stared at Adeline.
She looked just like she was meant to be, surrounded by butlers and guards that stayed between the lines of her private part of the balcony. A white fur coat on her shoulders as she talked to her friend.
"What?" Michael asked confused about why they were all staring at the girl. "Who is that?"
"It's Adeline" Curly said nodding. And something clicked in the boys mind, he had seen a picture of the girl in his mother's house.
"All right, Tommy, focus, this is her" Charlie said to Tommy who was still staring at Adeline. However, she didn't glanced at anyone that wasn't worth her time. So, he looked down at the horse.
"Morals of Marcus, Sedgemere stud, by Tetrach out of Lady Josephine, we'll start the bidding at 800 guineas" the announcer said as the horse was brought forwards.
The horse was beautiful and looked strong, and that caught Adeline's attention. But first she was going to hear the first offerings, after all, she had a knack for surprising people.
"Do we hear 800 guineas? 850?"
And that's when she saw the familiar Peaky Blinder caps and the leader focused on the horse. That sold her on the beautiful grey horse and of course her tipsy self would not let this opportunity pass.
"Eight fifty? Do I hear nine? Do I hear nine? One thousand, do I have one thousand and fifty?" Tommy nodded again. "One thousand one hundred..." but this time the woman that was on the left sides of the balconies nodded and of course she was giving love eyes to Tommy, Adeline wished it didn't bother her so. "One thousand two hundred, do I hear two fifty?"
Tommy nodded once again. But then the other woman nodded again, it was rather amusing like going to see a tennis match. The announcer entertained them until the bids reached a glorious two thousand.
"Two thousand and fifty? Do I hear two thousand and fifty? Last time"
"Three thousand guineas" she said herself when the announcer was about to end the biddings. There was a small silence where the announcer looked at Tommy who was looking at Adeline with that dead look he had, she raised a brow in question.
"Sold to Miss...?"
"Adeline, Lady Adeline of Wales" the words made some of the persons gasp along with Michael whose jaw dropped open. Giving Tommy one last look she turned around and left, her army of butlers and guards behind her and Katherine at her side like a loyal commander.
"To the premises of the stables of the royal manor of Wales-"
"No, to the premises of Mr. Charles Strong, Small Heath, Birmingham" Adeline corrected the man.
"What kind of premises?"
"It's a boat yard"
"Yachts?"
"Canals" Adeline just looked at him to hurry up when the man looked at her weirdly. The man sighed and gave her the paper. "Thank you"
She went out of the little office only to see Tommy standing near the door of the hall.
"Well, if it isn't Tommy Shelby." she said with a mocking smile.
"Adeline" he greeted nodding at her.
"I would say it's a pleasure but it's not really." she shrugged as he walked towards her until he was standing in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" He asked. "You are far away from home."
"I felt like buying a new horse, what about you?"
"I needed a horse" he stated looking her in the eyes, he was stopping himself from kissing her right there and there.
"You should have bid higher, I guess, I heard from Ada that business is booming" she tilted her head to the side. "Though, you can always ask me for it, the horse, I mean"
"You want me to ask for the horse" Yes, he wanted that horse, but he wasn't going to beg for it.
"I mean it's your choice, I can always leave" she took a step back to leave but Tommy's hand quickly went to her arm. She lightly gasped at his touch, the mask of mocking falling away from just one second, giving light to the tenderness and hurt that her soul was made of, but just as quickly as it fell it came back on. "Remember the magic words, Tommy? You say them and the horse is all yours"
Said man narrowed his eyes, his hand never leaving her arm as he breathed in deeply.
"Adeline, would you please give me the horse?" He whispered not wanting anyone to hear.
"Was that hard, Tommy?" She patted his cheek and took out the paper from her coat. "It was already yours anyway, I was just playing with you"
Tommy took the paper and read it, and just as she had said, the directions were to Charlie's yard and pass to the name of Thomas Shelby.
Suddenly however steps behind them were heard and both of them turned to find the woman who was giving heart eyes to Tommy the entire evening.
Adeline felt an uncomfortable tightness on her chest.
"You beat us to it" the woman said looking at Adeline and then at Tommy up and down.
"Who are you?" Adeline asked with clear annoyance on her voice.
"May Carlton, I breed horses and train them, you are the daughter of the king according to the whispers in the hall, I however do not know who this gentleman is" May rudely turned to Tommy for an answer.
"Thomas Shelby" the man answered shortly.
"Tommy! Come on, hurry up! We got to go, the Lady is coming with us!" Adeline turned to look at Arthur and smiled at him and waved at him excitedly from where she was.
"Well, I had a little listen to your chat and Mr. Shelby if you ever decide to put that filly out, I'd be interested"
"It's rude to listen in conversations that don't concern you" Adeline said from besides Tommy whose grip on her arm had slid all the way down to her wrist unbeknownst to her who was only focused on the rude woman.
"I'm not selling her, I'm planning to race her" Tommy explained and Adeline looked at him curiously.
"Do you have a trainer?"
"We know people, a lot more people" Adeline interjected once more and May looked at her with narrowed eyes for a second before looking back at Tommy.
"Tommy we've got to get this kid back before dark or Polly will have your balls!" John shouted and while Adeline looked back once more, Thomas grabbed May's card.
"My father knows Mick Hancock, he trained three ascot winners"
"Are we talking about father's now? Because if it's so I think I win" Adeline rolled her eyes. "Listen, May, we know people, trainers, I'm sure you know people too, we'll call if we need you, now off you go, on your merry way, bye, bye, Au revoir"
Adeline waved good bye at May who left begrudgingly.
"That was amusing" Tommy muttered besides her.
"What was amusing?" She turned to him with crossed arms.
"Your little jealousy tantrum"
"Jealous?! Do remember you are on thin rope with me, Thomas Shelby. That I'm talking to you like a normal human being does not mean I'm not furious at you" she told him and any amusement in his eyes was gone.
"Adeline! We have to leave!" Arthur yelled and she looked into his eyes once more before walking towards the rest of the Shelby brothers who greeted her with a big hug. "Right, you are here now, we're never letting you go"
"We are kidnapping you right at this moment" John nodded and the boy behind them coughed to get their attention. "Oh, yeah, remember Polly's son, Michael."
"Michael? But I thought-"
"Yeah, but Tommy brought him back" John pulled the boy forward.
"Michael Gray" the boy extended his hand in greetings.
"Oh, stop that" she hugged him instead. "Come on, don't let this twats get to you."
They all walked to where the auction was held to get out of the place. She was laughing with Michael at the back of all of them.
"Michael, you drive" Tommy threw the car keys to him and said boy caught them when suddenly a man yelled Tommy's name and took out a gun.
Adeline gasped in fear and was pushed to the ground for security as Michael stood in front of her.
"Tommy Shelby? How about fucking Arthur! Fucking good to meet you! Arthur!" The oldest Shelby started hitting the man like he was in some kind of haze and until the man's face was covered in blood.
"Get him off!" Tommy shouted and then looked back to Adeline that looked like she wanted to throw up like always at the sight of blood.
He took Arthur off the now unconscious man and tried to relax him as he stood up and went to Adeline. He kneeled in front of her as she sat on the sandy floor and checked her for any injuries.
"You are all right, there's no need to be scared is just a little blood" he helped her stand up and he turned to Michael. "Michael, you didn't see a thing. This didn't happen, all right? Give me the keys"
"I'm all right to drive" Michael said instead of doing what Tommy had told him to and Thomas nodded tiredly.
"Alright, go on" he pushed Michael to the others who were basically dragging Arthur away from the poor man. Adeline caught sight of the man again and this time she couldn't contain and threw up in front of her. "Fuck"
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She speaks!
And they meet again