𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕
Madeline and John walked hand in hand down toward the Garrison. "Arthur tried to bloody hang himself last night— stole five hundred from the business too." John said, clearly releasing whatever it was that had been stressing him.
"Five hundred— and did what with it?"
"Gave it to our whore beating father, that's what. He's stupid! He's just fucking stupid!" John fumed. "And then the guns were found and the police went after Tom— shit i shouldn't have said that."
She quickly stopped him. "I'm not interested in your family business John, not the illegal side of it anyway."
He let out a breath of relief and nodded. The sky was getting dark and they had finally reached the Garrison. John held the door open for her and led her into the snug.
"What do ya want to drink, eh?" He asked. Madeline thought for a moment. "We have decent gin, do you want gin?" He suggested. She nodded simply and took a seat.
John peered into the small window in the wall and got their drinks. "Thanks," he grumbled, carrying them over to the table.
"You seem on edge." He noticed. John sat beside her and poured her a glass of gin. She shook her head and smiled in attempt to ease him. "Just still trying to get used to it all i suppose."
John hummed and lit a cigarette. "Can I smoke?"
Her eyebrows furrowed whilst she nodded in approval. "Although there is one thing i can't seem to shake, John."
"And what's that?"
"Your dad said he believed he'd seen my father back in town— but he's dead?" Madeline said quietly. John remembered the conversation from two days previous and raised an eyebrow. "Either he's mistaken you for someone else or he's mistaken whoever it is he seen to be your father."
She bit her bottom lip and thought. There was nothing else they could do about it anyway, it was such a small issue. And their dad had robbed Arthur blind before getting on a train to disappear again.
"Nothing will happen to you, you know that don't you? I'm here now. I'm here to keep ya safe." He said. She nodded and took his hand in hers. "I know."
"Only been a few weeks and i can read you like a book, Mads." He whispered to her, leaning in close. Madeline closed her eyes for a few seconds. "There's nothing you need to worry about."
"How can you be sure, John? I've gone from one family to another— both as bad as each other. Yes, i wasn't happy there but.." She paused.
John gently let go of her hand. "But what?"
"But i can't help but feel i've left my brother behind." Madeline admitted. She stared into her lap. John placed his drink down and crossed his arms. "Who, Theodore?"
She looked up at him quickly.
"Ain't he fourteen? From what i've heard, he seems to be coping fine. It was that little bastard who helped the Lee boys do us over." He scowled.
"Please don't call him that." Madeline said quietly.
"No he is though, ain't he? You know it too." John said. "Nevertheless, do not call him that. He is my brother. You do not get to call him that, John." Her voice began trembling.
John had noticed this and turned to face her. "Madeline, it was only a few weeks ago he helped steal a horse from the fair. When I was fourteen, I was shovelling horse shit with my uncle."
"When I was fourteen I was arguing with my cousin about how I think there is no use in marriage— what good is a man? I'd ask her that frequently!" She snapped.
John stopped talking when he finally noticed the way her voice was about to break.
"I don't have a family, John. You do. Theodore is all I have." There were visible tears welling in her eyes which made John regret his actions almost automatically.
"Listen, Mads— i'm sorry alright? You know i didn't mean to upset you." He said quietly, trying to take her hand. Only she pulled it back and avoided his eyes. "Madeline please."
"I want to go home."
"That's fine— we can go back to the house." He agreed quickly. Maddie shook her head. "No, i want to go home."
Her words made his heart drop. "Don't be stupid, yeah?" John said. "It wasn't just you who was forced into this. I had to do it too." He reminded her. "But i've promised to love you and keep you safe. And sending you back to that camp will be breaking a promise— and I don't intend to break promises."
-
Madeline sat at the kitchen table with her head in her hands. Hers and Johns conversation repeated over and over.
"Mads please come to bed." John said, standing at the door with just his suit pants and under shirt on. She didn't look at him. "I'll come in a moment." She replied bluntly.
"Madeline." He said. "What's gotten you so upset?"
Madeline shrugged. "I'm still getting used to everything— i've told you that. So please, please try and understand that." She sounded like she was begging him.
John sighed, slightly frustrated. He ran a hand across his face and thought of something to say. "Listen just come to bed and we can talk about it."
"What if I don't want to talk about it?"
"Then you don't have to fucking talk about it!" He snapped. She looked up at him with a frown, confused as to why he was getting angry at her.
Madeline's heart was beating quickly and she looked at John with a slight fear in her eyes. John's eyes were wide when he realised how he'd just spoke to her.
"Mads— Maddie i'm sorry. I didn't mean to speak to you like that." John walked to her, kneeling to her level and trying to take her hands. She just stared at him, mouth parted and an expression he struggled to read.
But this time she hadn't ripped her hands away from him.
He used his thumbs to draw circles on the backs of her hands, begging for her to say something. "Maddie i'm sorry." He said again.
John felt ashamed that he'd let himself speak to her like that. Over what? Nothing. When he said that to her, all he could hear was his brothers and the way they spoke to people, his father and the way he used to treat women.
"Listen i'm— i'm so sorry. I never meant to raise my voice or make you upset."
Madeline could see the distress in his face as he rambled on, squeezing her hands gently. She relaxed her body and gave up the stubborn act.
"John it's okay." Madeline removed her hands from his and used them to hold the sides of his face, forcing him to look at her. He placed his hands on the sides of her upper legs that were slightly bare due to the dress she was wearing.
John leaned his head forward, his forehead resting on hers. "John stop." She said quietly. John took a deep breath and nodded slightly. "Please come to bed." He asked again.
She gave up and nodded. "I'll come to bed, John."
-
"Dad? I've spilt my drink again!" Katie shouted. "I'll be there in a minute!" John laughed, his fingers gently running across Madeline's bare skin.
Tommy suddenly walked in, looking at the two. John quickly covered Maddie with his own body and grabbed the gun from the bedside table. "John i told you to keep the doors locked." Tommy reminded. "I could've been anyone now get dressed, we're doing it today."
"As a matter of fact he's doing me today." Maddie sat up, keeping John close to her. "Make sure he's done you by nine." Tommy pointed, leaving the room.
"You should learn to knock." She sighed.
"It's not a day for knocking." Tommy replied. Maddie rolled her eyes and held the back of John's neck as he lay his head on her shoulder, trying to regain his breath.
"Fucking hell." He chuckled, placing gentle kisses on her shoulder. Madeline breathed heavily and smiled widely.
"Best go check on Katie." She whispered. John just hummed. "No, i'll stay here. We have a nanny for a reason." He said plainly, rolling beside her but pulling the blanket over her chest as he did so.
-
John and Madeline stood in the betting den, shoulders touching.
"Right i've brought you all here today, because this is the day that we replace Billy Kimber." Thomas began telling them. "This is the day we become respectable. The day we join the official National Association of race course book makers." he nodded.
Tommy looked around the room for a moment before continuing. "But first, we do the dirty work. We've all known this days been coming— i just haven't told anyone the date."
He turned to the chalk board. "We're going to the Worcester Races. Track opens at one, we'll get there at two. Now Kimber thinks we're going there to help him fight the Lee brothers, but thanks to the efforts of our John, and his lovely new wife Madeline," he pointed at them. "The lees are now our kin."
John grinned and looked down at her, throwing an arm around her.
"I interrupted those efforts this morning and— i can assure you all John is making great sacrifices for the cause of peace."
"Yeah, all right." John stopped him, his arm still around Maddie.
"So it'll be us and the Lees against the Kimber boys," Tommy continued. "We take them out but leave the bookies. I expect a swift victory which will send a signal all the way to London that we believe in letting legitimate business run peacefully."
"And uh, what about Kimber himself?" John asked.
"I'll deal with Kimber. Any other questions?"
"Yes." Polly nodded, standing at the doors of the betting den. "Does anybody object if i bring a new comer to the meeting?"
She opened the doors and everyone looked around confused.
"I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Shelby family," Ada stood with the small baby in her arms, smiling.
Everyone began clapping. The last time they'd seen Ada was the day of Johns wedding when she had given birth to Karl.
"Welcome home Ada," Tommy smiled. "We named him Karl," she told them, "after Karl Marx." Ada smiled.
"Karl bloody Marx." Arthur joked. "Let me get a look at him." He sighed, taking the baby from her arms."Here we go." John chuckled.
"Hey, look, he looks just like me!" Arthur lifted Karl up and placed his peaky cap on to the young boys head. "That's his arse that looks like you Arthur." John teased.
"He's alright, he's a Shelby."
"Well, Ada, am i forgiven?" Tommy asked. "If what aunt Polly says is true, you are." she folded her arms. He nodded slowly. "It's true."
Ada wrapped her arms around her older brother. "Thank you Tommy."
-
Madeline stood in the den, discreetly turning her head when she heard the light chatter between a few men. "I heard someone say that Kimber's men are in the lane— saying they're after Thomas."
Her eyes widened and she quickly grabbed her coat, wasting no time to get herself down to the Garrison.
To her luck, they hadn't left for the races yet. "John— John." Madeline spotted her husband and grabbed his arm. He frowned. "Mads? What you doin' here?" John asked.
"Kimber's men are on their way— you've been betrayed." She said quickly, looking around for Tommy. And as if on queue, he exited with the blonde barmaid from the back room.
"Tommy you can't go to the races. Kimber and his men are coming here— somebody must have betrayed you." She rushed her words. Thomas' face fell and he went to grab his coat.
Madeline couldn't take her eyes from the barmaid and the guilty look that sat across her features. It was her. She'd betrayed Tommy. Maddie didn't know much about the woman but just from the way Grace was standing, Madeline knew she wasn't the trustworthy kind. But unfortunately Tommy hadn't been able to spot that.
"Madeline—" Tommy placed a hand on her back. "Come back to the house." He instructed. John bit his tongue at the placement of his brother's hand but kept quiet.
Tommy was quick to return Madeline to the house.
"Ada, wake up." Tommy slammed the door, waking up Ada and startling Polly. "You, the baby get into the bullring where there's lots of people."
"What's going on?" Polly asked. "We've been fucking betrayed." he hissed, running a hand across his face. "Someone let slip, Kimber and his men are on their way here."
"Tommy who else knew about today." Polly asked. He hit his fist on the table.
"Thomas— it was the barmaid. I can tell. The moment I looked at her I could tell." Madeline spoke up. Polly frowned at her but agreed with a slight nod. "My family will already be on their way to the races so you'll be alone. You'll also be outnumbered."
"Who knew she was smart?" Polly sniggered. Madeline ignored her.
Tommy ran a hand over his face and let out a breath. All their head turned to the door as John entered, his chest heaving up and down.
"Tom, what's going on? He asked his brother. Tommy held a hand up to stop him talking. "Kimber is on his way, the Lee's are too far to turn back and get here in time. We're going to have to do this by ourselves. Get Finn and let's go." Tommy instructed.
Madeline followed after them quickly. "I want to come with." She said. John and Tommy looked at her with confusion. "Are ya fucking joking. No way." John refused.
"Please." She begged.
This was the one thing that would remind her of home. Being involved, the fighting. Even if she wasn't involved. But deep down she knew that the reason she wanted to go was because she wanted to be able to know if John was okay.
John and Tommy shared a glance. "I'm coming even if you don't want me to." She shrugged, walking off ahead of them.
"You've married a mad woman, John." Tommy huffed, grabbing a gun and following her. John tried not to laugh and walked with him. "She misses home, Tom."
"What— She misses guns and fighting?" Thomas questioned. John shrugged. "I suppose, yeah." John said. "Tom," he said before they got into the Garrison again. "If she gets hurt i'll kill you with my own hands."
Tommy wanted to argue with his younger brother but decided not to. The look in John's eyes is what told Thomas that John truly cared about his wife.
"If she gets hurt, she'll be dying a true gypsy death." Tommy said bluntly.
John fumed and shook his head slowly. "Fuck you, Tom." He huffed, shoving past him to go back inside the pub.
The moment he saw Maddie, he was quick to stand behind the chair she was sat in. He draped his arms across her front and placed a kiss on the top of her head. Madeline put her hands on his lower arms and listened carefully as Tommy began telling everyone the situation.
"You," he pointed at her, "you're to stay indoors at all times. You don't come out. Not even if you hear a gun fire. Not if you're scared John has been injured. You stay within these walls."
She discreetly rolled her eyes and looked to the side. She would've argued with him but remembered she wasn't at home anymore.
John squeezed her shoulder reassuringly before leaning down to kiss her. "Please listen to Tommy, Mads. Don't come outside of the pub." He whispered, using his thumb to draw small circles on her skin. She gave him a soft smile and nodded.
Madeline knew she'd probably not abide by those rules but nevertheless she agreed.
Not a lot of time passed before she could hear the muffled shouting of Tommy whilst he gave some sort of speech to the men. That's how she knew Kimber was near.
Madeline decided to hover beside the window, peering through the small part of it that wasn't frosted over. She could see Kimber's crowd approaching and she dug her nails into her palms.
Her eyes widened when Ada pushed through the crowd with Karl in hospital pram. "Jesus Christ this family really is mad." She whispered to herself.
"What are you doing?!" Freddie shouted, lowering his gun.
Freddie was back? Madeline was severely confused at what was happening in front of her.
"I believe you boys call this no man's land." she stated loudly. "Ada—" Freddie repeated. "Shut up and listen." She cut him off.
"Have you lost your mind?" he shouted. "I said shut up!" Ada fumed. Kimber looked around, confused. "Now, most of you were in France." she reminded. "So you all know what happens next, i've got brothers and a husband up there.But you've all got somebody waiting for you." she shouted.
"Now i'm wearing black in preparation" she nodded, holding her hat. "I want you to look at me.." she hissed, "i want you all to look at me!" Ada demanded.
Maddie took a breath and decided to leave the Garrison in hopes to hear better — hoping Kimber and Tommy would settle it like men and put down the guns.
"Who'll be wearing black for you?" Ada asked. "Think about them."Think about them right now. And fight if you want to, but we aren't moving anywhere."
"She's right you know," Kimber interrupted, "why should all you men die, it should just be them who caused it."
Madeline slowly stepped forward, getting closer to Tommy and everybody else. Suddenly a gun fired and Danny Whizz-Bang ran forward, bullets firing into his chest. He fell on to the floor a few metres away from them. Madeline raised her hands to her ears and slowly backed away, feeling for the Garrison door but keeping her eyes on the men before her.
She somehow pushed the door open and clutched her chest, gasping for air. The gunshots echoed in her ears. Images flashed in her head of the night her father died.
He died in almost an identical situation. A war between two Gypsy Families. He was caught in the crossfire when he was trying to diffuse the situation.
Madeline remembered everything. She sat watching from the trees when it all happened.
"We need to settle this. This war has been going on for too long." A oldish, dirty looking man said loudly, his gun in hand. The Lees stood with Madeline's father, all sharing glances. "Nobody has to die to end a war," Her father spoke. The man on the other side scoffed. The man had a face not even a dead man could forget but Madeline couldn't see his face. "A war isn't a war without a little bloodshed." He spoke.
Madeline's father took a deep breath. "Listen, our families have been on the same side for years. And now we're fighting a war over something so small."
"I want to fight like the real men we are." He argued.
Madeline's father, James, nodded. "Real men don't fight petty wars, Arthur." He said confidently. "Now my daughter is stood over there," he pointed. "You have children at home too— three of them. All of which are destined for the life we all have. It's in their blood. So Arthur, for the sake of our children please think about what you're doing."
Madeline slowly walked forward, her bare feet starting to grow cold from the mud. Her dark hair was blowing in the wind and she squinted. "Dad!" She called out.
"Young one, stay there." Arthur spoke to her.
"Don't you set eyes on my daughter. The eyes of a woman-beating-man should not look at my daughter." James hissed angrily.
Arthur grinned and aimed his gun. Everything began moving in slow motion for Maddie as she watched, starting to panic. She took a few more steps forward but was quickly pulled back by a pair of arms when a shot fired.
A blood-curdling scream was heard leaving the girl's mouth when she watched her father fall to his knees, clutching his chest and gasping. Only seconds later he fell onto his front, taking his last few breaths. Madeline kicked and screamed, forcing her way out of the arms of whoever had grabbed her.
She was quick to get to James and grab him, trying to roll him on to his back but he was too heavy. "Dad!" She asked, "Dad..dad are you there? Da-" She let out a shaky breath and slowly looked up at the man who had shot her.
That's when she saw his face. A face she never thought she'd forget. But oh would she forget it.
Madeline had tears rolling down her face and she couldn't think straight. The only thought in her head was about the blade that had been sat in her pocket all day after she stole it from one of the Lee boys.
Madeline quickly reached for it and charged at Arthur, slashing his cheek with the metal blade. "You killed him!" She screamed. "You killed my dad!"
"Madeline." A voice spoke. "Madeline what's happened?" It was John. Madeline snapped out of her trance of reliving her fathers death and grabbed onto her husbands arms who was trying to keep her stood on her feet.
Her eyes searched his face and Madeline couldn't breath. "It was him." She said between broken breaths. "Your bastard father killed my dad." She said angrily.
John's face dropped and his lips parted.
"I knew i'd seen his face somewhere— and he knew who I was from the moment he sat down at that table. He was taunting me! He called me young one— he called me that the day he killed my dad."
She was hysterical. John tried to wrap his arms around her to console her but it was no use, she fought against him. "Get off me!"
Some of the Blinders had stopped to see what was going on but they couldn't figure it out. "What's going on— John, what's up with her?" Polly appeared from nowhere. John ignored his aunt and continued to attempt calming his wife down.
"Mads, stop fighting me— i'm not my dad, alright? I'm John. It's me." He said loud enough for her to hear. "Fucking listen to me!"
Polly moved John out of the way and gently forced Madeline on to a chair, holding her hands tightly. "Madeline, love, take a moment. Tell me what's the matter." Polly whispered.
Madeline looked everywhere but in the woman's eyes, shaking her head. "He killed him. Their dad killed him." She repeated shakily. Polly knew what Madeline was talking about. "Oh, love." Polly said sympathetically.
Polly reached up to move Maddie's hair behind her ears and quietly hushed her, squeezing her hands. "He's not here and he'll never be around you, love. And with John around, you'll never see him again. If there's one promise John will never break, it's that he'll never be the man his father was. And he will never let a man like him hurt his wife." Polly said sternly.
Madeline slowly regained her breath and squeezed her eyes closed. "I saw it all again, Polly. I saw it in my head."
"I know— I know." Polly nodded. "But you're safe with us. I can promise you that." Polly assured her.
Never once did Madeline ever think she'd be sat in the corner of the Garrison whilst Polly Gray consoled her over the death of her father and the fact her own husband's dad killed him.
James Reynolds-Lee was a kind man who never enjoyed the conflict. He loved his daughter more than anything. And if he'd have known that Madeline would witness such a sight, he'd have stayed far away from that gang fight.
༻♡༺
i didn't proof read this but here is the end of act 1. any opinions?????