Charlotte danced around her bedroom in her undergarments, humming as the gramophone filled the house with music and charlotte with serotonin. Tommy sat in the kitchen, slightly slouched in the chair, his head in the paper. It was still fairly early so he was sat without his suit jacket on, a sight charlotte preferred,she loved him in just his shirt and waistcoat. Charlotte made her way round the upstairs of her house, getting herself ready for the day as tommy didn't batter an eyelid at his girls behaviour being used to her routine,smiling slightly when he heard her singing certain part of the songs.
One thing about Charlotte Windsor is she was naturally gifted, not just in terms of beauty but in other regions as-well. That girl could sing, better then anyone she'd heard before, in the words of aunt polly. She was quite the actor also, showing her talents at a young age when her and millie used to create small films to perform to their mothers. However she never put any of her talents to use, as much as polly persisted she should give the luxurious life a go, claiming they'd see her beauty and talent and send her off to Hollywood, Charlotte was never to interested,so she would say, although that was bending the truth slightly. In all honesty she'd love to go off and perhaps become a film-star, she'd enjoy it. However their was one thing that she couldn't stand the idea of leaving, have a guess, that "one thing" was Thomas Shelby.
"Tommy" charlotte shouted over the music, trying to reach him from upstairs. "Yes sweetheart" he swiftly replied, walking to the kitchen door to see her head leaning over the banister.
"Can you please pass me my dress, it's in the pile of washing i ironed yesterday" she smiled tracing her eyes up and down his body, smirking slightly at her man. Nodding his head he began going through the pile, in hopes of finding the dress in question. "Lottie" he shouted slightly, not sure whether she wanted the navy blue or pink dress. Picking the pair up he walked over to the bottom of the stairs shouting up to his girlfriend again. "Lottie girl" he tried a third time, watching as she hopped round the corner attempting to put her other foot in her tights. Earning a laugh from the pair as he lifted both of his hands in the air,showcasing both. "left one please" she smiled, catching it in one hand, first try. Lifting her eyebrows in surprise, playfully waiting for tommy to congratulate her she turned her attention to the knock on the door, as did tommy. Walking towards the door he glanced back up to the top of the stairs where charlotte stood, being completely visible to whoever was on the other side, gesturing his head he signalled for her to move so whoever was at the door wouldn't see his half dressed girlfriend. Opening the door, he sighed at the sight of polly. "Good morning to you too Thomas" she sarcastically remarked "what you doing here so early?" he questioned, a slight frown on his face. "Where's Lottie?" receiving only another sigh from tommy, in reply to her answering a question with another question. "she's upstairs,why?" he slightly exaggerated the why, making it very clear he was growing agitated. "I need to speak with her and you actually" she muttered, watching as he widened the door to let her in. Making his way back into the kitchen he shouted up to Charlotte. "Get dressed and come down Lottie" not missing the slight smile that had came about his aunt's face at the marital and homely ambience that polluted the household.
"if it's about Lottie pol, i need to know" he demanded with a slight nod of his head. "it's about her brother" she spoke in reply, watching as the Windsor girl walked in. "What about him" she frowned, growing slightly concerned.
"Nothing to be worried about, Arthur tells me he was arrested last night" she retorted, lighting a smoke. A deep frown took place on Charlottes face "arrested, what why?" she questioned, in pure confusion. "he's been fighting, wrong place wrong time and the coppers found him" polly replied, as if she was telling her the bloody weather. "what do you mean? well do they know he's a blinder?" the brunette quickly replied, eager to find out how he landed himself in a cell. "something to with that inspector" she shrugged, glancing over to tommy. "oh for fucks sake" charlotte groaned leaning her head on Tommy's shoulder. "i don't know what's up with him lately" she sighed at the behaviour that is very unlike her brother. "he's not been the same after you lost your mother Lottie, you know that" tommy replied,settling her theories as to why her brother has changed slightly. "leave it to me" tommy nodded before walking to the table to grab his cigarettes. "Thank you Tom" she smiled sincerely before taking a seat in-front of polly.
"Come on Lottie" tommy shouted from outside her house, leaning against his car. "Two seconds" she shouted back placing a light amount of lipstick on her lips. He glanced down at the time, nodding his head towards men who greeted him as they passed. Diverting his attention to Charlottes door as it opened, his eyes breezed up and down her body as she descended towards him. "Eyes are up here Shelby" she chuckled as she lightly placed a kiss on his lips, jumping in the car as he opened the door for her.
"you look beautiful,as always" he complimented her, scanning her pretty face. Smiling at his words, she squeezed his hand lightly. "you still haven't told me where we're going" she retorted, keeping her eyes on him. "that's because you'd protest, but it's for the best" he replied, glancing over to meet her eyes. "well you've got me worried now" she frowned ever so slightly. "trust me" he simply spoke, turning his attention back to the road.
"you don't need to tell me to do that tommy, i do" she shot back, looking out the window.
Walking over to Polly, she frowned at the scene in-front of her. "have you got any idea what he's doing pol?" she sighed heavily, dreading what he has planned. "i think i might have an idea" she smiled sympathetically, knowing charlotte wouldn't approve of what tommy's done. The women glanced over to the men who had made their way up the hill, john in the middle of them. However they brought their attention back to each other, falling into a conversation about ada. "do you know where she is?" polly asked the brunette, in hopes that ada had told charlotte. "No pol, she hasn't mentioned anything to me" she sympathetically replied, the pair simultaneously worrying about the Shelby girl. As charlotte was to speak, she looked over to a pretty brunette girl dressed all in a white, a wedding. "Which one?" she questioned, quite abruptly. "Eh?" polly replied, slightly perplexed at the random question. "Which brother has he married off then?" she replied, annoyance riddling her tone. However before polly could reply, scud boat came running over to Charlotte. "Your needed Lottie, come with me" Sending one last confused glance over to polly, she nodded her head following the man.
Furrowing her eyebrows at the sight of john kicking off, she caught eyes with tommy sending a glare his way even though she was about to sort out whatever shit he had created,like she always would. "It's alright for you tommy, you've got fucking lottie!" john bellowed, trying to shake the men off him. "Im not marrying a fucking mushroom picker" he diverted his attention to charlotte who had slightly squeezed his arm sending him a small smile. "you won't be marrying a mushroom picker John, i've caught sight of her she's a pretty thing" charlotte reassured him, evidently calming him just by her presence.
"If anything you've had a result, won't have to worry about trying to pull her" she chuckled, glancing to john as the men laughed at her comment.
"Trust me" she gently nodded her head, understanding why he was so hesitant about the whole thing. Nodding his head he roughly pulled out of the hold the men had on him to stop him making a run for it, and instead held his arm out for Lottie.
"What am i walking you down the isle now?" she remarked, jokingly.
"it all went out the window when my "isle"was a filthy fucking road" he mumbled, a slight smile evident in his voice. Walking slightly ahead of the rest of the group, she glanced over at tommy as if to say "your welcome" receiving a wink in return.
"Your a bloody wonder women Lottie" johnny dogs bellowed, releasing a round of laughter from the men and a slight smirk from Lottie.
Stood beside Tommy, she noticed his attention sidetrack to someone walking towards them, leaning her head back just by a little bit she caught eyes with ada a wide smile appearing on her face.
Ada quickened her pace before engulfing the Windsor girl in a hug "missed you" ada smiled into her shoulder, inhaling her familiar and comforting smell. "i missed you to ades" she smiled, catching tommy's eyes who watched the scene with a distant smile on his face. "now don't bloody do that again, tell me where you are next time " charlotte scolded, watching how ada nodded, smiling at charlottes caring behaviour. "go see your aunt pol she's been worried" the Windsor girl smiled before turning her attention to tommy.
"you gonna speak to her?"
"i'll give it a go, don't reckon i'll get much out of her" he shrugged, glancing back over to john. "she's your sister remember" she simply replied, linking her arm in his before catching eyes with john who looked back at her with a smile on his face.
Dancing with Arthur, Charlotte laughed as he swung her round, the pair just as amused as each-other. "Arth your gonna make me sick" she chuckled clinging onto him so he couldn't swing her round again. "Oi Lottie girl" john shouted boisterously, holding his arm out for her, as Arthur passed her over to john, spinning ada round straight after. "Esme this is my best-mate Charlotte" he smiled, looking over the moon he could show her off. "She's like me sister so you'll see a lot of her" he continued pulling her under his shoulder and ruffling her hair. "fuck off john" she laughed, straightening herself up and glancing back to Esme. "it's lovely to meet you Esme" she sincerely smiled. "It's lovely to meet you too Charlotte, i must say your beautiful" the lee girl smiled, holding onto johns arm. "that's very sweet of you, thank you" charlotte widened her smile at the lovely girl. "Are you tommy's girl?" she chuckled earning a slight laugh of confusion from Charlotte. "what makes you say that" she laughed once again. "He's looking over at you as if your the only girl who's ever walked the planet" she chuckled almost in awe, but before charlotte could reply john interrupted the girls. "i know, your surprised tommy loves someone ain't you?" he chuckled at the look on his wife's face "well he certainly adores her, i have to deal with it everyday" he teased as charlotte pushed him playfully.
Tommy sat alongside Maradona, one of the lee relatives. "I was going to ask you if you had a lover of your own Thomas" the women started, watching as slight confusion took form on Tommy's face. "But then i followed your eye-line and met that pretty girl who you look at like you've just discovered what love is" she chuckled earning a slight eyebrow raise from tommy. "she's got gypsy blood in her?" the brunette questioned watching as tommy nodded "mothers side"
"i thought so, she's going places i can sense it" she firmly stated watching as his eyes danced slightly watching his girl. "i don't doubt that" he nodded turning his attention to his aunt who had tapped him on the shoulder.
"Can you tell ada to slow down, she's going off like a headless chicken after being cooped up for months" their aunt expressed, wearily watching her niece.
"what makes you think she'll listen to me" he shrugged, keeping his eyes set on his sister wincing slightly as she threw herself about. "Oh jesus christ tommy do something" polly demanded, following him over to ada.
"Ada why don't you sit down for a bit?" her older brother propositioned, as-well as Arthur who encouraged her to slow down. "Esme come and have a look at the family you've joined, hunts down his own sister and now won't let her have a bloody dance" she frantically voiced, extracting the newly weds and Charlotte out of their conversation, making their way over to the scene un folding. "come on ada let's not make a scene at your brothers wedding" charlotte encouraged her hesitantly "oh and here's the girl who's heart he's gonna break, the only good bloody thing for him" she continued earning a frown from both tommy and charlotte.
Hearing a shriek from ada she looked down at the floor, a slight puddle at her feet. "Waters" she directed to polly, who held a knowing expression on her face. "oh fookin hell ada you do pick your bloody times" Arthur voiced loud enough so all the family had heard, most likely silently agreeing. "let's get you home" charlotte helped ada into the car, sitting beside her wincing slightly at how tight ada held her hand.
After a traumatic birth for poor ada, Charlotte smiled as she watched Freddie walk into the home, meeting his little boy. However she subverted her attention to the heavy footsteps she swore were descending towards the Shelby home, before she could process anything coppers had swarmed the home, quickly converting the once beautiful moment to a very very bittersweet one. "Your taking me away from my baby" Freddie pleaded, looking over to ada who was in a state to say the least. "don't hurt him. your hurting him" ada cried falling into polly's arms. "your taking him away from his child" charlotte voiced tears brimming her eyes in frustration. "get tommy's girl" one of the coppers commanded, charging towards her and roughly slamming her against the wall handcuffing her. "what the fuck are you doing?" charlotte shouted, completely unaware as to why she was being arrested. Polly charged for him, attempting to pry him off of their Charlotte however she had no hope and watched as they dragged the pair out of the household.
In a state of Fury, polly stormed into the pub making a beeline straight for tommy, hitting him in the chest before him and his brothers pulled her away from him. "it's a boy but the police came and took his father away" she spoke, tears filling her eyes. Concern and confusion became one on Tommys face as he rapidly tried to think of who would've shopped him. "Oh and tommy they've got your Lottie as-well" she spat at him slamming the doors on the way out. "What do you mean they've got fucking Lottie?" he shouted, his worry now turning into anger as he dwelled on the situation. "you heard her" john added "you better go and fucking get her tommy otherwise i'll sort it myself" he threatened before leaving the pub, all sorts of profanity's escaping tommy's mouth in frustration.
Descending down the dark and slightly eerie hallway, Charlotte attempted to pull and push, kick and scratch her way out of the situation she had somehow landed in. "your no Shelby girl in here charlotte" one of the coppers threw at her, one of his many attempts to intimidate and belittle her. Chucking her into a room she threw her hand up to cover her mouth, gasping at the state of her brother who was black and blue before glancing over to inspector Campbell who stood with a smirk on his face. "couldn't get a word out of your brother, he wouldn't speak. I'm sure you will" he spoke holding a sinister smile on his face.
"we meet again Charlotte, always a pleasure"