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The Loveridge family sat around their new dining table in their new house, a good, solid meal sitting in the middle of the table; the smell of the meat sitting heavy in the air. Everyone had been overwhelmed by the house when they rode out to see it, spending Passover in it. They all ate happily, laughing and telling each other about their day.
James had began to remember little things more and more often, Polly's remedy's seeming to be doing the job. He'd remember Will first, then the eldest Shelby's, as well as Edward. But he was yet to remember the rest of them, Sadie included. But he'd also remembered other things, like dates of significant events; their father's birthday being the first. She'd done her best to remain patient, but it was beginning to hurt more and more then it did with each passing day of him missing.
The Loveridge girl stood when the phone began to ring, wiping her hands on her napkin before she strode toward the hall where the telephone stood. She answered it as it rang for the fifth time, holding it up. She instantly bombarded with Polly's hysteric voice, her eyes going wide.
'Pol, take a breath,' She suggested; 'What's happened?'
'They took Michael,' Polly cried; 'The fucking police took Michael. They took him away from me, Sadie. They arrested him.'
'Alright, I'm coming. Does Tommy know?'
'I don't know where he is.'
'May Carleton's. Carleton One. I'll be there soon, Polly.'
The woman didn't reply as the phone rang dead, a long sigh leaving her mouth as she slammed the phone down.
'Fuck me,' She exclaimed.
She marched up to her room, changing into an older dress before she pulled her boots on. She stomped back down the stairs, grabbing Jimmy's bridle off the hook by the door.
'Sadie, where're you going?' James asked.
'Michael's been arrested and Pol's in hysterics,' She informed them; 'I'll be back by morning. If not, then soon.'
'Be safe,' Edward called.
'I will.'
She whistled for Jimmy, pulling his bridle on in the dim light coming from the house before she launched herself onto his back; letting him lead her home.
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Sadie sat in the betting dead with her head resting on her fist, her eyes struggling to stay open. She'd spent the night looking after Polly, before she rang the farm and informed her family she was safe. But, with Polly laying in her lap and all the curtains closed, she never slept; her inner nightmares getting the better of her.
'John?' Thomas pressed as he walked into the room.
'The coppers have lifted ten of our men in Camden Town, the rest of them are on the run,' John in formed him.
'Tom, They've taken Michael,' Finn started.
'Business first,' Thomas held his hand toward him.
'They took Michael last night,' Polly exclaimed.
'I said business first.'
'They picked him up-'
'Polly, business first! John?'
'They took all our whisky, so no doubt they'll be supping that for Christmas,' John continued; 'They've impounded all our vans, put their own locks on the warehouse... The Eden Club and all our pubs have been raided by the coppers and handed back to Sabini and Solomons. The Black Country boys think it was Arthur killed Billy because that's what the coppers told them. So there'll be no more free passes for our whiskey boats.'
'I don't give a fuck about whiskey. I don't give a fuck about Billy Kitchen. I want my son out of prison. Now,' Polly yelled.
'Thomas, I spoke to Johnny Dogs,' Esme spoke up.
'This meeting should just be family.'
'I can help.'
'It's family only, she is not blood, Tommy!'
'Do you want me to leave then?' Sadie exclaimed as she stood.
'Let her speak. Sadie, sit down,' Thomas yelled.
'Or is this a business? Have you forgotten?' Polly sneered.
'Enough, Polly. Enough!'
The pair had a stand down as Thomas held his hand up, silencing her.
'Esme?' He encouraged.
'I spoke to Johnny Dogs. The Lees are kin,' Esme explained.
'The bloody Lees!' Polly yelled.
'They can give us men!'
'We don't need more fucking men! It's men that have done the damage! It- It is men fighting like cockerels that have put us here in the first place.'
'Esme, I'll take up their offer,' Thomas agreed to her offer; 'We need men.'
'If Michael ever gets out of prison, I am taking him away from this family. For good. This life is bad. This life is all bad.'
The woman grabbed Finn as she stepped forward, pulling him out of the room; the boy muttering to her in confusion.
'Thomas?' Esme queried; 'Should I go and speak to Queen Mary Lee at the Black Patch?'
He didn't reply for a moment before he looked up, 'Yes.'
'She can give us soldiers for a few nights.'
'Good.'
There was silence again, Esme staring down at the man as he sat across from her husband.
'John, go and bring up the car,' She instructed.
He looked at his wife confused, finally getting her message when she motioned her head to the side.
'Come on, Sadie,' He lifted the girl up; 'Let's go.'
She groaned in reply as she was forced to walk, a yawn leaving her mouth as they left the building. The girl clambered onto Jimmy's back lazily, clicking him onward with a slight tap of her heels.
'Where're you off to?' John called after her.
'To make sure Polly gets in to see her son,' She replied over her shoulder.
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Sadie strode into the prison with a glare set on her face, a guard walking closely behind her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a note of money, passing it to him as he passed her. He lead her through the jail and to the visiting room, motioning for her to take a seat as he went to get Michael. She looked around the grey room, at the barred windows and dusty windowsills, and at all the gloomy faces of the prisoners.
She looked up when she heard footsteps approaching, Michael approaching the table with handcuffs around his wrists; his face all beat up. He was pushed down to sit before the guard walked a few steps away, leaning against the wall. Neither of them said anything for a moment, the boy looking over her bruised cheek and black eye as she looked over his split lip and own set of black eyes.
'What're you doing here?' Michael was the first to speak up.
'Came to see if your mum's been by yet,' She replied.
'No. Haven't seen her.'
'Then where the fuck is she?'
The girl leant back into the seat, running a hand over her face as she looked up at the roof.
'They're looking for you too, you know?' He muttered lowly.
'What?' She replied as she sat forward slowly.
'The coppers. They're looking for you, too.'
'I'll be alright.'
'No, you need to get out of here.'
'Michael, I'm ok. They won't touch me in here, would cause a riot. They'll wait until I step outside the walls before they attack.'
'You're gonna let them take you?'
'No. Never. You see, once I step outside those walls, I'm gonna disappear into thin air.'
He watched the amused smirk on her lips, a cheeky glint in her eyes, as she spoke. She seemed to find it rather amusing.
'You see,' She whispered as she pulled out her pocket watch; 'Everyday a mob of protesters for women's rights march past this here jail and make their way through the town at exactly ten oh two. And I just decided that I have a strong desire to support them.'
Sadie tried to suppress her chuckle as she thought over her plan and every single thing that could go wrong in the process, the smirk on her lips only growing.
'Tommy'll get you out of here,' She stated; 'Or Polly. I would try, but... Not exactly powerful enough.'
'I'm sure you could try,' He smirked.
'I'm sure I could, too. But I'd rather get married one day and have children, not hang.'
'I don't understand you.'
'What?'
'You're shy sometimes, then you're like this.'
'Depends on the place and time.'
She checked the time, five minutes. She tucked it away, leaning forward to place a hand on Michael's.
'It won't be long now,' She informed him with a light squeeze of her hand.
'Thank you, Sadie,' He sent her a tight smile.
She sent him a wink before she stood, nodding to the guard as she turned to walk away. Michael watched after her, still smirking to himself as he was dragged back through the prison; a new found attraction toward the girl forming in his mind. Sadie was well aware to the guard following her through the halls of the prison, the shouting of the women making their way up the path growing closer.
She was patted down once more and a form was signed, before she was allowed to step out of the gate; exactly as the women passed by. The girl stepped right into the crowd, pulling a hat onto her head as she raised a fist into the air; shouting at the top of her lungs. Behind her, she could hear the confused shouts of the guards, peeking over her shoulder to find them looking around as they threw their arms up.
A snort of laughter slipping through her lips when one shouted, 'Fucking gypsies!'
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The Loveridge's rode together back into Small Heath the next morning, singing in Romani as they went; James merely just laughing at them as he rode with Will. Sadie had gotten back to the farm house the previous afternoon, to spend the few hours left of Passover with her family. Now, they had to get back to work in town.
They rode to the docks, passing their horses off to Curly and Charlie before they headed back home. Flossie and Peter ran through the streets and out of sight, leaving the elder four to walk in a calmer manner. They all had a smoke between their lips, the boys with their bakerboy hats pulled low; James beginning to wear his again in hope he could remember more. Sadie broke off from the group when they passed their house, the boys continuing down to the betting den to see if there was any news on Arthur or Michael.
She opened the door for her siblings, letting them race in to grab some food before they raced out again with a quick goodbye. She shook her head at them with a chuckle, kicking the front door shut before she headed up stairs to dress into something more appropriate for work. Her dress had just fallen to the ground when a knock came at the door, she let out a groan as she searched for a night gown.
'I'm coming,' She called when another knock sounded.
Sadie raced down the stairs with a gun in hand, hiding it behind the door as she pulled open a slither.
'Michael?' She queried when she saw the boy.
She opened the door for him to come in, before she shut the door quickly behind him; locking it once more. She fixed up her gown, her gun still in hand as she crossed her arms over her chest. The boy stood before her silently, finishing the rest of his cigarette.
'I'm just going to pop upstairs and dress, then we'll talk,' She informed him; 'Help yourself to whatever.'
He nodded once, letting her move back up stairs quickly. Sadie let her gown fall down her arms and onto the ground as she searched for a dress, unaware to the quiet footsteps making their way up the stairs. She stood their in her satin slip, fingers nimbly moving through her dresses as Michael came to lean in the door frame.
'Can't choose?' He asked.
'Fuck,' She jumped; 'Again? Really?'
'You're just jumpy.'
'And I have every right to be.'
She pulled a pale green dress out, laying it out on her bed before she moved to pick up the clothes on the floor.
'Are you just gonna stand there and watch me dress?' She cocked a brow at the boy.
'If you'll let me,' He smirked.
The girl shook her head, turning away from him to step into her dress; nimbly doing up all the buttons she could reach. She let out a sign when she couldn't reach a few toward the middle of her back, turning to face Michael with a pleading gaze. He nodded, putting his cigarette out in her ashtray on her bedside table as he approached her. Her lips parted slightly as his finger tip brushed over the back of her neck, moving her hair out of the way.
Michael did up her buttons slowly, his front lightly pressed up against her back. Butterflies sat heavy in her stomach, her shyness pushing its way to the front as she lowered her head. Her eyes closed when the boy placed a soft kiss to the side of her neck, his hands coming to rest lightly on her waist. Sadie didn't move as he continued to place kisses up her neck, her head tilting to the side to let him do so.
She slowly turned around to face him, resting her forehead against his own as she hesitantly moved to kiss one another. She would move her lips a little closer before moving them back, her eyes closed and Michael's hands gripping at her waist. The Loveridge girl brought her hands up to cup his neck as he finally kissed her hard, pulling her waist into his. She kissed him back with just as much passion, his teeth biting her lip lightly as he pulled back.
They stood forehead to forehead, staring into one another's eyes as their chests heaved. She leant up and kissed him softly one last time, before she pulled back; remaining in his arms as he held her there. Sadie ran her thumb along the edge of his lip, removing the nude lipstick from his skin with a small smile. Her eyes searched his as her tongue ran over her lower lip, watching as his gaze dropped to them for a second.
'You'll have to take me out first if you want anything more, Mr Gray,' She whispered.
'How about tonight? I'll cook us a meal and we'll stay at the house,' He replied with a smirk.
'Alright, but you better pick me up on horseback.'
'I can do that.'
She chuckled, lowering her head as she moved away; straightening out her dress.
'Come on, we're late for work,' She informed him.
The girl grabbed her jacket from the end of her bed, throwing it over her arm as she walked out the door with her heels in hand. He followed after her quickly, wrapping his arms around her from behind; earning a round of laughter to spill from her lips. She tilted her head back to let him kiss her lips again as she slipped her shoes on, becoming the same height as him.
'Oh, and I wouldn't tell me brothers,' She smirked.
'Why?' He asked.
'Because something tells me you'd like to be able to have sex in the near future.'
Michael swallowed as he looked over her face as she spun around, shaking his head as he offered her his arm which she took before they started up the street.