CHAPTER TEN | just like old times
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Lucie had woken up and gone about her day feeling a warm, fuzzy sensation in her stomach. Waking up with Tommy's arm wrapped around her made her heart skip a beat. She loved the rare moments of affection that Tommy would show.
Although now she sat in front of the small fire she'd lit in her home, which she'd neglected for the past few days. The fire crackled and spluttered as it was reaching its final fiery breaths. Sitting by the fire comforted her, she had not done it in a long while, due to her consistent shifts at the pub. Today was her first full day off. So she'd dedicated the day to reading 'Romeo and Juliet'.
"My bounty is as endless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee the more I have, for both are infinite."
All Lucie could think of was Tommy.
It had been half a year since she'd first met Thomas Shelby. Half a year since she began to fall, hard.
Lucie was only 22 but she was filled with naivety. Lucie didn't do boyfriends back in her home town. She didn't do 'boyfriends' in Small Heath either. Sure she'd felt attraction towards boys before, kissed a few. But nothing ever long term or serious.
Tommy made her feel different. Maybe it was that he was older? Or a gangster? Maybe it was the shit fumes that surrounded Small Heath getting to Lucie's head.
Polly knew the girl loved her nephew, she could see it in her eyes. Deep down somewhere she knew Tommy loved her too. He just wouldn't show it.
It was Lucie's twenty third birthday in the next week. She wasn't all too excited, her birthday would be a normal one.
She'd clean her house a few days before hand, maybe have Polly and Ada round, have a little whiskey and then go to sleep. Nothing exciting. Although Lucie found cleaning her house somewhat calming. But her house was never messy or dirty, in fact it was clean and organised, not big at all, but decorated cozily. That was all that mattered.
Cleaning weirdly reminded her of her mother and father. Her parents were, odd to others. But nevertheless she loved and missed them. Her parents were always smart before their time, they didn't act like other parents. They didn't frown upon babies being born out of wedlock or same sex relationships.
Lucie was becoming bored of being alone in her home, so she decided to nip to The Garrison to see if Harry needed any help today. If not, she planned to use some money she'd put aside to buy a new dress, Lucie was getting tired of wearing the same old blue dress. Plain boring blue dress.
Lucie was walking slowly through a derelict section of the blinders territory. She wanted to walk the long way to The Garrison since it wasn't raining. It wasn't long before a young girl in a white dress came bashing into Lucie.
"Be more careful for —." Lucie stopped to look at the girl. "Ada?"
Lucie was a loss for words. Ada Shelby. In a wedding dress? Before Lucie knew, Ada had engulfed her into a tight embrace.
"What the fucks going on, Ada Shelby?"
"I'll be Ada Thorne in a half hour."
Lucie was dumbfound. But ecstatic for her best friend. They shared a quick goodbye and good luck after Ada explained she needed to get going before someone saw her. Lucie was told under no circumstances she was allowed to tell Thomas.
A smile was plastered on Lucie's face, Ada told her Polly knew about it too, so instead of going to The Garrison, she would nip round Polly's first.
Lucie was running and squealing like a pig that's been told it's Sunday's hog roast. Upon reaching Polly's door, she didn't bother knocking, instead she ran in repeatedly shouting Polly's name.
"Polly! Polly! You'll never guess who —." Lucie's excited words came to a halt when she saw Thomas in the room with Polly.
"Lucie sit down child. I have news, although I'm guessing you already know." Polly took a drag from her cigarette.
"Are you armed?" Polly was being cautious, if Thomas was armed he'd most likely shoot someone when he found out.
"No." Thomas began folding his coat and placing it over a chair at the table, which he then occupied.
"Then I'll tell you." Polly paused, "Ada and Freddie Thorne we're married today. They defied your orders, they haven't left the city."
Tommy got up and walked towards the window, Lucie immediately felt uncomfortable and wished she'd never run into the house, but now she sat awaiting Thomas' reply.
"I'll deal with it." Polly intercepted, "Thomas. I'll deal with it."
"Where are they?" Thomas finally spoke.
"Safe house, why'd you want to know?" Lucie was becoming worried, but she was too frightened to get up and leave.
Lucie zoned out of their conversation, but was brought back to reality when Polly slammed the doors to the adjoining betting den.
"I told the coppers Freddie wouldn't come back. It was part of the deal."
"What bloody deal?" Polly was angry. It's never a good thing to anger Polly Gray.
"You get Freddie out of town Pol, or else I'll deal with him myself." Thomas began to leave, and Lucie took this as a chance for her to leave too.
She'd already scribbled a note to say she'd come back later, so now she'd left the home and was trying to keep an non suspicious distance between her and Thomas as she walked towards The Garrison.
"Why're you following me, eh?" Tommy's words were cold and harsh.
"I'm going to The Garrison. I'm not following you." Lucie's voice was trembling and her hands shaking as she walked.
Tommy never said anything else, he just kept walking, luckily he didn't enter the pub, leaving Lucie to enter alone.
She could see that it was quiet, but there was just Harry and no Grace.
"It's your day off Luce, what'cha doing here?'' Harry shouted, quiet gleefully.
"Bored on me own Harry, no Grace today?"
"Never showed."
She's probably out killing someone, was Lucie's only thought. And that was completely right. But Lucie didn't know.
Lucie spent a few hours working in the pub, it was around nine when she told Harry she'd be leaving. It felt nice to work again.
Without Grace.
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Lucie was back in the pub, working with Grace, who was not herself. At all. Lucie was planning to politely ask Grace if she was okay. When really she wanted information. She'd heard an IRA man had been killed, the one who came into the pub not so long ago.
Whilst Lucie and Grace cleaned the glasses, a very pregnant, Ada came running in. She looked like a mad woman.
"Have you seen Freddie Thorne?" Ada asked Grace, heaving heavily.
"Luce, have you seen him?" Ada's face contorted in pain.
"No, Love. Sit down Ada please, your hurting yourself." Lucie ran round the bar and held onto Ada.
"Have you seen Tommy, Luce?" Ada gritted her teeth.
"Haven't seen him since three day ago. What's wrong, Ada?" Lucie was frantic, but trying to calm her at the same time.
"I have to find Freddie." Ada began to stand up, Grace cam flying round the bar with a glass of water in hand.
"Drink this first." At least she was being caring, wasn't like that last time.
"No, I have to find them. I think they're gonna' kill each other." Ada got up and began to walk away. Letting out the odd pained gasp as she stood up.
Lucie and Grace let Ada leave, they knew they wouldn't be able to keep her.
"Grace? You alright?" Lucie asked tentatively.
"Fine." The word was sharp.
Lucie placed the glass she was cleaning onto the bar and turned to Grace. Lucie knew the girl was lying. When Grace was in the village with Lucie, they were extremely close, since Lucie didn't know her truth. But she could tell when Grace was lying.
"I did it." Grace whispered, wringing her hands.
"Did what Grace? Are you okay?" Lucie placed a hand on Graces shoulder.
"I shot the IRA man." Lucie felt like she'd been punched. The air leaving her body. Grace looked pale and sick once she'd said the words.
Lucie did something she'd never thought she'd do ever again. She hugged Grace. But the most surprising thing. Grace hugged her back.
The two ended up talking for a long while, they'd locked the door so they could talk alone. By the end of it Lucie and Grace felt nostalgic to the old days.
"Just enjoy tomorrow Grace, that's all you've got to do." Lucie smiled.
"You love him, don't you?" Grace told Lucie. She couldn't deny it. She did. Of course she did. Well she thought so anyways, Lucie has never experienced love. Only lies.
"Ever since I first saw him, almost seven months ago." Lucie took a drag of a cigarette.
"I can see it when you look at him. You look like the child I knew." Grace smiled softly.
"That child left a long time ago. Grace, don't let him get hurt." Lucie pleaded.
"I won't let it be like last time."