CHAPTER FORTY ONE | hammer the nail
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Lucie was awoken by a beam of light that flooded through a gap in the curtains, shining onto her face. Lucie looked around the unfamiliar bedroom, her breath quickening. She attempted to sit up but she was being kept down by a strong arm. Lucie began to worry. Until she saw who lay next to her. Tommy.
Lucie turned onto her side, Thomas' arm still draped over her waist. She moved her hand to his face, tracing shapes lightly on his cheeks. She slowly moved her hand towards his lips, tracing them too. She could see the sides of Thomas' lips curl as his eyes fluttered open, looking straight towards Lucie.
"Morning." Lucie smiled, her voice barley making a sound.
"I could get used to waking up with a view like this." Thomas smiled, his voice low.
"All you've got to do is ask." Lucie giggled.
"You won't be waiting long." Thomas smiled, leaning over, and placing gentle kisses on Lucie's face.
"I could lay here all day, but we've got an auction to attend, Mr Shelby." Lucie laughed, putting on the poshest voice she could.
"Come on then, I've - er - bought you a dress, it's in the wardrobe." Thomas tried his best to maintain his gangster style, but Lucie could see straight through it.
"Thomas! You can't be buying me things!" Lucie squealed, sitting up in Thomas' bed watching him walk to the wardrobe.
"Consider it an early christmas present." He spoke his voice back to the default setting as he pulled on a shirt.
"If I get a gift at Christmas I won't be happy Mr. Shelby." Lucie joked, running her hand through her hair, after pulling the duvet up to cover her.
"Looks like you'll have a sad Christmas." Thomas spoke. pulling out the dress he'd bought for Lucie.
"You spoil me Thomas. Too much." Lucie laughed.
The dress was something Lucie would've picked for herself. It was simple yet beautiful. It gave the illusion of a skirt and blouse, however sewn together. The bodice was a white blouse with a small collar, attached to a black pleated skirt. When Lucie looked at the label inside the neckline she was shocked.
'𝚂𝚌𝚘𝚝𝚝 𝚃𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚜'
"No, you didn't. Tommy!" Lucie squealed, leaping from the bed to engulf her boyfriend in a tight embrace, which was returned fondly.
"Right, hurry up now, we've got ten minutes." Thomas shooed Lucie to hurry.
The car was parked up outside of Polly's new home, Lucie was squished between John and Arthur. Thomas appeared to the rear of the car, a cigarette hanging from his lips.
"Five minutes." He announce before walking away.
Lucie indulged in hilarious conversations with John and Arthur whilst Thomas headed inside.
"Aunt Pol! Is he ready?" Thomas shouted through the house, walking into the lounge to find them.
Michael was stood in John's old suit, looking just like his cousins, a peaked hat suited him.
However a smile didn't suit a peaked cap.
"Alright, Michael, cars outside tell them I'll be there in a minute." Thomas instructed, watching Michael walk past and out of the house with a grin.
Polly moves towards the settee and sat down, Thomas stood directly in front of her, his expression stern and emotionless.
"Elizabeth." Thomas spoke roughly.
"Tommy, you don't use my full name." Polly scoffed.
"That was going to be her name, because of everything you had done for her." Thomas informed, letting out a sigh.
"Oh fuck." Polly whispered, her expression falling as she stood.
Polly walked out her door, Thomas hot on her tail. She walked straight to the back of the car to see Michael sat beside Lucie the pair clutching their stomachs in laughter. However Lucie stopped abruptly when she saw Polly.
"Luce, can we talk, please?" Polly's voice was soft and her eyes begged for forgiveness.
Lucie clambered our from her seat, brushing down her dress as she stood in front of Polly, her hands shaking slightly. Polly grabbed the girl and pulled her into a hug.
"I'm so sorry. I should never have said that, I crossed a line." Polly sighed. Lucie smiled softly.
"Elizabeth Marie would've been her name." Lucie sighed too, wiping her finger under her eye.
"Oh." Polly smiled, "Elizabeth Marie Scott. How beautiful."
"Shelby." Lucie announced, "We aren't married, but my baby would've been a Shelby through and through."
Polly held Lucie once more, apologising over and over. Lucie was completely happy, in all honesty she'd only just come to terms with what happened herself.
They all carried on driving. Arthur and John howled with laughter along with Michael and Lucie. Thomas drove up front with Curly and Charlie, quiet as mice.
"Tired, John?" Lucie giggled watching him yawn.
"Got kept awake until early hours. Fucking hell." He sighed stretching his arms.
"Kids keeping you up, then?" Michael questioned.
"Thankfully, no." John sighed, "My neighbours decided to hammer a nail in the middle of the night." John announced, winking at Lucie who looked certifiable mortified.
"It's about time, Tommy, thought you'd gone off our Luce." Arthur shouted, letting out a deep laugh which spread to John and Michael.
"Right, shut the fuck up, now." Lucie laughed, lightly kicking John's leg.
The car slowly started to stop, Lucie could see smoke pouring from the front. They had landed in the middle of nowhere, dirt road surrounded by barely alive trees.
"Curly's taking a look." Thomas announced.
Michael began to unpack a cloth which contained sandwiches and a flask of tea. Arthur and John couldn't contain their laughter.
"Polly made bloody sandwiches?" Arthur laughed.
"Ham, we've got shrimp paste too I think." Michael replied, not realising the boys found it highly amusing.
"What is this? A fucking teddy bears picnic?" Charlie questioned.
"Right." A voice announced, Thomas appeared around the corner. "We'll eat the sandwiches and drink the tea. No crumbs John."
Everyone reached for some sandwiches, however Lucie didn't feel like eating anything, she hadn't really for a while, just toast in a morning and some tea in the afternoon.
"Luce? You having one?" Thomas questioned.
"No, I'm- I'm alright." She smiled softly.
"Come on Luce, haven't seen you eat. Ever. Stick it in your gob and let's get going." John remarked.
"Come on, Luce, get it down ya'." Arthur added.
Lucie rolled her eyes and reached for a sandwich whilst the car finally began to start again. Once the car started, the jokes and remarks between the four began again.