Another Paradise | T Shelby

TWELVE - DARK DESIRES

Blair had been back inside the Shelby manor for less than five seconds before she was greeted with the sound of small footsteps bounding across the landing and down the staircase.

"You're home!" Charlie cried with excitement, his face beaming happiness like never before at the sight of Blair and his father slipping off their shoes.

The two of them had stayed by the river a while longer after sharing their kiss, laying down on the blanket basking in the afternoon sun, sipping more champagne though saying very little to one another. Silence was somewhat more appealing than talking, not needing to say a single word after what they'd done.

The sun had set by the time they arrived home and Blair was exhausted to say the least, though she felt properly happy for the first time since moving into the home.

"I thought you'd never come back."

Charlie hugged Blair first, wrapping his arms above her waist with his head against her stomach, giggling with excitement.

"I said I'd be back before bedtime, didn't I? Have you been a good boy today?"

"Yes, come and look at the work I did with Frances, we did some painting this afternoon," he grabbed hold of Blair's hand, pulling her in the direction of the room they used for schooling before turning over his shoulder, "You too, Dad. Come on!"

Blair glanced behind her, smiling when she saw the look on Tommy's face. She knew he was glad to have been included by his son, some times it made Blair feel as if she was overstepping her mark by sometimes having the boy favour her over his own father, though it was clear how much Thomas was thrilled to feel wanted by his child.

Led by Charles, the three of them walked into the back room and saw a host of colourful paintings laid out on the table in a row. Both adults praised the child, kindly asking for him to explain what each picture actually was after their multiple guesses were shot down.

A yawn escaped Charlie's mouth, to which Thomas scooped up his son and decided it was time for bed. Blair said Goodnight to him, giving him a kiss on the cheek before they went separate ways at the top of the staircase, the boys going towards Charlie's bedroom and Blair heading towards hers.

Blair sat for a while on the edge of her bed, gazing absentmindedly out of the window. The fields stretched further than she could see, but the empty paddock was what caught her eye, a smile creeping onto her face as she realised there would soon be a horse roaming around the grounds for them to love. They had decided not to tell Charlie yet, agreeing it would be better to wait until he was perhaps having a down day and needed cheering up, or they just felt like surprising him with some good news.

Undressing, Blair dug around in her drawers until she found a black satin night gown, pulling it over her body before crawling beneath her sheets, flicking on the lamp beside her bed and opening her book the page she was on last.

She read for a while in the dim yellow glow, a silence echoed around the house accompanied by only the occasional creaking of a floorboard, or as it happened that evening, a slight knock on her bedroom door.

Blair pushed the covers off her, placing her book face down on the nightstand to save her page before walking over to the door, opening it just ajar to peer round, conscious of her evening wear.

"Sorry," Thomas said, stood with his hands in the pockets of his cotton trousers, a white vest covering his top half, "I saw the light under the door, I thought you were awake."

"I was," Blair replied, nodding slowly, "It's alright."

Thomas looked at her for a quick moment, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of her bare legs, the silk material barely covering her thighs and plunging low at her chest, thin straps hanging across her slim shoulders, though she quickly pulled her blonde hair round in front of her when she noticed his wandering eye.