Singing Assassin || Michael Gray

New Nanny

"And wed someone each family". "Y-you-your getting married again" I turned to my dad my voice almost sounding bitter laughing. How could he, he loved mum more than anyone. Dad with Polly. Ew. "No Rose, I'm not" he sneered. Shit. Ada's already married, as I noticed her wedding ring earlier. I don't think Polly's getting married to my brothers. Which leaves... The one and only, me. The luck of the Irish, huh? "So who to?" I asked getting short-tempered.
"What age are you again Rose" Arthur grumbled. "19, coming 20" I replied. "Arthur is 23 years older than you, me and John boy is married already" no,no,no! "Finn's only 16". I looked over the table to Michael, we both stared at each it's with pure hatred. I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. "No, absolutely not" I exclaimed my accent showing through along with my anger. "No bloody way in hell would I even marry her". "Well I couldn't fucking say much different" I shouted back, rising up out of my chair facing him. Eyeball to eyeball. I clinched my jaw, holding the stare with him. I kept staring at his green eyes trying to somehow send telepathic messages. I will break your arms if you even touch me or look at me again. "Enough!" Tommy shouted "stop it with the bickering, anymore protests?". "Why can't I marry Isaiah or Finn?" I begged, trying to get a way out of this knowing I could never spend my life seeing his stupid face everyday "surely that would still be  an alliance". "Isaiah isn't a Shelby and Finn is still too young" Tommy replied sympathetically. Michael went to open his mouth to speak but Thomas turned around sharply pointing his index finger at him "and before you ask Michael, Rose is the only girl in the family". Silence filled the room, slowly suffocating us. "The wedding is in 6 days as I have to be home before the end of the week to sort out business and stuff" my father chimed, staring at me only I wouldn't lift my gaze away from the floor.

5 days!
I sat awake for 10 minutes looking out the window, watching the people, some of them hurrying off, some working in the yard, people walking together laughing. "Good morning" Polly boomed."Everyone's down stairs eating breakfast". I was partly shocked by how nice she seemed how especially because of how bitter she looked yesterday. I stood up quickly not wanting to disobey her, still wearing my clothes from yesterday feeling disgusting.

I descended the stairs behind Polly. Karl and another 3 kids hugged my legs. I tensed up looking at everyone's amused faces "are you our new auntie?" one of them asked. "Yes, she is" Michael laughed, in a strange contrast to how he was yesterday. His laugh strangely sounded familiar. Another toddler was stumbling towards me so I picked him up, "and who are you?" I cooed to him. "Charles, he's Grace's and mine, Rose I am in need of a favour. I would ask someone else but everyone is working except for Isaiah who has the most experience with looking after children out of all of us which still isn't much" well I'm the best person to ask, I'm the youngest in my family therefore I have also no experience looking after children. "You can bring him over for company or help". "I mean sure I have nothing planned for today" I replied. " I'll bring Isaiah over for you" Michael said still avoiding eye contact his mood changing within two minutes. "Thanks" I muttered. Ada walked over to me prying the children off my legs "you can go over to my house to use the nursery, if you want". "Yeah that'll be great, so who's who". John introduced me to his two kids, Patrick and Lucy.

"I'm here!" Isaiah shouted. "Right, we better beat to it" everyone left. "Can we please go to Ada's because she has a proper nursery?" I begged. "Sure I don't mind" Isaiah said running around the kitchen table running after the squealing children, he caught up and lifted Patrick and took Karl's hand. I held Charles at my hip and took Lucy's hand and we went out the door and out onto the street. People nodded their heads to Isaiah and staring at me with curious look or avoiding eye contact. When we past a lot of people paused and started muttering, making me feel uncomfortable.
We arrived at Ada's house. I let go of the kids letting them run to the nursery. I laughed at their energy and overall enthusiasm. I sat the chair next to Isaiah. "I need you ask you something" I asked looking at Isaiah. "What's the matter" he lifted the warm, fresh cup of tea I just made him. "This is kind of random, but ...I...you know what it doesn't even matter" I mumble, Isaiah looked at me annoyed "come on just tell me Rose" he repeated multiple times. I finally gave in "did Michael and Polly live somewhere before they came here?". Isaiah looked at me puzzled, but replied "Polly always lived here as she is a Shelby. She looked after Arthur, Tommy and John after their mother sadly passed away and their father was unable to look after them after he became an alcoholic". I was trying to absorb and store all this information I was being given yet also leaning in to find out more about Michael. "Michael however lived in another small village in the countryside, not very far from here, before he came back here. You see Polly had her children cruelly taken away from her by the authorities about 15 or 16 years ago" "children?" I rudely interrupted but eager for answers. I need answers now. "Polly had a girl as well, they both were taken in by another woman in a village in Coventry, Michael believed that the woman was his mother all his life and that he was called Henry". I clasped my hand over my mouth, the missing pieces of the puzzle where now in place. Isaiah still continued "his sister Anna passed away 4 years ago" Isaiah said quietly. I tried to stand to walk outside for air, but my knees buckled as I collapsed on the ground. My shoulders shaking with each long sob. Isaiah stood over my shoulders trying to pull me up to the chair again confused at my sudden outburst. "I miss her, Isaiah". After crying into Isaiah's shoulder he thankfully understood I couldn't talk at the moment and didn't push or rush me toas he swayed me trying his best to comfort me. I finally shakes my head, wiping under my red eyes and sniffing "I don't know if Michael told you about Victoria" Isaiah nodded "aye he did". Rose laughed bitterly through her tears "I'm... I'm her. I'm Victoria".