Violent Delights | Peaky Blinders [thomas shelby]

TWO.

( book i, CHAPTER TWO )

"RONAN, DARLING, SLOW DOWN!" Eliza called after the Buchanan boy as he raced down the stairs of the inn. Ever since he woke up, he had been quite enthusiastic to explore the city. Eliza had felt bad, she didn't know if little Ronan was fully aware of their current predicament and that this trip to Small Heath was for their own safety.

She wanted to say they would return home in no time, but what home would they return to? Their home had been burnt down and anything that survived the fire had been packed on to the backs of the Ramsey family. In fact, she didn't even know if she would see her brothers again. Alistair's plan had proved useful in means of protection, but what of their reunion. How would they find their way back to one another if they are too busy fleeing from those they should be fighting. The thought made her soul heavy.

No, she thought to herself, We are far too weak to take them on our lonesome. They needed to stay hidden until the danger had past or wait until they had effective means in diminishing the threat.

"Eliza, dear, are you alright?" Agatha's soft voice flooded her ears. She suddenly became aware that she had finally reached the bottom of the stairs and was standing by the corner with a blank stare.

"Yes? Oh- yes. Forgive me, I was stuck in my head for the moment," she replied smoothly, walking up to the dining room table and taking a seat next to the already seated Ronan.

Plates of food had already been spread across the table and it had so far been only Agatha, Ronan, Eliza, and two other guests that had come down to eat.

"Ronan Buchanan, you best slow down before you choke. There is no rush to eat," Eliza stated, giving the boy a pointed look to which he only gave her a grin filled with the chunks of the toast he was eating. The gesture caused Agatha to laugh and Eliza to shake her head with a small smile.

After breakfast was over, Eliza offered to help Agatha with the dishes, to which she immediately refused.

"You most certainly will not," the woman responded with narrowed eyes, "You are my guest. Now go, the Garrison awaits."

Giving the old woman a gentle smile, Eliza left the inn with Ronan rushing ahead.

"Come on, Lizzie!" He called, frantically waving for her to walk at a quicker pace, "Lizzie!"

"Ron," she chuckled, wondering how she would keep up with the laughing child, "You need to slow down before you run yourself straight into a wall."

"Lizzie-" he began turning back around to tell her to hurry once more when he bumped straight into the chest of a beautiful black horse- immediately startling it.

The horse shrieked a neigh and reared back on its hind legs, causing the Buchanan boy to fall on to his back.

"Ronan!" Eliza yelled in panic, grasping her dress and running towards the fallen boy. The horse continued to rear back, almost hitting Ronan once more.

Forcefully yanking the young boy back into her, Eliza placed a hand on his cheek and giving him a quick once over. Thankfully, nothing but a slightly scraped arm was what she found.

Looking back to the frantic black stallion, Eliza quickly rushed forward to calm it down before it could cause any serious harm. She moved to its side and swiftly grabbed on to its reign- not noticing the rider hastily get off.

"Sh..." she cooed, pulling the horse's bobbing head down to her height. It tried moving away a few times, but eventually settled with a soft neigh, "You're alright, love. You're alright. Sh..."

It's breaths were still heaved, but the black beauty had ceased to buck and rear its legs and body.

"There we go, boy," she mumbled, rubbing the horse's cheek, "There we go."

Taking a deep breath herself, Eliza turned to face the rider, whom she noticed walk up beside her. Handing the reigns of the horse back, she turned to face the man, "Sir, my deepest apologies, I-"

The words suddenly became stiff in her mouth- ending any phrase she could have articulated in that moment. It was as if all previous thoughts of hers had suddenly drifted away with the morning wind. All that was left were a pair of clear, blue eyes that held nothing but the memories of her childhood beneath them.

"Thomas."