The Poisoned Rose

Chapter Forty-Five

Nothing. There was not a sound throughout the house. Silence had consumed every single person living there as they tried to understand what had happened and what was going to come. Rose was alone, stood in the drawing room staring at the bottle of alcohol. Her mind was racing, continuously coming up with strategies and plans for herself. If she was going to win this war then she'd have to outsmart everyone involved. 

Suddenly, the door burst open, loudly hitting the wall as it did so, and Polly ran in, fear spread across her face, "Where has Michael gone?" She was worried about her son, the son she had lost once and she was not ready to lose him for a second time. 

Not even glancing over at her, Rose responded, "I currently have no idea where he is." Sighing, she added, "But I shall find out where they are staying."

"Thank you." Polly replied, relief apparent in her tone.

It was now Rose turned to stare at the elder woman, and then she whispered, "You are going to have to choose which side you are fighting for."

Shaking her head, Polly looked away from her niece in law, refusing to show her any emotions, "I cannot pick either side, they are both my family."

"Then you must appear to be supporting both, make Michael think you with him but at the same time make Tommy think you are on his side. When in truth, you shall be supporting neither of them."

Polly nodded before hugging the younger woman tightly, "Thank you Rose, I do not know what I would do if it was not for your support."

"I shall make sure Michael is safe."

She stared at Rose for a moment before finally asking the question she so longed to know the answer for, "Which side are you on?"

Looking away, Rose moved back to the desk, "I shall follow my husband for I love him and could not part ways with him."

Polly raised her eyebrows, still not having an answer to her question, "Ada, Linda and Lizzie are all sat outside, they want us to talk about what we are going to do."

"Then let's go." 

In the safety of the outdoors, where none of the men could hear them, the five women quietly discussed what the effects would be and how they would be affected by them. 

"I need to leave." Ada informed them, "Take Karl somewhere safe where neither of us can be affected by this whole bloody matter."

Linda agreed with her sister in law, "I want to go somewhere away from here, take my children. I wish Arthur would come with me but he refuses to leave his brother's side."

Shaking her head, Lizzie told them, "I am going to stay, Tommy has been good to me, he's given me a better life so I cannot leave him at a time like this."

Rose stared at all the women, "I know a place, a perfect place for you to live safely in. It will be able to hide you and the children away from the war." They all stared at her with hopeful expressions, "I cannot tell you where it is, not yet at least, only two people including myself know where it is."

"Why on two people?"

"The rest are dead." Rose simply said, "It was my family holiday house which was later used as a safe house for us to flee to if necessary. Only the family members knew where it was, so now there's only two of us remaining."

Polly looked at her, "Where is your brother?"

"Somewhere. I do not actually know where exactly he is but he's been helping me with the business these last couple of years." Rose replied, "He's been my eyes."

"When shall we leave?" Ada asked.

"When all the men had left to fight, which shall be very soon. They cannot know we are leaving, Tommy will stop us or follow us."

All five women nodded at each other, as though they were promising not to reveal any of the plan to anyone. 

She was alone once more, knelt down in her bedroom as she sorted through the box in front of her. It had been so long since she had last looked through it all and she would be lying if she said she hadn't missed the power it brought her. 

The Poisoned Rose. It would forever be a part of her. 

And now she was coming out to play once again.