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𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣.

𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣 | 𝘈 𝘛𝘈𝘓𝘌 𝘖𝘍 𝘓𝘖𝘕𝘌𝘓𝘐𝘕𝘌𝘚𝘚 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘚𝘏𝘖𝘖𝘛𝘐𝘕𝘎𝘚

｡･:*:･ﾟ✧ ｡･:*:･ﾟ

WEDDING PREPARATIONS had officially begun, or so Polly said.

Annabel's head had been in shambles for a while, therefore the preparations for the upcoming nuptials had fallen on Polly's keen shoulders while she declared herself on holiday to care for her newfound son. Days had been difficult, as of late, Annabel thought as she rested her head on her fiancé's naked chest, listening to his resting heart beat as he slept. Business was booming. Tommy was smiling more and more. Yet, Ada's words, Arthur's musings, and the look in Elena Adderley's eyes whenever Annabel and her soon-to-be husband walked down the lane had her thoughts in pieces.

She tilted her head to look at her Tommy. How peaceful, he was. An absolute work of art, she thought. His long eyelashes rested softly on his high cheekbones, giving him a boyish allure. God, she loved this man. But why?

She shook him lightly in an attempt to wake him, which after a couple of seconds worked perfectly. He looked down at her beautiful face, and God, he loved this woman. The brown of her doe eyes reminded him of the beginning of the world. "What's wrong, eh?"

"When was the last time you rode a horse, Tom?" Annabel murmured softly.

The question left an inexplicable sour taste in Tommy's mouth. He rose a tad to rest his head against the headboard of their bed. "Why do you ask?"

Annabel broke eye contact, and ran her delicate hand down his chest, tracing the Romani sun on his pectoral. "You used to love horses." She mumbled, and soon enough, she was back asleep before Tommy could even answer.

He used to love horses.

✧

Eventually, Tommy rose from the bed where he left his beloved, and started dressing for the day, his Annabel's question lingering in his mind. He had indeed noticed her strange behaviour in the last days. Nothing alarming, but she was more pensive than her even usual state. Tommy decided she was perhaps upset that only her siblings and not her parents agreed in coming to the wedding, and set out for his meeting.

He was waiting for the snake, smoking his cigarette and leaning against a moist brick wall when he finally appeared.

"Our scheduled meeting isn't until Sunday." Major Campbell almost exclaimed. Of course, Thomas knew this. Tommy didn't feel many feelings, specially other than annoyance and love, but the extreme contempt he felt as he looked at this slime of a man from under his cap reminded him he was alive.

"Sorry to bring forward." Tommy stated simply, clearing his throat.

"You just want to show me you know where I live, isn't that it? Am I supposed to be impressed?"

Tommy bit back a chuckle. "You know," He started, pointing at the man in front of him. "Mister Churchill was impressed. Yes, he was." Tommy smiled sarcastically. "All my demands are being met! Did he tell you?"

"Yes. Yes, we had a meeting, and your letter was read aloud. As a matter of fact there was quite a hilarity at the meeting, the men found it quite funny."

Tommy hummed. "I see. The gentlemen found it funny." He could see right through his lie. "Tell me, Mister Campbell, do the gentlemen sometimes find you, funny?"

Campbell took two steps forward towards Tommy, the cling of his cane being the only noise in the alleyway. Tommy kept smirking when he realized that Campbell was trying to be intimidating.