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"B-... but... why?" Tommy Shelby was surprised by her questioning when he was helping her. The least she could do was keep her mouth shut. "No offence Mr Shelby but I've read enough about you to know that things you do, don't come for free." He took a puff of his cigarette and stalked slowly towards her with a very intimidating manner. "You 'ave something I need: a few things that you know in that knowledgable 'ead of yours that I need to know m'self. You can tell me them and then we'll help you." "Not to be a spoilsport, but I have been through a bit of a confusing time and my head is like a blender. Could we postpone the... future telling until tomorrow please?" Rowan pleaded, hoping her truthful excuse was enough.
"Do you have somewhere to sleep?" She shook her head and kept her eyes down. "She's not sleeping 'round mine, there's no room at Polly's and it's fairly obvious what Arthur thinks of this situation." Finn said and Tommy looked at John, knowing he had no room either and Ada barely had enough room for herself since the baby.
"You can sleep 'round mine, I got a spare room. Ada, give her some suitable clothes and something to sleep in. We'll be on our way." Ada fetched some clothes that she kept in the office for emergencies and gave them to Rowan hoping that their similar body type and height would make for a good match clothes-wise. "What colours do you like?" Polly asked and Rowan looked up at her with the pile of clothes in her hands.
"Green... I like green. But anything is fine, I don't really mind." Everything became awkwardly silent. "Thank you by the way, for this. It's not going unnoticed and I am thankful for your help." She swallowed and could've sworn she saw Tommy's mouth twitch up. Almost as if he was going to smile. He stared at her for a moment with wistful, thinking about what he was to do with a beautiful girl from the future being in his house.
It's a rather unusual predicament.
"Well, it's not like I'm doing it for free. Am I?" "I suppose not... but as someone once told me 'nothing ever comes without a price'." Rowan said, staring at the floor, reminiscing on the advice Malachi had given her years ago. The idea itself she didn't like, but she had learnt that it was very much true in a lot of situations. "They sound smart, now come on. I'll take you to the 'ouse. It's gonna be getting dark and I've got business tonight." She nodded and followed the man out of the house. As they walked down the street she lagged behind a little. She watched power in the stride of Tommy Shelby, the way his arms widened to create an even larger presence and the long strides he took with his long legs. She admired him for the respect he garnered, but not the way he proceeded to maintain that respect.
He walked to the front door and allowed Rowan to enter first, she was familiar with the house as it had become a spectacle in the area. People from all over England often came to visit Tommy Shelby's house. It was beautiful and one of a set principal that allowed you to feel the strength the owner had but not the pettiness of buying expensive things because he could. Though you could imagine that not much time was spent in the house since business worked the night nightshift too.
She didn't marvel at the stunning staircase and professional family portraits, she just smiled and waited for directions. Tommy walked up the stairs and opened the door to a spare room, it was quaint but comfy. She would hope she wouldn't have to spend much time in the house as she wanted to return to her own as soon as possible. But the idea of having the house to herself most days - allowing her to nose around - was appealing. "Do you have any books, Mr Shelby?" As he made his way to walk away from her without uttering another word, rowan plucked up the courage to prevent her subsequent boredom that would come eventually, dinner rather then later she predicted.
"I do... you want one? So you can read?" She almost stepped back in offence until realising the adamant law of education for all children didn't come in until later on. "Education is obligatory in the UK in my time, every child's in school until 16 where they can get a full-time job or got college and university or work. Not many people don't know how to read and write Mr Shelby." "Mandatory education eh?" Rowan nodded and he seemed in deep thought. "Expensive I can imagine." "Well... I don't know I-..." "Do you sing Miss Lochwood?" "S-sing? I-... suppose."
"Come down to the lounge at 8:00 tonight, I want you to sing for me. Then maybe you can read to me." Rowan looked at her watch beneath her cardigan, she had completely forgotten that she had it with her... stupidly. She raised her sleeve and tapped the glass at the fact her watch had stopped. She had disappeared at exactly 11:11 in the morning. She attempted to fix it quickly and realised she hadn't given an answer to Tommy.
"Erm... if you so wish, Mr Shelby." "Here, let me see." He said, walking to Rowan and removing her watch. He noticed the bruises up her arm and grabbed it at the sight of them. "Who?" He stared at her, Rowan leaned her head back a little to distance herself from a Tommy. "It was me..." she chuckled at her stupidity. "I was trying to wake myself up by pinching myself up." His calloused hands were a stranger feeling on her skin, she didn't dislike it but they were extremely cold. The room wasn't at all, but maybe it was just a Tommy thing. He freed her arm and removed her watch, admiring the beauty and intricacy of the design. It was modern and unlike anything he had seen on any market or at an auction before.
"I have a friend, he might be able to fix it for you. He's coming to the office this afternoon, you might get lucky." Rowan thought for a moment and looked around her temporary room for any sign of a clock. On her bedside table was a small alarm clock and she turned to him and nodded. The watch held no sentimentality with her but she always liked to know the time, it helped her stay less tense. "Thank you Mr Shelby, even if I'm not doing this completely for free. I don't think that what I'm doing for you is on par with what you're doing for me." He simply nodded and walked away, his coat splaying our behind him as he rushed down the stairs at ease. "He never told me if he had any books." Rowan muttered and rolled her eyes at his obvious unease around being questioned by a stranger.
How Rowan craved to read Oscar Wilde for awhile. She felt that it might distract her from the rather traumatic thing that was happening.
