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Rowan awoke to the smell of the countryside, freshness away from the moggy disgusting air she had grown accustomed to in Birmingham. She somehow recognised it.
"We're on the outskirts of Birmingham, about an hours drive away from Small 'eath. You'd hardly know it would ya?" Rowan sat up and noticed Tommy's coat draped over her. She had slept without peace, with replays of her murder replaying over and over again. She couldn't help but whimper and wipe her face in anguish. "We're almost at the 'ouse. You can get a proper sleep there, and no one will interrupt. I think we need to talk don't we?"
She hadn't muttered a word, not even in her dreams. She just shook and sweated with terror. Rowan nodded at Tommy and looked around at the beautiful country. It all seemed rather familiar, like she lived around these parts. That's because she did. "Tommy..." the Shelby turned his head at the mention of his name and saw her squinting her eyes while looking around curiously.
"I live around here. I recognise that house... my house is around here." "I know. Lochwood Manor... I know, who I'm guessing, is your great grandfather. Henry?" She nodded. The car stopped at a gate and Tommy clambered out to open it for them to enter. The trees crowded the entirety of the perimeter of the property so she couldn't see the house itself.
"You're tellin' me that," he climbed back in the garden and drove on "you've been living in a nine bedroom mansion with about 400 acres of land by your lonesome." "I mean... I have gardeners, but they never come in the house. I clean it myself. The gardeners are family friends and have been doing it for years, Malachi makes the transactions of payments from my account so I don't have to-... talk to them."
"Where'd you get all your money?" "You don't know do you?" Tommy looked at her while parking at the house, not taking a look at his secret property no one knew about. "My name is Lady Rowan Lochwood, daughter of Duke William and Duchess Evelyn Lochwood. I'm... 68th in line to the throne after the Queen of England." She giggled a little at the idea of her ever being Queen, though 67 people would have to die for that to happen.
"Fuckin' 'ell..." Tommy said, his cigarette he had just placed in his mouth fell onto his trousers and scorched him. Rowan picked it up as Tommy struggled from the burn through his trousers. "I am a Lady. Malachi always teases me about it, asks if I 'care for some tea and cake in the afternoon'." Rowan impersonated a very high posh British accent and chuckled. Suddenly she felt a little bit alive, a little bit.
Tommy laughed at her as he stepped out and introduced the house to her. "Welcome to Ashworth Me Lady." Rowan stood inside the car and gazed in wide wonder at the joy she had found in the gardens of this beautiful house. She stepped out the car and ran towards the grass, diving onto it and rolling around on refreshment. The air was cool from the autumnal season but the sun was warm on her skin. She rolled around in the grass like a dog would in the snow, she felt revitalised with having something natural surrounding her. The flowers scent was rejuvenating her to the core and she felt as if life had been handed back to her on a plate.
"Oh Mr Shelby, allow me to quote Reginald Holmes. 'The earth has music for those who listen.' and clearly for those who have a feeling in their fingers, and a clear nose." She inhaled and smelt the giant hyssops that stood taller than she. Daphnes that smelt like nothing to have ever entered her nose before. She felt alive... and then she didn't.
"I have robbed a man of this feeling called life. I killed someone. Tommy... what have I done?" He rushed towards her as she collapsed on the green, her hands wrapping around herself in shock. A hurricane of masses just burdened her and broke her spirit down to its core where she now laid on the lawn with nothing left to smile for.
"What have I done?" Rowan hyperventilated in Tommy's arms, repeating the same thing over and over and over again but never received an answer from Tommy. He didn't know how to help her, he didn't know what to say that would soothe her soul. Her body crashed into his as she became hysterical with her actions, entranced in a dream of hell.
"I took him from the world Tommy. I did it for you, I killed him for you." "You killed him and you saved my bloody life again. This fuckin' worthless world doesn't deserve you because you're an angel." "Lucifer was cast out from heaven, is that to be me being cast out from happiness?" Tommy shook his head and managed to lift her from the grass. Rubbing her back to soothe her angst but knew that such a simple gesture would have no effect on her current state of brokenness.
He carried her into the house that hadn't been lived in since Tommy bought it a few weeks ago. It was a stunning house, but he decided to show pride of it later, he needed to focus on Rowan. He felt her trembling so he placed her by the unlit fireplace. He collected some wood from a cupboard in the kitchen and started a fire for some warmth in the cold house. His coat was still comfortably wrapped around her shoulders and she placed her hands in his pockets to keep them warm. The enamel was recognisable and she fiddled around before pulling the mystery item from the pocket.
And then the penny dropped.
"What? The broach..." Rowan turned her head as Tommy entered, he saw the broach in his hands and turned a little before rubbing his face in annoyance at his own stupidity. "You had it all this time?" She stood up and slammed it onto the table, unsure of why she was still there anyway as she had touched multiple times but continued with her anger.
"How could you lie to me? When I told you how much I needed to go home! How fucking dare you?" It was the first time Tommy had heard her swear and within the context he wasn't going to marvel at how wonderful it sounded coming from her mouth. "Listen I can explain if you give me a moment..." "Go ahead." The tears gathering in her eyes were blocking her vision and she couldn't move her hands to wipe them. She couldn't see the sincerity in Tommy's face as he would attempt to make her understand.
Neither of them could see the glowing badge on the table behind them.
