𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 a thomas shelby fanfiction [𝟐]

viii

CHAPTER EIGHT | sapphire eyes

HIDDEN AWAY UPSTAIRS, Lucie signed her last letter before hearing the study door click downstairs. Mary has just left the small room where Lucie resided, scalding her for writing with artificial light. Springing from her seat, Lucie scrambled to gather inked sheets of paper before sprinting down the stairs to her husband.

"Tommy." Lucie squealed, darting into one of their many sitting rooms. "Hello."

"Hello." He greeted, with a smile. Lucie waved a folded piece of parchment in front of Tommy. "Guess." She sang.

"Guess what?" He questioned.

"He said yes." She smiled, passing her husband the letter. "The Leader of the Birmingham City Council is going to attend the dinner." Thomas smiled after scanned the letter, watching his excited wife as he folded the letter closed. "Everyone has said yes. Everyone. I keep having to change the catering." Thomas forced a smile, leaning forward to retrieve his glass of whiskey.

"Can you at least pretend like you care, Tommy? I always listen to your business." Lucie whined, leaning her back against the sofa Thomas occupied.

"I care." Thomas argued. "I do care, Luce."

"Act like it then." She sighed, turning to face him. "Just listen to me for five more minutes and then we can go to bed, or eat, or go out. I don't mind." Lucie rambled, earning a nod from her husband.

"My writing hand has almost fallen off from all the letters." Lucie sighed, a smile on her lips.

"What are you writing for? I bought you a typewriter." Thomas asked, causing Lucie to blow out her lips before replying.

"Grace said 'you don't write letters of a social occasion with a typewriter.'" Lucie rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Plus she taught me this writing style called calligraphy." Lucie jumped up and passed her husband a copy of a letter she had previously written. "Look at how beautiful it looks!"

"Oh, forgive me." Thomas grumbled lowly.

"Just think about the kids we're gonna help." Lucie smiled.

The charity dinner was in aid of a foundation soon to be opened for the neglect and poor children. A safe orphanage for those without families. A place for poor children to get an education. A warm and welcoming building filled with food and blankets for those in need. As much as Lucie loved the Shelby's, it was time their image became clean, instead of smudged with the various crimes they had collectively committed.

"I have the drawing." Lucie unfolded the blueprint to the orphanage and lay them flat on the table. Thomas leant forwards to examine them. "Of what they plan to do with the grounds of the house. They'll be an are for the children to play."

Lucie prodded and poked at different sections of the blueprints. Tommy would let out grunts of agreement are odd times. "And! And the Birmingham Charity Commission have agree to set aside their three rotten floor boards upstairs and grant us the licence within a month." Lucie smiled, poking Tommy's knee as she finished her sentence.

Lucie leant up, resting her hands on her husbands thighs as leverage. She connected their lips and pulled away too soon. Thomas had a dazed look glassing over his bright blue eyes. "You're not listening to me." Lucie observed while her husband looking lovingly into her eyes, caressing her pink cheeks.

"Yes I am." Thomas argued softly, tracing Lucie's bottom lip with his thumb. "I am."

"Do you think I'm becoming obsessed?" Lucie asked sarcastically.

Thomas nodded his head with his lips pursed. "Yes." He continued to trace her cheek, staging his finger towards her lips and back.

"Oh piss off Shelby." Lucie stuck her tongue out childishly at her husband, causing a chuckle to erupt from his lips. "Should I ask you how your day was, like a good wife?" She teased.

"No." Thomas shut her down softly. Lucie smiled sadly at his comment. "I'm guessing that means your day wasn't as successful as mine." Lucie hummed.

"That all depends on how you measure success." Thomas commented, absentmindedly drawing shapes on Lucie's cheek. "See, personally, I measure it in sapphires."

Lucie scoffed at his statement, smiled in confusion. "Okay Shelby, and I measure mine in the amount of diamonds I ate with my egg this morning." Lucie rolled her eyes playfully.

"Turn around." Thomas instructed sternly. "Come one, sit down and turn around and close your eyes."

Lucie sat on the floor in between her husbands legs, her eyes were screwed tightly shut. She could hear Thomas shuffling behind her, the faint clinking of metal reached her ears. "All right you can open 'em."

Lucie's eyes widened at the blue jewel swinging on a chain in front of her. She tentatively reached out her hand and grasped the sapphire. "Where the fuck did you get that?" Lucie said, her words quivering. "It's beautiful."

Thomas connected the two ends of the chair, positioning the sapphire in the centre of Lucie's neck, her hand still holding onto it. "Tommy, I can't accept this." She sighed. "It costs more than me!" Thomas chuckled at her statement.

"You can wear it to the foundation dinner." Thomas whispered in Lucie's ear, kissing her cheek softly. "Everyone will be watching you."

"They'll be watching me because you'll be on my arm." Lucie giggled, sipping around to face her husband. The girl leant up to him once again, their faces inches apart. "What am I going to do with you? No more expensive presents Shelby." Lucie scalded playfully.

"You're my wife." Thomas whispered, Lucie rolled her eyes muttering 'no way' sarcastically. "I'll spoil you, and then our children, Isabelle, Polly, Ada, John's kids. Everyone." Thomas presses his lips to Lucie's. "But. You'll get what ever you want."

"That's a risky deal, Mr Shelby." Lucie whispered with a giggle.

"We aren't Lucie and Tom without them."