BLINDING LIGHTS || T. SHELBY (2)

NINE (RE-EDITED)

CHAPTER EIGHT: Weakness

Warning: Smutty Content

A COUPLE OF NIGHTS HAD PASSED SINCE TABITHA SHELBY KILLED VICENTE CHANGRETTA TO AVENGE HER SISTER, CHARITY.

Even though she killed Changretta, it didn't take the sadness of the fact Charity was still away. Tabitha was still sad, but not as sad as she was before and the love of Thomas and her brother in-laws made it better.

Tabitha was still grieving, but passed the stages of denial, anger, and bargaining. The nights after killing Vicente Changretta, she was transitioning from depression into acceptance, even though illusions of Grace and Charity's ghost would appear in the mirror from time to time. Thomas didn't know she was seeing the ghosts, not wanting to worry him. She didn't talk to the ghosts when they talked to her around other people.

It was Good Friday, the day Jesus Christ was sacrificed and put on a cross and crucified for the sins of others. It was a Christian holiday that the Shelby brothers celebrated by hunting a stag in the woods near the Arrow House. Thomas was going to break the news to his brother's of their father being dead, shot in an alley in Boston. Finneas and Kezia Hearn didn't raise their children in a church, but the whole clan celebrated Good Friday, Easter, and Christmas together. Before the war, Theo would go up and visit Alfie Solomons for half of Hanukkah and be back for Christmas.

While the boys were out hunting, Tabitha was working on the study on things for the Shelby Foundation. She didn't really care for the hunt that much, though she knew that five months pregnant Esme would be complaining that the boys were out hunting like lords while her and the women were working on the betting shop. Tabitha loved all her sister in-laws, but Esme got on her nerves a lot because she complained a lot. Linda got on her nerves too, just because she told Tabitha what to do and not what to do as a Christian wife.

"Mrs Shelby, there's a woman here to see you," Mary said, waking into the study.

"Oh?" Tabitha asked, looking up from her paperwork. "Who is it?"

"A Duchess Tatiana Petrovna, mam."

Tabitha recognized the name, her eyes widening as Tatiana walked into the study. A smirk formed in the Russian woman's face as Mary left, closing the study door.

"Tatiana," Tabitha said surprised, getting up from her desk. "This is a surprise, I haven't seen you since the gala."

"Sorry to come on such short notice, Mrs Shelby," Tatiana said. "I haven't given you my condolences. I'm so sorry about your sister."

"Your condolence is appreciated. What brings you here?"

"I'm here to talk business with your husband. As you know, he's been working with us for awhile."

"I do."

Tatiana was so let for a moment, looking at Tabitha's face with an unreadable expression. No doubt the gypsy woman in her eyes was attractive, she seemed to woo both men and women.

"Mr Shelby is lucky to have a wife as gorgeous as you," Tatiana said, stepping a little closer. "I bet you make all the men and women crazy. Even I am attracted...but you're not the first."

Tabitha furrowed her brows in response. "Thank you, I guess."

"Have you ever thought about fucking a woman, Mrs Shelby?"

"Um, no."

Tabitha was beginning to grow uncomfortable by how close the duchess was getting to her. It was how close Grace had gotten, and Tabitha was oblivious to it for awhile. What made even women attracted to the gypsy woman