Crown of a Prince (Finn Shelby)

10.

Weeks passed and Tommy made a slow recovery. He had to have surgery on his brain and he was laid up for weeks, unconscious to start and finally he woke. Finally discharged from hospital, he returned to the house in the country where he decided to come off his medicine and heal by himself.

Ailbhe had gone to visit Charlie a few times and to drop off documents from Shelby Company Ltd but Tommy was different. He never wanted to see her and when he did see her, he was quiet and didn't say much. He had just asked her had she done what was asked of her, she had. Ailbhe had always trusted Tommy, believed he would always have a plan but it seemed now he didn't trust anyone. Not even his family.

He didn't tell her anything about his recovery or what had gone wrong. Ailbhe only knew about Tommy coming off the medicine because the housemaid, Hannah phoned Ailbhe once a week to let her know what was going on. Tommy wasn't to know about Ailbhe and Hannah's arrangement but it was out of worry that Ailbhe spied on him.

Esme was right. The walls were closing in around them and Ailbhe could feel it, the air getting thinner and enemies surrounding them.

The morning after Tommy's accident, Ailbhe still had a job to carry out. She dressed in her most expensive clothes and dolled herself up to look like a London high society girl. She easily got access to the city's records with Ada's scholar's pass and a sweet smile. She stole all copies of the Russian's houses blue prints. She smuggled them out, along with the war records from France and who was in Tommy's unit as a tunneler.

While Tommy was out of action, Finn had been sent to London with Arthur to keep the London businesses running. Finn wasn't much of a letter writer and the phones were always busy therefore Ailbhe rarely heard from him. He phoned sometimes, once or twice a week to the office to pass on information to Polly and he always asked for Ailbhe. Polly let Ailbhe take the phone and sit and talk to him for a few minutes but she always called her back to work shortly after.

Finn had gone to the office, knowing Ailbhe would be there the evening after Tommy's collapse. Polly had told him to pack his things and be ready to leave for London, the family needed him to step up. Ailbhe had been told by Polly that morning. She hadn't responded, just nodded and understood that Tommy needed them to keep everything under control until he was better. Even if that meant Finn going away for a little while.

"I wanted to say goodbye" He had said, standing in the doorway, his cap in his hands.

He stepped in, shutting the door behind him and blocking the noise out. Nobody seemed to notice the door shutting, leaving Ailbhe and Finn in privacy.

"Liam is replacing me, he'll be walking you home from now on" he told her, coming closer to her and standing in front of her.

"Just be careful Finn" she told him; her concern evident. London was different, it was bigger and badder than Birmingham and they weren't royalty there.

"You too Alv" he nodded, looking slightly nervous and unsure of himself.

"Don't let London go to your head" she joked, raising her eyebrows at him "With all the fancy parties and pretty girls"

Finn smirked, the confident smile she loved spreading across his face as he raised his eyebrows at her, pulling her into his chest and taking her surprise with a kiss.

"I already have a pretty girl. She's here in Small Heath and she's mine" He murmured against her lips before pulling her in closer, kissing her properly this time.

It was more intense and more passionate than any of their previous kisses that had seemed innocent and sweet. This was different. It was heated and when Finn pulled her against him, his hands on either side of her neck she felt the quietest moan slip out of her lips. Finn must have heard it too because she felt him smirking through their kiss, his hands moving down her body and grabbing onto her, pulling her so there was no space between them.