Not Just A 'Shelby'

Chapter 28: The truth about him.

Walking through the streets of Small Heath, people tried to not pay attention to those who ran them. If you wore a peaky cap or had the last name Shelby or Gray you were known not to be messed with unless you wanted your eyes taken or house burnt down. So when the eldest Shelby girl walked down sidewalks with a battered face and holding onto her side, people moved aside like it was any other day, just trying to mind their business.

After her run in with Arthur Sr, Dot knew she couldn't go home, there would be too many questions asked and she didn't want to have to explain too everyone about her amazing relationship with her 'father'.

As she walked through the city, she found herself ending her journey at the stables. No one had been around at the time which was odd considering Uncle Charlie was always yelling at someone in the yard to get their work done.

As she ventured further through the stables, she stopped between the stalls of the two horses that resided there. Reaching her hand through the small frame she ran her hand over Monaghan Boy's face, petting him as he stood still in front of her. In the next stall she could hear the neighing of her horse. She smiled as she moved to the next stall, laying her head on the top of the frame.

"Hello, Lumos." She spoke quietly, enough for her horse to hear. The horse moved close to Dot, nuzzling his facing into her. She laughed quietly at its action.

Stepping into the stall she mounted the horse. She heard Managhan Boy cry from his stall as they passed. "Sorry boy. My brothers would kill me if I let you out to ride." She spoke as she trotted by on the horse's twin.

She rode through the back streets of Small Heath, not wanting to be caught by any blinders if she rode through the main roads. Her brothers were probably looking for her by now, but she didn't want to face them now. Dorthea had just wanted to be in the present, her and her horse.

Riding brought her a sense of peace. If anything had gone wrong in life, Polly would turn to God, John and Arthur to whiskey, Tommy to work, and Dot to riding. She had definitely turned to the latter two but mostly to riding. Dot would ride forever if it wasn't her job to basically keep the betting business afloat most days. It was the gypsy in her. Never wanting to stay in one place, always needing to roam. And with the horses that's just what she did.

Making her way to the end of Small Heath, Dot stopped at the bottom to a hill, looking towards the tree to the top. "Okay, Lumos, this is your time to show me what you got." She talked to the horse, stroking its neck while the pointed the route it was to take up to the tree. Kicking the side of his belly, Lumos sped up the hill. Reaching the tree at the top the horse came to a stop, with Dot jumping off. "Maybe you should have become the racing horse instead of your brother, ey?" She laughed as she sat at the base of the tree. Laying against the tree, the girl's eyes fell letting her rest into a peaceful sleep.

Hours passed before Dot woke to the sunrise around her. Lumos had stayed near Dot as he roamed the grass around her through the night. She woke, stretching her legs and standing from her grassy bed. As she looked around her, she could see the cemetery where they had buried the empty casket of Daniel Owen. The man she 'murdered' for the Italian men. Danny was living well though. He had visited Tommy for business a couple of times, and Beth had been writing about him after Dot told her to keep an eye on him. Needless to say the man was being watched very well, even if he had been causing a little trouble.

Calling Lumos back to her, she rode the horse back to the stables. Leading him to the stall she set out food for Lumos and Monaghan Boy. Leaving them to rest about midday, she finally decided to head back to the home.

After stabling her horse at the yard, she fed the two and headed down the cut.

"Dorthea. Lily. Shelby." Charlie yelled across the yard towards his niece.