Another love

Part Fifty

23rd December 1924

Sarah stared straight at the bars as she heard the rattling of keys, she narrowed her eyes at the guards as they slid open the bars. She knew what date was set for her death and she knew today was too early, without thinking logically she tried to push and shove the guards off but it didn't work

"Stop fighting!" The guard growled out at her as he restrained her.

"No get off! Get the fuck off me!" She screamed as another guard helped restrain her

"Won't be long now Miss. Crawford." The other guard told her smugly.

Sarah had been trouble for the guards from day one. At first she was angry and confused, which then turned to a fury of protectiveness towards Polly until they were separated. Once that happened Sarah had to cover her fear with frustration, which equally frustrated the guards, but she couldn't help herself. Sarah had trusted Tommy her whole life, to condemn her was one thing but to do it to the rest of the family was a sin that he'd pay for.

"You can't do this! Pol! Polly!" Sarah shouted when she saw a vacant Polly walking ahead of her.

They walked into a narrow room with two nooses hung. Sarah shook her head and tried to back out the room and watched on as Polly shook her head in denial.

"No!"

"Stop!" Sarah cried out as she pulled back, she heard Polly choke on a gulp of air beside her, Sarah's lip quivered whilst she looked to Polly for help.

"-with this rope, pull me up to heaven. I see your face shining down on me." Polly started saying to her god.

Sarah shook her head and took a deep breath as they put the noose around her throat, she squeezed her eyes shut just as a man in uniform ran in with paper in his hand

"Wait!"

One year later

Sarah giggled as James pushed the door open and carried her in his arms bridal style. "Mr. Williams! We're not married yet." She laughed as he put her down.

He pecked her on the lips as she smoothed out her dress, she sighed as she looked in the mirror. This was probably the happiest Sarah had felt in her adult life, James had been one of the lawyers on her case and although he didn't want to know the gritty details, he loved her in spite of all the bad things he knew about her. James saw straight through her, saw the goodness behind her crimes and loved how she made no apologies for who she was, she excited him. Equally, he made her feel safe and gave her a love that she'd never known, a love that stemmed from a kind soul, a love that brought her back to life. Yet still, whenever she closed her eyes she could still feel the noose around her neck.

"What time is Ada coming?" James asked her.

"I'm not sure. Some time this evening I expect."

"Be nice to put a face to the name, you know be able to have an actual conversation in person." He said cheerfully.

James had ended up exchanging his own letters with Ada when she had a business question that Sarah didn't know how to help with, and since then they'd become pen pals, so to speak.

Sarah simply snorted quietly to herself at her fiancé's naivety. "Yeah, well don't get to excited. You'll be meeting the rest of the Shelby clan at the New Year's Eve party."

James had already had the privilege of meeting Polly, which Sarah somewhat regretted considering her state of mind at the time.

"And will Mr. Thomas Shelby be making an appearance?" He asked nervously as he glanced at her.