BETH BOUNCED JANE, in her arms gently as she walks through the graveyard. The sun split the trees, casting gently down onto the mother and her baby as she reached the familiar graves of her mother and father. Beth sat down against the tree gently, looking down at her baby girl. "You Jane, have all your mummy's family in this grave yard. They'd love you lots." She murmured, glancing up at the two graves. "There's your granny and grandad. Your uncle Calvin's in France but he'd just love your precious little face."
It was Calvin's birthday and Tommy and Charles had gone to visit Polly while Beth took Jane for a stroll in her pram. "My gosh. He would have loved her." Beth glanced over at the voice that came from beside her, Kate Robin standing in the row of graves, holding a bouquet of flowers and wearing a pretty dress. The two girls had went to school together and Beth always knew Calvin was head over her heels for Kate Robin. She was a beautiful woman, had the brains too. She had left town in a rush. "Kate. How long has it been?" Beth smiled, moving to stand but Kate quickly stopped her.
"Don't get up with the baby, I'll come and sit down." Kate grinned, moving to sit down beside Beth at the old oak tree. "My god that's Tommy Shelby's baby. I could tell from a mile away. What a pretty little girl. She's got the blue eyes like her father." Kate cooed. Beth flushed, staring down at her little girl affectionately. "She's my rainbow baby. A miracle really and Tommy is mad about her. Never puts her down. She's my angel." She glanced back up at Kate who stared down at Jane in admiration. "Do you've kids? A husband even? It's been so long."
"No- still single." Kate grinned, shrugging sheepishly. "I never really got over your brother. I came up from London, i live there now as a nurse. I'm so sorry Beth, Calvin was one of a kind." Beth's nose scrunched as she grinned. "He was a good man, Calvin. He was too good for the life we lived. Way too good. I just wish he got to meet his niece. Jane Addison Shelby." Kate stared at Beth who never once looked up from the Jane. "He would have loved her. He really would have." Beth glanced up to Kate, grasping her hand gently and squeezing it. "S'okay him and John are up there together watching over her."
"John Shelby's dead?" Kate asked, her mouth gob smacked as she stared out at the early sky. "He was shot by a man called Luca Changretta. Last Christmas. He took every bullet intended to hit me. He died a hero." Beth murmured, following Kate at looking out at the sky. "Wow Beth. You've had it rough." Beth did nothing but shrug, glancing down at her baby once again. "I'm happy though now, you know? Don't get me wrong I think about John and Calvin every single day but they're probably better off up there, eh? Out of trouble far away from Tommy and this place."
"Exactly. Well better away from this small town." Kate agreed, a moment of silence passing before she glanced over at Beth. "And your still with Thomas Shelby? I heard he was married and had a child a few years ago. I always knew it was going to be you." Beth laughed, shaking her head. "No that was with a woman called Grace Burgess. Swept him from under my feet and he got her pregnant. I left for the first time in my life and got engaged and came back for Tommys wedding to see the family and then she was shot a few months later. I left my fiancé to practically hold up the Shelby Company and slowly we fell back in love. It's a mouthful. Crazy really."
"I never thought Tommy Shelby would look anywhere but at you. Even as kids, tommy had all the eyes on him and he only ever wanted you. Wouldn't mind you were a little tomboy, always covered to your knees in dirt, hair matted but still such a beauty." Kate grinned, fixing her black hair behind her ears. "Oh don't flatter me Kate. I was a little savage with no manners. Raised in a barn. Calvin always looked so clean and put together but I was always knee high in muck." Beth smiled at the memories of her as a child, constantly getting scolded for being covered in dirt.
"You've grown out of it though. Still a beauty just not with all that muck." Kate teased, watching Beth laugh. "Not at all Kate. Never had a dime on you. Every boy you wanted you could get. Like a movie star. I was stuck with the Shelby boys. Got reeled in and I suppose I never really escaped it." Kate in turn laughed, playing with the hem of her dress. They sat in silence for a moment before Kate turned properly to face Beth, her lip quivering as she grasped the blondes hand tightly. "Beth-." Kate inhaled a shaky breath, shaking her head. "I- me and Calvin- Calvin and I we were going to get married right before the letters for war came out."
Beth nodded slowly, eyebrows raised as she waited for Kate to continue. "I found him one night, outside the Garrison. The night before the boys left. He got down on one knee and proposed to me." Holding her bag out, she dug through it and pulled out a ring and letter. "He gave me these and it would be unfair of me to have them. I have his coats and love letters. At least this way you can have them something to show Jane." Beth took the letter and ring with hesitance, watching the woman stand. "Kate you don't have too-." Kate only grinned, glancing down the hill where she spotted Tommy Shelby beginning to stalk up the hillside.
"I do Beth. I'm going to leave now, I hope you stay well and maybe some day soon we can meet over tea and talk about the good times." Beth never got to utter another word as Kate swivelled, making her way out. "Who was that?" Beth near gasped, glancing over at Tommy who looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Kate Robin." Beth murmured, holding Jane out to Tommy who took her gladly, sitting down carefully with his baby in his hand. Beth unfolded the sheet of paper, her stomach heavy.
'To my beautiful Kate,
I had a dream last night, one in which I didn't return from France. The nightmares have played at the back of my mind every night. The whats ifs, the ands and the buts. I'm scared Kate. I sat up and watched Bethany sleep, curled up in my bed, her hair wild and eyes red from crying but she looked peaceful. I've tried my best to raise her as my own but here I am- a teenager being deprived of my innocence and Beth merely still a child and so innocent having the only people she has- gone and with a risk of no return. I want you to be brave Kate. I want you to keep yourself sane and not drive yourself up with worry. Polly will mind Beth. I just stress that Tommy won't make it back because god knows they need each other more than anything. He's a trouble making thief but I love him and she loves him. Beth has never known to love but here she is, come so far with loving Tommy and god I pray he doesn't break her heart. If he returns and I don't, give them the ring and my blessing to marry. It's what I would want. Tell her I love her more than life and she'll always be my little sister.
I love you so much Kate, hopefully I'll be home to marry you myself.
Stay safe while I'm gone,
love Calvin Clover.
Beth folded the sheet of paper up, wiping the tears from her eyes quickly as she glanced at Tommy. "Whats the matter love?" Tommy murmured, pulling his wife under his arm. "No tears, eh?" He grinned, placing a kiss to the top of her head. Beth couldn't help but laugh, staring down at her baby as she sat under her husbands arm. "Nothing. Everything's perfect. Happy tears." Tommy only grinned, his thumb gently rubbing against Jane's cheek who dozed into a sleep. "I thought I could never love a woman as much as you." Tommy murmured, resting his head against Beth's. Beth could only smile harder through her tears, looking at her baby girl like she was the last thing in the world.
A cold wind swept through and Tommy gently stood, moving Jane over to the pram. "We should get going. It's getting cold." Tommy grinned, holding his hand out to Beth. Beth paused for a moment, smiling at him. "You go put Jane in the car, I'll be there in a moment." Tommy never said another word, knowing what today meant to her and made his way down to the car. Bringing the letter up to her lips, Beth kissed it as she stared out at the sunset. "I did it, Calvin. I got everything I wanted." Feeling the tears begin to stream she huffed, wiping them quickly and walked out of the grave yard, sliding Calvin's ring beside her own wedding band, her heart content as Tommy Shelby smiled down at her.
BOOK THREE PENDING..........
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LONELY| Thomas Shelby
Fanfiction"when they're good they're really good, when they're bad they will burn the town to the ground." in which beth returns to the gangster life that she once lived, where everything is the same yet everything has changed. BOOK TWO OF VULNERABLE SERIES S...
