Madame Angel ~ A Thomas Shelby Story

Chapter Thirty-Two

The days following Aurelia's admittance of the truth then him threatening her now ex-husband have been hectic for Thomas. An assassination to carry out, a family to get out of jail, his own death over his head. He also has personal things to sort out, even if he does die, he would have closure and he'd know what he wants. The thoughts of a non-promised future with Aurelia and Marianna sits in the back of his mind sneaking into and out of his focus. The weight of it creating a pathetic ache in his skull.  Thomas wants it so bad, but he needs to be sure Grace no longer holds a place inside of him anymore. So, when Thomas got a call, her Irish accent came through the phone and his heart didn't leap like it did with Aurelia's Spanish slur. Yes, she sounded the same but so far Thomas didn't feel the same. He created a plan that could buy him a few more days of his life, be sure of his lack of feelings for Grace and piss off Campbell. He invited her to join him for a night at Ada's in London, Campbell's officers will see them, and he can sit in a room with Grace to get closure and move on.

Since he had showed up to her club unannounced after Campbell had told him Steven Felton had been spotted walking into The Haven by Campbells coppers, Thomas had been carefully plotting. Chester Campbell wanted to play a petty game, and Thomas will win. See, Chester Campbell is a simple man. A very simple man, who has a distaste for all things society deems disgusting yet a strong desire to have and do all of them. He must keep up appearances, to look better than 'people like Thomas Shelby' when he is arguably worse. So, Thomas pokes and prods at Chester's downfalls and desires until Chester's true colors show. Desire however can be what feeds a monster and make it stronger, sadly Polly Gray was forced to be the meal for Campbells monster. Polly had nearly burned and scrubbed her skin raw when she remembered what Ada had told her about Aurelia's past and before she even realized that she had the idea Aurelia's voice rang through the phone.

"Hello?" Polly heard Aurelia through the phone and her nerves picked up and she rushed out an excuse. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have- I- Goodbye, Aurelia." Polly rushes out but Aurelia's voice stops her. "Mrs. Gray? Is everything alright? Is it Ada? Did something happen? Is Karl okay?" Aurelia asks and Polly sighs in both embarrassment and frustration. "No! No. Ada and Karl are fine. I just called because- because Ada had told me about everything." Polly excused lamely. "Oh. I guess that means you're calling to say you don't approve of me, then?" Aurelia asked shyly but Polly scoffed and shook her head. "I called to ask how you got over it..." Polly feels like swallowing her tongue at this point, but she needs to know how to move on from how she feels, from the lingering feeling of Campbell's hands. "What he did. How did you make it stop running in your head over and over? How do you make this stop?" Polly asked and Aurelia could hear the woman start to cry, Polly is a strong woman from what Ada had told her and she knew that right now Polly didn't want to feel weak or pitied, so she answered the question.

"When I left, he was dead to me. The dead can't hurt me but for a while he haunted me," Aurelia said truthfully. "Good thing us gypsies can speak to the dead and tell them when to fuck off." She added. "You're far stronger than him, Mrs. Gray. Because you survived and he won't." Aurelia finished and Polly was quietly sobbing as she listens to the younger girl.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Gray." Aurelia goes to hang up when Polly speaks. "Aurelia." Polly calls on the other line. "Yes, Mrs. Gray?" Aurelia answers. "Call me Aunt Pol." Polly says, and Aurelia pauses at the notion but obliges. "Good night, Aunt Pol." "Goodnight." As they hung up, they each silently prayed for the other.

A few days later it was the first Burlesque show at The Haven and the house was packed, there were even people in the upstairs halls leaning over the rails. Aurelia also had a certain film star in her club today and everyone was on edge. The girls were practicing their reveals to make sure nothing would go wrong, and Aurelia was regretting letting them talk her into doing an entry number to introduce herself and the girls group opening number. Aurelia was only doing a reveal from one dress into another, shorter one. She was nervous because Thomas said he would be there tonight with someone he wanted her to meet. The lights all turned off save for the spotlights on the stage and the crowd went wild. Aurelia looked on stage from the side and saw the closed curtains and a thin red wall of fabric. The curtains were drawn leaving the wall of fabric there by its lonesome and the spotlights on stage facing the crowd turned on and the music started playing. It was time for her grand entrance.

She had her hair curled and loosely pinned up, a red tulle robe with feathers lining the hem of the flared sleeves at the bottom. It's just barely visible as she stepped onto stage her silhouette projected on the red fabric and visible to the crowd. She walked slowly moving her hips to the music slowly undoing the robe and turning her back to the crowd, as the robe fell to the floor the red fabric wall had been pulled up. Aurelia's full body clad in a stunning form fitted white dress that had glittering stones all over it with a low cut back showing off her wings. The crowd went wild again. She looked to the side stage and held her hand out. Ricardo placed a microphone in her hand, and she smiled in a 'thank you'. The band stopped playing music and everything went silent. "Do you want to see an angel?" She asked the crowd in a sultry voice, her back still turned to them. Whooping's and whistling were the response met. She turned and faced the crowd with a smirk on her crimson lips. The crowd was still going bonkers for her as she glided her hand from her side up past her hips and breast until it got to the back of her neck where the clasp is. "Do you want to see more?" She teased the crowd, and the maddening screams made her let out a sultry chuckle and give a wink. She saw Thomas sat at her table with a blonde woman who seemed to be talking to him, but he was far too focused on Aurelia with a clenched jaw and his eyes flickering from the crowd to her. Thomas had gotten here with Grace just as the curtains drew open and he wanted to cut the eyes of every man here, cheering Aurelia to let them see what's his. "As you wish, love." She says starring Thomas in the eyes as she undoes the clasp behind her neck and the long white dress glitters in the light as it falls to the floor revealing a short silver looking dress covered in crystals as well. Thomas lets out a breath in relief. "It's her you love now, Tommy, isn't it?" Grace asks Thomas, the look on his eye answering the question before he himself could.

Prior to their arrival at The Haven, Thomas and Grace met at Ada's house. He was smoking like a fucking mad man until he heard the knock at the door. When he opened it and saw Grace standing there with a smile, he was relieved. Relieved because his heart didn't skip a beat, his stomach didn't flutter, his brain knew that this was the Grace he once loved but his heart and body knew her as a stranger. He invited her in to talk and they sat with a drink as she went on about her life with her husband. "Do you have someone, Thomas?" Grace had asked him, her voice seemed hopeful. She was either hoping he had moved on or that he hadn't, she couldn't quite tell you which she answer she'd prefer hearing. "I'm in love with a glorious woman, Grace. She owns a club, here in London, they're having a big event tonight." He answered her honestly. Grace was slightly crushed at the news, but she has a husband whom she loves and wants to start a family with. "Can I meet her?"  Grace asks and so with a taunting call to Chester Campbell, the two now sat watching Aurelia introduce her girls as burlesque dancers to a wild crowd. "Yes. I love her." Thomas says as he watches Aurelia leave off the stage.