The Hanging Noose

Twenty-Three

Dottie hardly moved from Polly's side. She was constantly touching her, holding her hand or accidentally moving her leg and jolting Polly's, not that Polly minded. She had missed her daughter, and had tried to see her, yet no one would tell her where Rosemary lived in Kent, the ceiling in Tommy's office proves her anger.

The pair sit with a cup of tea on the table talking when Micheal walks in, wearing a suit with his hair brushed back. He has his eyes casted downwards, looking at a newspaper.

"I don't remember you ever reading," Dottie remarks, watching as Micheal looks up with a frown.

He drops the newspaper, "Thea! You're back!" He cries, going over to his sister and pulling her in to his arms.

She smiles as she wraps her arms around his torso, leaning her ear against his heart, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you," Micheal responds, kissing his sister's temple, he pulls back slightly to take a better look at Dottie, "you're okay now, aren't you?"

Dottie nods, "I am. Rosemary helped me a lot, even though I hate to say that."

Raising an eyebrow, Micheal half smirks. "Still hate the woman then?"

"Of course I do, she's still grotesque. Even argued with me one day because... well I hated Eliza calling her nana, kept saying to Eliza that she's not but you know what kids are like-"

"Eliza's here?"

Dottie nods, "she is. She's asleep, at the moment. I woke her up to meet Mum, but she was too shy, still too tired."

"How is she? How is she doing?"

Dottie smiles, staring at Micheal's caring face. "She's okay, she's good. She isn't very talkative until she's used to someone, but that's only because it's only ever been me and her and sometimes Rosemary."

Micheal's eyes scan over Dottie's face, his hands hold her face, his thumbs stroking her plump cheeks. He smiles again, pulling her once more against his chest, Dottie chuckles, patting his ribs.

"You're a lot more sentimental now," Dottie says, pulling away from him, she frowns slightly, "I prefer you like this, not like the big bad brother you always seemed to be." She steps back and looks him up and down before looking at Polly.
"Don't he look like Tom?"

Polly nods, crossing her leg over her knee, "that's what I've been saying. He's too much like his cousins- Christ, your cousins! They would love to see you again."

"Are they here?"

Polly nods, "of course they are, they've been working out the last final bits to the wedding, and the boys have been cooped up in Tommy's office." She says as she stands up, brushing away the crumbs of her lap, "come, I'll take you to where Tommy and the boys are."

Dottie nods, however she hesitates, staring at Polly. "Where's Reggie? What happened to him? I haven't heard from him."

Micheal, stepping back from Dottie silently, eyes Polly.

"Reggie still lives where you and he lived, he hasn't been apart of the family as such. Been working for Tom, and then going to the pub."

Dottie raises her eyebrows, "the pub? He doesn't drink."

"He does now," Polly says, looking at Dottie, "we checked on him, multiple times... but he soon stopped responding to me on the door. I've made the boys check on him whilst he's at work, but you know what the boys are like. Everything goes over their heads."

Dottie nods slowly, taking in the new information, "is he... is he coming to the wedding?"

Polly nods, "as a Blinder, he has to. He's part of the muscle, incase any trouble happens."