Gentleman

Chapter Seventeen

Roselie had managed to get out of bed, she was still very sore and shaken from the attack. But she was also strong willed and stubborn, she knew the maids had been talking about her, but she didn't care.

"Rose what are you doing out of bed?"  Joseph asked as she walked into his office, closing the door behind her.

"We need to talk" She sighed "And I needed a change of scenery"

"Fair enough" Joseph leant forwards and lit a cigarette.

"You haven't said anything about...you know" Roselie ran her hand across her stomach and inhaled deeply.

"Before we go any further can I ask you a question?" Joseph asked and Rose nodded her head "Did you lay with him? Did you let him take you to his bed?"

Roselie couldn't answer his question she just looked down at her shaking hands "For fuck sakes Rose, why huh? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"

"I don't know" Roselie cried.

"Do you love him?" Joseph frowned hoping the answer would be no "Rose?"

"I'm fond of him" Roselie replied and Joseph allowed his head to roll back.

"Fond of him?" he hissed "And me? The father of your child"

"Joe not now please" Roselie pleaded.

"Alright but we will discuss this" He frowned "Rose I don't know what you want me to say, but I want you to know I love you...too much probably but I do none the less...and I want you to know that if anything happens and you need somewhere" Rose reached up and gently touched Joseph's face.

"I know" she whispered.

××××××

Roselie inhaled deeply as she arrived home, Joseph parked outside and helped her out of his car. She was still in a lot of pain and covered in bruises.

As the pair walked into the lobby it was no surprise Joseph was met by a furious Tommy "Who the fuck do you think you are coming here?" it wasn't until Tommy saw Roselie that he realised "Shit what happened?"

Roselie could barely stand so Joseph lifted her off the ground "Perhaps we should put her to bed first before we talk" Joseph scoffed as he followed Tommy through the house to Roselie's bedroom.

"Jesus Christ" Polly gasped as she too followed them "What the hell happened?" she added as she pulled down Roselie's bed sheet.

Joseph put her in her bed and looked into her eyes "Remember what I said darlin" he said before turning and following Tommy into his office. Polly was close behind them "Campbell did this"

"You know for certain?" Polly wondered and Joseph nodded his head.

"You're not the only one with contacts" Joseph spoke through gritted teeth. He had the upper hand in this situation and he could have quite happily have pulled a gun and shot Tommy Shelby there and then. But he knew Roselie would never have forgiven him. And to him, hurting Rose wasn't an option, especially now "There's something else...She knows, about the set up to protect your wife. She knows she went to prison so you could save Grace"

Polly turned quickly to Tommy "Oh god Tommy"

"You fucking piece of shit..." Tommy started but Joseph interrupted him instantly.

"She didn't hear it from me, No matter what you think of me. I wouldn't hurt her like that. Alfie Solomans told her after she spent the night with him" Joseph explained. Tommy was surprised to see the look of hurt on his face.

"You can leave now" Polly frowned hoping to stop Joe from saying anything else.

"I'll go, but know this while she is carrying my child, I'll never be far away" Joseph looked at Polly and Tommy without even a hint of worry.

"She told you?" Polly was a little surprised.

"No I guessed as much and then the Doctor who checked her over after the attack confirmed it" Joseph spoke honestly much to Tommy's confusion

"So what are you hoping for? Polly frowns "Raise it in a family? Make her a King?"

"Nothing, I just want what's best for my child and it's mother" Joseph sighed, he was starting to rise of the Shelby's lack of faith in him.

"Mother?" Tommy inhaled "That's where you're wrong, My sister may be pregnant. But she won't be a mother, now I know that you know...i will persuade her to terminate the pregnancy just like she did the last one"

Tommys comment infuriated Joseph, however he manages to keep his composure "Then I guess I will just have to work my magic again...Thing is while both Rose and I have blood on our veins we will always be drawn to one another, We pull together like gravity"

"Gravity" Polly rolled her eyes.

"You really don't know anything about her do you?" Joseph was now wearing a callous grin "You say she will never mother a child of mine...well you're too late..."

"Late? How?" Polly was intrigued to what had made Joseph King so confident and sure of himself.

"Two years ago Roselie fell pregnant, she gave birth to a boy. My son...she is under the impression he lives with relatives of mine in Boston. But truth is when it came down to it I held him in my arms when he was just a few days old, and I couldn't bare to let him go..." Polly and Tommy were both flawed by Joseph's revelation.

"He lives with you?" Polly asked and Joseph nodded.

"He does and I can promise you there hasn't been a day gone passed where I haven't poured all the love I have for his mother into him" Joseph hesitated "I kept it from her because she didn't want him, she was so broken after what you all did, she couldn't bare to look at her son...and You bastards call me a monster"

Tommy and Polly both watched in silence as Joseph turned and walked away. Neither of them could speak. Jospehs news had left them speechless.
11
A.N

Hi guys

Hope you like the twist I added. I have quite a few bumps in the road to add...i can promise you when the story is finished you won't know who you want Roselie to be with.