midwife » michael gray. [completed]

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO.

   → CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO; LONDON.

"I hear that you are spending the day with Father Hughes again today," Betty said as she placed the schedule down in front of Hannah who was sipping on a cup of tea. Sleep had become a detached memory for every one of the midwives, seemingly the expecting mothers of Small Heath saw May as the perfect time to have children. "Good luck to you."

Hannah sighed delicately before placing the cup down. "There's something outlandish about him, do you not think?

Betty nodded energetically. "I've always thought that he was strange. The nuns don't see anything off beam with him though, so he can't be that bad surely."

Hannah shrugged and bit her lip. "Michael's mood always changes whenever I mention Father Hughes around him. I'm starting to wonder if maybe Father Hughes has business with the Shelby's."

Betty's laughter ran throughout the room, her body leaning forward as she continued to laugh uproariously, undoubtedly entertained with Hannah's statement. "I know that Father Hughes is a bit untrustworthy but come on, a member of the church doing business with The Peaky Blinders, it's a senseless thought." Betty walked over to Hannah and placed her hand on top of Hannah's shoulder. "I think you are looking into this way too much."

"I might be right," Hannah responded, looking up at Betty. "There's something about him and I just don't know what. Do you think I should ask Michael?"

Betty shrugged before leaning over Hannah to grab the cup of tea that Hannah had abandoned due to her uncontrolled thoughts that overwhelmed her concentration. "Michael will just think that you are being silly. For all you know, he is possibly just envious because you are spending time with another gentleman."

It was Hannah's turn to laugh. "Father Hughes is a middle-aged creep with no sense of humour, tremendously invasive and he has appalling shoes – there's nothing to be envious about."

With a roll of her eyes; Betty grasped the medical bag and moved towards the door, turning around at the last minute to say something to Hannah who was staring expressionlessly at the wall.

"If there is something peculiar about Father Hughes then it will come out in due course. Don't lose sleep about something that might not be correct and stop letting your mind generate false stories that put you on the edge because it's not healthy, but you already know that, don't you?"

Hannah nodded, agreeing completely with Betty's truthful reply. Since meeting Michael, Hannah had not been able to think straight. It was either because she was deeply in love with Michael and worshipped the ground that he walked on or the fact that the business constantly meant that all members of the family had to be on high alert in case something dreadful happened. There was always going to be the peril, the danger and the gangster routine – even if the Shelby's did try their very hardest to go legal – but Hannah's love for Michael was sturdier than any of the worthless, undesirable thoughts that swamped her brain before she was about to snooze or when it noiseless in the religious foundation.

"I love him, and I worry about him."

Betty smiled sympathetically before nodding her head. "I know."

"But sometimes I wonder if – "

"Hannah." Sister Maria's roaring voice cut Hannah off before she could finish her sentence and Betty was immediately out of the room, her face full of horror as she snuck out of the back door – dodging Sister Maria. "Have you seen Betty?"

"No." Hannah shook her head and stuck her bottom lip out a little. "Why, what has she done?"

Sister Maria moved over the hot pan of water and started to pour herself a cup of tea. "Fail to recall sorting out the medical apparatus which I had asked her to do last night. That woman is so forgetful that it is exasperating."