Loving Gwen Baker (Thomas Shelby/Peaky Blinders)

Chapter Twenty Three

As Gwen arrived back to the cottage that afternoon, she had a surprise waiting for her in the living room.

Frowning, she made her way towards the sofa to find a beautiful emerald green dress draped over the armrest.

She was speechless, for the dress was so exquisitely beautiful that she knew it must have cost a small fortune! It was a similar style to the one she had worn to John and Esme's wedding - being off the shoulder, and lace sleeved - but rather than flowers decorating the bodice, there were beautiful green and black beads. And rather than it being made from cotton, it was silk.

"Do you like it?"

She shrieked loudly, not having realised that she was being graced by anyone's presence.

"Thomas Shelby!" She exclaimed, "Are you trying to give a woman a heart attack?"

He stubbed his cigarette out in an ashtray at the kitchen table, before he got up from the dining chair and slipped his hands into his trouser pockets. He made his way through the archway into the living room, and stood beside her.

"Do you like it?"

"It's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen in my life." She replied, "But what's it for?"

"I promised to take you to the races." He replied with a smile, "We go on Wednesday."

"This Wednesday?"

"This Wednesday."

"As in, two days from now?"

"As in, two days from now."

She threw her arms around his neck, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'm so excited!"

"Good." He said, bringing his hands out of his pockets to place upon her waist. "I trust that you have dancing shoes?"

"All of my shoes are dancing shoes." She replied with a grin, his lips pressed to hers and she kissed him back with a sweet peck. "Please, don't smoke in my house."

"It's my house."

"Well, I live here." She replied, "So, please don't smoke in my house."

"Anything you say." He replied, kissing her lips and her jaw. "But if I can't smoke and I can't swear...what can I do?"

"You can kiss me." She replied, curling her fingers around the lapels of his blazer. "And you can drink tea."

He chuckled, pressing his lips to hers before resting his forehead against her own, "How are your paintings coming along?"

"Very well," She began. "Although, I would say that because I did them." She sighed, "I've nearly finished the one of Careless Whisper...do you want to see?"

"I do." He said, allowing her to take his hand and lead him into her art room.

Upon the desk, there was a beautiful painting of the dappled grey mare, the trees weren't finished, and Gwen still had to paint the horses mane...but she had captured the beautiful specks of charcoal and flint across the mares rump exceptionally well.

Being careful of the wet paint, Tommy picked it up gently. "This is beautiful." He said, his eyes drinking in the strawberry blondes hard work.

"Be honest." Gwen said, "Critique is good for me."

"There's nothing bad about it." He replied, "She looks relaxed in her canter, she looks free and happy. It's perfect."

"Are you sure?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "You don't think the red hooves are too much?"

Tommy frowned at the picture, causing Gwen to laugh.

"I was joking." She said, "But I'm disappointed to see that you had to double check."

Tommy put the picture down carefully before reaching out a hand to pull Gwen closer, "You're a very talented artist." He murmured against her mouth.

She showed him the work she had done on the other horses, there were several of Something About Her in different poses, one of Blushing Bride staring out to the open fields and one of Monaghan Boy rearing up on his hind legs.

"Which one is your favourite?" He asked her.

Gwen smiled, "I have to say my fellow ginger." She selected one particular painting that she had done quickly with watercolours. It was of Something About Her laying down in the meadow flowers. "I caught her sleeping, and thought she looked beautiful."

"I'm glad to see that they're happy up here." Tommy said, "They don't seem to be when they're at the yard. I know they like exercise and being ridden, but the stable they're not keen on."

"Perhaps they miss the sunshine." Gwen said, "The air is a lot clearer up here too."

Tommy said nothing for a moment, "I was thinking of buying old farmer Trevor's place. There's room for stables, and a school. That way, they can stay up here - with you - even when they're being trained. Horses work better when their happy." He said, "Curly would love working up here too. You'd get along well with him."

"That might be a good idea." Gwen said with a nod, "Because if you don't want any foals, you need to keep Monaghan Boy away from the mares when they come into season."

"Aye." He said in agreement, "Curly said the same thing."

They spent the rest of the afternoon together, in Gwen's back garden. Watching the horses and stealing tender kisses from one another. When Tommy reluctantly left for the evening, Gwen sat down with her paints in her art room and continued working late into the night.

Which was when it happened.

Gwen blamed the scratching noise of her lack of sleep when she couldn't find the source. She readied herself for bed, before deciding to take one last look around the house. She hoped, terribly, that the noise wasn't being made by a rodent.

The strawberry blonde shivered at the thought of finding a mouse (even worse, a rat!) in her kitchen.

She had just peered under the sink and stood up straight once she couldn't see anything, to find a pair of glowing yellow eyes watching her from her kitchen window. Startled, the broom flew from her hands and landed on the tiles with a loud clatter and the little cat darted out of sight and into the hedges of her garden.

The strawberry blonde hopped onto the kitchen counter to peer out of the window and into the garden, trying to spot the little grey and white animal. It was starting to rain, and Gwen worried that the small cat had nowhere to go.

She poured some cream into a saucer, and opened her back door wide enough for the cat before she placed the saucer down and fetched a blanket from the living room to bundle up beside the saucer. The strawberry blonde peered around the door one last time before she headed up to bed.

When she awoke that very next morning, Gwen rushed down the stairs to find no cat...but an empty saucer, and a blanket that had been burrowed into.

The strawberry blonde smiled to herself before peering out of the backdoor, to see a grey tail disappearing into the hedges.

Comments are welcome!