Stolen Heart [Tommy Shelby x OC]

Chapter 17

Reluctantly, Tommy left without Finn. After Finn had inhaled through two days' worth of food, Lily reached for her keys.

'Come on Finn, let's go.'

'Can't I stay for a while?'

'No, it's getting late and your aunt is worried sick about you.'

'She didn't come to take me.'

'There must be something to it. Otherwise, Polly wouldn't do something like that.' She said gently, almost to herself.

He agreed after some more grumbling and they both left. The car made a hacking noise when she started it. Lily ignored it, thinking it was probably from disuse and drove straight to Polly's place.

When they reached Sutton twenty minutes later, Lily decided to go in with Finn to meet Polly.

Inside, the hall was completely empty. Stifling a yawn, Finn yelled, 'Aunt Polly?'

'You go to bed, Finn. You're probably tired.'

'Yeah, I am. Thank you for dropping me, Lily.' He smiled.

'It's all right. Good night.'

Looking around the empty room, she was contemplating leaving when she heard an alarmed voice,

'Who are you?'

'I am Lily Peyton. I came to drop Finn.' Lily said as she turned to look at the person.

Recognition came dawning on the woman's lovely face.

'You are that woman from Garrison. The one who cursed Tommy.' Amusement lit up her face.

'It was the whisky.' She said apologetically.

'The look on Tommy's face was absolutely lethal. I am surprised you're alive, no offense.'

'None taken. You must be Ada Thorne.'

'And you are one of the first people to not call me by my maiden name.'

'In London, you're known as a Thorne.'

'You're from London? Where do you live?' She asked, surprised.

'Paddington Street.' Lily said the first place that came to her mind. She wasn't disclosing her residence to the woman who was popular in the communist circle in London.

'I live in Primrose Hill. Now, anyways.'

'I know.'

'Sorry?'

'I heard from Polly.'

'Polly and her antics.'

'How is she? She didn't come to take Finn.'

'She had at least six glasses of rum at a pub. You can meet her, if you want to.' Ada added.

'Yeah.'

'Go on, then. It's that room.' Ada pointed her finger.

'Thank you, Mrs. Thorne.'

'Call me Ada. Anyone who can put my brother down deserves to.'

Her words were mocking but there was no doubt that Ada Thorne loved her brother as much as he loved her.

'Ada, then.'

'Well, I am off to bed. Can you tell the maid to lock up after you? Good night, Lily.'

'Sure. Good night.'

Lily walked towards Polly's room uneasily. Her stomach churned as she knocked on the door, something didn't seem right to her.

She let herself in after Polly's assent. Polly was sitting on the edge of her bed, her face turned away.

'Hey, Polly. How are you?' She asked carefully, as if one wrong word and the mines would blow up.

'Just had a lot to drink.' She sounded tired, not by physical burden but emotional strain.

She walked closer, 'Don't take too much on yourself. Michael will be safe. He'll be home in no time.'

'He'll be out tomorrow.' She said flatly.

Lily stopped. Out tomorrow? From what she had gathered from Finn, Michael's release would've been difficult, considering it was under that copper's charge. The man held a personal grudge against Tommy, after all. Then a lightning fast thought hit her and all made complete sense. Her hurried exit, drinking out, forgetting about Finn. Not to mention her current demeanor.

'Polly?' She asked, horrified but sympathetic at the same time.

'I had to do it, Lily.' Her painful reply hit at Lily's heart.

Lily reached for her but she stopped her. 'Leave me alone.'

'Take care, Polly.' She turned and left Polly's room.

When back in the hall, Lily had forgotten all about the essential purpose of visiting Polly's place. She looked at the figurine, placed on the mantelpiece in it's glory, then thought of the pain in Polly's voice. She knew she couldn't take it. Who would understand the Polly's pain better than her? She would live in Birmingham for an eternity but wouldn't steal from a person who had suffered that.

She left the house after informing the maid to close up and settled down in her car. Which didn't start. She tried again, with more force but to no avail. Apparently, Gerard's car was battered enough to work only for the stipulated amount of time, which she had over exceeded.

'Fucking hell.' Getting out of the car, she opened the bonnet and looked at the problem. Getting her hands black with grease, she had the car started in ten minutes.

It would work, for today. Tomorrow she was getting it repaired.

There would have been no tomorrow if you had done the job tonight. A bitter voice whispered.

Shaking off the voice, she revved the car to start and drove to Small Heath.

Just ten minutes to her destination, her car stopped again. And she knew no amount of maneuvering would help to turn it on again.

'Looks like I am walking tonight.' Lily muttered

Pushing herself out on the road, she adjusted her dress and began her walk to the destination. It was dark all right. But she had walked in enough narrow alleys and secluded streets to worry about this small district.

Nothing could scare her.