𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖘𝖐𝖊𝖞 𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘, 𝐭. 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐲 ¹

✧ 03 ✧

𝐍𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑. She felt remarkably tired after spending all night and all afternoon cleaning the mess that was her house.

She plopped onto the nearest barstool, ordering a shot of whiskey from Grace as she wiped dirt away from her cheeks. "God, I forgot how dirty men keep their rooms," she muttered to Grace as she was handed her glass. "My eldest brother left his room looking like a pigsty! And rats!" She groaned as she shook the disgust away, the beady eyes of the little critters she found in her home drilled into her mind. "I fuckin' hate rats."

Grace smiled gently at Nellie as she leaned her hip against the bar. "Your brothers, they can't clean for themselves?"

Nellie looked over the rim of the glass as she tipped the liquid into her mouth. "Do men ever really clean for themselves?" she asked with a head tilt and a knowing smile. Grace laughed and agreed with Nellie. "It's not like they can, anyways. They're all dead."

Grace's smile faltered. "Oh, my apologies, Miss Allyn."

Nellie raised a brow at her as she slid her glass back for more whiskey. "Don't be," was all she said as Grace returned her glass and lifted a bucket from the ground. She nodded to Nellie as she slid around the counter, a bashful look on her face as she pushed open the door to the Shelby meeting room.

Nellie watched the woman, curious about why she would work in such a place. Clearly she had come to understand just the kind of men the Shelby brothers were. And her eavesdropping the other day... Nellie narrowed her eyes as she leaned away from the bar, peering into the room. She was still suspicious of the pretty barmaid.

She ignored the possibility that her suspicion was born out of jealousy.

Upon hearing Arthur's voice, Nellie stood and followed Grace to the room. "Did you want whiskey as well?" she asked as she dutifully refilled their beer glasses.

"No, just beer."

Nellie leaned her hip against the door and smiled. "No whiskey for a Shelby?" she said as she lifted her glass to her lips with a coy smile, catching the attention of the men in the room. Arthur and John lit up as Nellie stepped into the room. "Something must be coming," she teased.

Thomas stared at her as Arthur laughed. "C'mere," he said with a grin, gesturing for Nellie to come further into the room. Nellie shuffled in, giggling when Arthur grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her onto his lap.

Arthur held her legs as he peered into her eyes with a smirk. "Such a tease," she whispered, playing softly with Arthur's hair. John was laughing at Arthur and Nellie, making a face at the treacherous sound that emanated from the main room of the bar.

Thomas's blue eyes bore into Nellie's face as she sipped on her whiskey, one arm draped around Arthur's shoulders as he balanced her on his lap with one arm around her waist. Everyone always told Nellie how Arthur would have made a move on her if Thomas hadn't. He might still feel that way.