"A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape." —Proverbs 19:5
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Tommy made the call, and maybe that's why Trixie didn't catch it sooner. When the four had arrived at the Pub, she had split off with Arthur and John to the private room, while Tommy busied himself reaching out to Freddie's contacts to find him and tell him the news.
"Some bloody day," John sighed, sinking down into the booth and looking at Trixie contentedly. "Do you still have my hat?"
"It's in Tommy's car," she said, though she wasn't sure how true that was. At some point between the ceremony, a brick wall at the far end of Lee territory, and the reception, it may have gotten lost. Well—John would live; God knew the Peaky Blinders weren't suffering a hat shortage. "I'll get it tomorrow," she said, though she knew it was lost, more likely than not. "So. You're married. Congratulations, John."
"Yeah, thanks," he said. "I like Esme. I think we're a good match."
"I'm glad," Trixie told him. Though she didn't say it, it was clear they were both thinking of Lizzie, and how she'd been swapped out at the last minute for another bride so that Tommy could protect his best interests. Ada's rant may have been poorly timed, but she hadn't been entirely wrong about anything. Either way, it was too late to back out now, so she just leaned back to make room for Grace to drop off their drinks at the table.
Arthur clapped John on the shoulder. "She's not bad to look at either, eh, John boy?"
John snorted, and Trixie rolled her eyes. Lifting one of the glasses of gin, she announced, "A toast. To John. God willing, the streets will be safer now that he's settled down."
"To Ada," John added. "Ada and that fuckin' baby of hers."
"Cheers," Arthur declared, at the same time Trixie said, "Baby's not even born yet, and you're already cursing it." Even so, she threw back her drink with the rest of them and sighed to herself, satisfied. The day had been a long series of gambles that had mostly paid off, but she was still tired to the bone, and wanted desperately to collapse onto her pillow and dream of sweeter things than racetracks and labor. When she caught Tommy watching her from the doorway, it felt like something in her chest calmed and settled. Suddenly, it was easier to be in this room, with boisterous men riding the high of a new car, a new woman, a new allegiance. He took a seat beside her and the world grew quiet, the only audible sounds the rustle of his jacket against her own.
