the princess and the pauper ♕ tommy shelby

chapter fourteen

1919, April

            Ophelia had rented an apartment in Birmingham, not too far from Watery Lane and the hospital. She asked Ada to help her out with moving in. "Your father agreed to it?" Ada asked surprised. "Yes, but I do need to visit as much as I can" she said. "That's reasonable" Ada said, and they walked to the Garrison. "Are we allowed in?" Ophelia asked on their way. "You're with me, being a Shelby means something here, Elia" she said. "Alright, I trust you then" Ophelia said, and they walked in, with the Shelby brothers close behind.

A blonde woman was singing on a chair in the middle of the pub. "We hadn't had singing since before the war" the bartender, Harry said. "Why do you think that is, Harry" Tommy said. "Shut it down!" Tommy said before they walked into their booth. "Come" Ada said and sat down at the bar with Ophelia. "Scotch and a pint" Ada said. "Coming up" Harry said as the barmaid came back behind the bar. "Give them whatever they want, Grace" Harry said.

Grace noticed how the new girl, the only one she hadn't been informed off, looked far too classy to hang around people like the Shelby's. She would have to ask around. Perhaps Campbell knew but didn't tell her because she had no significance to the Peaky Blinders. She heard Ada call her Elia bunch of times.

When she finally got to see Campbell again, she told him about Elia. "What did she look like?" he asked. "Tall-ish, taller than Ada Shelby, and dressed far above the working class" she said. "They called her Elia" Grace said. "I will look into it, befriend her as much as you can, perhaps she is part of the family through marriage. And I'm afraid you'll need to make Tommy Shelby fall in love with you, it could help you" Campbell said.

Ophelia spends her one day off relaxing with a cup of tea, she enjoyed the work at the hospital, but she only worked 48 hours a week, and she managed to get weekends off so she could go up to York. There was a knock on her door, and she opened up to see Freddie Thorne. "Can I ask a favour?" Freddie asked. "Come in" Ophelia said when she saw coppers everywhere. "I can give you 2 pounds to get away" she said. "Thank you, tell Ada I'm sorry" Freddie said. "I will, be careful" Ophelia said, and he escaped again through her bathroom window. Before she could even react, someone kicked down the door. "Ma'am outside now" they said. "Could I put on a jacket" She asked, and they agreed. In her nightgown and jacket, she stood outside with the others as they turned over her apartment. "Take her" one copper said with a Northern Irish accent. "What? On what charges" she asked as they took her with.

By the time the Shelby's returned Finn told them what happened with the raiding. "Everyone fine?" Polly asked. "No" Ada said walking in. "What happened?" John asked. "They arrested Ophelia" Ada said. "For what" John asked. "They said she was hiding communists" Ada said. "Princess? Hiding communists?" Arthur laughed. "Can we get her out?" Polly asked. "Maybe" Ada said, sitting on the chair. "I will find some men who can tell us more" Tommy said, his veins filling with pure rage.

Ophelia sat on the ground of a cold and wet jailcell. They hadn't told her anything, and no one came in to check on her. "I want your name" a man said. "I want yours" Ophelia shot back. "I'm Inspector Campbell, and an informant of mine says you know the Peaky Blinders" he said. "I don't know anyone called that" she said. She stood up. Her nightgown was wet and dirty, and clung to her legs. "I want a lawyer. And if I do not get to call my lawyer in the next hour, you'll regret the day you laid your eyes on me Inspector Campbell" she said before walking back and sitting on the floor again, not even bothering with the bed.

After 20 miinutes a man finally took her to a room, and she called Murray immediately. She never gave her name and she waited until he showed up. "Your lawyer is here" Inspector Campbell said, standing with Murray. "Tell me why you put me in here" Ophelia said. "On suspicion of association with gang members and communists" Inspector said. "Suspicion? Do you know who this is?" Murray asked. "No" Campbell said honestly.