Primed for sin // Peaky Blinders

Part 8

On their way back home, the two teens ran into a frantic Ada. She shoved a letter into Rose's hands, the name Freddie written in her penmanship on the back. She was instructed to give it to Tommy, but before she could refuse, Ada had already ran of.

Rose clenched her jaw and cursed herself. She hadn't seen Tommy since their spat this morning and was hoping to avoid him at all costs.

Clearly, the universe was against her in this instant. She had every mind to tell Ada to do it herself, she'd already gotten her into enough shit with their brother as it was. But Ada was her sister, who she didn't want to disappoint.

She walked James home first though, hoping to buy herself some time before she had to see him.

But, alas, she couldn't avoid him forever. Tentatively, she opened the front door and shut it quietly. She could hear Polly in the room too, hopefully it would make this easier having her there.

Rose crept into the betting shop, hoping to just drop the letter on Tommy's desk and whisk herself away. But they both stood there, staring at her as she walked in.

Rose sighed before she walked over to Tommy, her hand held out with the letter in it. He looked down at it before looking back at her, cocking his head.

"Ada wants you to give Freddie this letter" she began, slowly as if she was trying to stop a baby from having a tantrum, "she wants Freddie to know she's having his child"

"He deserves an opportunity to do the right thing" Polly said, coming to Rose's rescue "I say we give him a chance"

Tommy looked about ready to Chuck them all out of the shop, clenching his jaw as he looked at them.

"For a woman who's had a hard life with men, you're still full of romance, eh?" He asked rhetorically, full of sarcasm. "What do you think Freddie sees in our Ada?" He asked them, looking between them both.

"That's Freddie's business" Rose said, jaw clenching as she looked at her brother.

He shook his head though, not agreeing with her "no...no I'll tell you what he sees. He sees machine guns, and rifles, and ammunition and some glorious revolution" he told them, hands moving to emphasise his claims.

"What is it you really don't like about Freddie?" Polly asked, sounding exhausted.

"Yeah, I thought he was your best mate" Rose said, sounding confused.

"She'll have no life with a man on the run" he told them, "if you can't see that you can't see much"

Tommy took the letter and threw it into the fire, Rose's eyes widening with his movements. Polly stood up, attempting to stop him but she was too late. She held a fire poker in her hands, pointing it at her nephew before she threw it at the furnace.

"Damn them for what they did to you in France!" She shouted.

"Tell Ada that Freddie went to America. Or Russia." Tommy said with a sigh. "Polly, it would do no good for Ada to bring a baby into the world alone." He tried to justify himself but her aunt wasn't listening.

"Pol, listen. The truth is, you would've hit me with that thing if it weren't for the fact you know I'm right" he said, pointing to the fire poker. Polly said no more, instead she stormed out of the den without a word for either of them.

Rosella's face held that of complete shock. She didn't realise just how spiteful and un-sympathetic he could truly be.

"Got something you'd like to say, Rosella?" He said to her.

"You've changed, Thomas. You aren't the boy you once were, not after France" she said, sounding disappointed in him.

Tommy stood up and walked over to her "that's because that boy died over in France, Rose. And I'm all that's left."

He put his coat on and situated his peaky cap on his head. Before he could walk out of the front, though, he turned to look at her "oh, and you're grounded."

Her head whipped towards him "what for?!" She shouted.

"I told you, don't speak to me that way. You'll learn one day, Rose." He decided, before slamming the door behind him, making Rose jump at the noise.

And just like that, in a flimsy five minute conversation, her happiness became non existent. Her family truly did have a way with words, a way with such Grace that stripped her pride and happiness down to atoms.