𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

31

"It's all right, Ada, it'll be Andrew for me" The boy shouted from behind the door. He opened it, looking at Tommy. "Hello?"

"I'm looking for Ada"

He tilted his head. "Who are you?" he asked Tommy. Thomas looked at him blankly before shoving past him. The curly haired boy shut the door.

"Ada" Tommy began, "i asked you a question" the boy rushed after him. "It's all right james, this is my brother" She stopped him, looking down at the paper.

"Who's he?" Tommy asked. "He rents a room" Ada raised her voice. "You need to rent out rooms? Ada,"

"Actually she doesn't charge rent" James said, hands in his pocket.

"He's a writer which means he's skint" Ada told him, Tommy looked between the two. "You get up late these days, Ada"

"I go to bed late" she hummed.

"Here's Karl, eh?" he asked. She closed the paper, looking up at him. "What do you want, Tommy?"

Tommy placed his eyes on James.

"Oh god before you start sizing him up for a wedding suit, he's not interested in me, or in girls of any kind" she admitted, "Ada" the boy scolded.

"What?" she asked, "Tommy won't judge you and he sure as hell won't go to the police"

"Look, i'll go get dressed" James said, looking past Tommy, "James, i'm Thomas," he put his hand out. "Pleased to meet you" he added. "Can i have a minute with my sister please?" he asked.

James nodded, "yes of course"

"So, does your lodger know your name?" he asked, "Yeah, Thorne" she said bluntly. "You think i'd tell anybody anything else" she scoffed.

"Your Brummie boys are all over the papers. Just one last push, eh? Then you'll go legit?"

"Just one more obstacle to get around then it'll be all straight?"

"Actually yes" he nodded. She laughed at him. "Personally i find it amusing, men like you are becoming very fashionable down here"

"No society party in London is complete without a gangster for the girls to go giddy for" Ada sighed. "Anyway, what is it that you want?"

"I don't have any children, Ada. So, i have set up a trust fund. The beneficiaries will be Johns kids and Karl" he started.

Silence.

"And Lottie's kid when it comes"

Ada's eyes widened, looking at Tommy. "She's having a baby?" she asked. "Why did no one tell me"

"Lottie's been stressing about it, we didn't want to cause her any more stress by getting her to tell anymore people"

"Anyway, in order for Karl to benefit, i need your signature" he nodded, pulling out a piece of paper. "I've set up an account, and money will be transferred in the event of my death"

"It'll set them up for a new life"

Ada was still processing that her younger sister was with child. She picked up the paper. "Are you sick?" she asked. "I'm just doing want any ordinary man would"

"Putting my affairs in order"

"Is she okay, Lottie?"

"She's scared" Tommy nodded. "She's seventeen, she's bound to be scared" Ada said, signing the paper.

"Anyway, i'll be out your hair, need to get back" Tommy sighed, getting out of the chair and taking the paper. "Tell Lottie i said congratulations" Ada smiled, watching her brother leave.

-

"Mr Thomas Shelby, madam" May Carlton's maid said, opening the door. She looked up as he walked toward her.

May trained Thomas' horse.

"Nice house" he complimented. "Would you like a whiskey?" she asked. "Scotch or Irish" she added.

"Irish"

May pours two glasses.

"Sorry for the short notice, i was passing,"

"We're not quite on the Birmingham road" she stated, handing him the whiskey. "A small diversion" he lit a cigarette.

"Sixty miles, i checked" she said. "That's a small diversion these days" he huffed.

"So i'm a small diversion?" she asked. "Good"

"Your horse is still out on the gallops" she told Tommy. "But i had Micky prepare this report, you can read it now if you like, then we'll go and see her"

He opened the file, reading over the paper. "Is there enough light for you to read?" May asked. He nodded. "Yes it fine"

"It's getting quite late" she observed.

"Mickey says she has the lungs of an elephant" she chuckled. "She's nimble in the heavy going but bounces a little on hard ground"

"Sorry, i'll let you read"

"So he thinks she will favor good to soft ground, eh?" he asked. "A little juice in the grass" she replied.

"Well that's good for Epsom. Does he think she's not good enough for Epsom?"

"She needs a lot of work. The race board will need convincing"

"I imagine you have some influence?" he suggested. She hummed. "That's a suggested program for the next two months. "Your glass is empty"

"Yes it's fine"

"Are you hungry?" she asked. "Yes a bit"

"I can prepare something"

"Do you have engine oil? he asked, "before i set off for Birmingham the car needs oil"

"I'm sure my husband kept some in the garage i'll get someone to do it"

"This evening or tomorrow?" he asked. She looked at him. "We are so far from anywhere people usually stay over"

"Especially before cars and carriages people used to stay over all the time"

"But i have a car"

"Yes" she nodded. "And you have, engine oil, May"

"Probably" she agreed, "but it would be very usual"

He raised his brows. "What would?"

"For a guest to stay. We have a whole wing. Guest wing"

"Oh, good. You have a guest wing" he mocked. "Well,"

She rubbed her forehead. "May?" he asked, his hand resting on her shoulder. "Have a smoke" he handed it to her. "Thank you"

"Ignore this, it's actually alright" she said, "i put all his photos in a drawer and locked it" she said, referring to her dead husband.

"As if that was going to make it different" she laughed at herself. "I am like a fucking light house keeper"

"Out here on my own, keeping his flame burning. But of course, when anyone sees a lighthouse, they steer clear don't they?"

Tom looked at her. "Now, do you have a map?" he asked, "of the house, do you have a map?"

"because, i'm not going to be able to find me way in the dark, you see at midnight. I'm going to leave my wing, and i'm going to come find you and i'm going to then the handle of your bedroom door"

"Without making a sound"

"And none of the maids will know,"

"You don't know maids" she shook her head, "they hear a pin drop" he finished her sentence. "If there's a man in the house they listen, take turns"

"So let them listen"