The Queen Of Small Heath

A Thousand Guineas On A Horse?

Tommys POV

I had called a family meeting, interrupting Polly's holiday and John had been tasked to fetch her while everyone else waited around. John swings the door open and Polly walks in as he follows behind her. "This better be good to interrupt my holiday." She grumbles.

"Where's the boy?" Arthur asks. "In the back room. I only brought him because afterwards we're going to the museum." Polly replies and I see Aurora hiding her smirk. "He wanted to come in and say hello." John tells us. "Shut up, John." Polly scolds him. "There's nothing of interest to Michael in this room. Tommy, get on with it."

"Right, last night, one of our men had his throat cut in Winston Green. This morning, I had a telegram saying it was Sabini who ordered it." I speak dryly, eyeing the room around us. "And it says here Thomas Shelby is next." Arthur says ripping the telegram to shreds.

"If our men think we can not look after them in prison, they'll not work for us. Sabini knows that, so we need to get the Green sorted out. Scudboat, you and one of the boys break a couple of windows, get yourselves arrested. And if our coppers get you in the Green, you can find the bastards that did it." I order. "Instead of breaking windows, can we pinch a car?" Scudboat asks making Aurora let out a small chuckle along with the rest of us. "Everyone else is getting a car and I'm still on a donkey."

"Alright, just get yourselves fucking arrested." I spat, an unamused expression on my face. "It doesn't matter how. And before you laugh, a boy is dead. He was just a kid. We'll start a fund for his family, Pol." I suggest and Polly nods. "Agreed." She says before she throws her hands up on agitation. "So, is that it? Can I go now?" She asks. "Well, as company treasurer, I need your permission to spend a thousand guineas." I reply. "On what?" Polly questions, looking at me in shock.

"On a horse." I reply simply, resting my hands on Aurora's shoulders, my thumbs rubbing the back of her neck. "A thousand guineas on a horse?" Polly elaborates, her brown eyes widened in disbelief. "That's right." I nod. Polly begins to pace around the room, clearly busy in her thoughts. "When was this decided?" She asks. "You were busy with Michael." I reply bluntly. "Oh my god." Polly spat. "So in the absence of common sense, you boys have had an idea?"

"Polly, there's a thoroughbred quarter Arab filly up for auction at the Doncaster Blood Stock." I inform her. "What do we want with a thousand guineas horse?" Polly asks in clear disbelief. "When we make our move on Sabini's racing pitches, any men we get into the betting enclosure will be lifted by Sabini's police. A good racehorse is a passport to the owners enclosure." I explain. "We'll be there with all the toffs. The coppers won't know where to look." Arthur says.

"The Epsom Derby, Pol. We'll be drinking with the fucking king." John blurts with a happy smile in my face. "The derby? Did he say the derby?" Polly exclaims looking around. Everyone turns to glare at John as he looks away in embarrassment. "You dipshit." Aurora says shaking her head and I clear my throat. "That's right. For the last ten years, Sabini's made it his race. If we're going to take him down, might as well make it there, as a symbol." I say.

"Did you come up with this idea in a pub by any chance?" Polly asks. "Pol, a good racehorse is an investment. Like property. We need to diversify the portfolio." I say. "So when is this sale?" Polly inquires. "Tomorrow." Aurora tells her. "Excuse me?" Polly grumbles. "Tommy's had a death threat, so we'll have to go with him for protection." Arthur explains.

"So you're going to close up shop, go out on a piss-up, blow a thousand guineas on a horse that's not even whole Arab?" Polly spat in annoyance, making the plan seem stupid. "Quarter Arab is better. Quarter Arab, it means-" Curly begins. "Curly, shut up." Polly demands before her eyes land on Michael and she glares accusingly at John. "I thought I told you to lock that door." She says as Michael takes a few steps further into the room and shrugs.

"He did. I used the key on the nail. Look, I've been listening in and I want to go with them." Michael tells her. "You see?" Polly exclaims, glaring over at me. "I love horses. I could even help." Michael begs, an innocent smile on his face. "Over my dead body." Polly retorts, crossing her arms. "It'll be alright, mum. I've been to loads of horse auctions it's my uncle. They're very respectable. People bring their butlers." Michaels tries again.

"Yeah, and their posh wives." Arthur chuckles. "And their mistresses." John and Aurora say in unison as they grin and John nudges Michael in the ribs. "Let him go, Polly. We'll go there, buy a horse, and come back." Arthur says, finishing his drink. "I'll drop him back at the house in Sutton before it gets dark." John purposes. "No. Fucking no." Polly spat.

"Oh come on, Pol. It's just a horse auction. I'm going and you know I won't let anything happen to him." Aurora tells her. "You, shut up. You're just as bad as them." Polly turns to glare at her. "Polly, it's just horses." Aurora exclaims. "Look, I said no!" Polly shouts and Aurora rolls her eyes.

"Polly, grow the fuck up. Seriously, I'm tired of this 'I'm mother of the year' bullshit. None of our hands are clean, including yours. It's a tiny fucking horse auction. Do you trust us so fucking little?" Aurora exclaims as the room goes quiet as it grows tense. No one is used to Aurora and Polly arguing, they argue about everyone else but never with each other.

"Why the fuck should I trust you?" Polly questions and Aurora scoffs. "Because you know damn well that I'd die for anyone of you and that includes Michael. Come on, Polly, you practically raised me." Aurora says. "Yeah, I did. But not for you to turn out like this." Polly spat.

"For fucks sake, Pol. He's seventeen. You're not his legal guardian. His foster mum finds out you've taken him, you could go to fucking jail and they might never let you see him again. There's three weeks until he turns eighteen, twenty-one days. Is it worth the risk?" Aurora asks before she shrugs out of my hold and walk out of the house, leaving us all standing in silence as Polly takes in her words.