Living With Mr Shelby

Chapter Eight

Birmingham was quite this morning, to quiet I thought to myself as I quickened my pace so I could open the bookies on time. Jumping down the steps two at a time. John's kids were sick so Esme had to take the day off and after much persuading Tommy had let me take her place. He was on edge ever since his Blinders in London had informed Danny that Kimber was on his way to Birmingham.

Danny and Rosie had moved to a large country house halfway between London and Birmingham where Rosie and Danny ran a sort of open house for the Peaky Blinders. If you had a message it was sent to Danny or the Shelby's themselves several Blinders had stopped by after the races and Rosie soon saw a change for the better in Danny, pleasing Tommy to no end.

"You're late." Arthur muttered without looking up as I used the side door to enter the bookies so I wouldn't have to deal with the swarm of people outside.

"I know sorry... what are you doing?" I asked once I walked into the room and saw John loading up several guns, Arthur was stitching a new razor blade into Finn's hat and I could see the brand new blade in Arthur's hat already placed carefully on his head.

"We got trouble comin, Kimber ain't alone." He said in a gruff voice I glanced up at the stairs that led to a long corridor with two doors at the end one led to Arthur's office the other to John's house there was a similar one on the opposite side that I had just come from leading to Tommy's office or to the balcony that led to our house. Esme was leaning on the banister watching the Shelby's carefully and looked exhausted.

"Are there enough free men to keep the bookies open?" I asked knowing that Esme, Polly, Ada and myself would never be able to deal with the huge amount of regulars we normally got let alone the hundreds of people who turned up to place bets before the big race this weekend.

"Finn and the younger Blinders are gonna help, think we got two men that are gonna stay at the bookies to help ones a Lee he should be here soon... you gonna check on Tommy?" He added the last part with a curious tone. I had discovered that the Garrison was holding a bet on whether I would be swept up by Tommy or we'd fall out and I'd vanish like another girl, I hadn't found out who this other girl was but I was determined to find out. The betting was made worse by the hundred pound bet from Tommy for us getting together something he liked to use to wind me up.

"No he's in an awful mood I'd rather avoid him." I muttered making John and Finn cheer, they had bet that I would vanish and would often try to cause arguments just to get their money but Tommy had wised up rather quickly and would joke around with them.

"Well I'd go up in a second Poll and Tommy are talking it'll save him explaining everythin' twice." Esme offered, I nodded bitterly and dumped my jumper on one of the tables that was usually weighed down with coins and ascended the stairs I had just climbed down.

Poll and Tommy both turned quickly as if readying themselves for a fight but instantly relaxed a little when they saw it was me. Tommy finished explaining what to do in emergencies once he was done Poll left leaving me and Tommy alone. The room was filled with an awkward silence which was broken when Tommy started tipping bullets out onto his desk and finally decided to talk to me.

"You're still ignoring me? You know the bet at the Garrison's just a joke." Tommy muttered as he glanced at me, I shrugged and sat in the big chair behind his desk making him raise an eyebrow and began looking over his hat making sure the razor blades were stitched in properly. I sighed at Tommy's shoddy handy work as one slipped out onto the desk with a gentle clatter.

"Why's he coming?" I asked Tommy as I opened the top draw of his desk and fished out the strong string he used to keep his razors in place and began stitching them back into his hat.

"He's annoyed with us." Tommy's voice was gentle but there was a forced tone that told me I wasn't allowed to press the situation any more than I had. Once I was done I handed Tommy his cap and he inspected it closely, nodded and slid it carefully onto his head.

There was an awkwardness between us after that, if we had been closer I would have kissed him on the cheek and wished him luck, if we were on worse terms I would have shaken his hand but we were how we were, Something that seemed to puzzle Tommy and I over the short time I had known him, Poll's voice drifted up the stairs calling for Tommy who didn't seem ready to move.

"You'll be fine Tommy." I whispered, putting a hand on his arm. In one movement Tommy placed his hands on my hips, kissed me gently on the forehead and strode out of the room so quickly the only way I knew it had really happened was the tingling sensation on my forehead.

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"Girls. Last takings! We need to get to the boys, the fight didn't go too well." I looked up and saw the tall man that was engaged to Ada, I think his name was Freddie but I couldn't quite remember, so I nodded without addressing him and he quickly hurried to the back to tell Poll.

"Last takings." I yelled and soon heard Ada and Esme's voices echoing my own, most bookies didn't do a last takings they just stayed open till the queue had died down but this was something Tommy and Poll had put in place the staff knew that if the phrase last takings was shouted they had ten minutes to finish up and get to the Garrison for further orders from the Peaky Blinders unless they were told otherwise. I glanced to my left where Finn was struggling to write down the names of customers, my queue had died down so I told him to leave with Poll who was hurriedly shutting the doors stopping any new customers from coming in.

Once the bookies had emptied Poll told Esme to go home where John was being checked over after being hit rather hard in the face. Poll comforted Esme by telling her that Freddie said it was probably just a broken nose. Ada was sent with Freddie and Finn to check up on Arthur and some of the other Blinders, the men who were with us for the day were sent to check on everyone that was involved and to give them money towards medicine and doctors bills.

"We're going up to see Tommy." Was all Poll said once the doors were locked I nodded and followed the older woman up the stairs and handed her the key to the side door. Tommy was sat on the sofa with no shirt on nursing, a nasty looking cut across his ribs; Poll winced as she tried to look at the cut making Tommy hiss under his breath.

"Well your swearing like a trooper so it aint that fuckin bad." Poll muttered she glanced up at me and motioned for me to come over and started ordering me to get bowls and water. She told Tommy she'd be back with painkillers once she'd checked on the rest of her nephews and left me to clean up the wound and stitch Tommy up. I was sure I looked more nervous at the thought of poking Tommy with a needle than Tommy did.

He chuckled as I gently dabbed around the wound on his chest trying not to get to close to him and pulled me so I was stood between his legs, he lent to the side so I could reach the wound sucking air between his teeth as I pushed a little too hard just below the wound.

"I don't think I can do that." I said pointing and the needle and thread that Poll had left out for me. I looked at Tommy and found it difficult not to stare at the large wound that was most likely left from a bullet. Before I could stop myself I was tracing the star like scar making Tommy hum and drop his head back onto the back of the seat. Heavy footsteps made me jerk my hand away from him and Arthur stomped into the room fresh cuts that had clearly been cleaned covered his face and soon I was pushed aside so he and Poll who hurried into the room with some nasty smelling home remedy could stitch up Tommy's wound properly.