Living With Mr Shelby

Chapter Sixteen

Tommy stormed into the bookies slamming Poll's door open and kicking a chair out of his way, Poll was a little taken aback it took a lot to make Tommy lose his composure and she knew exactly who to blame.

"What happened, has she been with someone... have you done something is that why she can't stand to be near me?" Tommy all but screamed at Poll. John, who had been closest to the office door pulled it shut and his voice could be heard through the thin wood wall, telling the customers to carry on as they were. Poll put her pen down and picked up the cigarette she had left balanced neatly in the ashtray.

"She's not been anywhere but here and home Thomas, have you thought the problem might be between the two of you?" Poll snapped feeling offended that her nephew would accuse her of not being in control of the girls.

"What about when you went home." Tommy snapped pacing the small room becoming uncharacteristically flustered running his hands through his hair. Poll stubbed out her cigarette and fixed the man with a hard stare.

"Thomas Shelby, that girl has been with you for two and a half years... you are an attractive well-built man with enough money to support her. What makes you think she would want someone else?" Poll asked hoping to see if her suspicions were right. She knew Tommy was respectful and fully intended to ask Lola to marry him once Sabini was out of the way.

Her sister had taught the boys that good women are a rarity and to force yourself upon them out of wedlock was dishonorable, while his brothers took this in a way that meant if the woman wanted you, you took her. Tommy, refused to sleep with anyone. Well he had up until Grace but that girl was a whore with her fingers in all the jam pots and even the good Saint's wouldn't have been safe with her Polly reminded herself.

By the look in his eyes she was right, the young girl was feeling things for Tommy she didn't understand and rather than giving into what she wanted she was panicking which meant Tommy had made a rather forward move.

"Because I'm not going to give her what the other men want to give her... not yet." Tommy snapped at Poll who smiled knowingly and picked up her pen.

"Well if I were you I'd give her what she wants before she discovers just how many men can do the job just as well as you." For a second Polly thought she'd pushed Thomas too far and he might strike her, but a look of realization crossed his face he nodded and kissed his Aunt's cheek before hurtling out of the room and up the stairs before anyone could stop him fully intending to satisfy the awakening woman in Lola. However when he got up the stairs he panicked deciding to hide in his office, just in case he was wrong. After all if he was wrong he'd look a fool and that was definitely something Tommy wanted to avoid.

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I smiled as Esme greeted me happily giving me what I thought was a glass of water but when I took a deep gulp I coughed and could barely hear her telling me it was something called a martini over the loud cheers and speakeasy music. I could feel Tommy's eyes following me from the bar but he made no attempt to catch my attention, so I let Esme and Ada drag me over to the slightly raised section of the room and began dancing with them.

By the end of the night I was exhausted but found myself having too much fun to care, John had long ago taken Esme home but Ada and I were still dancing around, the new drink Esme had brought us filling our body's with a lovely wobbly bubbling sensation. Men around us laughed and occasional Poll had to come over and help me pull Ada off the tables as she tried to copy a dance we'd seen in a picture we'd gone to while the boys were away. I had thought that the only Shelby's left in the Garrison were Ada and Poll as I'd seen Arthur dragging a pretty redhead out of the pub a while ago and I could no longer see Tommy.

"Ada, we should do this all the time." I giggled letting her swing me round and watched as she slid to the ground unable to keep her footing on the slippery floor. We both began laughing until a large group of men came over to Ada trying to help her to her feet, I was going to tell them to leave her alone as they started making unsavory suggestions but a strong arm wrapped itself around my waist. I glanced up to see Tommy pointing Freddie over to the commotion and was soon pulled away from the crowd as Freddie and a few Blinders sorted out the 'mess' as Polly would most likely call it. I squeaked a little as Tommy forced me outside into the cold air and began marching me home. I stumbled several times partly because of the speed he was using but mostly because of my inebriated state.

"Stop." I gasped. Tommy chuckled as I tripped again and gripped his arm trying to steady myself. He held his cigarette in his mouth and lit it before tucking the packet of matches in his pocket and gripping the tops of my thighs. For a moment the whole world rolled as he picked me up and began moving but once I was able to focus again I felt a little light headed but less dizzy. Tommy took a deep drag from the cigarette and shifted me so he was holding me in one arm and took the smoking stick between his fingers.

"There was a man in a newspaper that said those are dangerous." I slurred as he took another drag. Tommy set me down as we reached the front door and dug in his pocket for the key.

"There are men that say I'm dangerous." He replied as I wafted the cloud of smoke he had created from my face.

"I know." I sighed suddenly feeling tired as I looked up the flight of stairs that led to our floor, I slowly trudged up the stairs and hurried through to my room and flopped on my bed. Tommy smirked as he pulled my blankets over me finding the amusement in our role reversal and ran a tantalizing finger down my neck.

"You're going to regret this in the morning." Tommy whispered as I succumbed to sleep.