Thank you to all those people who reviewed and liked chapter one. It is nice knowing people are enjoying this story. Hopefully chapter three shouldn't be far behind this one as I broke the original chapter two up. A huge thanks goes to Shortie-M for beta reading this and offering the best suggestions.

Chapter 2

It was a Thursday afternoon and the betting shop was dead. Charlotte wasn't surprised that the shop was so quiet, Friday was pay day and when they did most of their business. The click of Polly's boots was the only thing to break the silence as Charlotte sat at her desk, head once again buried in an accounts book. Hearing Polly's boots go quiet Charlotte looked up.

"Did ya hear about the new bar maid at The Garrison?" Polly asked leaning against the door frame as she took a drag from her cigarette acting nonchalant despite the fact Charlotte knew Polly was probably bursting to tell her something.

"Should I have?" Charlotte said putting her pen down, resting her left arm on the desk, as she began rubbing her temple. She knew Polly was trying to make a point but was too frustrated by her work to bite.

"They say she is pretty as a peach, much too fine to be pulling pints round here." Polly gestures around herself with her cigarette dropping some ash as she does so.

Charlotte stopped massaging her temple thinking about Polly's words. "What she doin here then?" Charlotte questioned, eyes narrowing on the older woman. During the war Charlotte had learnt to never trust a convenient happenstance and if the new bar maid really was so good looking she had to question what was the attraction of Small Heath and The Garrison when there are much better pubs elsewhere in the city.

Polly's eyes lit up as she watched Charlotte finally rise to her bait. "That's my thought exactly."

"You know what Poll. Suddenly I feel like a rather large gin, care to join?" Charlotte stood making no pretence of sorting anything on her desk, instead hurriedly grabbing her coat.

"Excellent idea. Ill grab my coat." Polly called already walking back into the kitchen of the main house.

The two women walked arm in arm up Watery Lane to The Garrison several men tapping their caps in respect as they passed. Outside the pub they found Lilly and Sally in their usual spot hoping to tempt men as they left the pub. "Afternoon girls." Polly greeted the two prostitutes.

Charlotte had always liked Lily and Sally, the two women had done odd jobs for Polly and the peaky blinders during the war, but with peace and the men home they were both back on the game. "How's business going?" Charlotte asked knowing not all men had come back as gentle as they had left.

"It's starting to pick up, Lottie. Thanks for the money for the kids clothes, I'll pay ya back soon, I promise." Lilly stammered nervously as she stood up straight from her casual lean against the pub wall.

Charlotte put her right hand up resting it on the other woman's arms hoping to calm her down. "Nonsense you don't need ta pay us back Lilly. We all look after each other."

Polly took out her cigarette case offering one to each of the women, they both took one and Polly then offered her lighter to them after lighting her own. "Know anything about the new bar maid?" Polly asked once Lilly had taken a puff visibly calming.

"Names Grace. She works hard but asks a lot of questions," Sally supplied. All four women shared a look. Asking questions was never a good sign in Small Heath, adding to that Polly's earlier comment about her good looks and Charlotte took felt a sense of distrust towards the new bar maid.

"Says she worked in a pub in Dublin but that's a load of shit. My Michael is from them parts still has family there, says he has never 'eard of it before." Lilly added.

Charlotte took a second to process this information before saying, "You ladies pick up anything else interesting let us know."

"Make sure its us though, keep this as women's business." Polly added.

"Probably for the best." Sally agreed.

Polly gave each woman a few pennies for their troubles.

Walking through the double doors of The Garrison they found the pub much like the betting shop, quiet. The two women walked over to the bar where Grace stood cleaning a beer glass, a pile of clean glasses on her left and wet glasses on her right. If she knew who they were she didn't show it. Charlotte took a moment to take in the other woman. She was slim like Charlotte, her skin clear but her hair was shoulder length and blonde while Charlotte's reached half way down her back and was brunette.

"What can I get you two ladies?" Grace asked putting the pint glass and the cloth down. Her accent threw Charlotte slightly not expecting a single Irish woman to find much cause to live in Small Heath.

"Bring a bottle of gin and three glasses over." Polly instructed as she put some coins on the counter which would more than cover the cost of the bottle. They then both sat down at a table on the other side of the bar where they could watch Grace prepare their drinks.

As Charlotte watched Grace move about behind the bar Polly continued to puff on her cigarette before asking. "I don't suppose you know where our Ada is running off to?"

"Now you know that even if I did know who she was seeing, which I don't, as woman should have some secrets."

"Some secrets?" Polly questioned smiling at the younger woman.

They paused their conversation as Grace walks over with a bottle of gin and three glasses. "Here you go."

"Ta." Charlotte said taking the bottle and pouring gin into each of the three glasses.

Before Grace could walk away Polly gestured with her cigarette at an empty seat. "Take a seat. Grace is it?"

"I shouldn't I'm working." Grace protested, looking around for someone to help her. The few people in the pub looked the other way while Polly smirked triumphantly.

"Now I don't think any man in here will dare say anything to you having a quick break."

"Here have a drink with us. I'm Charlotte and this is Polly," Charlotte introduced handing Grace a glass while she reluctantly sat down.

After Grace had taken a sip, wincing slightly at the gin Charlotte asked, "Tell us about yourself Grace."

"Not much to tell really I'm from Ireland and I am here now." Charlotte noted Grace's knuckles turning white from her grip on the glass as she took another sip.

Polly took a mouthful of her own drink before enquiring. "What exactly is it you are doing here Grace?"

"Working."

Wanting to antagonise the barmaid into giving a more detailed answer Charlotte asked "Are you a whore?"

"Are you?" Grace quipped turning to Charlotte.

She laughed at the barmaid's response saying "I don't think any of these clowns could afford either of us." As she rose her glass and gestured to herself and Polly.

"What about Tommy Shelby?" Grace asked obviously trying to rattle Charlotte as she took another drink not winching at the gin this time.

Charlotte lent back in her chair watching Grace wondering what the bar maid was hiding while Polly looked between the two women with interest. "What about him?" She answered finally.

"I hear you both work for him." Grace countered gaining confidence.

"Now you make us sound like whores." Polly said before Charlotte could answer.

Placing her glass on the table Grace seemed to sense she had over stepped a mark. "I didn't mean no disrespect."

"Perhaps not," Charlotte said filling up Grace's and her own glasses again. "Where did you work before you arrived in Small Heath?"

"I worked in a pub in Dublin." Grace picked up her glass again taking a larger mouthful of gin.

"You didn't mind the troubles?" Polly probed.

Charlotte notices Grace flinch at this statement taking another large sip of gin. "I minded them enough to keep out of them."

"What made you decide to move to Small Heath then?" Polly carried on probing.

Charlotte took a large gulp of her own drink as Grace did the same before answering Polly. "I heard its somewhere people can get lost."

Charlotte knocked back her whole glass of gin before she said. "You're not wrong there. People do get lost here especially if you're not careful."

Grace obviously mindful of Charlotte's threat answered. "I should get back to work."

"You should, we've taken up enough of your time," Polly said dismissing the girl with a wave of her hand.

Grace stood up and downed the rest of her drink before asking, "Did I pass your test then?"

Polly looked at Charlotte eyebrow raised at the boldness of the barmaid. "Test?" Charlotte questioned.

"That's what this was wasn't it?" Grace's appeared to lose her initial boldness under Polly and Charlotte's searching stares.

"I wouldn't call it a test. More that round here us women have to stick together." Charlotte states smiling at the bar maid in a way that would be described anything but friendly.

"Harry will want to know why I was sat talking." Grace uttered walking briskly away from the other woman.

The two women sat there for a moment watching the bar maid disappear into the back room. Polly poured herself another gin, downing it in one mouthful before standing up. "We should go."

"Okay I need to finish some work anyway," Charlotte agreed, following Polly out the door. Harry who had obviously been watching the whole exchange nodded to them as they left. Charlotte inclined her head to show Harry they weren't displeased at the exchange with his new bar maid.

"I don't like her," Charlotte said as they walked out the pub.

"Neither do I," Polly agreed.

"She's hiding something."

Polly mmmed in agreement as they made their way back to Watery Lane.

XXXXXXXX

Friday evening found Charlotte sat finalising the books after pay day, her head was spinning from hours of looking at numbers. She was therefore less than impressed when Tommy waltzed into her office without a word of greeting. She glanced up from the accounts book and watched him deposit himself in the chair opposite her desk, unfolding the evening dispatch as he did so. Charlotte carried on working in silence knowing Tommy was waiting for her to talk, this being their Friday routine since he came back from France. She let him wait making a show of finishing the total on one page and moving onto the next before casually breaking the silence. "Grace is pretty."

Tommy ignored her comment pretending to read the paper. Charlotte rolled her eyes at his behaviour and had turned her attention back to the accounts book when Tommy announced, "I need to kill Danny Whizz-Bang."

Caught off guard she exclaimed, "What the fuck Tommy?"

Satisfied that his news had managed to ruffle her he repeated. "I need to kill Danny Whizz-Bang." Tommy folded his paper placing it on Charlotte's desk.

"Is there a reason why?" She enquired her face and voice betraying her shock, as she subconsciously began to play with her pen.

Tommy took his cigarette case out, procuring a cigarette from within, he tapped it three times on the front of the case before stating, "Besides the madness?"

"He is a man Tommy, not a horse, you can't just put him down for being mad. What has he done?" Charlotte snapped as Tommy lit his cigarette, she glared at him demanding an answer as he took a drag.

"He killed one of the Italians." He replied finally exhaling smoke.

"Shit." She uttered, realising she had been toying with her pen while they had been speaking she placed it on the desk.

"They have agreed not to start a turf war, if I get rid of him."

"Does Arthur know?" Tommy raised an eyebrow at her question. "Right. But you're not actually going to kill Danny, are you Tommy?"

"The Italians want blood."

Charlotte began nervously playing with the pen again, thinking. "I was thinking the other day we could do with a man in London, to pass on the chatter from the pubs like." She mussed out loud.

Tommy considered her plan, flicking ash from his cigarette into the ash tray Charlotte kept on her desk for him, while he thought. "I could get Charlie to ferry him down." He answered, seemingly agreeing with her suggestion.

Charlotte nodded her head in agreement, then paused awkwardly saying. "We can't keep this from Arthur though."

"Of course, Arthur is head of the family." Charlotte narrowed her eyes suspicious by how quickly Tommy had agreed to the last part of their plan.

Tommy kept his face blank as he took another drag of his cigarette. She felt him watch her nervously play with the pen on her desk, as she considered how best to approach her next topic. "What about those guns you think I don't know about?"

He didn't immediately answer watching her carefully as he took another puff of his cigarette before stubbing out the end. "Polly?"

"My own intuition, guns go missing from the BSA that new copper shows up and pinches Arthur, pretty bar maid prances into town. It all connected." As she said each point she counted it on her left hand, feeling more confidant having explained her theory.

Tommy ignored her argument barking, "The guns are not your concern," his tone warning.

Charlotte felt instantly annoyed at his tone and lack of response to her speculation about the new bar maid. "I am your accountant, if there is a profit to be made, they are."

"We can't sell them." He answered quickly, clearly annoyed with her suggestion.

Charlotte looked Tommy in the eye as she replied, "Obviously, but not all profit is made in cash."

Tommy considered her words. "We could use them as leverage." He agreed.

"Where are you going to stash them in the meantime? They can't stay at Charlie's yard forever." She pointed out as she leaned back in her chair, attempting to get comfortable.

"Danny whizz bang will need a grave to make it look convincing."

"A grieving widow will help misdirect people." She mussed aloud, mind racing with numbers and possibilities as she considered who they would need to pay off to help. "You'll need to get your hands dirty or find two men you trust to help you shift them."

"No." Tommy said shaking his head, before continuing. "We keep this quiet, the less people know the location the better."

"What are you thinking?" she enquired as she rested her arm on the back of the chair.

"You got your hands messy before." Tommy responded face blank as always.

Charlotte knew there was no point in arguing that Tommy should use someone stronger to help him move the guns. His mind obviously made up. Sighing she asked, "When we doing this?"

"Full moon wanes tomorrow we can move them from Charlie's yard then." Tommy watched her carefully before adding. "You know I trust you."

"Do you?"

Tommy gifted her with one of his now rare smiles saying, "Always." As she returned his smile, Tommy picked up the evening dispatch again, opening the paper near the back where the horse racing information was.

Sensing the subject was closed Charlotte picked up her pen intending to go back to work when she realised Tommy had distracted her from her original thought. She made a show of beginning her work again before saying. "Are you going to carry on pretending that half of Small Heath are not talking about you and Grace."

Tommy looked over the top of his paper as he asked. "Back to the bar maid again?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about then." She snapped annoyed and hurt by his obvious refusal to acknowledge his interest in the bar maid.

Tommy shrugged his shoulders trying to appear unconcerned with her words. "People talk a lot. It's harmless enough." His gaze met Charlotte's, cold blue eyes meeting softer blue over the top of the newspaper. "Lottie…I" He began.

Charlotte saw a look of tenderness pass over Tommy's face, fearful of what he might say next she interrupted him retorting. "If that's how you wanna play it Tommy be careful. As she is lying about working in Dublin." Before pointing a finger at him warningly. "And she is much to pretty to just walk into The Garrison"

Tommy jumped out of the chair folding the paper and shoving it under his arm as he moved towards the door. He turned before stepping out of the room saying, "Jealousy was never attractive on you Charlotte."

Taking a deep breath to calm herself knowing Tommy was baiting her she called after him as he left her office. "So I am supposed to be jealous then, Tommy?"