Chapter two: Mack the Knife

The following afternoon,

There's a tap at her bedroom door and her younger sister, Rosemary, swings into the room. "Father wants to see you."

Katherine frowns, her guard going up ."Why?" her father never summoned her this time of day for anything, unless it was no good.

She shrugs. "I've no idea. He didn't say."

She groans as she stands up from her hunched over position at the desk. "I hope it's not about the invitations."

Rosemary smiles at her. "I think its business." She walks over to the desk to look at the watercolor, floral arrangement for the reception dinner. "Nice."

"Just nice?"

"It's just…very white." She says with a slight pout on her face. At thirteen, Rosemary fancied herself quite the fashion designer. "Can't we have some color in there? Some pink or blue? At least a gold ribbon to the vases!"

Katherine chuckles. "Paint an arrangement yourself and I'll look at it."

"Really?" Rosemary's brown eyes light up in excitement as she jumps up in the air. "Thank you, mother is driving me crazy downstairs. She still wants me to wear the lavender dress."

Katherine tousles her curly brown hair. "I promise, I'll let you wear your favorite teal on my wedding."

"Thank you!" Katherine grips her pale green skirt in one hand and swishes down the stairs to the first floor. She then walks down the hall to the library. She walks in to see her father writing something on a piece of paper. She taps on the door. He doesn't look up at her. "I hear you wanted to see me?"

"Yes." He looks up. "I have a dinner invitation that I need you to deliver in person."

Katherine frowns, that's unusual. "Ok. Who to?"

"Thomas Shelby." Katherine's mouth drops open as he hands her two pieces of paper. "One's an address to his pub, if that doesn't work, try his home address. He lives in Birmingham."

Katherine stares at him. "Are serious?"

"Very." Her father reaches for his glass of whiskey. "I want to meet this man. So, he'll be joining us for dinner tonight."

"Are you insane!?" Katherine shrieks in fury. "The man molests your daughter and you want him here for dinner!?" she stills before asking. "Are you going to poison him at the dinner table? Mom hates it when you do that!"

"No, I'm not. I actually want to meet this man. I can't think of another man who has the balls to go into Sabini's club and announce that he's taking it over." her father chuckles at the disgusted look on her face. "Besides, I want to see the face of the man who actually kisses you in public and manages to escape without a scratched face. I'm intrigued."

"Why can't you send someone down?" she demands. "Why must I go down after what he did to me?"

"I doubt he'll shoot you and he most likely would shoot one of them. It's a territory thing."

"Is that so?" she asks as she places her hands on her hips. "What makes you think I won't shoot him when I see him?"

"Because, it's a business venture of mine and I won't have you shooting my colleagues." His face darkens. "Now go fetch him!"

"Fine, but in exchange for doing you this favor, you're paying for the china and my linen."

He glowers at her. "Both?"

"It's a long drive down to Birmingham." She states. "I have to change, it'll take me two hours just to get down there and another two to get back!"

"Alright, fine, now move along."

Katherine makes a face and stomps upstairs to change into something more suitable for slumming around in the streets of Birmingham.

Almost 3 hours later,

Katherine steps out of the car and glances around cobblestone streets of Birmingham. She'd gone to the pub first, but it had been blown up. She taps the front door of his residence on Watery Lane. She exhales deeply as she waits for the door open.

The door opens and a boy around 10-12 opens the door. He blinks at her and slams the door in her face! She frowns as she hears him shouting loudly to people in the other room. She shifts back a step as Arthur opens the door.

"Cor," Arthur says in amusement. "you're the one Tommy said to take home and to-

"Enough!" Katherine says loudly as her face heats in embarrassment. "Is Mr. Thomas Shelby here?"

"Come looking for more, eh?" he smirks. "Your man up in London not good enough for you?"

"Is Mr. Thomas Shelby in or not?" She snaps. I've come a long way from London to deliver a message and I've had enough of your harassing me! One would have thought your mother would have taught you better to respect women." She holds her hand, to show off her modest diamond engagement ring. "Especially women who are engaged to be married."

"Arthur," an older woman comes around from behind him. "what's going?" she studies her closely. "And who are you?"

She exhales. "I'm Miss Katherine Kovach and my father has forced me to come down her and deliver an invitation to dinner to Mr. Thomas Shelby."

"We'll get to that in a moment." The woman brushes past Arthur. "I'm their aunt, Polly Gray. I heard you mention something to Arthur about needing to respect women. Why?"

Katherine blinks. "Because at the Eden Club, Thomas Shelby decided to stick his tongue down my throat," Polly's eyes widened in shock. "and kiss me, while Arthur forcibly restrained my fiancée and forced him to watch. If you could have a word with him about such behavior, I and whatever woman he happens to come into contact with in the future, would really appreciate it!"

"Hey, he didn't know you was engaged!" Arthur defends. Polly begins hitting him hard. "Oi! Easy there Pol!"

"What is the matter with you two? Apologize to her immediately!"

"Alright then, sorry."

Katherine nods. "Accepted."

"Get out of here, now." Polly exhales raggedly as Arthur heads down the front steps. "Won't you come in? It's least I can do to make up for my nephew's dreadful behavior. Anyone can see you're clearly a lady."

"Thank you." Katherine smiles and removes her large, feathered purple hat. "That's a very kind offer of. It's been a long two hour ride from London."

"Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please." She clears her throat and reaches into her handbag for the invitation. "Can I trust this to you, should Mr. Shelby return later tonight?"

Polly nods. "Yes, of course. He will most likely be late though, God knows what trouble that boy's managed to get into by now." Her eyes narrow. "What does your father want with him?"

"Believe it or not," she exhales as she follows Polly into the parlor. "my father thinks he'd be a good man to do business with. He admired the way he handled Sabini and wants to make him a business proposition."

Polly snorts. "That's a first. Tell your father he might regret it."

"I have and believe me, he doesn't care."

Evening,

Katherine exhales deeply as they drive along the bumpy roads of Birmingham. It's now raining and it's dark. She's enjoyed a charming afternoon with Polly Gray and had been rather reluctant to go home. However, it's late, thanks to Mr. Holmes getting lost and having to circle back, she'll be home past midnight.

She glances out the window as they pass by a car garage. She just happens to see a group of men, beating up on one man. "Stop!" she orders as she checks and loads her gun. "Back it up!"

"Miss Kovach," her driver, Mr. Holmes protests. "your father won't like this."

"It's Sabini." She states.

"How the hell can you even-

"That's his car in front of us. Recognize that hideous thing anywhere. Get my medical kit out of the back and come help me." she orders as she jumps out of the car. "Dad won't approve if I lost him now."

"You remember that," Sabini states as he steps back, letting the man's head drop to his chest. "finish him off."

"Six against one, Sabini?" she demands as she stomps into the car garage. All the men turn towards her, Sabini glowers at her. she approaches the hanging body and sure enough, her hunch is correct. It is Thomas Shelby and he's been severely beaten."What the hell have you done to him?" she demands, noting even his cheekbones have been cut.

"Miss I," he says tightly. "I don't know what you're doing here, but you need to clear out."

"Well, believe me, I'd like to! However, my father," she kneels by Mr. Shelby's sagging body and looks at his face. There's barely a face under all that blood. His clothes are torn and Katherine's guessing that he's got a few broken ribs. "wants to have a word with him." she looks up at the man holding him. "Let him down, carefully."

He looks to Sabini, who shakes his head. "Tell your father, you arrived too late."

Katherine draws her gun and shoots the man holding Mr. Shelby in the foot. He releases him with a howl and she catches him before he hit his head on the ground. "I've got you, I've got you." she assures him, even though he probably can't hear her. he's barely conscious. "You're going to be alright."

"Why you-

Katherine turns and points her gun at Sabini, who's pointing his gun in her face. She inhales and orders firmly. "I suggest you just leave now and pray that I don't tell my father you pointed a gun in my face." Sabini instantly moved his gun away from her face, but moved it towards Mr. Shelby. "If you want him," she states as she cocks her gun. "you're going to have to shoot me first."

She wasn't sure why she was protecting him, considering how rude, fresh and insulting he'd been towards her the other day. Maybe it was because she liked his aunt and she didn't want her to lose her nephew, no matter how rude he was.

At that moment, a gun goes off from the building opposite them. the men yell and scatter as police whistles are blown. Katherine exhales in relief as she puts her gun away. She leans forward to listen to his breathing, which is shallow, but steady. She ignores the scattering men around her and begins to unbutton his vest and shirt so she checks for any signs of internal bleeding.

"Get your hands off him." a man orders her strictly.

Katherine shakes her head. "I'm a nurse and he needs medical attention."

"So, the bastard's still alive then?"

She looks up to see a sour faced man, holding a cane, glowering down at her. "Yes." Mr. Holmes hurries over with the medical kit. "Thank you. Mr. Shelby will need to get to the hospital immediately though." She runs expert fingers over his stomach, gently feeling the ribs. His stomach area is a deep, crimson red, testifying that he's been kicked multiple times. She hopes that he's not bleeding internally. He groans as her finger runs over a broken rib. "Sorry."

"Thought our job might have been easy, but, no," the man says in annoyance. "they didn't kick him hard enough."

"He's got a three broken ribs and he could be bleeding internally." She leans forward and listens to his breathing. "His breathing is shallow, but steady, we need to get him to a hospital now." She looks up at two officers and orders. "Go get a board or something that we can use to carry him to the police van."

"Listen, I don't know who the hell you think you are-

"This Lady Katherine Elaine Kovach," Mr. Holmes announces firmly. "daughter to Sir Gilbert Kovach and Lady Willow Kovach!"

The dramatic words had an effect on the man, who shoots her a dark look before glowering at two of his officers . "Do as the lady says and be quick about it."

"Thank you." she looks at him. "And you are?"

"Major Chester Campbell."

"Name sounds familiar." She nods her head as she leans forward. Mr. Shelby's eyes are now closed, she leans forward and checks his pulse. "Mr. Shelby has passed out. We need to move quickly." She holds onto his hand firmly. "I'll be right here the whole time."

"He can't hear you." Mr. Holmes states.

She smiles. "One never knows." As if to prove her statement, Mr. Shelby's fingers weakly close over her hands. "I'm right here." She assures him. "We'll get you safely back to your family, so just hang in there."

Idcam: He's certainly very fresh. I'm typing slower, icing it to let it heal, but it's so hard when this story starts coming together in my mind!

Wildestdreams8913: Good catch, Emmett isn't an invalid in this story. Kate's mother is also alive and she has a younger sister, Rosemary. It might be my last one unless inspiration strikes.

Angelo029: And I can't wait to write it.

MeriemDjez: The two men will certainly be very different. Tommy's going to have a difficult getting her to change her mind!