"Yer want to go and see May Carleton?"
Keeping quiet as they sat in the small pub, Elizabeth folded one leg over the other one. She picked up the water she had ordered and sipped on it. Looking between John and Arthur, Elizabeth wondered what was running through their minds. They had not looked entirely happy when they had heard of Tommy's intention to go and talk to May Carleton. Elizabeth suspected they did not like the idea of being associated with someone as rich as May. Elizabeth knew how they felt about rich people.
"She's a horse trainer," Tommy nodded, playing with the cap in his lap as Elizabeth looked back to her husband. "We need someone to train our horse if we're going to take over Epsom."
"I thought that this was all about Darby Sabini?" John was the one to question and Tommy nodded.
"It is," Tommy declared. "But if he's goin' to lose control of Epsom then I'd like to beat 'im there."
"I see," John nodded. "So what do we do then? You sure about goin' to this posh bird, eh?"
"We need someone, so yeah," Tommy nodded and the three brothers all drank their whisky simultaneously.
…
"Shit."
Elizabeth chuckled as she heard Tommy. They were on the approach to May Carleton's estate after calling ahead. Tommy had whistled lowly upon seeing the grand building as Elizabeth moved her hand to his shoulder, laughing softly as Tommy smiled across to her.
"It is just bricks and possessions," Elizabeth informed Tommy. "It is just a bigger house than yours and…well…even mine."
"And I had thought the Kimber estate was massive," he informed her.
"As did I," Elizabeth agreed. "However, I am sure Ms Carleton is a charming woman and we would do well to have her look after the horse. We need her more than she needs us."
Tommy agreed silently and he pulled the car up outside the mansion. Climbing out of the vehicle, Tommy quickly moved around the side of the car towards Elizabeth and offered her hand to help her down. She took his fingers in his as they ambled along the gravelled driveway towards the main door.
Knocking on the wood, Tommy waited with patience, his hand still inside of Elizabeth's as they remained still and staring at the vast wood. They didn't dare to say anything as they waited and Elizabeth glanced up to Tommy, noting how worried he seemed to look. She gave his hand one final squeeze and a smile for good measure. Managing to quirk his lip slightly, he glanced back to the door when he heard it squeak open.
"Mr Shelby?"
A woman stood there and Elizabeth knew that she was the maid. Answering the door was seen as something which was not done when you were rich.
"Yes," Tommy introduced himself.
"If you and your wife would like to follow me to the parlour, Ms Carleton will be with you momentarily."
"Thank you," Elizabeth was the one to say to the maid as they followed inside.
Tommy continued to glance around, his eyes clearly focused and inquisitive on what he was seeing. He was quiet as Elizabeth was the one to drag him by the hand, trying to get him to keep up as he remained transfixed with the rooms they passed by. Tommy tried to pretend that none of this impressed him, but this was what he was working up to. He was trying to be as rich and as successful as this. He had no time for those who had inherited it, but he had time for those who made it. Those were the workers in his eyes.
Elizabeth slipped her gloves from her fingers as the maid left them alone in the parlour. Elizabeth remained stood as she dropped her gloves into her purse and then removed her hat from her head, a hand raking through her hair as soon as she was alone.
"I don't know how I feel 'bout this," Tommy suddenly whispered and Elizabeth turned her head over her shoulder as she felt his hand on the small of her back. "It feels too posh."
"How can something feel too posh?" Elizabeth wondered from Tommy. "If we are talking about that then I should feel too posh."
"You are too good for me," Tommy agreed with her, "but Lord knows you love me and I don't know why."
"No, nor do I," Elizabeth joked with him and he nudged her in the side as she wrapped an arm around his waist and laughed before placing a hand to his chest. Tommy smiled at the sight of her.
"I do hope I am not interrupting."
Jumping back from Tommy slightly, Elizabeth dropped her hand from his chest before she took the initiative to move her fingers down his arm and hold onto his hand. The sight of May Carleton was a strange one to them. She was everything Elizabeth knew in her previous life.
She was well coiffed and held herself with a graceful aura. Her hands were laced together and her black curls sat perfectly on the top of her head. Her eyes were wide and doe like whilst her complexion was fair and pale. She was petite and about the same size as Elizabeth. She just looked more prim than Elizabeth at this moment in time.
"Not at all," Elizabeth spoke. "Thank you for taking the time to see us. I know that it is such short notice."
"Not at all," May declared, offering her hand to Elizabeth and Tommy. "My days are spent with needless chores. It is rather exciting when something which challenges the norm arises. And you must be Thomas Shelby?"
"Aye," Tommy nodded at her. "We spoke on the phone briefly."
"That we did," May said. "And this must be your wife."
"Elizabeth," Tommy declared before Elizabeth had the chance to introduce herself. "Yes, she is my wife. Anyway, we're 'ere because we 'eard that you train horses."
"I do from time to time," May nodded, moving to take a seat and offering her arm for both of them to sit on the settee across from her. "I take it you wish for me to train your horse in time for Epsom? It is only a week away; no doubt there will be a lot of work in such a short space of time. Do you wish for me to be with the horse on race day?"
"If possible," Tommy nodded, draping an arm over the back of the seat as he remained tempted to pull out a cigarette and start smoking. No doubt Elizabeth would scold him for being rude if he did. "The horse is pretty fast anyway. We were assured of that. We just need someone to care for it and train it until the race."
Nodding, May folded one leg over the other before dropping her hands to her lap and soothing the long patterned blue skirt she wore as Elizabeth contemplated her with intrigue.
"Then you have certainly come to the right place," May nodded. "No doubt you understand that I cannot work miracles, Mr Shelby. I cannot promise you that your horse will win with such little time."
Nodding, Tommy pulled a button to his jacket open. "I know."
"Then you should also know my fee," May continued and Elizabeth allowed her lips to quirk up slowly.
She had to admit that there was something refreshing about May Carleton. Elizabeth had grown up with prim and proper ladies. Ladies who would not say boo to a goose. She had barely done anything but be curt and honest with the Shelbys since they had walked into her home. Elizabeth admired that about her.
Folding one leg over the other one, Elizabeth placed her hands on her kneecaps as she felt Tommy's hand slowly move to her back and his fingers ran smoothly up and down her lower spine. She kept silent as Tommy pulled his own cigarette out from his pocket and lit it.
"And what fee is it?" Tommy wondered back from her.
"Quite substantial," May spoke. "Seventy to one hundred pounds depending on what it is that you wish for the horse. You can rest assure that I will care for it properly."
"Aye, I can tell," Tommy informed her and she let out a small chuckle as Tommy dragged on his cigarette and May looked between the pair of them.
"Well, yes," May said. "If that was a reference to my lifestyle then I doubt that you are much different from me, Mr Shelby. Besides, I have it on good authority that your wife was a Kimber before her marriage to you."
Elizabeth felt her brows furrow together as she met May's stare. So far she had not even said anything to the woman except for a polite hello.
"The Kimber family were well renowned in the race courses. Somehow their horses always seemed to win."
Elizabeth nodded and Tommy moved to the table to stump out his cigarette. He completed the motion as Elizabeth ran a hand through her hair and twirled her head in her fingers. She kept silent, her eyes meeting May's and the two women seemed to size each other. Elizabeth didn't know what May wanted to hear, or if she even wanted to hear anything.
"Well, that was when my brother was running the business," Elizabeth spoke nonchalantly and Thomas sat back by her side and moved his hand to the small of Liz's back once more. "Unfortunately Billy is no longer around and the business has finished. We have no interest in it. We have enough on our plate."
May smiled at hearing that, wondering what the Kimber girl was hiding. She suspected there was disdain for her brother as she did not speak of him with any love or affection. Then again, May didn't know entirely what had happened between them.
"I do not doubt it," May agreed and moved to stand up again as Tommy and Liz did the same. "Anyway, I shall take your horse and you can feel free to drop in and check on it whenever you wish throughout the week."
Tommy agreed with May and shook her hand once more before leaving again with Liz, knowing full well that it would not be long before all of this was done and he hoped that he could be free again.
…
The days passed by too quickly for Liz's liking and she had done nothing but wander by Tommy's side as they conducted their business. They spent their evenings locked away in the small hotel in each other's company. Elizabeth would sit and worry about everyone Tommy was playing himself against, and Tommy would sit there and reassure her that he knew what he was doing.
"Epsom morning."
Elizabeth was stood in the corner of the bedroom they were staying in, her hands holding back the curtains as she peered down onto the quiet street beneath her. She was silent then, knowing that Tommy was awake and lounging in bed. She slowly turned her head over her shoulder as she dropped the curtain and dragged the robe she wore tighter around her body.
She moved her hands to her hair and pulled it out from underneath her collar and went back to the bed, sitting on the edge of it, her hands by her sides and holding the cover beneath her tips.
Tommy sighed and moved his hand to rest on top of Liz's, patting it once and then sitting up against the cushions in the bed.
"By the end of today it will be over," Tommy assured Liz. "It will be finished and we will be away from here."
Elizabeth didn't want to air her concerns on the matter again. If Tommy went against Sabini then there was the risk of Sabini's men hurting him. Alfie Solomons had sent his own men as protection and Arthur was debriefing them all on the situation. If Tommy had to be honest then be suspected that Campbell would be his biggest problem. It would be hard to kill the man he had to kill and escape Campbell's clutches.
"Just let me come with you," Elizabeth urged her husband. "Tommy, I cannot sit here and do nothing when I know you are over there."
"We 'ave discussed this, Liz," Tommy warned her and she did her best not to look too annoyed with what she was hearing from her husband. "I am yer husband, Liz. I should make these decisions."
Elizabeth looked shocked. She had heard Billy demand Mary every single day. She never expected her husband to make demands from her. Keeping quiet, she ground her teeth together and pulled her hand away from Tommy's before looking straight ahead.
"Liz," Tommy sighed, not in the mood for petulance. "I'm not keepin' yer 'ere to punish you. I'm doin' it to keep yer safe."
Moving to rest against his side, Elizabeth dared to run a hand through her husband's hair and move it back from his face as he looked down to her, his face seemingly emotionless as Elizabeth did her best not to glower at her husband. There had to be a way she could get past her husband. She knew that she had no intention of letting him go without her, but she didn't want him to know that.
"And I am coming with you for the exact same reason," Elizabeth declared, pecking Tommy on the cheek and running her hand down the same spot. "You cannot lock me in this room, Tommy."
"You will find that I can," Tommy promised her and Elizabeth rolled her eyes before standing with haste and reaching for her coat.
"Then I shall leave this room before you have the chance," she informed him and Tommy continued to stare at her, wondering where she got her nerve from. Then again, she was a Kimber. He suspected she had quite a lot of nerve. "I shall see you down for breakfast, yes? Try not to be too long."
…
"Just keep 'er in the stables with May."
Arthur was the one to snap as they stood outside of their small hotel by the car. John was already sat in the driver's seat, a cigarette dangling from his mouth as Tommy stood by the car door, holding it shut and refusing to let his wife into the vehicle as she folded her arms over her chest.
"Exactly," Elizabeth nodded at her husband. "I shall stay with May where I doubt there will be any trouble. At least I am there and it is a compromise, Tommy. You know that we have to compromise in a marriage."
"Do I?" Tommy demanded from her, tilting his hat on his head. "Because I think that yer my wife and yer should do as I say."
Dropping her hands to her hips, she arched a brow and Tommy sighed, looking to the sky and away from his wife's harsh gaze.
"But I know yer better than that and I know you have no intention of doing what I say."
Smiling at hearing that, Elizabeth looked between Arthur, John and Tommy before her husband took hold of the lapels of her coat and dragged her body against his. John and Arthur turned away as Elizabeth's hands moved to Tommy's chest.
"Don't do anythin' stupid," Tommy warned Elizabeth. "You hide. You don't follow me. You wait until I come and get yer, do yer understand me, Elizabeth?"
Nodding, Elizabeth rolled her eyes at his dramatics before kissing him quickly. Elizabeth had no intention of leaving Tommy but he did not need to know that. Then again, Tommy had no intent of letting her into Epsom, he just needed to find out how to keep her away on their journey.
…
A/N: Sorry for not updating in a while. University life has been very hectic!
