Elizabeth had not been entirely truthful with Tommy. She had pretended to forget the incident and their argument, but a part of it still lingered in her mind. She couldn't help but look at Tommy and feel a sense of worry whenever she saw him. He looked like his normal self; nonchalant about everything that was going on, a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he poured over the accounts he brought home at the end of every week. He was always acting normal.

She had said nothing of her worries, knowing that there was no need for her to panic. Churchill had told Tommy that he didn't need him to do anything just yet, but Elizabeth felt as though their life was slowly ticking by their eyes and they couldn't be happy until Tommy had finished his business for the government. Every time she saw the postman come she couldn't help but feel nervous.

"How's everyhin' goin'?"

Tommy's question took Elizabeth off guard as she remained seated at the chair to the desk in his study. Tommy had given Elizabeth a desk of her own in the room, even though she had told him she didn't mind working at the dining table. She often returned back from the school with slim notebooks full of work she had to mark as she trained to become a teacher.

"Well enough," Elizabeth said as Tommy came to stand behind her, his hand moving to her shoulder as she turned her head over her shoulder to smile up at him. "The teachers are more concerned that the headmaster employed me despite the fact I am pregnant. They think it was a waste of time. Of course, they never say anything in front of me. Apparently being a Shelby gives you power in Birmingham."

Tommy chuckled at that, his hand moving to her chin as he bent down to kiss her on the cheek.

"I suppose so, eh?" Tommy muttered. "Anyway, the headmaster owed me a favour. A bet on 'is 'orse-"

"-Don't," Elizabeth urged him. "I don't want to know what strings you pulled to help get me a job. It's bad enough I couldn't get a job on my own."

"You know that he was impressed with yer, anyway," Tommy said with a slim smile, remembering how she had walked in that night, completely exhilarated after a trial lesson. She had loved every minute of it and Tommy couldn't help but think she had found her calling.

"Well, I doubt he would have hired me if you hadn't said anything," Elizabeth said. "But, regardless, I love the job."

"I'm glad," Tommy said. "Anyway, I do 'ave to talk to yer about somethin'."

"Oh?" Elizabeth asked as Tommy moved to his own desk, dragging the chair out and pulling it over to Elizabeth's side as she turned her upper half awkwardly because of the bump on her stomach. Her hands wrapped around the arm to the chair as Tommy pulled another cigarette from his pocket.

"Yer know that Arthur 'as been seeing this girl?" Tommy said and Elizabeth nodded.

"Linda?" Elizabeth asked. "I have only met her a couple of times at The Garrison. She seems pleasant enough. I believe she has a good influence on your brother. He has become meeker and well…if possible…he drinks less than he did. Why? What is it you want, Tommy?"

Tommy took a drag on the cigarette before holding it between his fingertips in the air, watching his wife as he tried to weigh her up. Did she actually like Linda? There was something about Linda that Tommy couldn't put his finger on, but he didn't entirely trust her. He also didn't like the fact that she had such great control on his brother. It made Tommy feel slightly uneasy, if he had to be honest.

"I'm not sure about 'er," Tommy said and Elizabeth rolled her eyes before smirking to her husband.

"You are not sure about anyone," Elizabeth said, managing to draw a smile from him as he stubbed out his cigarette and shrugged. "It is because she is a Quaker?"

"Nothin' to do with it," Tommy said with a shake of his head. "It's more to do with the fact that she's got him wrapped around her little finger."

"Oh really?" Elizabeth asked, her brow arching as she leaned back in her chair. "And you are trying to tell me that I don't have you have wrapped around my little finger?"

Frowning, Tommy did his best to think of the correct, diplomatic answer to his wife's question as she waited with patience. He didn't want to admit that she did have him exactly wrapped up. Yet she let him be free too. She let him be the man he needed to be with the knowledge that he would do anything for her. Of course he would. He loved her more than he cared to admit. She was the best thing to happen in his life.

"Not the point," Tommy mumbled and Elizabeth laughed. "She's got him bendin' to 'er every word and they ain't even married, Liz. He…he's different…"

"I do not entirely think that is a bad thing, love," Elizabeth told her husband. "If he is changing for her then why does that need to be bad? What is it you are worried about?"

"That he becomes removed from the business," Tommy admitted to his wife. "I don't know, Liz, I just think that it ain't good for 'im to completely change."

"Arthur will never completely change, Tommy," Elizabeth assured him, looking to the clock on the mantelpiece as it chimed eight in the evening and she closed the book she had been marking, deciding that enough was enough for the evening. "He is still your brother and he will always be that. He just drinks and swears less…plus I think he is less prone to violence."

"Hmm," Tommy said, not entirely convinced and Elizabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes again at him as she stood up, tucking her chair underneath the desk as one hand went to her stomach and the other to Tommy's upper arm.

"Look," Elizabeth spoke lowly. "I can always talk to Linda and try to find out a bit more about her. No doubt she is the one who is worried about joining your family if Arthur proposes. You know how I felt."

"Aye," Tommy said. "But your brother was also tryin' to kill my family."

"Well, Linda does not have that to contend with," Elizabeth said and Tommy chuckled. "So your family really should welcome her with open arms compared to me."

"They accept yer now," Tommy said and Elizabeth nodded as Tommy stood up, his hand moving up and down her bare arm as she wore a short blouse and a long skirt. "Anyway, wouldn't matter if they didn't, eh? I married yer anyway."

Elizabeth did smirk then. "Such a romantic, as always, Mr Shelby," she teased him and began to turn the lights out in the study as Tommy watched her. "Anyway, I was going to head for a bath and have an early night. Seeing as it is Saturday tomorrow I was thinking that we could go somewhere? Unless you need to be at the business?"

"Nah," Tommy said. "But we do 'ave to go to The Garrison in the evening for John's birthday."

"Will Linda be there?" Elizabeth wondered, pulling the drapes to the window closed after finishing turning off the majority of lights.

"Suspect so."

"Then I will try to talk to her tomorrow night," Elizabeth promised her husband. "In the meantime, do try to stop worrying about her. I doubt she is as bad as you seem to think."

…..

After a day of shopping with Liz, Tommy had to admit that he was ready for a whiskey that night in The Garrison. Liz had been in need of bigger clothes as her bump continued to grow outwards. Every time Tommy looked at the swell he felt a deep feeling of joy in his stomach that he kept to himself. She was truly glowing each day, despite moaning of her aching feet and sore back.

Tommy sat in the small room of The Garrison, his gaze on Elizabeth as she spoke to Linda in the corner while the boys laughed and joked loudly. Ada had travelled up for the event, but she was speaking with Pol and Esme, both of them seeming to shun Elizabeth and Linda. The two women seemed like outsiders to the rest of the Shelby's. Linda was still unknown, yet the boys did not seem comfortable with her while Pol didn't entirely trust her either. Though they did accept Elizabeth, they still felt as though she didn't belong in their world.

Pol had made most of the effort with the girl, trying her best to get to her know her for Tommy's sake. What she had found was a girl who could be strong when she needed to be, but insecure other moments, particularly when it came to her husband.

"Daunting, isn't it?" Elizabeth spoke to Linda before noticing that Linda had finished her orange juice. "Do you want a moment outside? We can get another drink?"

"Yes, that would be lovely," Linda agreed and Elizabeth stood up first, leading Linda to the main bar of The Garrison as she gave Tommy a smile as he reached for her hand as she passed, giving it a quick squeeze as she went.

"So, how are you finding life with Arthur?" Elizabeth asked as she took to stand by the bar and wait to be served, even though she couldn't see Grace that day. Clearly she wasn't working today.

"Good," Linda said with a nod of her head. "I like Arthur. I like him a lot."

"Good," Elizabeth said. "I have to say that I have seen a change in Arthur. He is definitely a lot more demure than he used to be."

Linda smiled, clearly believing that was a good thing as Elizabeth was finally served and she asked for a drink of orange juice.

"I have helped Arthur to find God," Linda said. "He knows that his way of doing things was wrong. He told me everything and I told him that God can forgive him."

"Oh?" Elizabeth asked. "I mean, I know what Arthur used to be like…but I do not truly understand if I know everything."

"He has killed," Linda said and Elizabeth winced. "He told me of the horrors of France and then he told me of everything he has done here for his brother. I know…well…I may be speaking out of place, but I do believe that Thomas is very good at manipulating Arthur."

Frowning, Elizabeth did her best to let those words sink in. Tommy was accusing Linda of doing the manipulation. Yet Linda stood there and accused her husband of being a bad figure in Arthur's life.

"Arthur would do anything for Tommy," Linda said, "even if it means killing for him-"

"-Tommy would never ask Arthur to do anything he did not agree to," Elizabeth spoke. "I do not know about the killing-"

"-Yet it is true," Linda interrupted and Elizabeth did her best to hold her tongue. "Arthur would never speak out against Tommy. He would never do anything to displease Tommy. He is repenting for the sins that Tommy has had him commit."

"My husband would never put Arthur in danger," Elizabeth said and Linda shrugged as she took hold of her orange juice and eyed the former Kimber girl with a form of contempt. "Tommy is a good man."

"I don't think he is," Linda shrugged. "And I have told Arthur that."

"And he agreed?" Elizabeth pushed and Linda shrugged again, but said nothing.

Elizabeth did her best not to let her anger swell inside of her as she shook her head back and forth.

"You don't understand Tommy," Elizabeth declared and Linda arched a brow.

"Perhaps not, but I know what Arthur has told me and Tommy is a negative figure in his life. If Tommy doesn't repent for his sins then I fear for him. Perhaps you could take to him and make him see? Make him understand?"

Elizabeth was about to scoff, but she kept her manners under control and only offered a slim smile as Linda returned to Arthur, her words still ringing in Elizabeth's ear.

….

Tommy walked into the bathroom as Elizabeth finished washing her face and cleaning her teeth. She had barely said a word when they got home, wondering if there was any truth to Linda's words. Had Tommy asked Arthur to do things that he would not agree to usually? Had Arthur felt used by Tommy?

"You've barely said a word to me all evening," Tommy informed his wife as he came to stand behind her, bending to kiss her on the neck as she smiled into the mirror to him.

"Linda," she whispered to him. "I…she…I don't think she entirely likes you."

Scoffing, Tommy nodded. "I know that."

"No," Elizabeth said, turning round to look Tommy in the eye, holding onto his shoulders. "She thinks that you are the one who manipulates Arthur. She thinks that you make him do bad things in the eye of God."

Tommy chuckled. "You should 'ave told 'er that Arthur was more than willing to beat men to a pulp without my interference. I…Arthur is one of us…a Shelby…we work together and we do what we can to keep the family safe."

"I know," Elizabeth agreed with him. "But she seems to think that Arthur has been controlled by you. That is what she said."

"No," Tommy refused to accept that and Elizabeth shrugged.

"Then perhaps you should speak to her and Arthur and clear the air?" Elizabeth suggested.

"No," Tommy said again and bent down to kiss Liz swiftly. "Now come to bed, Liz, and forget about Linda."

Elizabeth smiled and agreed as Tommy stalked off back into the bedroom while she turned to look into the mirror, struggling to forget about Linda and what she had said about her husband. Tommy was not a bad man. He had done bad things, but they all had. That didn't make him a bad man. It couldn't.

….

A/N: Let me know what you think! Not many people reviewing but if you're reading just drop me a review!