Elizabeth finished placing the flowers in a vase on her desk in the study she shared with Tommy. She arranged them slowly, making sure they were in the right place as Tommy sat behind his desk and watched his wife. He sifted through the papers in his fingertips, looking over them with intrigue before his gaze went back to his wife.

"Liz," he said, catching her attention.

Smiling gently, she turned her head over her shoulder to look to Tommy, brow arched in a silent question of what he wanted.

"Do you know what time Alfie is arrivin'?" Tommy wondered from his wife.

"After dinner," she responded. "Have you told your brothers that he is coming? Was there not an entire fracas between them last time?"

Tommy chuckled and nodded his head slowly, pulling a cigarette out of the packet and lighting it up as Elizabeth settled back down behind her desk, her hands stretching over the mahogany. It had been so long since she had used the desk. It had been so long since she had taught. Charlotte was soon about to turn two and Elizabeth had contemplated going back to work. She wanted to go back.

"They don't see eye to eye," Tommy agreed with his wife. "Never mind. They'll be fine."

"No doubt," Elizabeth agreed, biting down on her bottom lip before approaching the subject with her husband. She looked over to Tommy for a second and he chuckled, shaking his head back and forth. "What is it?" Elizabeth asked.

"You 'ave that face on yer," Tommy informed her. "The fact that says you 'ave somethin' you want to discuss."

"Well, yes," Elizabeth confessed and sighed in a soft tone before she went to her husband's desk. Instead of perching on the chair opposite him, she went to let the backs of her legs rest against his desk as she stood in front of him and he stubbed out his cigarette. "I have been thinking about going back to work eventually."

"Right," Tommy said.

"And I want to," Elizabeth told him. "I loved teaching and I want to go back to it, but I also don't want to miss our daughter growing up. She is almost two and she is already crawling everywhere and soon enough she will be walking. She still has so much to do…she hasn't even said one coherent word yet."

"I think it is coherent in her language," Tommy responded with a slim smirk as Elizabeth nodded and laughed once.

"Perhaps we should learn her language instead?" Elizabeth jested as Tommy leant forwards, his hands moving to grab hold of his wife by the waist as he pulled her towards him, letting her step in between his legs.

"I don't think we'd be any good," Tommy said as Elizabeth moved her hands to his shoulders, letting her hands run up and down them. "However, if you want to go back to work then we can get a nurse for Charlotte."

"I know," Elizabeth said. "But I don't know what I want. I am just saying that at some stage I want to go back to work…I don't know when."

"Yer don't 'ave to make yer mind up now," Tommy told her.

"But you don't mind, do you?" Elizabeth checked and Tommy let out a deep chuckle at hearing her.

"Liz," he sighed her name. "I know better than to stop yer from doin' what yer want. Yer know I support yer…whatever yer do."

Elizabeth looked into his eyes, wondering if it was possible to love him even more than she already did. She felt as though she was going to cry in that moment. The strain they had been through recently had taken its toll on them. The arguments and disputes had done nothing but cause her to worry. But to hear him speak to her now, in a way that made her see how much he supported her, was enough to make her want to well up.

Instead of doing that, she leant forwards and pressed her lips against his, letting her mouth move over his as Tommy returned the attention, his hands hauling her closer to him as he pulled her down to his lap. Elizabeth continued to smile against his lips as he moved his hands up her waist and towards her neckline, tugging at the buttons at the back of her dress.

"Tommy," Elizabeth said, dragging her mouth from his as he let his lips move down her neck. "We don't have time for this…Tommy…"

"We 'ave time," Tommy responded as he continued to kiss her neck.

"But you're still recovering," Elizabeth continued to protest. "You shouldn't be exhausting yourself."

"I'm not," Tommy promised her. "Where's Charlotte?"

"Pol has her," Elizabeth replied as Tommy slowly pushed himself to his feet, his hands still tugging on his wife's dress.

"So we're alone," Tommy declared and Elizabeth shook her head.

"I'm serious," she urged and Tommy groaned and pulled away from her, looking her in the eye as she let her hand roam over his cheekbone, holding him softly as she sent him a small smile. "I don't want to hurt you."

Moving to rest his forehead against hers, Tommy moved his hands down her shoulders and arms, his fingers catching hers and holding onto them in his grip. She looked over to him, her eyes roaming his face as he smirked at her.

"Believe me," Tommy spoke in a whisper, "yer not goin' to hurt me. I want yer, Liz. I want yer more than you know…believe me…I've missed this."

"You are not the only one," Elizabeth assured him, pecking him on the cheek and letting her lips stay there. "But I don't know if you should be doing this."

"Just trust me, like I trust you," Tommy said, offering her a sly grin. "Besides, if I get tired I can always let you do all the work."

Elizabeth laughed then but finally gave in, moving her lips against his before turning to move away and head to the door. Tommy was about to complain at her, but she didn't leave. Instead she turned around, her hands locking the door as she sent Tommy a mischievous look. Tommy smirked as she walked back to him.

"You win, Mr Shelby," she teased him. "But we will stop if I suspect you become ill."

Tommy chuckled. "I doubt that will happen," Tommy informed her before moving back to rest his lips on top of hers.

Elizabeth had gone up to freshen up, brushing her hair and letting it hang down her back. She had tried to stop her cheeks from blushing as Tommy changed into a different suit, buttoning up his waistcoat once he had his shirt on. He watched his wife in the mirror of her dresser, his eyes wide and his gaze intent. He could hardly deny how beautiful she was. He always thought it. He might not tell her often enough, but he thought it.

"I should go and take care of Charlotte for a while," Elizabeth said, tugging at the white shirt she had changed into. "Pol could do with a rest."

"Aye," Tommy agreed. "I should go and finish my paperwork."

"You'll need to pick it up from the floor first," Elizabeth teased as Tommy finished dressing by pulling on his suit jacket. Elizabeth stood up, her black skirt sweeping along behind her as she made the motion.

"Yer were quite ungraceful," Tommy agreed with her and she rolled her eyes at hearing him.

"I told you to move them from your desk," Elizabeth reminded him as the pair of them moved from their bedroom and towards the staircase, walking down the steps.

"I didn't think yer were goin' to actually push them on the floor," Tommy said and Elizabeth let out another laugh, feeling light hearted for the first time in a long time. It took them another moment before they came to the foyer and the door leading into the study.

"I am going to find Pol and Charlotte," she said to Tommy as he opened the study door with one hand. But his other hand went to his wife's elbow as he hauled her back to him and she laughed, kissing him for one final time.

"You're incorrigible," Elizabeth commented before she patted him on the chest and then slipped from his grip.

Her hands tugged through her hair as she walked through the foyer and the parlour room and into the dining room. Charlotte was sat on a chair, Pol in a chair next to her as the elder woman hunched over a book, reading it slowly to Charlotte. The little girl was saying incoherent words, none of the noises leaving her mouth making sense.

"And who is this?" Pol asked from Charlotte as Elizabeth approached and her daughter held out her arms, making a muffled noise that sounded like mother.

"Hello, darling," Elizabeth cooed, moving to kiss Charlotte on the top of her head as her daughter reached for her. Smiling to herself, Elizabeth bent down to pick her up, struggling slightly as she realised the little girl in front of her was no longer just a babe. She had grown considerably.

"How are you and Tommy doin'?" Pol wondered, slipping from her seat and closing the book she had been reading Charlotte.

"Fine," Elizabeth said with a nod. "We were just discussing business."

Pol smirked. "Is that what they call it these days?" she mumbled before sweeping away and leaving Elizabeth stood with a horrified look on her face. "I'm goin' to make some tea. I'll be back in a bit."

Elizabeth didn't respond as Pol left and she put Charlotte back down on the floor, taking hold of her hand as the little girl seemed to want to walk by her mother's side. She still wasn't stable on her feet, Elizabeth hunched over her to make sure she didn't fall to the floor. As she walked into the foyer, the knock on the door sounded and Elizabeth bent to pick Charlotte up once more, moving to the doorway and pulling it open.

"Liz!" His booming voice entered the foyer and Elizabeth almost let herself chuckle at hearing him.

She remained composed, graciously smiling as his beady eyes went to the little girl in Elizabeth's grip.

"And this must be Charlotte," he declared.

"Mr Solomons," Elizabeth greeted him, her tone polite as Alfie moved a hand out to run down Charlotte's head, his eyes still set on her. "I take it your journey was pleasant?"

He waved a nonchalant hand. "Pleasant as can be," he mumbled. "She looks exactly like yer…except the eyes…and her cheekbones…poor little thing doesn't know she's a Shelby yet, eh?" His jest caused Elizabeth to keep on smirking.

"No doubt she will find out with time," Elizabeth concluded for him and stepped back, allowing him into the house as he shut the door behind him.

He was dressed in a fine dark suit, a white scarf slung over his neck and his top hat that was on his head moved to his hands. He held onto it loosely in his grip, looking around the foyer before letting out a low whistle.

"And yer husband wants to steal more money?" he asked. "Looks to me like he 'as enough of it already."

Elizabeth pursed her lips then, moving with Charlotte towards the study and opening the door, stepping inside to see Tommy sat at his desk, cigarette between his lips. He looked up as his wife sent him a silent nod and he understood, moving to his feet as Alfie bounded into the room.

"I was just sayin'," Alfie drawled to Tommy. "Swanky place yer got 'ere."

"Aye," was all that Tommy responded with. "Take a seat, Mr Solomons and we will get to it."

"Is he like this all the time?" Solomons jested with Elizabeth who simply rolled her eyes and moved a hand to Alfie's arm.

"Only when it comes to business," Elizabeth replied. "I will leave you two to it."

Closing the door to the study, Elizabeth wandered off with Charlotte still in her grip. She went up the staircase and to the little girl's bedroom, sitting with her on the floor as the pair of them played with her various toys scattered around. She heard the noise of Arthur entering the mansion as Pol opened the door. The eldest brother was demanding to know what Tommy was doing with Alfie.

Leaving all of them to their business, Elizabeth tried not to think about what Tommy was going to do. Going up against the Georgians was scary enough, but add in Father Hughes and Elizabeth was terrified. She knew Tommy and she knew that, usually, he could handle himself. But the last time he had played the game she had nearly lost him. She couldn't go through that again.

It was less than an hour before Tommy sought her out, business having concluded with Solomons. Entering Charlotte's bedroom, Tommy sank down on the floor next to Liz, kissing her on the forehead as he made the motion.

"How did it go?" she asked eagerly as Charlotte seemed to launch herself at her father, forgetting about the doll she had been playing with.

Tommy was more than happy to indulge his daughter, grasping hold of her by the waist and hauling her to him, holding her tightly in his grip as she sat on his lap.

"Well," Tommy said. "Alfie 'as agreed to 'elp us."

Elizabeth nodded as Tommy continued.

"I'm headin' down to London to see the Georgians next Wednesday," he said. "Alfie will be able to value the jewels in their vault in return for the tanks."

Elizabeth could feel her stomach begin to churn as Tommy looked down to Charlotte, a wry smile on his lips as he bent down to kiss her on the top of her head, his hand running down her shoulder length hair as her hands played with his pocket watch she had found from his waistcoat.

"And if I asked to come with you?" Elizabeth wondered and Tommy sighed, looking over to his wife and then moving one hand to hers, holding it tightly.

"I want yer to stay 'ere where it's safe," Tommy urged from her in a whisper. "Please, Liz. Just do that for me, eh?"

It took her another moment before she nodded her agreement, knowing that there was no use arguing with him. Instead she moved to peck him on the cheek, her head resting on his shoulder as the two remained content in their own world for the time being.