Elizabeth finished dressing Charlotte while Tommy packed a case for his journey down to London. He had informed his wife of what he intended to do and she had agreed not to snap at him or beg for him not to go. Tommy wouldn't say that she was on board with the idea, but she agreed with him that the Georgians were dangerous people who were looking to take Tommy for a fool. And Thomas Shelby was no fool.
Thomas Shelby was an intelligent man and Elizabeth knew that. Other people doubted it, but they were the fools for doubting him. She had faith that Tommy would be able to get the job done and when he did that then she would be happy for this all to end. She wanted for her and Tommy to live in peace together. She needed that more than ever.
"Yer look stunnin'," Tommy suddenly spoke and Elizabeth arched a brow towards her husband as she finished dressing Charlotte in the nursery. Tommy leant against the doorway, hands in his pockets as he watched his wife.
She straightened up, straightening out the long skirt she wore and the white blouse she had tucked into it. A hand went to push her hair behind her ears as Charlotte crawled and stumbled towards Tommy. He bent down, crouching to pull his daughter into his arms. He picked her up, letting her move her hands on his face.
"I look a mess," Elizabeth declared to him. "You know that."
"Yer always look stunnin' to me," Tommy said and then glanced down to his daughter. "And this one always looks beautiful."
Charlotte made a gargled noise and Elizabeth wondered how long it would be before she learned how to put a sentence together. She was always mumbling daddy whenever she was next to Tommy and Elizabeth often heard her say mummy. It was endearing and Elizabeth loved it more than she cared to admit.
"That is because she is beautiful," Elizabeth declared. "Tommy, I need you to promise me that you will be safe. Pol and Michael are travelling down to London to discuss business with Ada so it is just going to be me and Charlotte here."
"Does that worry you?" he enquired from her.
She shook her head, not wanting to say how much she relied on Pol when Tommy was gone. Pol was the matriarch of the family and she was a strong woman. She had been there when Elizabeth had needed her. She had always been there and willing to help. Elizabeth suspected she didn't tell the woman that she was thankful often enough.
"No," Elizabeth lied. "I will be fine."
"Right," Tommy said. "I'll 'ave one of our lads come and check on yer every so often."
"Tommy," she protested with a shake of her head.
"No arguments," he urged from her. "Now, I need to ask a favour of yer too. It's about Finn."
"What about him?"
"Well, with all of us goin' to London that leaves 'im with Esme and Linda. He wanted to know if he could stay 'ere for a while. He's not fond of bein' around Linda and she seems to always be tryin' to preach at 'im, what with 'er always bein' near Arthur."
Elizabeth chuckled as she finished making her daughter's bed, looking down to it before speaking; "Finn can come and stay here if he wants to," she said. "I assume that was what you were about to ask?"
"Yer know me so well," Tommy mumbled back, smiling at Charlotte as she tugged at the tie he wore.
"After all these years of marriage I should hope so," she responded and Tommy continued to smirk as he kissed Charlotte on the top of her head, her eyes closing in contentment as she rested her cheek against his chest. It was almost as if she knew that her father was going away for a while. Perhaps she did?
"I should get goin'," Tommy said in a small voice, not entirely convinced that he wanted to go down to London. He would prefer to stay on the outskirts of Birmingham with his family.
"Of course," Elizabeth agreed with a whisper and she moved towards Tommy, her hand going to hold his as she looked down to Charlotte who was still resting against her father. "She really does favour you."
"Nah," Tommy shook his head. "She doesn't pick favourites. She's yer daughter as much as she's mine."
Elizabeth said nothing, her smile faltering. Tommy noticed how it began to waiver and he suspected that it was better to say goodbye now rather than prolong the agony. Moving towards her with haste, he pressed his lips against hers, feeling her hand move up his arm to tangle into his hair. Once they pulled back, their foreheads rested against each other.
"Come back to me," she urged from him.
"Always," Tommy promised, kissing Charlotte on the top of her head and then kissing Elizabeth one final time before he handed her over to her mother.
He swept from the room and Elizabeth watched him go, worry coursing through her veins as she watched the back of her husband disappear away from her.
…
Tommy looked around the vault, unable to stop himself from thinking about how much treasure there was down in the vault. He and Alfie had been estimating the value of things while John and Arthur engaged in more illicit activities. Tommy had seen the men and women in various state of undress, wondering just what was going on before he realised. When the Georgians had declared that they would be holding a party, he had not expected it to be involving sex.
He had finished estimating the jewels with Alfie when the Grand Duchess dragged him off into another room. Pulling a cigarette from his pocket, Tommy lit it up; grateful that he hadn't seen naked bodies inside of the room he was now in.
"What do yer want?" Tommy asked from the woman as she wandered around the living room.
Her hand ran over the back of the sofa in the library as she bent at the waist and leant over it, her hand cupping her chin as her elbow rested on the back of the seat. She let her eyes rake over Tommy as the young man wondered exactly what was going on.
"You know what I want," Tatiana spoke. "And you know that I know what you want."
"Excuse me?" Tommy asked, taking a drag on his cigarette as he arched a brow. "If yer think I want anythin' to do with that party out there then yer wrong."
"Your brothers do not seem to have that attitude," the Grand Duchess declared. "Is Arthur not engaged to a lovely religious woman? Yet I am certain I saw him out there with a maid."
"Arthur can do as he likes," Tommy shrugged, not entirely bothered about what his brother was doing. "As can John. They're old enough."
"And you have no interest in straying?" she asked, standing up straight and moving to stand by the fireplace, her red beaded dress fanning around her. Her hair was neatly coiffed around her head while she wore a band around her forehead. "Tell me, Mr. Shelby, does your wife please you?"
Tommy was too much of a man with control to be angered by such a question. He looked to Tatiana and didn't even bother to respond. Instead he turned on his heel, refusing to dishonour his wife by speaking in such a manner. Elizabeth was the only woman he loved. He adored her and he would never think of straying. He had spent the entire war thinking of her and only her.
"I will take that as a no," Tatiana called out before Tommy could reach the door.
He stood still, his fingers pulling his cigarette from his lips as he held it between his fingers. He looked around to Tatiana and observed her as she moved towards him. She sauntered closer to him and Tommy looked her up and down.
"English women can be so boring in bed," she spoke in a murmur. "So happy to be dominated and not try anything new. They don't understand how pleasurable sex can be."
"Really?" Tommy wondered from her.
"Really," she confirmed.
Tommy nodded and moved around the Grand Duchess towards the table next to the settee. He stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray before wandering back towards her, his hand going to her chin as his finger curled gently around it. She looked to him with wide eyes as his other hand went to her arm. Moving her lips closer to his, she stopped as soon as he spoke;
"Yer never speak about my wife again, do yer understand me?" Tommy asked from her and she rolled her eyes. "Elizabeth is ten times the woman yer are…and I would never be with you when I 'ave 'er. Yer reek of desperation."
Pulling away from her, Tommy moved towards the door as she continued to call after him.
"She will never be enough for you," Tatiana said. "You live for the danger. She does not. You will need more."
Tommy didn't say anything. He wanted to get Arthur and John and leave as soon as possible.
….
"Can she say anythin' in a sentence yet?"
Finn's question took Elizabeth off guard as she sat in the corner of the nursery while Finn sat on the floor and played with Charlotte, handing her a stuffed toy and then hiding it as she giggled and laughed manically as he moved it.
"Not yet," Elizabeth answered Finn, looking away from the letter she had been reading from her former sister-in-law. "She is getting there, however. But she can almost walk."
"Arthur says she's gonna grow up to be one of the most sought after girls in Birmingham," Finn proclaimed and Elizabeth looked to the boy and smiled softly.
There was no denying that Finn was a good-hearted boy. He wasn't part of the family business. He was innocent and he deserved to be kept that way. Elizabeth adored that about Finn. He was always polite and always willing to help. The elder boys made sure he was sheltered.
"Well, she has a long way to go before then," Elizabeth said. "Besides, Tommy has already said that he intends to keep her young for as long as possible."
"She is cute," Finn admitted. "She looks like yer…a little bit like Tommy. But I think she looks like you, Liz."
"Why thank you," Elizabeth said and folded her letter up, slipping it into the top pocket of her blouse. "Why don't you take hold of Charlotte by the hand and we can go and make a bit of lunch. I assume you are hungry?"
"Always," Finn said and stood up.
He bent down to take hold of Charlotte's hand as she waddled by his side, struggling to stand up. Elizabeth walked ahead, looking behind her to see the young Shelby boy with Charlotte. Just as they came to the staircase, a knock on the door sounded and Elizabeth looked to Finn as she took the steps.
"Just be careful on the staircase, Finn," she urged from the boy as she went down to the foyer and pulled the door open.
She hardly expect Pol to come barging in, but the woman did. Her hair was askew on her head as she looked to Elizabeth, her hands in fists by her side as she glowered at the woman.
"Where is he?" she demanded from Elizabeth. "Where the 'ell is Tommy?"
"He should be home this evening," Elizabeth declared. "What is this, Pol?"
"Did you know?" Pol demanded, her voice low and harsh as Finn picked Charlotte up and Elizabeth looked to the two of them halfway down the staircase.
"Finn, can you take Charlotte to the dining room? I'll be there in a moment."
Finn nodded as Elizabeth motioned for Pol to follow her into the study. Pol stormed in, while Elizabeth stood back and closed the door, hands resting on her hips as she looked to the matriarch.
"Tommy 'as told Michael he can kill the priest," Pol spat, hands going through her hair as Elizabeth bit down on her lip. "I know what that bastard did to my son, but…Michael isn't a killer. He isn't goin' to pull any trigger."
"I know," Elizabeth said with a nod. "I understand, Pol. I told Tommy the same thing. I asked him to tell you, but he said that it was best to keep it quiet for the time being. I thought that I could get him to change his mind and keep Michael out of this."
"And you didn't tell me?" Pol demanded. "I am 'is, mother, Liz. Yer should 'ave come to me."
"I know," Elizabeth said, regret lacing her voice. "But I did not want to worry you over what Tommy had said, Pol. I thought that it would change. I promise that I will do everything I can to keep Michael away from the priest. I will talk to Tommy."
"No," Pol snapped and went to sit at Tommy's desk. "I'll wait for 'im. He's not gettin' away with this."
Elizabeth let out a deep sigh, wondering just how much more the Shelby clan could face.
...
A/N: Do let me know what you think!
