Elizabeth didn't know how to tell Tommy. She could see that he was still mourning John and she did not blame him for that. Pol had stayed longer than she had intended to, finding herself besotted with Charlotte and wondering just how often she would be able to see her niece in the future. Every time she looked to Tommy, she felt some kind of anger swell up inside of her. Arthur had gone to his own home with Linda as she had refused to stay in the same house as Tommy. They had each spent Christmas in small groups, none of them seeming to care about the day after the event that had happened. And then Linda and Arthur had come around on Boxing Day.

Of course, that didn't stop her from speaking her mind when she saw Elizabeth over breakfast the following morning. Elizabeth had rolled her eyes behind Linda's head when she had entered the house.

Tommy had watched his wife hand Arthur the whiskey bottle and a glass before glancing to Linda.

"Can I get you anything, Linda?" she enquired from her.

"I will have a glass and drink with my husband," Linda said, pulling her gloves from her fingertips as Elizabeth looked to Tommy and pulled a face, causing her husband's lips to arch in slight amusement for a moment before she grabbed Linda a glass.

"I didn't know you drank," Elizabeth responded.

"There's a lot you don't know about me now," Linda said and Elizabeth almost felt the urge to laugh, but she kept silent, remaining stood up with her hands holding a tea towel after she had just finished drying the cutlery and crockery from breakfast.

"I hear you had a son?" Elizabeth said. "And you finally got married."

"Billy," Linda said. "He is currently with your maid. I have to say, Tommy, it was very kind of you to gift us with Frances. Your generosity truly knows no bounds."

Elizabeth could hear the sarcasm in her voice, but she chose to ignore it. Tommy made the same decision, instead choosing to pull a cigarette from his pocket and light it up, taking a drag on it as he arched a brow and continued to look at Linda with slight agitation.

"She's looking after Ada's lad too," was all he said.

"Must be nice to afford such luxuries," Linda continued to push as Elizabeth continued putting things away and Tommy took a seat across from Arthur.

"Well, yer know, business has expanded," Tommy simply said to her.

"Then again, you did marry a Kimber," Linda said. "I hear that they are accustomed to the finer things in life….well…were…"

Elizabeth didn't respond, but she did catch Linda's eye and wonder if the woman was truly trying to test her. Of course, Linda had no idea that Elizabeth didn't care about her. She didn't care about what she thought or what she was going to say. She only cared about the thought of being pregnant again and telling Tommy. She didn't think today was a good day. His brother had just been murdered. Then again, when would there be a good day? She doubted there ever would be.

"Tommy, I am going to get Charlotte ready," Elizabeth informed her husband, well aware that he would want some privacy for when the family meeting commenced before the dinner at the docks he had organised that evening.

He had invited Johnny Dogs and all of the people he knew, plus he had invited his entire family. Elizabeth wasn't sure it was a good idea, but she suspected it depended on how the family meeting went that day. Pol was due to arrive sometime soon and Elizabeth would be grateful for her presence. Ada was also attending while Finn had insisted that he join in too.

"Where is she?" Tommy asked his wife.

"I left her with Finn in his room," Elizabeth said. "I was going to go and get her dressed while you have your meeting."

"He doesn't let you sit in on the meetings?" Linda continued to push as Elizabeth tossed the towel off to the side and looked to Linda. "Arthur doesn't keep anything from me."

"Neither does Tommy from me," Elizabeth said to her. "I know exactly what is going to happen in the meeting. What is it, Linda? You want to throw as many low blows into conversation as possible?"

Linda turned her nose up. "I doubt you are insulted often."

"I may be, but I do not listen," Elizabeth said, moving forwards and resting her hands on the table. "And do you know why that is?"

Linda remained silent.

"Because I refuse to listen to them or let them effect me," Elizabeth said. "Because I know how to be the bigger person in these situations, Linda. Clearly it is something you have yet to learn."

"Tommy, are yer goin' to ler 'er-"

"-I let 'er do what I want," Tommy interrupted Arthur before he could finish his question. "Besides, Linda's been goading her since she got 'ere. Perhaps she should just keep 'er mouth shut if she's not got anythin' interestin' to offer, eh?"

"How dare you?" Linda snapped at Tommy.

"He 'as a point." A new voice entered and no one had seen Pol walk into the house, the door slamming shut behind her as she tossed her bag onto the table and peeled her coat from her figure, placing it on the back of her chair. "Now, when we do we start this meetin'?"

"Liz, go and get Finn, please?" Tommy asked from his wife. "And then we wait for Ada."

Elizabeth nodded to Tommy and moved up the steps, opening the door to Finn's room in time to see him helping Charlotte read a book she had open on her lap. Elizabeth nodded once and he stood up, promising Charlotte that he would read with her later. Elizabeth took her pouting daughter by the hand, telling her that she should go and get dressed. Once she was changed into a simple blue dress, Elizabeth sat her on the bed and brushed her hair slowly.

"Daddy said we have to stay here for a while," Charlotte spoke. "He said that he has business."

"He does," Elizabeth nodded her head. "And I know that this was not exactly the Christmas you had in mind, but when we go home, we can have Christmas Dinner."

"I don't mind," Charlotte said. "I just want daddy to be happy."

Elizabeth felt her heart melt slightly at hearing her daughter. They had spent the previous day in some kind of daze. There had been Tommy, Elizabeth and Charlotte in the house and they had tried to make it seem like Christmas. Tommy had failed miserably, struggling to smile as he watched his daughter open her presents. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to be safe. And he was putting all of that in jeopardy because of Changretta.

"Come here," Elizabeth urged her daughter, hauling her onto her lap and hugging her tightly. "Daddy will be happy again, Charlotte. He just needs some time."

"I know," Charlotte said. "I would be sad if my brother died."

Elizabeth looked down to her stomach for the briefest of moment, wondering if Charlotte knew. But there would be no chance she could know. Keeping quiet for a moment, she bit down on her lip and kissed the top of Charlotte's head. She cradled her daughter tightly to her and closed her eyes, knowing that she would have to tell Tommy her news sooner or later.

Elizabeth sat besides her husband, her hand underneath the table and holding onto his. She kept his fingers inside of hers after they had finished eating. It was cold outside, but the sun was beating down, offering some kind of warmth. Elizabeth kept her red coat on her body as they sat around the table and ate Christmas dinner. They had finished their meals and raised a toast to John as the children all went and ran around. Charlotte had only just met her cousins, but she had taken to them instantly. Elizabeth supposed that was the funny thing about children. They were adaptable to anything.

Once the meal had finished, Elizabeth knew she had to gather up the courage to tell Tommy. They had driven home in silence with Linda, Arthur and Finn. Billy was perched on Linda's lap.

"Billy," Elizabeth had spoken the baby's name as soon as she had entered the house with Tommy besides her. "Could they not have picked another name?"

"Yer, I know," Tommy said, thinking back to his wife's brother. "At least we managed to 'ave a meal without any arguments, eh?"

"Always a bonus," Elizabeth said, throwing him a soft smile as she watched him lock the door behind him.

She knew full well that her husband was slowly becoming paranoid with checking over his shoulder. Elizabeth had watched him for the past few days and seen him worry silently. Tommy would never be one to mention that he was scared openly.

"Charlotte, darling, why don't you go and get changed and we will see if there is any Christmas Cake when you come back down?"

Finn had already gone up to his room. Elizabeth had told him to come back down for cake when he felt like it. She knew that he needed space. He needed time to come to terms with what had happened. Elizabeth watched on as Charlotte took the stairs and Tommy slipped out of his coat and jacket, throwing it on the sofa. He moved his cap from his head, ruffling his hair before noticing his wife's distant expression.

"Yer goin' to tell me what's wrong?" Tommy enquired from his wife as she glanced over to him.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth enquired from him.

"I mean, that I ain't blind, am I?" Tommy said, pulling his holster from his body and laying his gun on the dining table.

"Tommy, don't leave that laying around," she urged from him, picking it up and placing it in a cupboard where Charlotte couldn't reach.

"Yer goin' to answer my question?" Tommy asked her. "Is it Linda? Did she really annoy yer? If she did then I can 'ave a word with Arthur and get 'er to back off."

"Do you think that I cannot handle myself against Linda?" Elizabeth asked from him.

"I know yer can," he said to her, "but I didn't know if it was 'er."

"It is not Linda," Elizabeth promised him, settling down on the settee, folding one leg over the other, her hand moving to hold onto her kneecap. She took a moment to inhale a sharp breath before feeling Tommy sit down next to her.

Moving her hands towards Tommy, she took hold of his hands inside of hers, kissing the back of his hands before looking at him and he noted that her eyes were wide. She almost looked like she was about to cry. Tommy kept hold of her fingers before bending slightly, his forehead pressing against hers.

"What is it?" Tommy asked from her.

"I don't know if it is true, Tommy," Elizabeth said with haste. "And if it is then I know that now…after John…you might not want to hear it…you might not want to know…but Pol seems to have a sixth sense about these things."

"Spirits?" Tommy asked, slightly concerned as he heard his wife laugh softly for a second, shaking her head against his.

"No, Tommy," she declared. "She…she thinks that I am pregnant again."

Elizabeth didn't entirely know how she had expected Tommy to react. He pulled back from her, his hands leaving hers as he leant forwards, clasping his fingers together and bowing his head. Elizabeth felt a moment of cold flow through her body, her stomach churning as she wondered what he was thinking. She felt a sense of rejection as she saw Tommy begin to shake his head.

"Not now," he whispered before looking back to his wife. "Liz…not now…"

"I know," Elizabeth said, a tear falling down her cheek. "I know that John has just died and this is the last thing you wanted to hear, but I think she might be right, Tommy."

Tommy shook his head and moved towards her, his hand holding her cheek as his thumb brushed her tear away.

"Not what I meant, Liz," Tommy said to her. "I meant that…I…yer know, Liz…everythin' that is goin' on right now…Changretta…and if yer pregnant then I…I would 'ave protected yer despite everythin', yer know that, but now I 'ave three of yer to think of, don't I?"

Tommy moved his hand to her stomach for a second and Elizabeth wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"You're not mad with me?" she asked and Tommy shook his head.

"How can I be mad with you, Liz?" Tommy asked from her. "I just wish that none of this mess was 'appenin' so we could be safe and 'appy."

"I know," Elizabeth said to him. "But you are happy, aren't you? The idea of having another child makes you happy, right?"

"Of course," Tommy said with haste, his hand still holding onto her stomach. "Liz, I'm 'appy…I love Charlotte dearly and I will love this child just as much."

"We need to find out if I am actually pregnant," Elizabeth said to him. "I think I might be, but I need to find out. We need to be certain before we tell Charlotte."

"I'll 'ave a doctor round tomorrow," he told her.

"Thank you, Tommy."

"Yer don't need to thank me," Tommy said, his lips turning upwards for a second. "Yer my wife, Liz. I'll do anythin' for yer."

"I love you, Tommy," Elizabeth said and moved to kiss him, forgetting about all the dangers on the outside world for just a few brief moments.

Tommy had asked his wife to stay at home the following day, but she had insisted that she could help him at work. He had complained that he had mountains of paperwork to get through and Elizabeth had told him that she could help. They had left Charlotte in the house alongside Finn and Pol had agreed to come and keep an eye on them. The guards around the house were on high alert and Elizabeth trusted Pol with her daughter more than anyone else.

Sitting in the large office of the factory, Elizabeth almost snapped at Tommy, warning him that if he got this behind on his paperwork then his company might suffer. But she kept her mouth closed and inhaled a deep breath. After another moment she chewed down on her tongue and looked to Tommy as he sat across from her at the vast table.

As she looked up, she noted that his eyes were set on her and she almost felt self-conscious as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

"What is it?" she wondered from him.

He shook his head. "Nothin'," he said. "Just thinkin' about how yer look."

Elizabeth arched a brow. "And how do I look?" she wondered from him.

"Different," Tommy mused. "Like yer did when yer were with Charlotte."

"Well, there may be a reason for that," Elizabeth said, taunting him gently before looking back to her paper as a knock on the office door sounded.

Moving to her feet, she opened the door in time to see Niall stood there, his arms folded over his chest. He did a double take at the sight of Elizabeth before speaking.

"Mrs Shelby, I didn't know yer were comin' in today," he said to her.

"I needed to come and help Tommy with the paperwork. How are you Niall? How is your wife? And how are the children? They must be getting older now…what…nine or ten?"

"Jane is ten next month, Mrs Shelby," Niall answered. "And my wife is fine. We're expectin' another little one sometime in summer."

"Really?" Elizabeth asked, moving her hand to run down his arm endearingly. "That is lovely news. How far on is she?"

"A couple of months," Niall said.

"Well, that is lovely news, Niall," Elizabeth said as Tommy pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.

"What did yer want, Niall?" Tommy asked the man he had entrusted to look after the workers in his factor.

"Excuse my husband," Elizabeth said to him as she took her seat once more and looked over to Tommy. "I doubt he meant to be rude."

"Sorry, Mr Shelby," he said with haste. "Jessie Eden wanted to 'ave a meetin' with yer sometime this week."

Tommy nodded his head.

"Is she the woman who works for the union?"

"Same one, Mrs Shelby," he said.

"I 'ave John's funeral to attend…tell 'er I 'ave an hour free on Friday."

"I'll sit in too."

"No yer won't."

"Yes I will," Elizabeth said. "Thank you, Niall."

"You are welcome, Mrs Shelby," Niall said and scurried off as Tommy stared at his wife, his gaze critical as she shrugged her shoulders and then filed away her paperwork into a folder.

"You can look at me like that for as long as you like, Tommy," Elizabeth informed him. "I am not changing my mind. I am going to sit in on this meeting. I want to know what she wants. Besides, I think she has a point."

"Yer would," Tommy complained.

Elizabeth's lips quirked and she moved to her feet and walked around the table. She bent down to kiss Tommy as he stubbed out his cigarette. After a moment she pulled back and stood up straight.

"Come on," she urged from him. "We have an appointment with the doctor in another hour. I don't want to be late."

"Aye," Tommy agreed with her.

Both of them packed everything away and Tommy helped Elizabeth into her coat before shrugging into his. Taking hold of her by the hand, his fingers slipped through hers as he locked up the office and saw his wife watching him. He moved to peck her again on the lips before they walked down the steps to the exit of the factory.

Both of them didn't notice the Italians loitering in the shadows under the stairs.

A/N: Do let me know what you think!