Like most girls, Niamh Shelby had grown up imagining her wedding day in her head. Beautiful blue skies and a dress to rival that of a fairy princess. Guests galore to all smile and compliment her on her stunning beauty and radiant etherealness. Flowers that matched the beautiful delicate colours of the bridesmaids dresses. A wedding breakfast that would be the grandest affair anyone had ever seen and when she danced with her new husband, the entire venue would watch on with such hope and joy for the love that shone in the eyes of the newlyweds as they looked upon each other as though they were the only ones in the room.
With a glance outside of the window at the ominously dark rain clouds rolling towards the stately home, Niamh sighed and let her shoulders slump as Ada's deft fingers styled and primped her unruly curls. Never in all of her imaginings had she come up with this. Marriage to a stranger and to a London gangster who hated her family and would therefore hate her too.
"Rain on your wedding day is supposed to bring good luck," Esme announced from her seat close by the window where she was watching John trying to corral their children out of the garden and inside. "Perhaps the Jew'll have a heart attack before you make it up the aisle or maybe that Italian that hates him so much has someone on his way to shoot him."
"Doubtful considering the lovely little congratulations card Sabini decided to send this morning," Polly muttered.
Darby Sabini and Alfie Solomons had been enemies for as long as either one could remember. Always bickering over territory and the races, the only time they had ever come together was against the Peaky Blinders and even then that union had been short lived once Sabini went back to his old ways and stopped Alfie's bookies working the races.
It seemed though that Sabini realised that with Solomons and the Shelbys forming an alliance through marriage that he stood no chance against them both. Which was why he had sent Tommy a card just that morning, informing him that so long as the Peaky Blinders stayed within Solomons' territory and left Sabini's alone that there would be no trouble. It was of course a thinly veiled threat but one that everyone knew had no real levity.
"Heart attack it is then," Esme glowered at no one in particular.
Niamh liked Esme. She was abrupt and she was a little stand-offish sometimes but Niamh felt sorry for the girl. All she wanted was to be out on the road, raising her family the gypsy way, but instead she was stuck in Small Heath, looking after children and helping out in the den on race day and knowing that despite being married to John, she would never be counted as a real part of the family. Although Tommy might allow her to sit in on family meetings sometimes and give her opinion, she knew as well as everyone else, that ultimately John had the final say for the both of them.
"You don't have to do it, you know," Esme turned to look at Niamh. "I have kin who would take you and hide you where Tommy would never find you."
"Is that right?" Polly's face bore the same look of amusement it always did when Esme opened her mouth.
"It is," Esme nodded seriously. "I like you, Niamh. You've a good soul and you've always been kind to me. I don't want you to do something for us and regret it for the rest of your life."
"Us? You're no more a Shelby than I am a Lee," Polly huffed out a dry laugh before her face sombred. "But that being said, I don't entirely disagree with your suggestion."
"You don't?" Niamh frowned.
"No," Polly sighed. "If you want to go then we can distract Tommy and the others long enough to be able to get you out of here."
"And me," Esme added. "I know where there are Lees close by and I can take you to them and get you safe passage from there on."
"Who could fucking believe it," Ada exclaimed through gritted teeth due to the hairpins in her mouth. "Takes you getting married for these two to agree about something."
"Miracles do happen," Niamh chuckled before she let out a sigh. "I appreciate both of you trying to get me out of this but I agreed to do it and I won't go back on my word."
"Niamh," Polly reached out to touch her face gently, her eyes glassy and sad. "Please consider doing as Esme says. You're a good girl and you deserve a happy life."
"And who says I won't have one?" Niamh said optimistically. "Solomons isn't going to hurt me otherwise he'll have you lot coming down on him like a tonne of bricks."
"It's not just about that though, love. It's all good and well spending the rest of your life with a man who doesn't hurt you, but it's quite another never to know how it feels to be with one who loves the ground you walk on or who you can have a family with or-"
"Polly," Niamh put her hand over her aunt's. "It's rare that anyone finds a man who loves her like that and you know it."
"I had it," Polly murmured. "Ada had it. Esme… well, John and Esme love each other even if John is an idiot most of the time."
"Idiot's right," Esme agreed with a rare smile. "But he does love me and I love him. Why else do you think I put up with this fucking family."
"Don't hold back, Esme. Tell us how you really feel, won't you?" Ada smirked.
"Well I'm glad for you and for Ada and even for you Esme," Niamh smiled. "But I gave up on things like love and all that stuff years ago when I stopped reading fairy tales and after I'd seen my mum cry one too many times over that bastard of a dad of ours. Now, can one of you go and find my shoes for me while Ada finishes my hair?"
Polly, Esme and Ada slid a glance at one another over the top of Niamh's head and they all wanted to say more but they knew that their pleas and encouragement for her to put an end to this madness would be in vain. Polly found Niamh's shoes and slid them onto her feet while Ada fastened the veil into the back of Niamh's hair and finally she was ready.
Niamh's freshly painted nails traced the delicate petals of the lavender and other wildflowers that made up the small posy Esme had gathered together for her that morning, and when she looked up in the mirror she barely recognised herself. Somehow she had gone to bed last night a young girl with her whole life ahead of her only to wake up this morning as a woman with her destiny now set in stone. It was more than the elegant hairstyle with wisps of caramel coloured waves framing her heart shaped round and the light dusting of makeup that, instead of hiding her freckles only accentuated them along with the other features of her face that she often found to be plain but not anymore. No, it was a maturity that had somehow appeared overnight without her having done anything to encourage it.
It was funny really because all week, the knowledge of her impending marriage had somehow felt like a dreamy haze. Even when they had arrived at the obscenely huge manor the evening before, she had still been numb to the whole thing; simply going through the motions of trying on dresses and listening to Tommy explain time and time that she was doing the right thing. But now, as she looked at herself once again in the full length mirror her heart began to thump wildy as nerves finally set in.
"You look beautiful," Ada smiled, fixing the back of Niamh's dress, straightening out the long lace train.
Tommy had spared no expense on his baby sister's wedding dress, behaving as though somehow sending her to the most expensive wedding boutique in Birmingham with no price limit and a promise to the proprietor of extra payment if the alterations could be completed within the day would make Niamh feel better about marrying Alfie Solomons of Camden Town. Out of spite she had wanted to buy the most ridiculously overpriced dress in the shop but her conscience had refused to let her, knowing that the money was coming out of the safe in the den and knowing that money could be used on better things to benefit the whole family or the business instead.
"Ada's right," Tommy's quiet voice came from the doorway where he stood looking at Niamh with an expression that almost looked guilty. Almost. "You do look beautiful, Niamh."
She couldn't even stand to look at him, she realised. As her nerves were starting to run wild and her emotions with them, she couldn't help but hate him at that moment. She hated him more than she ever thought that she could. And she hated herself for not even hating him anywhere near as much as she should.
"Where's Arthur?" Polly asked.
"He's downstairs with John and all the kids," Tommy answered, his gaze never leaving Niamh's as he willed her to look at him; to forgive him. She had been distant this past week and while it was probably the least he deserved, he found he didn't like it one bit.
"Well considering Niamh's meant to be walking down the aisle in less than fifteen minutes, do you not think you'd better send him up here ready?"
"About that," Tommy cleared his throat. "We decided, Arthur and I decided, that even though he's the eldest, I'm the head of the family and so I'll be giving Niamh away."
"Why am I not surprised?" Polly sneered. "Can't let Arthur do anything, can you?"
"It makes the most sense, Pol."
"No," Niamh looked at him finally. Walking towards him, Tommy wanted to shrink underneath the disgust in her eyes directed solely at him. "Arthur does it or I walk out the front door and I don't come back. Letting me choose who walks me down the aisle is the least you can fucking do, don't you think?"
"Alright," Tommy bobbed his head reluctantly. Reaching out a hand, he gently removed an eyelash that had fallen onto Niamh's flushed cheek. "When you were little you always used to make wishes whenever I found an eyelash on your face. I wonder what you'd wish for now if you could, eh?"
"You wouldn't like to know, Tommy," she whispered sadly. "Or maybe you already know, but the truth is you just don't care anyway, do you?"
She turned her back to him and walked over to the vanity desk to compose herself briefly. She could feel Tommy burning a hole into her back with his unwavering stare but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing the way she was blinking back tears or clenching her jaw to keep from turning back around and punching him in the face. He wanted her to marry Solomons to secure an alliance for the family and as usual Tommy would get whatever he wanted.
It didn't matter that in just a few minutes his sister would be walking towards a very new and uncertain future.