XVII | AT THE EDGE OF A DECADE


ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴇᴠᴇ 𝟷𝟿𝟸𝟶


𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓, Caterina considered not even entering The Garrison. Perhaps telling Ada she was not feeling up to weather? But then again, it was just a party. At least, that's how she reassured herself.

Anxiety bubbled in her throat and her fingers itched for a familiar comfort of a cigarette nestled between them.

With a puff of air out of her lungs she smoothed down the invisible creases of her borrowed dress and pressed her hand on the Garrison's door.

Loud piano and trumpet poured over the blond heads, brown heads, slicked back and disheveled heads, all bobbing in the rhythm the piano player set.

The pub was already overflowing with people, mostly members of the Shelby family and other Blinders, even some of Esme's Lee kin, noticeable by their mismatched clothes and curly hairs.

A young man, most likely not of legal age yet, paused her at the door and offered to take her coat.

Mildly speechless at the unexpected chivalry, she noticed the peaked flat cap on the boy's head, the glint of sliver underneath its rim flashing once he turned and disappeared into the back room with her coat.

Exposed - she felt utterly exposed now without the artificial armour her black woollen coat provided, as she stood on the last step into the pub, clutching her tiny golden purse to her side.

With a feigned confidence she strode towards the bar, eagerly trying to spot some familiar faces.

"Kitty? Is that you love?" Someone boomed behind her. Large hands spun her around, nearly making her topple until she came face to face with a grinning Arthur Shelby.

"Oi! Look who's 'ere!" The eldest Shelby waved his lanky arm through the air, the other one thrown around her shoulders.

His enthusiastic cheers attracted the attention of other mildly inebriated partygoers, including another member of the Shelby clan.

It was John that noticed them first, abandoning some of the Lee's he was drinking with to rush towards them.

"Hello John, Arthur. Happy holidays."

She let John cup her face in brotherly affection and closed her eyes when he pressed a kiss to her hair. "We thought you dead or worse. What happened?"

"Might even tell you after a couple of drinks." She quipped cheekily, both her and the boys letting out a laugh.

"My treat then."

"Oh you clean up nicely! Did you start without me?" Ada was balancing a crystal glass filled to the brim with rose coloured liquid in one hand and baby Karl in the other.

Cat rose her eyebrow in question, reaching to take Karl into her arms. The baby quickly nestled his little head on her chest, tiny hand grasping and tugging at the soft fabric of her dress.

"You do know you're not supposed to drink when you feed the baby?" She eyed the glass in her hand with obvious disapproval. The newly made mother simply snorted, reaching for another dainty flute of bubbly liquid from the passing waiter.

"Mum did it with Finn and he's fine I spose' ." Caterina was just about to retort when a deep cough sounded behind her back.

"Cat."

"Tommy."

It was the first she saw him after the Black Star Day, ever since he tried to kiss her. Ever since she made the decision to not let Thomas Shelby play his wicked game with her heart.

His eyes flittered over her exposed arms, but was quick to recover his stance. Not quick enough, though, as it had gone noticed by his other siblings.

"Good to have you back."

"Just for the night." She quickly responded, balancing Karl on her other arm.

It would be an understatement to say the emerald dress Cat wore fit her perfectly; it fell like spring waterfalls down to her ankles and flared every time she turned.

Thin straps and open back revealed the olive tone of her arms, her gentle collarbones and just an indication of her chest. The fabric wrapped around her in a dangerously teasing manner, close-fitting in all the places people tended to look at for more than a decent amount of time.

Someone else tugged at her dress now. "Catty can I be your New Year's kiss?"

Thankfully, the youngest Shelby saved her from the uncomfortable conversation she almost had with his brother.

"What a gentleman, how ever could I say no?" Caterina grinned back at Finn, eyes glazing over in joy.

"The boys will be so jealous I get to kiss the prettiest girl at the party." The boy bounced happily on his feet, his cap going up and down with him.

"Oh is that so?" She turned to see Finn's group of rascals several feet away from them chatting animatedly and pointing fingers at Finn.

She pecked Karl's cheek once more before returning him to his mother.

"Now Finn Shelby, would you care for a dance?"

She was determined to dance her worries away even if it meant her feet would be killing her tomorrow.


A dance with Finn turned into another one with John, and a very energetic waltz with Harry the bartender who loosened his apron for the night.

Just she was about to sit down for a drink and a fag, the Italian was swooped up by Arthur for something that must have been a traditional gipsy dance; the Lee kin spun their dance partners wildly around and Caterina could spot Esme and John having the time of their lives in the corner, swinging to the lively beat.

As the midnight struck, followed by hollers and cheers all around her, Caterina found her favourite dance partner.

Bending down to her partner's height, she pressed two loud kisses on his cheeks, leaving noticeable lipstick stains. Finn stood on his tiptoes to return the favour, Caterina's heart melting at his quiet Thank you.

"To the shining nineteen twenties!"

"Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year from Shelby Company Limited!" Arthur roared, nearly falling from one of the rickety tables, one hand clasped around the narrow neck of a champagne bottle.

Without warning she was yanked towards the bar, and a glass of liquor in her hands a moment later. "Tell aunt Polly. What happened between you and Thomas?"

"Nothing happened and that's how it will remain."

She squirmed under Polly's scrutinising stare, turning her attention to the way lights reflected from the full glass of whiskey in her hand.

"You know, when I want something from Arthur, a pinch of drink is enough and you can crack him open like a fresh shell. You on the other hand, you're a though nut to crack." Polly pointed her lighter in her direction before using it to light the cigarette she fished out of her blue slik purse.

The dark haired woman rolled her eyes. "I have my dignity and pride, Polly."

"Good. Thats what I wanted to hear." She bobbed her head unsteadily, already quite drunk by the amount of blinking she made while they talked. "Too good for all of us, is what you are."

"And yet I'm pretty sure you are not letting me go — ever." It was a fact she became increasingly sure of during these few hours — the Shelby's would always hold a part of her.

Polly hummed in agreement, already reaching for another drink from the waiter ; Caterina itched for a change of subject.

"Tell me, what's going on in the world? I've been stuck in between dust and older dust for weeks. What of Nechells?"

Polly sighed, letting her gaze fall on the merry gathering of friends and family before them. "Good news is, your brother's disappeared. No one's seen him, gone up in smoke and vanished."

Cat didn't bother to hide her sour expression at the mention of her traitorous brother. She let Polly continue, and by her expression she knew what news came next would not be nearly as good.

"Changretta has asked for a meeting with Robert. They blame the Clarkes for keeping the Danny Whizzbang secret. They see it as a grave offence — it was one of their own that was murdered after all."

Caterina bit down on her lip, guilt creeping up her spine like a winter's chill, unforgiving and relentless.

"I had to do it, for the bigger picture." She hated how small her voice was. The Changretta's had always been great family friends, when she was younger she played with their children, she drank tea with Audrey Changretta.

Polly shook her head. "That's not how Vincente Changretta sees it. The only people that profited from this was you and Thomas. It will take a lot to subdue the spirits."

"What do I do Polly?" Out of habit she ran her hand through the dark tresses, ruining the fancy hairdo she spent hours on.

Polly's hand shot out grabbing her wrist in a terrifying hold. It was undeniable Polly Gray had an incredibly strong grip, and Caterina could feel the blood-flow to her hand being cut off.

"Come back. You are not you. Hiding behind books and shortened tresses? Snap back."

"No daughter of mine will be a fretting cunt. Is that clear?" She waited until Caterina nodded franticly to release her, a violently red mark remaining on her wrist.

"Now I've been spying on that delicious piece of a man all night." Polly sneakily pointed at the handsome young man amidst a group of people who seemed to glance at the two of them every few minutes.

Caterina chuckled. "Good luck."

Necking her drink, Polly Gray was a wild animal ready to pounce on its unsuspecting prey. "Oh I don't need luck, I'm Polly Gray."

"And oh, for the record — keep the dress. He can't keep his eyes off you." With one last wink, Polly disappeared in the sea of people, leaving Caterina with a smile on her face and a newly restored confidence in her heart.

Ada and Freddie departed not long after the midnight struck, and so did John and Esme; the former having to feed and put their child to sleep, and the latter most likely making one of their own.

It was well past two and she kept yawning endlessly, eager to fight away the sleep with a smoke. Finding she had no matches or a lighter on her, Cat resorted to tapping the person standing next to her on the shoulder.

"You've got some flame by any chance?" She asked the stranger, his back still turned to her.

Not at all prepared to see Thomas being the mysterious man, Caterina accidentally dropped the unlit cigarette to the floor.

Before she could bend down to retrieve it, half embarrassed and half surprised by her own reaction, he fished one of his own from the inner pocket of his suit. Hesitantly, she took the offered stick, letting him light it with a precise movement of his wrist.

"Happy New Year, Cat." The endless blues of Tommy Shelby's eyes stared at her, before he turned and disappeared among the crowd.

Most assuredly, it was an interesting start of a new decade.