Chapter 31

When Bonnie leaves the gym late in the afternoon, he's surprised to find Edith stood outside waiting for him (not alone, of course, there were at least 3 blinders, that he could see, surrounding her). Smiling as she pushes off the wall, Edith wraps her arms around Bonnie's neck, pulling him in for a tight hug, which he immediately reciprocates, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Hello, love." He mumbles against her hair, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her head. "Are you ok?" Edith nods in response, pulling back to tilt up on to her tiptoes, cupping his cheeks as she pulls him in for a kiss. "Tommy finally let you out of the house?" Rolling her eyes at his statement, Edith tucks her hand in Bonnie's, heading back down the lane.

"I thought we could walk home together." She replies, swinging their joined hands between their bodies. "And I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Is this something to do with what Tommy said to you the other day?" Bonnie enquires, nodding at Edith's hum of agreement.

"I'm thinking of doing it." She whispers, holding her breath until Bonnie responds, squeezing her hand in his.

"I can't tell you what to decide, Edie," he starts, looking over at Edith who was peering up at him, waiting for him to continue. "You need to do what feels right for you. In your heart." Edith nods, humming again as she tucks herself closer to Bonnie who winds an arm around her waist. "But if you decide to do this...to join the company officially...you need to be doing it for the right reasons. Not just because you feel obligated to fill John's spot. You have nothing to prove, Edith." Edith hums again, resting her head against Bonnie's shoulder as she contemplates his words. "Just know," he continues, pulling Edith to a stop in the doorway of their house, cupping her face in his hands. "That whatever you decide, I will back you 100%."

Taking a deep breath, Edith straightens her hat, stepping slowly into Charlie's yard, her eyes immediately searching for Bonnie, knowing that after leaving early this morning, he had been headed to Charlie's yard to meet with his father and Tommy. Across the way from Edith, Johnny Dogs was stood talking to Charlie about the food, pausing, cigarette mid way to his lips as his eyes land on Edith.

"Oh, no..." Johnny Dogs draws out, throwing his cigarette to the floor. "Oh, no no no."

"What?" Charlie asks, raising his hands as he follows Johnny's eyes.

"No, Edith. No." Johnny continues, starting towards the youngest Shelby. "No, Edith Mary. Tell me it's not true. Come on now, girl."

"Hello Johnny. Nice to see you too." Edith teases, wrapping Johnny in a tight embrace. "Merry Christmas."

"Tell me ya not." Johnny whispers, pointing to Edith stomach as she rolls her eyes, letting her hand rest on the small bump.

"I am." She confirms with a nod, turning her head away with a smirk as Johnny begins mumbling curses under his breath. "Johnny..." she calls, trying to gain his attention. "Johnny, stop. Johnny." She snaps out more forcefully, stopping the man mid curse. "I love him-"

"Edith."

"I love Bonnie Gold. With all my heart." She states, reaching out for his hand. "And I know how you feel about him and his father...I do. But I'm happy Johnny. Can you not be happy for me?"

"He's-"

"Enough, Johnny." Edith huffs, rolling her eyes. "Are you going to congratulate me, or am I going to walk away in a huff?" Ever since she was little, Edith had had a special place in Johnny's heart (and vice versa), the older man often being found around her brothers and Uncle; he was part of the reason Edith could ride and look after horses so well, taking her under his wing at times when she would follow her brother's (unbeknownst to them) down to Charlie yard, where he would scoop her up, away from their angry glares, often taking her for a ride out into the country to get her away from the mess of the Peaky Blinders.

"I only want what's best for you." He states, clasping his hand around her shoulder, Edith tilting her head with a smile in response. "I don't like 'em."

"I know you don't." She replies softly, pulling him in for a hug.

"Congratulations." He mumbles as she pulls away, rolling her eyes at his reluctance, stepping away from him to head towards the table in the middle of the yard, spinning on her heel at the last minute to face him again.

"Who told you anyway?" She calls over to him, walking backwards a few steps until he replies.

"I overheard your sister."

"Brilliant." She mutters, turning again to find a seat at the table.

Watching his sister cross the yard, Tommy pats Arthur on the shoulder as he heads in the direction Edith was moving, clearing his throat as she stops beside Ada, hand on the chair in front of her, ready to take a seat. Raising her eyebrows at her sister, Edith pauses for a moment, waiting for Tommy to speak before turning around.

"Edith," Tommy says, Ada giving him an encouraging smile as he meets Edith's eye. "Can we take a walk?" At Edith's nod, Tommy places his hand gently on the small of her back to lead her away from the table. "I wanted to talk to you." Edith nods again for him to continue, digging her hands into her pockets as she waits for him to carry on talking. "I wanted to apologise-" Holding his hand up to stop Edith as she opens her mouth to speak, Tommy pauses, clearing his throat again before continuing. "I want to keep you safe. You have to understand that, Edith. The decisions I make, they're for the good of this family."

"I know." Edith whispers softly, dropping her head to her chest as Tommy nods.

"The best way for me to do that, is to keep you close-"

"I'll do it." Edith mumbles, almost inaudibly as she cuts Tommy off gently. Leaning his head towards Edith, Tommy pulls out his tin of cigarette, lifting one to his lips, lighting it as he waits for her to take back her statement.

"What?"

"I'll do it." She repeats, a little bolder this time as she lifts her head to meet his eye. "I'll take my part in the company. I'll take a job with you. I'll do what needs to be done, but I can't promise that I'll always agree with what you say or do."

"I understand that." Tommy replies with a nod. "All I ask is that you listen to me. What I tell you, I say to keep you safe. You get that, don't you?"

"I do." Edith confirms, biting her lip. "I want to work with Micheal."

"With Micheal?" Tommy clarifies, tilting his head to the side as she nods, the pair coming to a stop.

"I'll help him with the books. Like I do with Arthur sometimes. I'll work in the offices, doing whatever you need. I'll go out and take meetings if that's what you need. But I will not hurt people."

"I would never ask you to do that, Edith." Tommy states gently, shaking his head. "But I need you to start carrying a gun. For-"

"Safety." Edith finishes for him, holding her hand out, Tommy smiling at how well she knew him, placing a small hand gun in the palm of her hand. "Fine. Do we have a deal?"

"We do." He replies, as she tucks the gun into the waistband of her skirt, placing his hand in her now empty outstretched palm and giving it a firm shake. "Welcome to the Shelby Company Limited, Edith." Rolling her eyes, Edith wraps her arms around Tommy's neck, pulling him in for a tight hug.

"You say that as if I haven't been working for you since I was 11." She teases as she pulls away, giving him a small smile. "You best go and find Johnny, check his not driving Uncle Charlie mad." She jokes, heading back towards the table as Tommy lets out a small laugh in response. "Oh and Tom?"

"Hmm?"

"I want my own office."

Pushing off the wall she had been leant against and falling into step beside Polly, Edith winds her arm through Ada, smiling over at her sister as they enter the hospital. Their walk through the hospital is silent, Polly leading the way to Michael's too where Tommy was already waiting for them.

"Where's Arthur?" He asks as the ladies enter, the youngest Shelby heading straight to her cousin, wrapping him in a tight hug before dropping into the empty seat beside him.

"Do I look like his fucking mother?" Polly spits out, placing her briefcase on one chair, settling into the empty one beside it.

"He wasn't at the shop," Edith replies, opening her bag to pull out a cigarette, leaning towards Michael, holding his lighter out to her, lighting the cigarette. "I knocked on his door before Isiah drove me over here, but he wasn't there either. Must have been at the factory."

"Right then, before we start this extraordinary general meeting, of the board of the Shelby Company Limited, I'd like to note the absence of the Deputy Vice President, who has not yet arrived. We will continue without his presence." Pausing for a moment as they all glance over the document Tommy had handed out, Tommy's clears his throat, pushing his hands into his pockets. "Item number one, the reinstatement of the Shelby Company Limited Company Treasurer." Pausing again, Tommy gives Polly time to read over the new terms and conditions, before passing a similar document over to Edith who takes it, leaning back in her chair to read over it. "Item number two, during the absence of the company accountant due to ill health, all responsibility for the keeping of company accounts pass to the temporary head of accounts, under the guidance of the head of acquisitions." Tommy nods his head towards Ada and Edith who reaches over, giving Michael's hand a quick squeeze in his lap as he hands the paperwork over to her.

"Welcome to the Company Edie." Ada whispers to her sister, raising her eyebrows at her sister who repeats the action.

"Thanks," she mumbles in reply, passing the signed documents back to Tommy and lifting her cigarette to her lips. "Just hope I don't regret it."