Rose woke up the next morning and groaned as she rolled over. Her eyes were heavy and her head hurt. She'd had a bad night full of dreams of confusion and fear and dread. Fred yawned as she stirred – he too had had a disturbed night's sleep and wished he could sleep a while longer. No such luck for him though as Rose pushed herself up and swung her legs off the bed, coughing with the effort. She rubbed her eyes. Feeling anxious and on edge, she was craving a pill and pushed the heels of her hands into her eyes, trying to take control of the feeling. She could hear voices downstairs and knew that Tommy was up having breakfast with Charles. Sighing, she got up and dressed quickly, putting on clothes suitable for riding. She wanted to spend as much time with Nua as she could.
Hurrying down the stairs, Rose swept round the corner and headed for the front door without looking towards the kitchen. She knew Tommy would see her but was hoping he'd let her go without stopping her. He didn't.
"Rose"
She called behind her as she took her coat of the coat stand. "I'm going to the yard."
Tommy appeared in the doorway as Rose reached for the front door handle. "Rose!"
She sighed dramatically and turned round to face him, her hand still on the door handle. He took a step towards her.
"Are you ok, Mouse?"
"Yes. I'm going to see Nua."
She turned back to the door, opened it and stepped outside, Fred beside her. Tommy quickly crossed the room and followed her outside.
"Hey"
She turned back round, not wanting to deal with the consequences of ignoring him, but carried on walking backwards slowly.
"Rose, will you stop a second?"
She stopped but rolled her eyes. He ignored her attitude.
"I'm sorry you can't go to the fight tonight."
She tilted her head on one side. "Sorry enough to change your mind?"
He shook his head. "No, I'm not changing my mind, but I want you to understand why I made the decision."
"I understand. You don't want me in a hall full of drunk men even though half my family are drunk men. And you don't want me to see Alfie again even though he has never ever done anything to hurt me. You want to make sure you're the only father figure I have in my life so that you can be the only one to control me."
Tommy closed the gap between them and looked down at her calmly, not taking the bait of her angry accusations.
"Mouse, like it or not, I am the only father you've ever known. No one can change that, not even your beloved Alfie. I'm not worried about that. I love you as if you were my daughter, you know that. And I will do anything to keep you safe. Trust me when I tell you that going to the fight tonight is not the best thing for you at the moment. There are things you don't understand about how the life works, thing can turn on a sixpence and there is so much at play that I'd just rather keep you out of it."
Rose knew he meant what he said. She could tell by the earnest look in his eyes. But she also believed that he didn't understand her, that this was just another way to dismiss the fact the she was growing up and didn't need to be coddled anymore. Nothing he said changed her plans for that night but she could tell he wanted to make amends.
"Tommy, it's fine. I hate boxing anyway."
Tommy gave her a quick, relieved smile. He stepped forward and kissed her on the top of the head.
"You look tired. Are you feeling ok?"
He reached out to feel her forehead but she swatted his hand away and stepped backwards.
"I'm fine. Can I go to the yard now?"
"Yes, fine, go. But don't stay out riding too long. It's a cold morning."
"I know, I know."
"Hang on - where's your hat and scarf?"
She flung her arms up in frustration; she just wanted to get going. Tommy pointed to the house.
"Go and get them, and your gloves."
Biting back the urge to argue with him so as not to waste time, Rose rushed inside, grabbed her hat, scarf and gloves from the dresser and ran back outside. She headed past Tommy, eager to see Nua - and Mal. But Tommy still wasn't happy. He took her arm and stopped her.
"Put them on."
"Tommy! I will – I'll do it on the way."
"No you won't, you'll end up losing a glove and hiding the rest behind a wall somewhere to pick up on the way home."
She huffed. "I did that once!"
"Three times actually. Polly gave you a good thrashing for that, I seem to remember. Come here."
He took her scarf, wrapped it round her neck and tucked it securely in her coat. She was mortified that he was dressing her in the street and quickly pulled her hat onto her head and put the gloves on so he wouldn't take it upon himself to do those too.
"Right, bye Tommy."
She turned and hurried off down the street. Fred, glad to be finally on the way, trotting beside her. Tommy shouted after her.
"Tell Uncle Charlie to give you some breakfast."
"Ok" She called back over her shoulder.
"And be home for dinner."
She heard but didn't answer him, fed up with his fussing now. As she hurried to the yard, she thought about what he'd said. Maybe there were things going on that she didn't know about. Maybe Tommy had a plan in motion that he wasn't telling her about. She wondered what the Italians would be doing tonight when the entire Shelby family would be at the fight. She knew enough about how cunning Tommy's enemies were and thought with concern that Luca may well have a plan in place to fulfill his vendetta tonight. Should she trust Tommy and stay away from the fight? But then, if something were to happen to her family, the last place she would want to be was at home. She would want to be alongside them. She shook her head as if shaking away her doubts. Her plan stood. She would be at the fight tonight and, if she played her cards right, Tommy need never know.
Reaching the yard, she pushed open the gate and found Uncle Charlie, Curly and Mal huddled round the fire in the brazier. Charlie spotted her and beckoned her over. Fred had already run off, sniffing around the now familiar space, catching the scent of rats and mice, keen to chase them down. Charlie smiled at her.
"You're early, Rosie girl. Come over here, you must be cold."
Curly beamed at her. He was always pleased to see her. He loved this young girl who shared his passion for horses and who was nothing but kind to him.
"Morning, Rosie. Come here, see, over here. You can stand where I am. I'll make sure you're warm. Do you want a cup of tea, Rosie?"
"I'd love one, please, Curly." Rose moved over and stood in the spot Curly had vacated. It was nice to be near the fire. It was indeed a cold morning. There was a slight frost on the ground and Rose could see her breath as it formed a small cloud of mist which evaporated quickly. When they were younger, she and Finn used to pretend they were smoking on days like these. Charlie could see she was cold and put an arm round her, pulling her into him to warm her up. She was glad for the extra warmth. She looked at Mal who smiled at her.
"I knew you'd be here early."
She smiled back at him. "Got to make the most of her whilst she's here."
Mal could see that she wasn't quite herself that morning. Her eyes had dark shadows under them and there was a permanent line between her eyebrows as it stayed furrowed. She squinted in the cold February sun and Mal thought she looked like she had a headache. He was glad to see she was dressed more warmly than yesterday. Curly hurried over with a cup of tea.
"Here you are, Rosie dear. There you go."
"Thanks, Curly." She took the cup in her gloved hands and could immediately feel its heat through the wool of her gloves. Taking a sip, she enjoyed the warm liquid as it went down. Curly hovered.
"Do you want something to eat, Rosie? Because I can make you some sausages and toast and beans too if you want. We ate at home but I have food here."
"No thanks, Curly, I ate at home too."
Rose didn't want to miss out on time with Nua by pausing to eat. She looked at Mal.
"Have you seen her today?"
He nodded. "Yeah, she's fed and watered. She stayed pretty warm last night. The stable is well-built and she has lots of hay."
"Good, thanks for seeing to her. Shall we go and get them ready to go out?"
Charlie spoke up. "Finish your tea. There are enough hours in the day, don't worry."
So, Rose drank her tea as quickly as the hot liquid would allow, Thankfully, it cooled down quite quickly in the cold air. Handing her cup to Curly with a smile, she headed off to the stables, Mal following.
Nua was pleased to see Rose and seemed just as eager as her to get out for a walk. Rose and Mal quickly got their horses ready and set off. Rose wasn't very talkative, deflecting Mal's attempts to find out how she was. Eventually he stopped trying to get her to talk and the two fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying the companionship of each other and their horses. Mal began to lead them back to the yard after a while. He had heard Rose cough a couple of times and wanted to get her out of the cold. Rose didn't complain this time as they headed back. She wasn't feeling great. Her head still hurt and now her chest was getting tight. She cursed inwardly. She really didn't need to be ill on this day, of all days, when she had plans for the evening.
At the yard, Rose dismounted and winced as she jumped to the ground. It hurt her head. Mal noticed but said nothing. He knew he wouldn't get much of a response from her. They stabled the horses, Mal finishing before Rose as she found herself going slower than usual. He helped her finish and she let him, grateful for the help though she would never have admitted it. She spent some time stroking and talking to Nua, leaning her cheek on the filly's neck, enjoying the closeness. She found herself wishing she could be back at Arrow House and was surprised. She had spent so much of her time there wishing she were in Small Heath that she'd never considered that it had begun to feel like home to her.
"Rose?"
Mal was holding the door of the stall for her and she gave Nua one last kiss before joining him. He closed the door firmly and walked with her back outside.
"Did you get your frock for the fight?"
She shrugged. "I hate boxing."
She was being deliberately vague, not wanting to give anything away. Mal wasn't sure what she meant but knew it was useless to push her for more information. It frustrated him when she closed down and kept everyone out. It was when she was most like Tommy and he didn't like to see those traits in her. He let it go.
"Are you hungry?"
She nodded. She hadn't eaten yet, not that she was going to let him know that. "Maybe Curly will cook those sausages for us."
"Sounds good to me."
They reached the shelter where Charlie and Curly were working nearby. Rose was about to ask Curly if he'd cook the sausages when a car pulled into the yard - Arthur's car. Rose watched it park and wondered why he was there. He climbed out of the car and walked towards her, smiling.
"Hello, Arthur"
"Alright, Rosie? Tommy sent me to pick you up."
She was confused. "Why?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. He just said to pick you up and make sure you get home."
"Well, didn't you ask him why? Since when do I need you to pick me up?"
He held his arms up. "Didn't think to ask him. He has his reasons, I'm sure. It's fine by me cos I get to spend some time with my favourite sister. Well, joint favourite."
Rose frowned. She suspected Tommy was concerned she might be up to something and had sent Arthur to watch her. She was annoyed but knew, of course, that he was right. It was a waste of Arthur's time though, as she wouldn't be up to anything before the evening. Mal spoke up.
"We were going to ask Curly to cook us some sausages. Do you want to join us?"
Arthur lifted his head and looked at Mal down his nose, a slight frown forming.
"Have you eaten Curly's cooking? It's like chewing leather. Been a long time since I've been desperate enough to eat his food."
Rose rolled her eyes. "Don't be mean, Arthur."
"I'm not. I'm being honest. Come on, Rosie Red, I'll take you out for lunch. Where do you want to go? Jenny's?"
"Ooo, yes! That would be nice. Mal can come too."
Arthur looked at Mal and narrowed his eyes. He wasn't about to take Johnny Dogs' boy out to lunch and he certainly wasn't about to help him get to know his young sister better. Mal took the hint straight away.
"Nah, Rose, I'll stay here. I promised Charlie I'd help him. And my dad's coming in a bit too."
"Aw, Mal, no. Come with us. We'll drop you back. It'll be nice."
Arthur stepped forward and took Rose's gloved hand. "You heard the lad, Rosie, he has to stay here. Come on, it's freezing and I'm starving." He pulled her with him to the car and Mal held up a hand in farewell. Rose didn't protest. She had no reason to disbelieve Mal and was also keen to get some lunch. Mal watched the car as Arthur whipped it round and drove off. What a family; he was glad he didn't have Rose's brothers. They were a law unto themselves
Rose enjoyed her lunch with Arthur, he always made her laugh. Out of all her siblings, he was the one who demanded the least from her and seemed happy just to spend time with her. She could tell he was feeling frustrated with life in Small Heath. He kept fidgeting and looking round, taking frequent sips from his hip flask. She didn't comment, not wanting the conversation to turn back to her and how she was feeling. So she asked questions about Billy and they talked with fondness about John.
They didn't stay long. Arthur had things to do and Rose was feeling tired. On the way home in the car, she looked across at him.
"Arthur?"
"Mmh?"
"How long will it be before things can go back to normal?"
"Not long, Rosie, not long. Tommy's bound to have a plan. We're the Peaky Blinders on our home turf. Who's going to beat us here?"
"Do you know what Tommy's plan is?"
"Well, no, but he's not one for sharing, is he?" He cast a quick sideways glance at her. "Runs in the family, that."
She rolled her eyes and looked out of the window. She couldn't shake the feeling that Tommy didn't actually have a plan, that his gin making and boxing matches were ways of distracting himself from not having a solution to the Italians and their vendetta. Which made her feel even more nervous about that evening. She laid her head back on the seat. Maybe it wasn't nerves, maybe she was just feeling ill.
Polly noticed straight away that she wasn't well when they arrived at number six. She chastised Arthur for keeping her out and muttered that she would never have let Rose out on such a cold morning when she was ill. It wasn't long before she had Rose sitting over a bowl of steaming water, hoping to ease the congestion in her chest. She made a warm compress and, after she'd bustled Rose off the bed, put it on her chest and ordered her to sleep. Unusually, Rose was compliant. She really did feel unwell and she desperately wanted to be better for later on, so she settled into bed and soon fell asleep. Fred, by her side, was glad to have an afternoon nap after his disturbed sleep the previous night.
Whilst Rose was sleeping, in London, Alfie was putting the finishing touches to his own plan. He listened to the woman's voice on the other end of the phone.
"And what time will you and your daughter be arriving tomorrow, Mr. Baker?"
"Some time in the afternoon, I would think, Mrs. Liebermann."
"Very good. And will Mrs. Baker be joining you at a later date?"
"Ah, no, no, she won't. She is, in fact, my late wife."
"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that, Mr. Baker. My condolences."
"Thank you. Yes, it's been a difficult time, especially for my daughter. I thought a change of scenery will do her good, you see. Er, you may find her a little … well, she's not quite herself, understandably."
"Of course, the poor child. Myself and the staff will be very sensitive to her needs. And yours too, of course."
"I have no doubt, Mrs. Liebermann. Your housekeeping skills come highly recommended."
"You will have no complaints, Mr. Baker."
"Right, then. I will see you tomorrow. We will see you tomorrow."
He put the phone down and leant back in his chair. He was taking huge risks and tried to quell the feelings of unease which were rising inside him. He thought of his recent meeting with Luca and the extra condition he had added to the list. Luca had been surprised.
"You want the girl?"
"That's what I said."
"Why?"
Alfie tilted his head, kept his eyes on Luca, but gave no answer. Luca chewed his toothpick, then pointed at him with it.
"Children grow up to be vengeful adults."
"Probably. But this is non-negotiable. No girl, no deal."
Luca pursed his lips as he considered it. He was, unfortunately, without options. He needed to get into that hall and couldn't accomplish this without Alfie's help. He figured that leaving one Shelby girl alive wouldn't be that difficult to deal with in the future. He was curious as to why Alfie wanted her but it wasn't central to his decision-making. He shrugged.
"Why not? You get my men into the hall, they kill every Shelby they find but bring the girl to you. You'll be there?"
"Yeah."
And with that, the deal was sealed. Alfie rubbed his fingers through his beard as he sat in his office thinking about it. He was still furious with Tommy for having him escorted out of the Birmingham and for denying him any more contact with Rose. This girl had found a place in his heart from the moment she had stepped foot in his office. He could still remember her determination despite her fear, her earnest blue eyes beseeching him to hear her out. He could still feel her little body in his arms as he carried her to the sofa -her small arms round his neck, her head on his shoulder. She had filled a void in his life he didn't even know existed.
Alfie didn't know if the Italians would manage to kill Tommy that night, but if they did, then he wanted Rose with him. He had convinced himself that Rose was better off with him, that he understood her better than Tommy or anyone else in her family for that matter, and that he would take better care of her. His doctor had told him he had a year left, maybe two. He wanted to spend that year building into her life. If he could hang on till she was sixteen at least, he could leave her his fortune, set her up for life, give her a new identity so that she could live the life she deserved to live. This was what he wanted to leave behind when it was his time. Not his business or his reputation but making sure that Rose would finally be happy and find peace.
When Rose woke up later that day, she felt a lot better. Not completely better, but well enough to know she could still go through with her plan to see Alfie again. When she came down the stairs, she found Tommy and Polly sat at the kitchen table with Charles who was eating his dinner. Tommy looked at her concerned.
"Feeling better, Mouse."
She nodded. "Yeah"
Polly beckoned her over. "Come here."
Rose went over to her and Polly put a hand on her forehead. "Hmm, still hot but a lot better. That sleep did you good. Sit down, I'll bring your food."
Rose sat down as Tommy stood up. "Where are you going, Tommy?"
"I'm going out for dinner."
"Where?"
"Charlie's yard."
Rose frowned in confusion as Polly rolled her eyes. But Rose had another question.
"Who's looking after Billy at Arthur's tonight?"
Tommy looked at Polly. It was usually she who organised these things.
"It's Maggie, Sid's wife."
Tommy nodded approvingly. Sid was one of his most loyal men. Polly would have made sure someone trustworthy was looking after the Shelby children.
"Aunt Pol, can she bring him here? I don't really want to be looking after Charles on my own."
"There are men outside. You'll be safe."
"But can she? I don't want to be on my own."
Polly looked at Tommy who nodded.
"It's a good idea, Pol, especially if Rose isn't well."
Polly nodded. "I'll arrange it."
Rose breathed an inward sight of relief. She needed someone there to be with Charles when she left. "Thanks, Aunt Pol"
Tommy moved to her and kissed her on her head. He lifted her face to him with a finger under her chin. "I'm going straight to the fight after my meal, so I'll see you in the morning, eh? I'll come with you on a ride, borrow one of Charlie's horses. Sound good?"
She smiled and nodded at him. It did sound good. It had been too long since she'd ridden out with Tommy. Leaning forward, she kissed him on his cheek.
"Enjoy your meal, Tommy."
"I will. Be good and go to bed a decent time. Don't wait up for me. I'll be late."
"Ok, bye."
"Bye, Mouse."
He kissed Charles on his head too and told him to be good for his Auntie Rose. Charles nodded and put his arms round Tommy's neck.
"See ya, Dad."
"See ya, Son."
Tommy ruffled Charles' hair, nodded at Polly and left the house, his mind already on his meal with Jessie Eden and what strategy he would use to get the information he wanted out of her. She was a tough nut to crack, but he had confidence in his ability to charm her. It wouldn't be hard - he liked her. She was attractive and knew her own mind. Her fire and passion for her cause impressed him and she was intelligent. He found himself looking forward to the next couple of hours.
Not long after Tommy left, Maggie arrived with Billy. Rose went to see her aunt off at the door. Polly looked at her.
"I've left what you need to make another compress if you need it. You know how?" Rose nodded. "Right, don't stay up late, you need a good night's sleep. And be nice to Maggie."
Rose rolled her eyes. "Of course, I will. Enjoy the fight."
Polly laughed dryly. "I'll enjoy Tommy's gin more than I'll enjoy a boxing match. And that's saying something."
"I wish I could see you and Ada and the others in your dresses."
Polly softened and took Rose's face in her hands. "There'll be plenty of times to see us in our dresses in future, don't you worry."
She pulled Rose to her and gave her a brief, tight hug which Rose returned.
"Right, I need to get going. It takes longer and longer these days to look beautiful."
"You always look beautiful, Aunt Pol."
Polly laughed as she set off. "Flattery will get you everywhere, young lady."
Rose smiled and closed the door behind her. Turning round, she found Maggie smiling at her. Maggie had known the Shelbys all her life and had often helped watch the children when they were younger. She knew Rose well.
"Right, Polly tells me you're a bit poorly. You sit down on that armchair and I'll bring you a cup of tea, eh? And don't worry about these two boys, I'll take care of them. They're no trouble at all."
So, Rose spent a contented couple of hours with a never-ending supply of tea and biscuits, whilst she sat by the fire and read her book. She felt a frisson of excitement grow within her as the time got closer and closer to putting her plan into action. She was growing more confident that she would get away with it. She would be making her own decisions tonight, doing what she wanted and seeing Alfie on her own terms. She smiled to herself as Maggie out Charles to bed. She was in control now.
An hour later, Rose was in bed having told Maggie she wanted an early night. She was lying under her blankets, fully dressed in her smartest dress and nicest stockings. She knew, having had Maggie as a babysitter when she had been younger, that she would pop her head around the bedroom doors to make sure all her charges were asleep before she settled down in an armchair to sleep herself. Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, the door opened and Rose lay still with her eyes closed as Maggie checked on her. The door closed again and, waiting ten more minutes for the older woman to settle herself downstairs, Rose quietly got out of bed, arranged her hair by pinning it up her best hairclip, put her smart shoes on, then buttoned her coat. She made a fuss of Fred and kissed him on his head.
"You can't come with me tonight, Fred. I'm sorry. Stay here, boy and keep quiet, ok?"
She quietly pulled her dresser into the centre of the room, then put a chair on it. Standing on the bed, she stepped onto the dresser, then very carefully climbed onto the chair, holding out her arms to keep her balance. When she was steady, she reached up above her and pushed the board which covered the attic hatch upwards and into the space above. She had spotted it when she had been lying in bed the other night and had worked out her plan.
Fred whined a little as Rose pulled herself up into the attic space. He had no idea where his mistress was going. He didn't know anything about holes in the ceiling and was horrified to see Rose disappearing up into this one.
Rose sat on the edge of the hatch, her legs dangling into her room, as she caught her breath. She knew that would be the hardest bit. Looking around, she was pleased to see everything was exactly as she'd imagined. The attic ran across all the houses in the row, with no walls in between them, just one long space. No one kept anything in their attics. They were cold, dusty spaces inhabited by mice and rats, and Rose did not like it at all. Still, it was her only escape route so she pulled herself together and stood up.
Stepping from joist to joist, trying to ignore the scurrying she could hear at her feet, she eventually reached the house at the furthest end from hers. She reached down and worked hard to pull up the board from the hatch which would lead down to the house. It took a while and she broke a couple of nails trying to lever it up, but managed it eventually. Taking a brief look down, she sat on the edge and lowered herself in to the room below, letting go eventually, to land in a bit of a heap on the floor. She was winded but there was no other damage so she quickly stood up and swore as she saw the amount of dust on her clothes. She brushed as much off as she could and headed towards the door. She was moving quietly but not necessarily carefully. She knew the house would be empty. It was occupied by two brothers who were Peaky men and would be at the fight.
Turning no lights on, she made her way slowly down the stairs and towards the back door which she opened and went through. In the yard, she moved a little quieter. Tommy had a man standing in the alley by the back gate of number six. He had put this in place since her escape to the station a few weeks ago. She opened the gate as quietly as possibly, thankful that it didn't squeak, and slowly stuck her head out, looking down at the guard.
It was dark in the alley. She could just about make out the glowing tip of his cigarette. She figured that if she couldn't see him, then he definitely wouldn't be able to see her. So, keeping her back to the wall, she crept the few feet to the end of the alley and was out on the street before she knew it. Standing for a second, she waited to hear the footsteps running that meant she'd been spotted, but heard nothing. She grinned widely. She'd done it. Making her way to the hall, she was already playing out the next step of her plan in her mind - getting into a hall full of Peaky Blinders without anyone in the Shelby family noticing.