Chapter 2

"God I'm exhausted!" Bessy groans as she walks into Jeremiah's house, flopping down on to the sofa beside Elijah who was lounging there, legs spread out in front of him. Elijah smiles, turning his head to look at her as she drops her head on to the back of the sofa, letting out a contented moan as Elijah winds his fingers under her hair, massaging at the back of her neck.

"How was the shop today?" He asks quietly, watching at Bessy's eyes slowly drift closed.

"Hmm, busy." She replies, toeing off her boots and resting her feet on the coffee table in front of them. Elijah smiles, watching as Bessy easily rattles off the numbers from the days takings at the betting parlour, eyes still tightly shut.

"You're amazing." He states when she finishes, eyes locked on Bessy who immediately blushes.

"My brain is amazing. It holds everything. I, am not. I, am just an ordinary girl." She protests, letting her head drop to the side giving him a withering look which he reciprocates.

"Bessy..." he draws out teasingly.

"Elijah..." she replies in the same tone, raising her eyebrows at him.

"You are amazing, and I won't let you say otherwise." He states, moving swiftly to capture her lips with his, Bessy letting out a squeak of shock, followed by a giggle into the kiss. "You are not ordinary Miss Shelby. You are extraordinary." Bessy blushes again, turning her head to the side.

"How was your day?" She asks, attempting to shift the focus away from her and on to him. Elijah, picking up on this, presses one last kiss to her lips before resting back into his original position, Bessy resting her head once more on the back of the sofa. He takes a minute before replying, winding his fingers back through Bessy's hair, massaging the back of her neck once again.

"I was out with your brothers. Doing Peaky business." He replies, frowning as Bessy tenses under his touch, stopping his movements to rub his thumb along her neck. "Bess..." he draws out, Bessy immediately shaking her head in response.

"I hate it." She whispers, eye tightly shut. "I hate the things they make you do. I hate the things they do."

"Bessy. Love..." Elijah trails off again, Bessy picking up where he left off.

"They're not forcing you to do anything. It's your own choice. You're happy to help. Blah blah blah." She groans. "I know, Eli. You've said it all before." Elijah sighs, resuming his work on massaging the tension out of Bessy's neck, dropping his head back again to match hers on the back of the sofa. The pair sit in silence for a few minutes, Elijah watching as Bessy pulls her feet up on to the sofa, knees to her chest, tapping out a rhythm with her fingertips on her knees.

"Come here." He says gently, moving his arm around her shoulders to pull her to him. Bessy immediately folds, sliding across the sofa and into his waiting arms, throwing her legs over his as she tucks herself under Elijah's arm.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt." She whispers, resting her head on his shoulder, cupping his cheek with her hand. "I love you Eli."

"Love you too." He murmurs, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. "I'm careful. You know that. I've got you to come home to, I can't go being reckless, eh?" Bessy gives him a small smile, nodding her head in response. Elijah pulls his tin case of cigarettes out of the pocket of his trousers, Bessy leaning forwards to take the box of matches from the coffee table, striking one against the side of the box, holding it out to Elijah who leans forward to light the cigarette. They rest back into each other again, Elijah taking a deep drag of the cigarette before holding it out to Bessy, bringing it to her lips for her to take an inhale. "Tell me what happened on...August 9th 1920." Bessy lets out a chuckle, wrapping her arm around Elijah's body, pulling herself closer to him. This was a game the couple enjoyed playing, Elijah giving Bessy a date, the young girl recounting the events of the day, either personal events for the two of them, or something she had read in the news on that specific day. Bessy was young when Polly had realised there was something special about the youngest Shelby girl, quickly picking up on the way she could remember anything she read or saw. As she had grown up, Bessy had proved invaluable to the company, reciting details and figures to her brothers or Aunt from the days takings in the betting shop, or winnings from the races, among other things, some on the legal side of the company, others less so. Bessy smiles up at Elijah who looks down at her, feigning innocence.

"Hmm, now, that's a day I don't think I can recall too clearly..." she teases, wrinkling her nose. Elijah digs his fingers into her sides, knowing there was no way his girlfriend would forget anything, especially that date, eliciting a shriek from the young girl who squirms in his arms. "What date was it again?" She jokes, still giggling under her breath. Elijah rolls his eyes, playing along, "August 9th, 1920." He repeats, a twinkle in his eye.

"August 9th...1920..." Bessy repeats slowly, tapping her finger to her chin. "Juniper won at Worcester Races, 10 seconds faster than the next horse, Magic. Margaret Jones and Peter Crawley got married at St Oswald's church, it was sunny, but cold, a beautiful day for a wedding..."

"Yeah, yeah, what else?" Elijah teases. "Something you didn't read in the newspaper."

"August 9th... Huh. That was the day you," Bessy pauses for effect, sitting upright, cupping Elijah's cheek with her hand. "kissed me," she pulls herself closer to Elijah, letting her lips rest just above his, barely touching. "for the first time. Exactly 8 o'clock in the evening. Outside the back door of the betting parlour." She presses her lips to Elijah's in a deep kiss, him pulling her fully into his lap. "And about bloody time." She whispers teasingly as she pulls back, pressing light, loving kisses to Elijah's lips.

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Later that day, Bessy and Elijah sit in the dining room, talking quietly to each other as they await the arrival of the rest of the family for a meeting. Arthur enters the room just after Polly and Finn, waving a bottle of whiskey around as he takes a seat between Jeremiah and Finn, uncorking a bottle to pour drinks, handing them around to everyone at the table. Bessy rolls her eyes as he skips over her, passing a glass to Elijah and Polly instead; she looks over at Elijah who was sat beside her, muttering in Romani under her breath as he gives her a sympathetic look, offering her his glass. She shakes her head, leaning forward to snatch the bottle out of Arthur's hand, taking a swig from the bottle as she maintains eye contact with him, picking up a glass to pour herself a second drink. "Fucking prick." She spits out, dropping the bottle into her brother's lap before sitting back in her chair, Elijah's hand immediately coming to rest in hers on her lap, out of sight from everyone else.

"Anyone heard from Ada?" Bessy asks, attempting to make conversation instead of sitting in silence as they wait for Tommy to arrive. Arthur grunts in reply, Bessy sighing as she looks over at Elijah again who gives her hand a comforting squeeze. "John?" She tries, turning to her twin who shakes his head, shrugging at her.

"Nope."

"Great." She replies sarcastically, leaning back in her chair. "Anyone else got anything to add?" Silence comes from the family members around the table, Bessy rolling her eyes at their lack of response. "Well great. Good talk, everyone. I'll drink to that." She says sarcastically, downing her whiskey and reaching forward to pour another glass.

"Slow down, Bessy-Jo." Tommy chides as he enters the room, Bessy ignoring him as she continues to pour herself a large helping of the drink, Polly letting out a scoff around her glass.

"Family dinner. Here. Tonight." Bessy states as she sits back once again. "Bring your own drink, and something to say. I want to spend time with my brothers without having to talk about the business. Ok?" She eyes each brother individually, holding their gaze until they nod, finally glancing over at Elijah again who winks at her as Tommy begins to talk. "I'm going to need extra love tonight if I fucking make it through the meal alive. Or if I make it through without strangling one of them to death." She whispers to him, Elijah responding with a smirk.

"It was your idea Bess." He whispers teasingly as she rubs at her forehead, choosing to ignore him.

"My window. 10pm." She murmurs, eyes forward as she pretends to listen to her brother.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." He whispers in reply, giving her hand one last squeeze before the pair of them turn their attention fully back to the meeting.