I was leant against the drawers in Alfies office as he was registering the Black Country boys. Tommy wanted me to keep a log of all the men and keep an eye on Alfie as he had seemed to take a shine to me. Ollie was handing out aprons. "Next lad!" Alfie called. Another guy came in. "Name?" Alfie asked, not even looking up. "Abbey Heath." the man responded, Alfie quickly found him on the list and ticked him off as I wrote his name on mine. "Abbey Heath. Profession?" Alfie asked. "Baker." Abbey replied. "Good lad, fill it out and fuck off." Alfie told him, handing him a folded up form. Ollie gave him an apron as he walked out.
"Next lad!" Alfie shouted again, I shifted on my feet. "Do you want a chair, love?" Alfie asked, without looking back at me. "Nope, I'm alright. Sat down all the way here." I replied. "Well, just tell Ollie here if you change your mind." he told me as the next lad came in. This continued for a few times before a familiar face came through the door. I smiled as Billy as he stood in front of Alfies desk. "Billy." I grinned, going round the desk to give the man a hug. "Hello, Evie. How're you doing, darling?" he asked, wrapping his arms around me. "I'm good, thank you. Trying to keep that husband of mine out of trouble." I laughed, pulling away from him.
"This ain't a fucking mothers meeting." Alfie grumbled behind me. I rolled my eyes before turning to him. "Sorry, Alfie!" I smiled, going back to where I was stood. "Name?" Alfie demanded. "Billy Kitchen." Billy replied, standing straight. "Billy Kitchen. Occupation?" Alfie asked, ticking off his name. "Head baker." Billy told him, causing Alfie to look up at the man again. There was a moment of tension before Alfie put the form on the desk. "Fill it out." he told him. Billy took it, glancing at me as Ollie threw him an apron, and walked out.
"That Tommy Shelby, mate. Never give power to the big man, what did I tell you? Never give power to the big man." Alfie muttered. I cleared my throat and Alfie turned in his chair to look at me. "Billy is a good man." I told him, looking into his eyes. "Is Tommy?" he asked, watching my face. I thought about it for a moment. "When he wants to be." I replied, a slight smile on my face. Alfie watched me for a moment before turning back to his list. "Next lad!" he shouted.
It went on like this for a few hours until all the men had been accounted for. Tommy had called them to attention in one of the barrel cellars and I had found a seat atop a table, my feet on a wooden chair. Alfie was leant next to me as Tommy addressed the men, pacing slowly in front of them. "All right, boys, you've now all been enrolled as bakers in the Aerated Bread Company of Camden Town. If anyone asks, that's what you do. You're bakers. The coppers in Camden Town are on our side, but north or south, you show them that piece of paper. Tell them you've come down from the north to find work, to break strikes. Tell them you're fascists if you have to. We're finding lodgings for you but, for now, you'll sleep here in the bakery. But don't touch any of the bread, it'll most likely explode. Any questions?"
I knew Tommy didn't want any questions but paused and looked around the men anyway. A man in the front but his hand up. I recognised him to be Buddy Halls. "Yes?" Tommy asked. Buddy looked around, lowering his hand. "I haven't seen any bread." he stated, causing the men around him to laugh. I raised my eyebrows, leaning forward to rest my elbow on my knee and my chin on my hand as I looked at Alfie. Tommy cleared his throat also looking at Alfie as he stood straight, arms crossed against his chest as he walked to the men.
He stood in front of Buddy for a minute before lashing out and hitting the man beside him with something that I couldn't see. The man cried out and hit the floor. Alfie got in close to Buddy and I could see the Black Country man was nervous. "He'll wake up. Granted he won't have any teeth left but he will be a wiser man for it." Alfie began, lowly. Tommy looked behind him to me, catching my eye as I sat straight again. I raised my eyebrows slightly before we both turned back to the scene in front of us.
"And the last thing he will remember is your funny little joke. Won't he?" Aflie added. There was a tense silence. "Right!" Alfie shouted in his face before walking away, pacing in front of the men. "There are fucking rules here. Yeah, there are fucking rules for a fucking reason. Quite simply they have to be obeyed. All right? Rule number one. The distinction between bread and rum is not discussed. Rule number two. Anything, right, that your superior officer says to you or any of your other fucking superior officers say to you, yeah? Not discussed! Rule number three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, I don't care. For the rest of your fucking miserable, measly lives, yeah? Becuase I, like you, am also a complete fucking sodomite. Jewish women. You do not go anywhere near them because Jewish women for you are off the fucking menu." Alfie told them all, his voice raising and lowering.
"And so is she." he added, turning and pointing at me. "Her husband and his brothers may cut you with their razor blades, right? But that'll be nothing compared to what I'll fucking do to you." he told them, turning back to them. "I think that's fair." He finished, before turning to look at Billy who managed to keep a straight and calm face for the few minutes Alfie was staring at him. "Now you made me get angry in front of the lady. Don't let it fucking happen again." he added before turning to Tommy. "All right, that's it, yeah. Forgive me, I interrupted." he told him before coming back to the table and leaning against it beside me.
"Pick him up." Tommy told the men, gesturing with his head to the man on the floor. Buddy and two of the other men did what they were told as Tommy walked to Billy and spoke to him lowly. "Don't fucking wait! You're meant to be fucking soldiers!" Billy shouted at the men after Tommy walked away. The men quickly move, filing out of the room. "You're a fucking disgrace! Go!" he shouted again, pushing the last few from the room.
London was busy as we walked through the streets towards Ada's house, my arm in Tommy's elbow. "How are you feeling?" he asked. I shrugged. "Morning sickness is still a bitch but getting better." I laughed, looking up at him. He was frowning. "What's up, Tommy?" I asked, looking forward again. "Are you sure it's definitely Johns?" he asked and I could feel his eyes on me. "I'm sure. I would've already been pregnant by time it happened. Only a couple of weeks but I would've been." I told him, looking up at him again. "Are you happy?" he asked, still watching my face as we walked. "I am, Tommy." I replied, giving him a small smile. "That's all I want, Eves." he told me, taking his hand out of his pocket and putting his arm around my shoulders. He gave me a quick squeeze, kissing my head and leaving his arm around me. "Have you told Ada the good news?" he asked as we reached her gate. "I have. The other night at the party." I replied as we went up the steps.
"We should probably knock, not just barge in." I told Tommy as he opened the door. He shrugged, holding the door to Adas house open for me. I walked through, rolling my eyes as he closed the door behind me. I followed him through a closed door, he paused before sighing and moving to let me in. I quickly spotted Ada, pointing a gun directly at us. "I told him to knock." I told her, crossing my arms across my chest as Tommy closed the door. "You've got a key?" Ada asked, not lowering her gun as I crossed the room. "I kept a spare." Tommy told her, following me across the large room. "Give it to me." she demanded as I sat in the nearby chair. He thought about this for a moment before walking over to her and throwing the keys on the table in front of her.
He looked around the room. "Could do with some paint, eh?" he commented, frowning slightly, before sitting in a chair. "Yeah. When I decide." she told him, placing her gun on the table and sitting down. She watched Tommy for a moment as he picked up a book and looked at it. "What is it that you want, Tommy?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just came by to say hello. Evie and John have told us all the good news, which I assume you already know." he told her, placing the book on the table. "I told her at the party. Which I already told you." I said, raising my eyebrows at him.
Ada laughed. "Tommy Shelby never goes anywhere for no reason." she told him, sharing a look with me as I shrugged my shoulders. "Fine." Tommy sighed. "I've got £800 left in the Shelby property fund and I need someone down here to look for suitable properties." he told her. "To rent?" Ada asked. "Yes." he confirmed. "To poor people. Ten to a room. No repairs, no water. And if they complain, you just send Arthur and the boys round." she countered. "I give advice down at the library. Families thrown onto the street. It's men like you we're fighting." she added. Tommy thought about this for a moment.
"Well, there were going to be under Evie's name. For the kids. But we were just passing, thanks for the tea." Tommy told her, bitterness in his tone as he stood and walked towards the door. Ada looked at me for a moment. "Tommy." she called, causing him to stop and turn to her. "There are always men outside watching the house." she told him. "Yeah. Gangsters of the worst kind. But they're there to keep you safe." he informed her. "No, there are others. They look like coppers." she told him. "They're on your side as well." Tommy assured her.
"I don't have a fucking side." Ada sighed, sitting back in her chair. "Ada, yes, you do. You have the side of Evie and Lily and that baby. They are all Shelbys too and they are all in danger. They are under my roof but you are not. If I thought there was no-one watching the house, I couldn't sleep. Cheerio then. Evie, we better get you home before my brother blows his head." Tommy said before turning and leaving. I shared a look with Ada before standing. "I'll bring Lil up in a few weeks, we can take her and Karl to the park." I told her, walking to her and bending down to hug her. "Ignore Tommy. He just wants you to be safe. Even if he is a dick about it." I added. "Take care, Evie. I'll see you soon." she replied, rubbing my back.