"Morning, Lizzie." I greeted, walking into the official offices, heels clicking on the wooden floor. "Alright, Evie." she replied, not looking up from her typing. I took a bit of paper off her desk and pinched the pen next to her, jotting down the amendments to my contract that Tommy and I had agreed the night before. "Tommy or Michael here yet?" I asked, still writing. "Not yet, but I've got Michael's contract here." she told me, placing the documents next to me. "Great, can you add these amendments to my contract?" I asked, handing her the paper. "Sure, when do you need it by?" she asked, scanning over my writing. "As soon as possible but by the end of the week will be fine." I told her, picking up Michael's contract and skimming over it.
"Well, you can tell Polly negotiated this." I muttered earning a laugh from Lizzie. "A Mr Solomons rang for you. Invited you and John for dinner." she told me, finally looking up at me. "Which Mr Solomons? Jacob or Alfie?" I asked, looking back at her. "The one with a son and daughter in law." she replied, watching me. I rolled my eyes as the doors opened. We both looked across as Michael and Tommy walked in. "Thanks, Lizzie." I told her before turning to the men.
"And what time do you two call this?" I asked, looking pointedly at the clock behind Lizzie. They were only a few minutes late but I knew it would annoy Tommy. "Alright, alright. We are here now." Tommy said, hanging his coat up. "And how many times have you been late?" he added, walking over to me and helping me take off my coat. "I have a child." I countered as he hung my coat next to his. "And a John." Lizzie laughed beside me. "Exactly. It's a mission to get everyone up and out in the mornings." I laughed. "Good job you are reducing your hours for this one." Tommy said, walking passed me. "You're having another baby?" Lizzie asked. "Yeah, we've only told the family." I told her, throwing a pointed look at Tommy who just chuckled. "Congratulations." Lizzie smiled, stifling a laugh at the glare I was giving Tommy. "You're going to be showing soon." he reminded me. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Shall we get started?" Tommy asked, gesturing towards his office. Michael and I nodded and Tommy waved me forward, holding the door as I walked through. "Because I am so pregnant and inept, I better sit in your chair, Tom." I told him, patting his chest as I went passed him. I could hear Lizzie and Michael chuckling behind me as I crossed the room.
I sat in the chair behind the desk as Michael sat in one opposite, Tommy closing the door before coming to join us. He didn't look happy about sitting beside Michael rather than where I was sat. "Before we start with the job role, Michael. I need to speak to you about what happened at the auction." Tommy began, facing his cousin. Michael looked confused, his eyes shifting to me before turning back to Tommy. "We understand that you were protecting Evie but your priority should be yourself. I hope you are never in that situation again but if you are, let John and I worry about where Evie is. Your mother would shoot all of us if something had happened to you." Tommy told him.
I watched as Michael processed the information, nodding slightly to show Tommy he was listening and taking it all in. "I am not a child." he told Tommy. "We know that Michael, but you shouldn't worry about me. I am tougher than I look." I replied, smiling as the teen looked at me. "Plus, if anything happened to me, they'd have to answer to Pol as well." I laughed. "You're a good kid, Michael. Evie and I think you're going to fit in well with the family and the company. Just give Polly a moment to adjust to having a son." Tommy added and I nodded, showing Michael I agreed. "She may have raised us lot, but we were already terrors. She just wants to make sure nothing happens to you." I finished.
"If you're alright doing that, I just need to have a quick word with Tommy." I told Michael after he had settled behind his desk. He nodded, opening some of the books in front of him. "If you need anything just come get me." I instructed him before walking out, leaving his door open. I walked down the hall and walked into Tommy's office, not bothering with knocking. "I need to talk to you about the Eden Club." I told Tommy, sitting in a chair next to his desk. "What about the Eden Club?" he asked, sitting back in his chair and lighting a cigarette.
"I thought you told Arthur to do everything legal through there." I said, watching his reaction. "I did." he confirmed. "Then why have we taken 600 pounds on olives?" I asked, "I mean, I'm not from London but that is a lot of money for some little fruits." I added. Tommy rolled his eyes. "Alright. I'll deal with it." he assured me. "Thank you." I replied, standing. "I wanted to talk to you actually, Eves." he said, causing me to sit back down. He was silent for a moment, working out the best way to say what he wanted to say.
"Is the baby Johns?" he asked, looking into my eyes. "Yes." I replied, without hesitation. "Are you sure of that?" he countered. "I am sure, Tommy. I would've been pregnant before the.. that night." I explained. He nodded slowly. "This baby will come out with Shelby blue eyes and devastating cheek bones, just like Lily." I laughed, standing up. "It might have your eyes." he laughed, the seriousness gone from his voice. "You Shelby's like everything your way. They'll be blue." I smiled. "Is Michael settled doing something?" he asked, standing. I nodded. "Good. I've called a Shelby meeting." he told me, before ushering me out of his office.
I followed Tommy into the house. He put a bottle and four glasses onto the table while I took off my coat. I sat in an armchair facing the front door as he got the fire started, warming the room. "Michael's got a lot of potential." I told him, crossing my legs as he lit a cigarette and started reading the paper. "That he does, just make sure he knows what he is doing and what he should and shouldn't be looking at." He muttered as the door opened.
I smiled at John, Polly and Arthur as they came in. John had Lily in his arms and he came over, passing her to me as he kissed my head. "Hiya, baby." I whispered, pulling the little girls hat off and starting to undo her coat. "Are you all right?" Polly asked, sitting in the chair next to me and warming her hands by the fire. I nodded, smiling at her as I pulled Lily's coat off, before placing her on the floor to let her crawl around. Tommy cleared his throat, putting his paper on the table and pouring out some of the alcohol.
"What is it? Just us?" Arthur asked, looking around. "Just us." Tommy confirmed. "Are we celebrating?" Polly asked, hope in her voice. "Just taste this." Tommy told us, handing me the quarter filled glass and the other half filled ones to his brothers and Polly. John shared a look with me as he and Arthur sat on the sofa. I took a small sip of the amber liquid as Arthur downed his. John was sniffing his and Polly had hers resting on her knee. Lily had reached her father and was using fistfuls of his trousers to pull herself up to standing.
"What do you think, Arthur?" Tommy asked, standing behind me. "Yeah, it's good. Good stuff, really nice. Too good for the Garrison. I suppose we could shift it to the toffs at the Eden Club. Why? What is it?" Arthur replied, turning the empty glass in his hand. "That is part of an export drive." Tommy told him. John and Arthur looked at each other, confused. "We now have a secure warehouse in Camden Town and secure passage to the Poplar Docks. So, on Monday morning, we'll be sending out our first export crate. A crate of Riley car spares bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia." Tommy explained.
"Where there's prohibition." I said, looking at Polly who just nodded back. "Yes, Evie, where there is prohibition. All over Canada and America, people are making their own booze in bathtubs. But rich people in New York, in Toronto and Boston are still paying a lot of money for the real stuff. So, on Monday, the first Shelby company crate will contain a thousand Riley carburettors. But hidden in the packing will be 500 bottles of the finest quality single malt Scotch whisky." he explained. Arthur and John were grinning at the plan while Polly had picked up the bottle to look at it. Lily was slowly making her way around the room, gripping onto whatever she could as she walked, occasionally braving a few unaided steps.
"And we, Shelby's, have a licence granted by the Minister Of The Empire himself, which means our crates won't be searched. And, Polly, all of the whisky will be packed at the docks, so Michael can do the books without being involved. Like I've been telling you all for a year now motor cars are the future." he finished.
"Right, all of you back to work." Tommy told us, looking around at us all before heading through to the kitchen. Polly and Arthur quickly stood, Polly going through to the kitchen and Arthur waiting for John. "Are you taking Lil?" John asked, standing and doing up his coat. "No, I need to do the wages with Michael. I can't watch her as well." I told him, looking up from my chair. "You did say you would have her all day." I reminded him, raising my eyebrow at him. "That's because I thought I'd be in the shop all day." he countered. "So what are you doing instead?" I asked and he glanced at Arthur. "You're planning on spending the afternoon in the Garrison?" I questioned, raising my eyebrows at him as I stood up.
"It's Friday, we were planning on knocking off a bit early." he admitted, crossing the room to me and wrapping his arms around my waist. I smiled up at him as I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning into his body as I went up on my tip toes. "Well, you'll have plenty of time to look after your daughter then." I told him, kissing his lips and pulling away from him. He groaned, tightening his arms around my waist. "What if I don't let you go?" he whispered, pressing another kiss to my lips. I looked around to see that Arthur and Lily were nowhere in sight. "Everyone is in the house, John." I laughed, looking up at him again. "But our house is empty." he replied, resting his forehead on mine.
I looked into his blue eyes as a cheeky grin grew on his face. I never could resist that smile. "Quickly. I've got to get back to the office." I told him, smiling back at him. He quickly unwound his arms from me, taking my hand instead. "Arthur! Watch Lil for 20 minutes!" he shouted, pulling me towards the door. "Make it 40!" I shouted, laughing as John pulled me from the house and across the road.