I leant against the windowsill in Michaels office. It was almost dark outside and Isaiah was sat in front of him, cigarette in hand as Michael counted out his wages. "Right. Day rate, seven shillings. Loading, unloading. Night rate, three. Total ten." Michael told him, jotting down the numbers in his book. Isaiah's eyes came to me. "I really am sorry about the other night, Evie." he told me with a nervous smile. "It's alright, Is. Don't worry about it." I smiled back. "So does this mean we are going to be seeing you less around here?" he asked, looking between me and Michael. "I'll still be around to keep an eye on you, Michael and Finn, don't you worry." I told him, laughing.
"Let's go and get a drink." he said, turning back to Michael. "No, I'm all right." he replied. "Come on, it's payday. Everybody has a drink on payday." Isaiah said, tucking his money into his waistcoat. "Not me." Michael ground out and I thought I saw his head turn towards me slightly. "You think your mum don't have a drink on payday? You think the Lord Almighty don't have a drink on payday? Man, it's on fire out there, women from the BSA offices, honest. They go out on their own without their men these days, in twos and threes now. Mickey, they go out in twos and threes and buy their own drinks. Evie, tell him!" Isaiah argued.
"Michael is old enough to decide if he wants to go for a drink or not." I laughed, pushing myself off the windowsill and walking towards the desk until I was stood beside Michael. "I'll tell you what, he's got a bit of work to do here but after I will point him in your direction. You'll be going to the Marquis?" I reasoned. He nodded in confirmation. "If he wants to come, he'll come. If not, you'll have a good night anyway." I finished. Isaiah rolled his eyes at this but stood. "I remember what you were like at our age, you and Ada going out all night and coming home the next morning. Make him come!" he told me before turning and leaving.
"You should go. It would be nice for you to spend some time with Isaiah. He's a good kid." I told Michael, turning so I was leaning against the desk. "I'm not interested in going out and talking to girls." he told me, not looking up from the book in front of him. "What are you interested in then?" I asked, causing him to look up at me. "What's your relationship with Tommy?" he asked, watching my face. "Tommy is my brother." I replied, placing my hands either side of me on the desk. "No, Arthur is your brother. You and Tommy, that's something else." he argued, standing.
I raised my eyebrow at him. "You're not as unreadable as you think." he told me, his body a few inches from mine. I looked away from him before looking back up at him through my eyelashes. "And what exactly do you think you are reading, Michael?" I asked, watching his face. "That you feel trapped. That day in the village is the most relaxed I've seen you. I was a complete stranger but you were more relaxed around me than you were around the family." he told me, searching my face as he spoke. I scoffed, looking away from him. "You don't know me as well as you think." I told him, avoiding his eyes. "I know more than you think." he replied and I felt his fingers brush across the top of my hand.
My eyes darted to his and we stood frozen for a moment, watching each other. I saw his eyes dart to my lips then back up to meet mine as he slowly leaned in. Then we both heard the door. "Evie!" Johns familiar voice called before talking to someone. Michael quickly sat back in his chair and leant over the books. I turned standing over him and pointed to something as John walked in, Lily in his arms. "Here you are. Nice office, Michael." John said, coming round the desk and kissing me. "Here I am." I smiled, kissing Lily's head.
"I told Pol we'd drop her round the house. Finn and Arthur are waiting in the Garrison for us." John told me, putting a toothpick back between his lips. "You should come with us, Michael." he added, turning to his cousin. "He's meeting Isaiah in the Marquis. I said we would show him where it was." I replied before Michael had chance. "The Maquis, eh? Isn't that where all the girls from the BSA offices go?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows at Michael. "And how would you know about that?" I asked, crossing my arms and raising my eyebrows at him. "It's all Isaiah fucking talks about." he laughed. I rolled my eyes and smiled at my husband.
"So it's as easy as that?" John asked, taking a sip from his drink and looking at Arthur. We were sat in the snug at the Garrison the Shelby boys laughing and playing cards. "Easy as that, John boy. London, you wouldn't believe it. Finn, stick your head in a bucket." Arthur laughed. "No." He replied, looking at his brother. "The women, John boy, the women. I've got this one, she's a dancer, right? She can do things with her.." Arthur trailed off looking at Finn. "If Finn would just piss off I'd explain a little bit better." he added. John put a hand on Finn's back, pushing him as if telling him to get out. "Do I need to remind you that you are a married man?" I said, elbowing Johns ribs and glaring up at him.
He chuckled, putting an arm around my shoulders. "Oh, come on, Evie. It's like war stories, you like hearing them but you wouldn't wanna fucking be there." he told me, pressing a kiss to my head. "Thin ice, mister. Very thin." I told him, raising my eyebrows at him. "Well, if it's so good, why are you here?" Finn asked, causing his brothers to laugh. "A decent pint." Arthur told him, picking up his drink. "The cockney's can't get that right." he added before taking a big mouthful. "He misses us, Finn, that's what it is." John told him.
The door opened and in came Michael and Isaiah, drinks in hands and massive grins on their faces. "Here they are, look, junior Peaky boys." Arthur laughed. I quickly noticed their bloodstained hands and sleeves as they sat down. "What's happened? You two been fighting?" I asked, indicating to their hands as John lit a cigar. Isaiah looked down but I could see the grin on Michael's face getting bigger. "Some idiots at the Marquis of Lorne. Tried to stop me and Isaiah from drinking, but it's all right. We fought them off." he began. Arthur and John shared a look. "Evie, we had to stand our ground and we did." he added, looking at me with a twinkle in his eye. He reminded me so much of John at that age.
"The Marquis, eh? Where's your dad?" Arthur asked, doing up his jacket and standing along with Finn and John. "Sit down, Finn." I demanded at the same time as John and Arthur pushed him back into his seat. "Preaching." Isaiah replied, looking up at Arthur. "Right." Arthur said as John bent down to kiss me, grabbing his hat off the seat next to me before leaving with Arthur. "Don't nick any of me chips, Finn!" John called on his way out. "Where are you going?" Michael asked them. "We won't be long." Arthur told him as Michael's eyes flickered to me.
"Where are they going?" he asked me as the door closed. "The Marquis of Lorne, Michael. You don't fuck with the Peaky Blinders. Even the baby ones." I told him, crossing my arms across my chest. "Shame. It was a nice pub." Isaiah said, picking up his drink. The realisation hit Michael as he looked between me, Finn and Isaiah.
It was a few nights later that Michael and Arthur got arrested. Polly was going through cigarettes like there was no tomorrow while we waited for Tommy to join us. "Tommy will get them out. Won't he?" Finn asked from beside me, his voice barely a whisper. I turned to look at the teenager and nodded. "We will sort it, Finn. Don't worry." I told him, squeezing his arm. Polly scoffed loudly from the kitchen.
I looked at John as the door opened and slammed shut again. Tommy came in, ignoring Polly as he walked passed her and placing his hands behind his back as he turned to John. "John?" he asked, coming to a stop by the table. "The coppers have lifted ten of our men in Camden Town, the rest of them are on the run." John started as I walked over to him, resting a hand on his shoulder and watching Tommy. "Tom, they've taken Michael." Finn told him, quietly. "Business first." Tommy dismissed, raising a hand to him and looking at me. "Are you okay? You don't look well." he said, watching me. "I'm fine. Just morning sickness." I replied, running a hand over my stomach. He nodded and I watched as Polly came into the room. "They took Michael last night." Polly told Tommy. "I said business first." Tommy stopped her, putting a hand up to her. "They picked him up.." Polly started. "Polly, business first!" Tommy demanded, raising his voice. She went silent as he turned back to John.
"John?" he asked, the impatience in his voice obvious. "They took all our whisky, so no doubt they'll be supping that for Christmas. They've impounded all our vans, put their own locks on the warehouse. The Eden Club and all our pubs have been raided by the coppers and handed back to Sabini and Solomons. The Black Country boys think it was Arthur killed Billy because that's what the coppers told them. So there'll be no more free passes for our whisky boats." John explained. "I don't give a fuck about whisky. I don't give a fuck about Billy Kitchen. I want my son out of prison. Now." Polly demanded, glaring at Tommy.
"Tommy, Johnny Dogs came to me this morning. The Lees are still kin." I told him. "The bloody Lees?!" Polly shouted at me. "They can give us men, Polly!" I told her, trying my best not to shout back at her. "We don't need more fucking men! It's men that have done the damage! It is men fighting like cockerels that have put us here in the first place." she shouted. "Why are you shouting at me? I am not the fucking enemy." I told her, staring her down. "Evie, take up their offer. We need the men." Tommy told me, drawing my attention to him.
I could see Polly shaking her head out of the corner of my eye. She walked to Tommy, getting in his face before speaking. "I thought you were the man in charge here. Clearly, I was wrong. If Michael ever gets out of prison, I am taking him away from this family. For good. This life is bad." she told him before walking to Finn. "This life is all bad." she repeated, taking his arm and pulling him with her. "Aunt Pol, what are you doing?" he asked, looking at me for back up. "Shut up and walk." she demanded, leading him from the room.
Tommy sank into a chair as we heard the door open and close. John moved his arm so it was around my legs, his hand on my thigh. "Why did you send Arthur, Tom? To meet Solomons. Why didn't I go?" I asked. Tommy put his head in his hands for a moment. "I thought it was a good idea. I wanted Arthur to take some more responsibility in the business and you can't keep traveling to London in your condition." he said before sighing and lifting his head to look at us. "Evie, I want you to go visit Michael. They should let you in if you tell them he's your husband. Let him know I am doing what I can. John, you go visit our brother. Tell him the same." he told us, effectively dismissing us.