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"Would you stop fidgeting?" Polly was getting impatient with Rose bouncing around on the back seat of the car. "I can't concentrate with you kicking my seat every five seconds."

Rose didn't care. She was almost home. She moved from window to window to see all the sights of Small Heath as if she were going on holiday. She pointed out all the local landmarks to Michael who seemed genuinely interested in her school and where her best friend lived and which shop sold the best sweets. Polly wasn't as taken with her excitement at being back. This was not the place she wanted Rose to call home. She must talk to Tommy soon about Rose moving in with her and Michael permanently, maybe even Finn too. There was hope for the younger ones – to get them out of this life and give them a better one. She was frustrated with Tommy for inviting Rose to the family meeting. As far as she was concerned it was a step in the wrong direction and she'd told him so in no uncertain terms. Tommy was adamant however that it was what Rose needed to bring her in line. Her little trip to London had given him pause and he'd spent more time than he wanted to working out a way to make sure something like that never happened again. Bringing her into the family business, even on a minor scale, would keep her in view of the family as well as giving her a reason to stay close and not run away. He was sharp enough to realise that Rose would become a force to be reckoned with one day and he wasn't in a hurry to repeat the mistakes that had been made with Ada. Tommy realised he needed to work with Rose and not against her, and as much as Polly wanted to keep her away from the business, he was beginning to realise that it was better to have her in the fold where he could shape her into the person he could see she was capable of becoming. Yes, he had plans for Rose Shelby.

Polly parked the car in front of the family home and wrinkled her nose at the smell of the city. She opened the door and gingerly placed her expensive shoes onto the pavement. She watched Michael walk round the car and felt that same pang of shame she'd felt when he'd first appeared at her door. He'd insisted he didn't mind where she, and therefore also he, came from, but Polly minded. Rose jumped out of the car, closed her eyes and breathed deeply the polluted air of Small Heath like it was the smell of a freshly cut meadow. She was home and couldn't have been happier. She ran to the front door, opened it and went in. A flood of memories came back to her as she stood in the living room. She never wanted to leave again. Polly and Michael followed her, the latter closing the door. Polly let the way swiftly through to the kitchen and turned to speak.

"Rose, when you go in there you are not to say a thing. You are there to observe only. No one's interested in the opinion of an eleven-year-old. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Aunt Pol." As excited as Rose was, she was nervous about attending her first family meeting and was more than happy to be a silent observer.

Polly wasn't so sure Rose could stay quiet for that long, but was willing to be proven wrong.

"Michael, you wait here. I won't be long and then we can go to the museum."

"I'd very much like to join the meeting."

"Well, you can't. It will be of no interest to you. And like I said, I won't be long."

Rose watched Michael frown and turn aside. She couldn't understand why Aunt Pol wouldn't let him join, after all he was family too. She kept quiet though; she didn't want to be denied her opportunity.

Polly wrapped her knuckles sharply on the door which lead into the shop. After a pause, the key turned and John opened it.

"Lock this door now, John," Polly brushed past him into the room of men who were waiting for her. Rose slowly walked through the door as if she were entering a hallowed place. John gave her a little shove.

"Go on, Rose, I can't close the door with you there gawping!"

Rose slowly moved out of the way but stopped short of walking towards the centre of the room. Every eye was on her and she was suddenly very self-conscious. Arthur beamed at her.

"There she is, the latest member of the Shelby family to join the family meeting. Come on in then."

He waved her forward but she found she couldn't move her feet. She'd known every one of these men since she was born. She used to crawl around the floor of the shop when she was a baby if the door hadn't been shut. But at this moment, they were the most intimidating group she'd come across. She'd desperately wanted to take her place in the family business and become a Peaky Blinder, but looking at these men, she realised this was far from the childish notion she'd had. This was real and she wasn't sure she was ready. There was no turning back now though as she felt John's hand on her shoulder gently pushing her forward. Finn scowled at her as she went passed him. He was not impressed that his sister was now allowed in the meetings when he certainly hadn't been at the age of eleven. Rose ignored him and kept her eyes on Tommy. He watched as she took her place in front of John who leaned against the wall behind her, then nodded at her before convening the meeting.

Rose stood silently as the meeting progressed. She took everything in and missed nothing of the family dynamics. She was struck by the way the men deferred to Tommy and by the way they responded as he chastised them for laughing when a boy was dead. She was intrigued by the position Polly clearly held amongst the men. Even Tommy seemed nervous when explaining why they needed to spend a thousand guineas on a race horse to run at the Epsom Derby. Polly spoke to them all as if they were schoolboys and Rose saw her in a new light. She hasn't realised quite how powerful Polly was in the family business. She knew Polly was clearly in charge in the family, but Rose had been lead to believe that girls don't belong in business. Polly clearly did belong in the business and was as influential as Tommy. Rose was pleasantly surprised to learn this. Her future became a little brighter.

Despite the interruption by a frustrated Michael, the meeting didn't last very long. Tommy sent everyone back to work and as John approached Polly, Arthur reached over and pulled Rose to him. He ruffled her hair, which she patted back into place with a frown. This was a business meeting and she didn't want to be treated like a child.

"How's my Gypsy Rose, then? You're looking a lot better. Those rosy cheeks are back." Arthur pinched her cheek as she swatted his hand away.

Tommy watched the interaction and noted that Rose did indeed look better. He had been impressed with her behaviour in the meeting. She had taken it seriously and had listened closely. He moved towards her.

"Rose, I want a word with you in my office."

Without waiting for a reply, Tommy walked towards his office fully expecting Rose to follow him. She promptly did, casting a worried look at Arthur over her shoulder. He winked at her which made her feel a little better. She knew what was coming.

Rose entered Tommy's office and closed the door behind her. Since he'd acquired his new office, he barely used this one in the shop anymore and it smelled of dust and old ledgers. She waited at the door, not sure what to do. Tommy sat down, lit a cigarette and regarded his sister. Rose looked back at him, nervous but not breaking eye contact. He always waited before starting a serious conversation with her. It often served to put her on the back foot, unsettling her, allowing Tommy to take control and making it difficult for her to dig her heels in and push back. She was learning how to deal with this pregnant pause however, and knew that the best way was to just wait him out patiently and try not to let him know how hard her heart was beating. Tommy indicated the chair on the other side of the desk.

"Sit down."

Rose walked to the chair, sat down and waited for him to speak. He looked at her a beat longer than was comfortable through the smoke of his cigarette, then leaned forward and placed his arms on the desk in front of him.

"What did you think of the meeting?"

Rose's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that question.

"I found it interesting."

"What did you find interesting?"

"I didn't know that someone could be murdered in prison. Why don't the guards stop it from happening?"

"There are a lot of criminals in prison, Rose. And not all of them are prisoners."

Rose frowned, trying to understand.

"You mean, the guards are criminals too?"

"People will do anything for money, even prison guards."

"So, Sabini paid the prison guards to let his men murder our man in prison?"

"That's about the long and short of it, yes."

"And now you'll pay the prison guards to let our men kill Sabini's men in prison?"

Tommy cleared his throat. "Yes. They killed a boy, Rose. One of our own."

"I know. It was wrong and you need to pay them back. They killed first and they deserve it. And you said our men need to know you'll protect them in prison. Sabini should know not to threaten you."

Tommy was surprised at the matter of fact way that Rose answered. Polly had told him that all the violence and death would scare her and he'd promised to keep her away from the worst of it. Yet Rose wasn't upset by this side of the business, she was more pragmatic about it than he'd imagined. Once again, he saw himself in the girl who sat opposite him. Her words jarred coming from such a young one, but he found himself – was proud the word? He spent a lot of time dealing with his family's opposing opinions, explaining and persuading them to go along with his plans which he knew would work - Polly just now being a case in point. Here in Rose though, he recognised a like mind. It was strange, she was only eleven and yet he felt like she understood him more than anyone else in the family.

"That's right. We can't build the business if no one will work for us. And we need our enemies to know we're not afraid of them. They should be afraid of us."

"We're Shelbys!" Tommy's lesson about how to deal with school bullies echoed in her mind.

Tommy smiled. "That's right. We're Shelbys. And Shelbys are smart. Do you think running away to London was smart, Rose?"

Rose flinched. He'd done it again. Caught her on the back foot whilst confronting her with an uncomfortable truth. He was always one step ahead of her; so annoyingly smart.

She shifted in her seat and looked at the floor. "No"

"What's that? Speak up, Rose."

Rose looked back at him and her heart sank when she saw his face. He wasn't happy.

"No, Tommy."

"No, Rose, it wasn't smart. It was unbelievably stupid. But you know that, don't you? You knew it when you ran to the station to stow away on the London train, didn't you? You knew it when you made your way alone across London to Camden Town, didn't you? And you especially knew it when you knocked on the door of one of the most dangerous gang leaders in London. Didn't you?"

"Yes, Tommy, but…"

"I know why you did it, Rose. You were under the illusion that it was up to you to fix things. What did I tell you I'd do when I spoke to you about your fight with Amos Goldman?"

Rose remembered exactly what he'd said but knew that if she answered him, it would be the nail in her coffin. She averted her eyes and looked at the corner of the room, pretending to try and remember.

"I'm not playing games, Rose." Tommy's voice had an edge to it which Rose knew meant that he really wasn't playing games and was deadly serious. "I will not treat you like a young child anymore. You have joined the family business now and I expect more from you."

Rose felt something shift in her. He was right, she had to grow up and take responsibility. How else would he take her seriously and treat her the way she wanted him to – like an equal member of the family. She looked him in the eye.

"You said that you would talk to Alfie Solomons and explain everything to him."

"That's right. I told you that I would deal with it. Did you think I was lying?"

"No"

"Did you think I wouldn't be able to explain things properly?"

"No"

"Did you think I needed your help?"

She hesitated. "Maybe"

Tommy paused, impressed with her honesty. "Do you still think I needed your help?"

"Well… I wanted to explain to Alfie…"

"Mr Solomons. You are to call him Mr Solomons. He is not your friend."

"Alright. I wanted Mr Solomons to know that it was all my fault. It wasn't fair that he would kill you or Arthur or John for something I did. And he listened to me and he said that he wouldn't kill you. So I helped, didn't I?"

Tommy sat back in his chair and ran a hand over his mouth. He lit another cigarette. Time to be honest himself.

"Rose, Mr Solomons would never have killed me or your other brothers for breaking Amos Goldman's nose."

"And his toe."

"What?"

"I broke his toe as well as his nose."

"Yes, right, well the point is that your little fight wasn't important to Mr Solomons."

Rose frowned at Tommy. "But you said it was. You said he took family honour very seriously and that he wouldn't let an insult like this go un-avenged. That's what you said."

Tommy took a drag of his cigarette. He hadn't expected to be confessing to his own wrong-doing. He'd wanted to confront Rose about hers.

"Rose, I said those things to scare you. I wanted to make sure that you stopped all your thoughtless behaviour like strolling into the Jewish Quarter for fun. Your fight with Amos wouldn't have cost me my life, but your recklessness could well have cost you yours. I have real enemies, Rose. People like Sabini and Solomons who won't hesitate to hurt you in order to hurt me. They want to see me weak and they want to hit me where it hurts. You are my weakness, Rose. You and Arthur and John and Ada and Finn and Polly. And I will do anything in my power to protect you, to keep you safe and to keep you alive. So, yes, I exaggerated when I spoke to you about your fight. But the truth is, I can't protect you unless you trust me."

Rose sat very still, taking in everything that Tommy had just said to her. He'd lied to her. He'd looked her in the eye and lied. She'd never contemplated such a thing before. She'd always believed everything he'd told her.

"How can I trust you if you lie to me?"

Tommy winced inwardly. She was right. And although he'd had good reason for lying to her, she needed to know she could trust him. But that worked both ways.

"And how can I trust you if you lie to me? You told me you were sleeping at Polly's the night you ran away. And you told Polly you were sleeping at home. I lied to you because I wanted to keep you safe. You lied to me because you wanted to deceive me. There's a difference."

"No, there isn't. A lie's a lie."

Tommy finished his cigarette, leaned forward and stubbed it out. He leaned his elbows on the desk, folded his hands together in front of his mouth and looked at Rose over them as he thought about what she'd just said. Her blue eyes, just like her mother's, had filled with tears and he could see her clenching her jaw in an attempt not to cry. He knew she felt betrayed by him. Polly always said that he was her hero, the father figure she'd never had. He'd brushed off that comment. He didn't want to see himself as a father But now, looking at Rose's face, the maturity from the meeting earlier now replaced with the immaturity of an eleven year old who couldn't see beyond her own hurt, he remembered how he'd felt when his father had lied to him. Broken promises littered his childhood. He knew well the hurt of realising that his father wasn't coming home after work to kick a football with him in the alley, that there would be no sweets brought home, no new shoes. It didn't take long for Tommy to stop waiting at the window for him. And it wasn't long before the broken promises were replaced by truths which were even worse than the lies. Tommy had long known his father didn't love him, but to hear him say it in so many words… He shook his head and forced his mind back to the present.

"I'm sorry I lied to you, Mouse. You're right, you can't trust me if you don't know that I'm telling you the truth. So, I promise to always tell you the truth. You may not like it, but I will tell you the truth. And, when I can't tell you the truth, I'll tell you why. I want you to trust me. But in return, you must do the same thing. I can't trust you if I think you might lie to me or if I think you might disobey me. I want to be able to trust you too. Can I trust you, Rose?"

Rose looked at this man that she adored and had always wanted to be like. Tommy was indeed her hero. He'd raised her and loved her and she wanted nothing more than to be with him all the time. She wanted him to include her in his life and spend time with her and be interested in her. She'd often yearned for her mother but never had she wanted her father back in her life. She didn't need him, she had Tommy. Today, for the first time, her hero had fallen off his pedestal and she was deeply hurt. But she was also astute enough to know that she shouldn't expect him to be perfect. He was no more perfect than she was. Tommy was helping her to understand that trust went both ways. She understood that he couldn't trust her either if she wasn't truthful with him.

"You can trust me, Tommy. I won't lie to you again. I want to help you in the business and do my bit. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it."

Tommy nodded. "That's decided then. We tell each other the truth always." He smiled broadly at her. "What do you think, eh, Mouse? Imagine where we can take this business, you and me eh? The sky's the limit for us Shelbys. By the time you're my age, you'll be living in a mansion and wearing a different ball gown each night. You'll have diamonds the size of eggs on each finger and you'll have so many maids you won't know what to do with them! You'll have a maid to pull back your covers in the morning and one to tie your boot laces. One to brush your hair and one to feed you oranges. How does that sound, Rose? Can you imagine that?"

Rose giggled at Tommy's descriptions. She didn't want any of those things.

"When I'm rich, I'll buy every house on Watery Lane and everyone in the family will live in a different house, even Curly. And we'll have parties every night with music. And we'll have new stables in Uncle Charlie's yard with a race horse in each one. And they'll take it in turns to win the Derby and I'll meet the king and invite him to our party. And Jonny Dogs will play the fiddle for him!"

Tommy laughed out loud. "Rose Shelby, I need to teach you some things about fine living. I don't care much for your idea of luxury. Come on here now." He waved her over to him.

Rose stood up and went round the desk to Tommy. He pulled her onto his lap, put his arms around her and held her close. She leaned into his chest, breathing in the familiar smell of his shaving cream and cigarettes. He kissed her on the top of her head.

"We made a deal today, Rose. And deals made in the Shelby family are sacred." He let go of her and looked down into her face. "Honesty and trust - that's what important now, right?"

Rose nodded, "Right"

She snuggled back into his arms and he held her for another few minutes, enjoying the reconciliation between them. Rose could have stayed there all day. He picked her up and put her back on the ground.

"Arthur's waiting out there to take you to the Garrison. You're going to help clean the pub every day for the next two weeks after school."

Tommy enjoyed Rose's shock. "I can't clean the Garrison. I'm going to the museum with Aunt Pol and Michael."

"Not today you're not. I told her to go without you."

"But why?"

"Weren't you the girl who just said, 'Tell me what to do and I'll do it'?"

Rose went red, "Well yes, but…"

"No buts. This is your punishment for running away to London and also part of your initiation into the business. It's not all family meetings and making decisions, you know. It's about hard work too. You have to show me what you're made of. Can you do that, soldier?"

Rose squared her shoulders and saluted. "Yes sir, Sergeant Major!"

Tommy laughed again and swatted Rose with his newspaper. "Go on, get out."

Rose went the door, laughing also. She turned around.

"Tommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Does this mean I can move back home?"

He looked up and shook his head. "Not yet, Mouse. I need to talk to Aunt Pol about it."

"I hate it there, Tommy."

"I know. I'll talk to her."

Rose opened the door and then turned back again.

"Tommy?"

"What?"

"Can I come to the funeral with you?"

"The funeral?" Tommy was confused.

"Of the boy who was killed in prison."

Tommy sighed. "No"

"Why not?"

"Because…" Tommy hesitated but continued with the truth. "Because his mother is angry. She's angry with me. And if I turn up with you, it'll just remind her of what she's lost and I still have."

Rose thought about this, then nodded. She left the office, closing the door behind her. Tommy watched her and Arthur leave the shop, leaned back in his chair and allowed himself to feel an unfamiliar sense of satisfaction. That girl would either drive him to an early grave or cause him to leave this world at a grand old age with a smile on his face. Either way, he found himself looking forward to the journey.