The car pulled up in front of the office building and came to a halt. Rose looked out of the window but didn't move. She could see a few cars parked outside and recognised Arthur's. She couldn't see Tommy's Rolls Royce and assumed he would be making another dramatic late entrance. She couldn't bring herself to move and stared out of the window at the familiar surroundings. The minute they'd entered Birmingham and then Small Heath, Rose felt the familiar feelings take a firm hold. The place was at the same time intimately familiar and completely foreign to her. She felt as if she were eleven again – yearning to grow up and be a Peaky Blinder, desperate for Tommy's attention, full of energy and hopes for the future. So much had happened between then and now that Rose couldn't quite believe that young girl was her. She was an adult now – barely – but felt that she was a completely different person. She knew what the world was like, she had experienced trauma, fear and loss, and she had developed strategies for coping with her experiences that didn't involve coming back to where it had all happened. And yet, try as she might, she couldn't erase her family from her life. It was impossible – the Shelbys kept her bound to them. And honestly, deep down, Rose didn't want to erase them from her life; she loved them, they were part of her. But, she had learned that maintaining a healthy distance between them and her helped enormously to keep the memories and barely healed wounds buried. A voice broke through her thoughts.

"We're here, Miss."

The driver had turned in his seat and was looked at her expectantly. He was keen to start his return journey. Rose looked back at him and flushed with embarrassment. She began to gather her things.

"Yes, yes, thank you."

She opened the door and stepped out, Fred jumping down beside her. The car pulled away and Rose was left alone on the street looking at the door in front of her. The smell of the local factories assaulted her nostrils and the cold wind blew through her in a way which chilled her to the bone. She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and pushed her chin out. One meeting – that was all it was – one meeting and she could return to May's and the life she was building there. Stepping forward and opening the door, Rose braced herself. She had conversed and mingled with the upper echelons of English society, she could survive a meeting of the Shelby Company Limited.

She approached the door of the boardroom and opened it briskly. Stepping inside, every head turned and every eye looked at her. Gasps of surprise were uttered as the family took in the arrival of their youngest sister. Ada jumped to her feet and rushed round the table to embrace Rose. She stepped back and took hold of her shoulders.

"Rose! I didn't know you were coming."

Rose smiled at her sister and was pleased to see her. Ada was the sibling she felt the most comfortable with these days. She seemed to understand her the most and, of course, they had shared experience of growing up as girls in the Shelby family. She shrugged

"Tommy said it was an important meeting."

Lizzie stood up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "He gave you no choice, I'm sure. Nice to see you, Rose."

Rose and Lizzie shared a mutual respect for each other. Rose knew that Lizzie was a vital member of the family and that Tommy owed her a lot. But she also knew that, as far as Tommy was concerned, no-one would ever come close to Grace in his affections, and Lizzie was painfully aware of this. Lizzie also knew that Rose held a place in Tommy's heart that was unique. All of which added to her belief that she definitely wasn't at the top of Tommy's list of people he loved – if love was even an emotion he felt.

"What is the point of living the life of an upper-class lady of society if you don't dress like one?"

Rose looked over to see Polly grinning at her from her seat at the table. She grinned back.

"Hello, Aunt Pol. You look like you've just left a casino."

Polly took the cigarette out of her mouth and blew out the smoke. "I have." She beckoned Rose over and reached up to place a hand on her cheek. "Hello, Sweetheart. You look like an expensive secretary."

Rose looked down at her jade green woollen two-piece suit – a calf-length pencil skirt with a fitted jacket which buttoned up to her neck and skimmed her slight waist. A burnt orange silk blouse showed neatly at the collar and the outfit was finished with a small-brimmed hat which matched her suit, a pair of fine black leather gloves and a pair of black, slip-on shoes with a small heel. Her long red hair hung down her back, tied neatly away from her face. Long hair was unusual on a woman but she couldn't bring herself to cut it. Her make-up was well-applied but subtle. She supposed she did look like a secretary – albeit one in a very expensive, well-made outfit.

"I dressed for a business meeting."

Linda huffed and stuck her nose in the air. "There's business and then there's Shelby business. They're not the same thing."

Everyone ignored her and Arthur strode over to Rose to pull her into a bear hug. Rose gasped. It had been a while since she'd been hugged like that. She put her arms round him and hugged him back. No one made her feel loved like Arthur did.

"It's good to see you, Rosie Red. I've missed ya."

He released her but took her hands and looked at her affectionately. "Every time I see you – which isn't nearly enough, hmm – you've changed. You're a beautiful young lady, Rosie. You look just like Mum."

Rose looked down. She tried not to think about her mother anymore. She was gone and that would never change. Arthur pulled her over to the chair next to his and pulled it out for her.

"Sit there, my dear."

So, Rose sat down and took a breath to steady herself. Fred settled himself at her feet. As always, being with her family woke up the person inside her that she was trying to outgrow. It made her uncomfortable. She became aware of a gentleman at the table that she'd never met before. He was smiling at her and she nodded at him with a forced smile. She imagined he was on the board to lend a legitimacy to it that Tommy always craved. She wasn't interested in knowing who he was. She straightened her back, crossed her ankles and clasped her hands in her lap.

Arthur took a large bite of a biscuit and began the meeting. Rose knew he was now the chairman but she could tell he was uncomfortable in the role. He stuttered his way through an opening speech about how terrible the Wall Street Crash was, not just for the Shelby Company, but for the whole world. Polly ran out of patience.

"Arthur, shouldn't we just wait for Thomas?"

Lizzie spoke up primly with a chuckle. "Polly. Arthur is now chairman of the board."

Polly held up a hand in mock recognition of her statement and Rose closed her eyes briefly. Nothing had changed. The usual family tensions were still bubbling under the surface. The man across the table, whose name was Mr. Greene, spoke up to express his pleasure at being on a board with so many female members on it – female members who were so "sharp-witted and decorative". Every female board member looked at him witheringly. Arthur assured him they were a very modern company to which Polly couldn't help adding a dig at Linda. Rose shifted slightly in her seat and pursed her lips. She was already tired of the strained atmosphere.

The door opened and Tommy walked in briskly. Rose remembered when she'd seen him as the hero swooping in to save the day, but now she wasn't so sure that he wasn't the villain in the story. He looked at Arthur, slid his eyes over Rose and, throwing his briefcase on the table, jumped straight in.

"How far have we got?"

Rose watched him as he took his coat off. He hadn't changed a bit. He saw her looking at him and nodded at her. He was glad to see her though he didn't let it show. It hadn't been his intention for her to move away for over two years. He missed seeing her every day and he wondered often how she was. He wished he had a closer relationship with her but, in many ways, he knew he didn't deserve one. It saddened him that she had distanced herself from him so much, but he understood why. He pulled his attention back to Arthur. Lighting a cigarette, he answered Arthur's question about whether the company was ruined.

"Yes and no. It is true that a large proportion of the company's funds were invested in American stocks and shares."

Linda sat back and folded her arms. "Invested or hidden?"

Tommy looked at her as if she were a fly in his soup.

"All investments are approved by the board, Linda."

"Only the ones that went through the books, Thomas."

Rose noticed Mr. Greene looking decidedly uncomfortable. She sighed – Linda couldn't help herself. Tommy's face was hard now.

"Linda, after this meeting there will be another meeting just for family."

Rose's heart sank. A family meeting. That meant all the darker side of the family business she wanted to avoid would be discussed and she didn't want to be there for that. She wracked her brains trying to work out how she could avoid it, knowing it was a pointless exercise. Tommy, no doubt, had wanted her to come for that meeting and not the one she was currently enduring.

Linda could barely contain her anger. "Did we vote on this?"

Tommy stared at her in annoyance. "Arthur…"

Linda interrupted him, mocking him. "'Arthur, can't you control your wife?'"

Arthur looked at her awkwardly. Rose looked down at her hands and wished she was back in the stables. She wondered if Nua had missed her that morning. She always took her out after breakfast. Tommy was outlining quite how little money they had left and it was bad. Rose didn't realise how much they'd lost. Even Polly couldn't control her shock.

"But there is hope."

Tommy asked for permission from Arthur, as chairman, to present his strategy to the board. Arthur readily agreed, much to Linda's absolute frustration. She glared at him, grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room. Tommy was far from happy at her resistance and looked at Arthur who squirmed in his seat. Rose rolled her eyes. Linda always had a flare for the dramatic. It was obvious to everyone that she wanted Arthur to use his role as chairman to advance his – and therefore her – position in the company, to take more control. Rose stared across the table and focused on the window as Tommy outlined his strategy to improve the company's finances. It appeared as if she wasn't taking any interest in the proceedings but she actually listened very closely. Tommy's plan was a solid one and made sense to her. It would take time though and she knew that Tommy would need a plan to keep them afloat in the meantime. No doubt he did.

The meeting didn't last long. Everyone voted to accept Tommy's strategy and the meeting was brought to a close. Rose pushed her chair back and stood up, she was relived the board meeting was over but was now dreading the family meeting. She looked up and saw Tommy making his way to her. Her stomach flipped. Fred jumped up and rushed over to greet him. He loved Tommy. Tommy stooped and scratched Fred's ears. He was fond of the dog and grateful to him for the way he protected Rose. Standing up, he looked at Rose in front of him. She was every inch a composed and confident young woman of society. But he knew her well enough to recognise the signs of anxiety that she was displaying – her slight frown, her shoulders pushed back, her chin held high, her eyes never still, darting round the room trying to reassure herself she was safe. His heart melted at her vulnerability and, taking a step forward, he put his arms around her and held her gently but firmly to him to him.

"Hello, Mouse."

He felt her relax ever so lightly against him and kissed the top of her head. Rose put her arms round him and closed her eyes. She never felt more safe or more at peace than when she was close to the brother she adored. But she couldn't allow herself to be pulled into this feeling, she had to be strong and keep her distance. She pulled away from him and stepped back.

"Hello, Tommy. I was impressed with your business strategy to improve the financial standing of the company. I'm sure it will be back on its feet in no time."

Tommy frowned a little at her aloofness. "Thank you."

She turned away from him slightly. "Are there any documents you'd like to me to sign whilst I'm still here? I'd like to get back by tonight. May will need me."

Tommy stared at her. "Did you hear me say we have a family meeting now?"

She turned to him and stared back unflinchingly. "Yes, I heard you. You asked me – no, you told me to come to a board meeting. I came and now I'm leaving."

Tommy's eyes flashed with annoyance. Another family member pushing back against him. "Are you not part of this family anymore, Rose?"

Rose's eye also flashed with annoyance at Tommy's implication. "I can't change my blood, Tommy, but I have a job I need to get back to and I'm not involved in the family business anymore. Nor am I interested in it. I don't want to know who your current enemies are or what you intend to do to increase your cash-flow off the books. I have a different life now. Isn't that what you wanted for me?"

Tommy clenched his jaw at her dismissal of his business but before he could speak, Polly inserted herself between them, put her arm through Rose's and pulled her towards the door.

"Stop being such a prude, Rose. Sitting through one family meeting won't kill you, will it? You should remember where you came from. You wouldn't be where you are today if it wasn't for your brother's business decisions now, would you? You'd be working in one of the factories he now owns. You're no better than us, Rose Shelby, so you can damn well come and have a drink with your family in The Garrison. And you can stop looking like you've sucked a lemon whilst you're at it."

So, Rose found herself firmly propelled to the family pub and resigned herself to the family meeting which lay ahead of her. If she were honest, she had held out slim hope that she could get out of it. Walking with her family towards The Garrison, the two and a half years she'd spent with May faded away and she felt like she'd just come from Watery Lane where the bookies was buzzing with life and her brothers were about to celebrate a large windfall from a fixed race. The flames and the noise and the smell from the factories filled her senses and it was if she'd never been away.

Reaching the pub, Tommy pushed the doors open as he had many times before and, to Rose's great surprise, the entire room began to applaud him. Tommy entered the room like a conquering hero, accepting the accolades and making promises that delighted his constituency. Rose watched this in amazement. She hadn't really followed Tommy's political career and was fascinated by how he was viewed by his community now. Small Heath had always respected him as much as they'd feared him, but she'd never known them to love him as they seemed to do currently. She was curious as to what Tommy's agenda was with his political work and what his financial game was.

Tommy dismissed all the patrons to the saloon bar with the promise of a free drink and the room emptied, leaving the Shelbys to occupy a booth by the window. Rose moved round to sit between Ada and Polly and took a cigarette out of her bag which Polly lit for her before lighting her own.

Ada took something out of her bag. "Right. Family meeting. First item – this." She slammed a bullet down on the table and Rose sighed. Nothing had changed. Apparently the bullet had been dug out of Finn's arm who had been sent on a job to London and not heeded Tommy's order to stay out of it. Rose was surprised it had taken this long for Finn to take a bullet but Lizzie was shocked. Tommy had told her there was no more sport for anyone named Shelby. Rose wondered why Lizzie kept believing Tommy's promises that the "sport" was over, that the family wasn't involved in the underbelly of the business any longer. Didn't she know it was entwined in the very fibres of their being? That they could no more stop than they could stop breathing? She pulled on her cigarette and blew the smoke out slowly. This was why she wanted to leave, to get away from what was inside her that she couldn't erase.

"What's in Chinatown?"

Tommy answered bluntly.

"Fifty thousand pounds. In cash."

Ada frowned. "He said they were sent to Chinatown to kill someone."

Arthur groaned. "That kid needs educating, Tommy, he really does."

Lizzie was furious, even more so when she found out that Tommy had told Polly and not her. The man Abarama had killed was a pimp who sold children. The pimp was blackmailing a senior member of the House of Lords who Tommy knew from Westminster and was paying Tommy to take care of it. The pimp was dead and Tommy would have cash. Lots of it.

Ada wasn't impressed with Tommy's way of improving the world, but it made sense to Rose. She'd have pulled the trigger herself. She shook her head. This was exactly how she didn't want to be feeling. Her ears pricked up as Tommy said something very interesting.

"Lizzie, you need to understand that the corridors of Westminster are very dimly lit, and for those who make the rules, there are no rules. We own the ropes. Who's gonna hang us now, eh?"

Lizzie wasn't convinced nor was she appeased with Tommy's promise to explain when they got home. She took her bag and stormed out of the pub. Not exactly a happy marriage, Rose thought dryly. But then, were any Shelby marriages happy?

Ada took a breath. "So, Tommy Shelby, MP – business as usual."

Tommy explained that until the conventional part of the business was able to get on its feet, then the cash was king. Ada, who, like Rose, hated the unconventional side of the business, was frustrated and disappointed.

"No one is going to hang you, Tommy. You'll hang yourself."

And with that, she too swept out of the pub, accompanied by a jibe from Tommy about who was paying for the paintings on her wall. Rose watched her go and wondered if she could just get up and leave, but something told her, she herself was an item on the agenda.

Polly told Tommy to go easy on Ada. Tommy sat down and Arthur moved to the booth, drinking directly from a bottle of whiskey. Tommy told her he knew Ada was pregnant. Rose looked at him shocked as Arthur choked on his drink. Rose thought back to how furious Tommy had been when Ada had got pregnant with Karl. She watched him across the table to see if he was angry this time too. It turned out that times had changed and Tommy didn't care who the father was. Polly knew who the father was but said they'd had enough shocks for one day. She turned and looked at Rose.

"And what about you, Sweetheart? Do you have any shocks for us?"

Rose sat up straight and looked down her nose at her aunt.

"Of course not! This isn't my life anymore. Things are much calmer and normal for me."

Arthur snorted. "Too high and mighty for us now, eh?"

She kept her nose in the air and turned her head to look at him. "Not at all, Arthur. It's just that crime and violence aren't on my daily to-do list anymore."

Polly scoffed. "Crime and violence are what lifted you out of the gutter, my dear."

Rose moved her eyes to survey the bottles behind the bar. She spoke quietly. "Yes, they definitely made me the person I am today."

Tommy cleared his throat. "Rose, we're glad you're back. The family isn't complete without you. I know that being here brings up difficult memories - we all have those. The time you have spent with May was time very well spent and you have become a young lady of class and substance. But now…"

Rose's heart sank. She knew what he was about to say. She spoke up before he could finish his sentence.

"I'm not coming back, Tommy."

He sat back in his chair, looking at her steadily. "Don't make this any more difficult than it has to be, Rose. The time has come for the family to pull together. We need you at home."

Rose could barely contain her anger. "The family needs to pull together? Three of them have just walked out on you, Thomas. It looks to me like the family is unraveling and I, for one, do not wish to return to the arguments, the tension, the power plays. All this here now…" She swept her hand around the table to indicate the meeting. "… this is what I hate. This is what I want to get away from. I don't want to be like that."

Arthur leaned on his arms and glared at her. "You don't want to be like us? Hmm? We not good enough for you? You're better than us now that you've seen some operas and had dinner with a few toffs, are you? You know it wasn't that long ago that you were selling snow in the slums round here. What would your noble friends think of that, eh?"

"Arthur" Polly stopped him. Rose had clamped her mouth shut and kept her eyes focused on the bottled across the room. She retreated behind her walls and refused to engage. Tommy sighed.

"Mouse, come to the house tonight and stay. We'll talk and I'll explain you what I'm thinking. And then you can decide."

Rose looked at him with sudden tears in her eyes. "You've already told May I'm not going back, haven't you?"

Tommy hesitated. He had and shouldn't have been surprised by her astuteness. That hesitation was all Rose needed. She stood up slowly, pulled her jacket down and faced Arthur, though she didn't look him in the eye.

"Excuse me, please."

Arthur languidly moved out of the booth and mockingly bowed slightly as Rose walked past him smoothly and headed out of the door, Fred on her heels. Polly frowned at Tommy. He shook his head.

"It had to be a clean break, Pol. She was never going to choose to come back on her own. "

Polly sighed and stood up, taking her bag and hat. "Just handle her carefully, Tommy. We can't lose her for good. I'll take her back to the house if I can get her in the car."

Tommy nodded and watched her leave. He had every intention of handling Rose's return to the family carefully. He just hoped he wasn't too late.