It was a few hours later when Ada came bursting into the house, making Elizabeth and Polly jump as the ferocity in the bang. Finn was following quickly behind, looking a bit mucky but otherwise no damage done. Elizabeth jumped out her chair when Ada threw a revolver on the table, her tea all but forgotten as she quickly grabbed Finn and began checking for any damage.
"What the bloody hell happened?" Polly asked setting her teacup down, seeing the look on Ada's face.
"Finn was playing with this down by the cut!" Ada shouted, her fear for her brother and the fact she'd nearly been shot spiking her adrenaline, "he nearly shot me!"
"I'm fine!" Finn shouted as Elizabeth continued to check for any wounds, not exactly comforted by the fact there was no blood.
"Lil, whose is this?" Polly questioned, lifting the gun up to show the older girl. Elizabeth dropped Finns arm and came over to look, her eyes filled with anger.
"Fucking John! I've told him three times about that bloody gun!" She seethed, before turning to Finn who was trying to sneak off from the women, "Stop right there, where'd you find it?"
Finn stared at his older sister, the woman raising an eyebrow as she placed a hand on her hips. His eyes moved across to Polly who fixed him with her own stern gaze. Finn shrunk back a bit, the typical Shelby attitude being tamed by being up against the two matriarchs of the family.
"On the sideboard… in the betting shop." Finn mumbled. Elizabeth let out a breath, lifting her free hand to rub her eyes.
"With the bullets?" Finn nodded quickly, "Fucking John." She muttered before dropping her hand and looking at Finn, "You know fine we'll you're not supposed to be in there without Arthur, John, me or Tommy."
"I was with Arthur!" Finn quickly added, making Elizabeth roll her eyes.
"Of course you were." She breathed, before fixing him with a stern glance, "You take a gun without permission again and I'll be letting Tommy know you're not to be in the shop. Away with you." She finished, pushing the boy out the door and shutting it firmly.
"You're soft on him." Polly tutted as she took another drag from her cigarette. Her anger with John still present in her eyes. Elizabeth sighed, setting herself back down at the table.
"He doesn't respect me like he does you Pol, I'm trying to earn it back." Elizabeth admitted before her eyes settled on her only sister, admiring her clothing choice, "And where were you off to that you happened to pass the cut? Especially looking like that?"
Ada was dressed to impress, a lovely flapper style dress that would have had any young man on their knees. Elizabeth was almost jealous at how beautiful her sister looked. They weren't too far apart in age, but Elizabeth had almost moved past that part in her life, just happy raise Finn and help the family with business. She had no interest in going out to find a man.
"None of your business!" Ada cut back somewhat snootily, making Elizabeth smirk and chuckle. Ada had always been a firecracker and the war certainly hadn't changed that.
"Alright, alright." Elizabeth relented, "Of you go, I'd suggest getting changed before Tommy or Arthur sees and in return for finding Finn, I'll keep this as woman's business." Ada rolled her eyes at her sister before she slid out the kitchen door, Polly and Elizabeth waited for the door to slam before they shared a look.
"Lord help any man that gets involved with you or your sister," Polly sighed around her cigarette before picking up the gun and sticking it in her handbag.
"I presume you're going to talk to John?" Elizabeth questioned, moving the topic swiftly off men. Polly nodded her head.
"That boy needs some sense knocked into him." Elizabeth chuckled and nodded, taking the last swig of her tea.
The two women sat in silence for a moment or two longer when Elizabeth looked up at the clock on the fire place. It wouldn't be long before the family would arrive. She silently got up and placed her teacup in the sink, smiling at Polly in thanks when she took her own across. She watched out the corner of her eye as her Aunt stuck on her hat and coat, clearly wanting to confront John before the family meeting and without spectators. Polly quickly pressed a kiss to Elizabeth's check before she exited the house, her handbag in tow.
Sighing at the silence she was now faced with, she opened the door to the shop, feeling herself sigh at the mess that was left from the business of the day. Silently she got to work lifting the books from the tables and setting them over to the side, cursing herself for taking off her apron as the dust clouded when she thumped the books down. The dark brown-haired girl sighed, wiping off the dust with her hands when she heard chairs scrapping behind her and froze ridged, her eyes glossing over slightly. Slowly turning her head, she let out a breath when she saw Tommy. He cast her a glance, Elizabeth swearing she saw a hint of apology in them, before they were focused back on moving the chairs to the centre table. She stood, debating her next move, eventually deciding to stay silent and continue clearing the table, knowing if Tommy had anything to say he would have said it by now. The two continued working silently until Arthur, Ada, Polly and John filtered in. Polly and Ada instantly took the seats at either end of the table, John sitting on the back of a chair Tommy had pulled over earning an eye roll from the twins, Tommy having meant it for his sister. Instead, the two stood to the side, Tommy lighting a cigarette as Elizabeth stood slightly ahead eyeing Scudboat and Lovelock as they arrived and instantly began to talk to Arthur at the top of the table. They watched as Arthur nodded, taking a step forward, before he could say anything Elizabeth pointed behind him.
"Close the door." Elizabeth ordered, "Last thing I need is to do is watch as Finn listens in."
Lovelock opened his mouth to retort when Tommy fixed him with a hard look, Elizabeth unable to see with her back to him. Lovelock wordlessly turned and shut the door, Elizabeth nodding for Arthur to proceed now her minor demand was met.
"Right, I called this meeting because I got some very important news. Scudboat and Lovelock got back from Belfast last night. They were buying a stallion to cover their mares." Elizabeth tilted her head as her brother continued, "They were in a pub in the Shankhill Road yesterday and in that's pub there was a copper handing out these." Arthur explained, handing out a few printed flyers to everyone. Elizabeth leaned forward to grab two from Polly, handing one to her twin. She looks over it, a feeling of unease settling in her gut as she read the advert.
"'If you're over five feet and can fight, come to Birmingham'." John reads.
"They're recruiting Protestant Irishmen to come over here as Specials." Arthur explained,
"To do what?" Ada questioned taking a drag of her cigarette.
"To clean up the city, Ada." Tommy cut in before Arthur could open his mouth to reply. The family turned to the second oldest Shelby as he continued, "He's the Chief Inspector. The last four years he's been clearing the IRA out of Belfast..." There was a tense silence, Elizabeth watched as Arthur's face hardened, her eyes filling with annoyance at openly being undermined by his younger brother.
"How do you know so bloody much?" Arthur questioned, his face tight with frustration. Elizabeth turned her head back to the flyer, trying not to act in any way that indicated to Arthur that she was more on Tommys side.
"Because I asked the coppers on our payroll." Tommy responded, Elizabeth accidentally nodding before catching herself and looking away. The nod wasn't missed by Arthur who tensed more, unhappy with the seeming coup of his twin siblings.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Arthur asked, the question seeming to be directed at both twins. Elizabeth looked over at Tommy, her eyes dancing in warning that let Tommy know he was close to causing a fight if he didn't pick his words carefully.
"I'm telling you." Tommy answered cooly, Elizabeth sending him a sarcastic look, knowing that would have pissed Arthur off more.
"So why are they sending him to Birmingham?" Polly asked, bringing Elizabeth's focus back to the current point.
"Well there's been all these strikes at the BSA and the Austen works lately. Not the Papers are talking about sedition. And Revolution. I reckon it's Communists he's after." Tommy offered as an explanation.
"So this copper is gonna leave us alone, right?" Polly pressed.
"There are Irishmen in Green Lanes who left Belfast to get away from him. They say Catholic men who crossed him used to disappear in the night." Tommy continued, raising a small alarm with Elizabeth at how noncommittal the answer was. She stared down at the advert in her hands once again, her hand crinkling the paper as her grip unintentionally tightened as she tried to reduce the shaking in her hands.
"Yeah, but we ain't IRA. We bloody fought for the King. Anyway, we're Peaky Blinders. We're not scared of coppers." John countered, looking around at the family.
"He's right." Arthur agreed, nodding his brother on.
"If they come for us, we'll cut them a smile each." John promised, earning smiles from most of the group there beside the three eldest Shelby siblings and Aunt Polly.
"So, Arthur, is that it?" Tommy asked, ready to get out of the meeting.
"What do you think Aunt Pol? Lil?" Arthur directed, knowing the two older women had respect.
"This family does everything open. You have nothing more to say to this meeting, Thomas?" Aunt Pol answers before Elizabeth could, the older woman glanced between the twins. She could sense Elizabeth's unease and knew it was a reflection of Tommys inner turmoil, even if the man was unaware, his twin would always sense it, like he would hers. Twins were two sides of the same coin after all.
"No. Nothing that's women's business." Tommy stated, shaking his head at her slightly. Polly bristled at the almost insult.
"This whole bloody enterprise was 'women's business' while you boys were away at war. What's changed?" Polly challenged, Elizabeth looking away to avoid the look she was sure were getting thrown her way from both Polly and Tommy. Polly with disappointment and Thomas of anger.
"We came back." Tommy replied firmly.
"Lil?" Arthur cut in, seeing the third oldest Shelby looking away from the two, already knowing she would have formed an opinion, but would never share it in front of the group unless prompted. She sighed, throwing her hands behind her back to hide the shaking from the rest of the family as all eyes turned to her.
"We'll just have to be more careful." She shrugged, trying to keep the peace. She watched Arthur scoff and narrowed her eyes, feeling her temper rise slightly, "As Tommy says he doesn't appear to be interested in us."
Arthur flashed her a glare as Polly rolled her eyes. The twins, even while angry with each other, were a somewhat united front. Both clever with their words and knew exactly what to say to keep the peace, be it by force like Tommy or by slight manipulation like Elizabeth. Polly knew she had made the first mistake by pushing Tommy, and Arthur had followed it up by scoffing at Elizabeth. The family knew only the twins could argue with each other successfully, to get one to agree you had to convince the other. Even with Thomas's current distrust and anger with Elizabeth, she was still the only sibling that could keep up with him enough to be useful, Ada was getting close but not as integrated into the business as Elizabeth was.
"Is that it, Arthur?" Elizabeth asked again sternly, speaking for herself and Tommy who looked at Arthur questioningly. Arthur grunted and waved, signalling the end of the meeting and that he didn't want to speak to her. She nodded, casting a look around before marching off towards the doors, pushing them open and narrowing her eyes at the sounds of feet running up the stairs.
Elizabeth took a seat at the kitchen table, folding her arms over her chest and leaning back into the wooden chair. Tommy followed her out, taking out a fresh cigarette as he sat down beside her, she threw him a suspicious look then refocused on the other men as they began to filter out. Her eyes were hard, reminding the cousins as they walked past that she was as much a Shelby as her brothers and would not put up with anything. John muttered his goodnights on his way past, leaving to head home to his children. Ada said nothing as she instantly dived up the staircase to her room. Arthur said nothing to either of them, just grabbing his whiskey and leaving out the front door. Polly was one of the last to leave the shop, her eyes falling on the two who had barely spoken a word to each other for over 3 months sitting beside one another at the kitchen table.
"I'll be in the church tomorrow. 9:30. If I don't see you I'll put a word in for the pair of you, lord knows you need it." Polly offered the pair of them. Elizabeth looked off to the side as Polly began to pull on her coat. Neither twin says anything as she pulls her hat on, so she fixes them with a hard look, "9:30."
Elizabeth lets out a breath as soon as Polly is out the door. She'd seen and done many bad things in her life, but nothing scared her more than the wrath of her Aunt. Casting a look of to Tommy, she could see some cogs turning in his head and knew this wasn't time for her to open her mouth. Quietly she got up and grabbed two glasses from the cabinet, setting them down on the table before pouring them both a glass of whiskey. Tommy barely looked at her, his gaze firmly in the distance as he thought over what was going on even as he picked up the glass and played with it between his hands. Elizabeth watched him for a moment before she lifted the glass to her lips, knowing if she was to say anything she'd need some courage. She slowly drank the glass and set it on the table, about to open her mouth when Tommy suddenly downed the glass and slammed it onto the table. He turned and pointed at her, cigarette between his fingers.
"9:30." Elizabeth nodded once at the clear and firm instruction and opened her mouth only for Tommy to stride out of the kitchen, leaving the woman with half a bottle and two empty glasses. She sighed, leaning forward to pour herself another glass, letting the warmth of the whiskey try to replace the empty feeling in her chest.
Elizabeth sighed as she stood just outside the church doors, dressed in her mother's old purple Sunday dress and low-heeled boots, a long grey trench style coat wrapped around her and a cap she'd stolen from John on her head. She hated church, always had. The older she got, the more Aunt Polly had hoped she'd find peace in it, but Elizabeth couldn't, no matter how hard she had tried for the past 3 months. Her demons seemed to echo in the halls and almost find cynical amusement in her efforts for peace. The quiet gave her time to think, to remember and that was not something she was in need of. Church was not the place for her.
She pushed the door open with one hand and pulled her cap off with the other, spotting Polly instantly with her being the only member currently present. As she walked in, she couldn't help but glance suspiciously down every pew, ensuring there was absolutely no one else here but her and Polly. The other woman didn't glance back, not even when the eldest Shelby sister sat in the Pew directly behind her.
"Morning Pol." Elizabeth offered, knowing Polly would have sensed her the moment she'd entered, but wanting to at least be polite. The woman ahead made no movement to indicate she'd heard, just rearranged her grasp on her rosary. Elizabeth sunk back in the pew, trying to submerge her frustration and anxiety at being so out in the open. Since the war ended, she'd stayed as close to the house as she could unless she needed to leave. Polly had dragged her to church a few times, Arthur had taken her to the pub once or twice and she went shopping with Ada on the odd occasion, but leaving the house alone just sent her to a new level of paranoid.
As if sensing the thick tension, the double doors to the church swung open, Elizabeth instantly turned at the sound and watched as Thomas marched in. He met her gaze for a brief moment before he focused back on Polly, sliding in the pew beside Elizabeth and letting out a sigh.
"I have ten minutes. What do you want?" Thomas demanded, the twin's attention on the back of Polly's head. Polly again made no move to indicate she heard but eventually an answer came.
"An explanation." Polly demanded firmly, "I've always been able to tell when you're hiding something. People around here talk. Some of them work at the BSA. I've been talking to wives of factory hands. Detectives have been asking questions in the proofing shops." Elizabeth looked between Tommy and Pol, her eyes meeting the older woman's as she twisted to look back at the two of them "Nothing happens at the factory without you knowing about it. Speak. God and Aunt Polly are listening."
Elizabeth focused on Tommy, wondering what was going on. Polly was right, he knew everything that was going on in the factory, always seemed to have his hand on the pulse. If the detectives were sniffing about it was not good news at all. She watched as his eyes moved to her, a silent debate behind his eyes as he stared at her. She knew why. He didn't trust her. He knew she had lied. She looked back at Polly who was looking at her expectantly, the reason for her inclusion finally becoming clear. She sighed, looking down.
"Germany, ok. I was in Germany." Elizabeth bit out not looking up as Polly's eyes widened as Tommy's eyes hardened, his mind calculating, "I was recruited as a spy, it was after I'd gone on that trip to London Pol, when we'd heard nothing for months."
"Then you disappeared off the face of the earth." Polly reminded her, a slight bite to the words indicating her disappointment. Elizabeth shook her head, a glare settling over her face.
"I wasn't supposed to. I sent you a letter, or tried to, but they must have screened my letter. I got it handed back to me the moment I landed back home along with the thank you for your service card." Elizabeth's voice turned slightly bitter at the mention of the card, before she shook her head and continued, "I was only supposed to be there 6 months, then that became one year, then two. The higherups knew I had brothers in France, made it easier to move me around I suppose. Made me follow trails until the end, I knew the war was over before you did." She finished her bitter tone back by the end, glancing up at Tommy whose face was still guarded, the seeming to be anger back full force.
"Ada and Finn thought you were dead." Polly bit out, "They needed you here." Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Polly, unable to hold back the attitude.
"They needed their brothers. I'm not a fool Aunt Pol, we stood no chance of holding that business together if the boys didn't come back. Without that we're nothing, they'd be sucked in and spat out and the world wouldn't care. I couldn't protect them from what was coming but Tommy, Arthur and John could." Elizabeth stopped to take a breath; her gaze fixed on the statue of Jesus. "I did what I did to get them home alive, and I'd do it again." She admitted, her voice wavering slightly but her tone making it clear she had thought this through at one point. The three sat in silence for a moment, Elizabeth looking at neither of them as Polly shared a look with Tommy. Elizabeth knew what ever was decided here would be the family judgement, Arthur nor John speaking on her behalf would change Tommy or Polly's mind if it was against her. Finally, Tommy opened his mouth.
"It was meant to be routine." Elizabeth let out a small breath she didn't know she'd been holding, blinking back some tears of relief as Tommy continued, "I had a buyer in London for some motorcycles. I asked my men to steal me four bikes with petrol engines. I'm guessing my men were drunk. There's a still inside the factory makes tram line gin. They picked up the wrong fucking crate. The boys delivered it to Charlie's yard as agreed. They must've taken it from the proofing bay instead of the export bay." Elizabeth looked over to share a look with Polly, "Inside the crate we found twenty-five Lewis machine guns with ten thousand rounds of ammunition. Fifty semi-automatic rifles, two hundred pistols with shells..."
"Jesus Tommy." Polly breathed, shaking her head slightly as she took in the severity of the situation.
"All bound for Libya. Sitting right there in Charlie Strong's yard." Tommy finished, his gaze on neither woman.
"Tell me you threw them in the cut." Poly demanded, as Elizabeth let out a quiet quick shocked laugh, rubbing her hands over her face, already knowing by Tommys actions over the past few days that he'd done no such thing.
"We put them in the stables out of the rain. The guns hadn't been greased yet..." Tommy admitted to their Aunt. After a pause Polly suddenly twists and hammers Thomas's arm and shoulders. Elizabeth reached over even as Thomas calmly takes the blows, and grabs her arm.
"Calm down Pol." Elizabeth ordered gently, letting her aunts arm go and lifting her arms in surrender as soon as she looked like she would turn on her. Polly glared between the two of them, almost able to see the wedge between them growing smaller as both admitted to their lies and accepted what the other had done.
"That's why they sent the copper from Belfast." Polly bit out, getting back on topic. Thomas looked at his Aunt, his emotions deeply guarded.
"Maybe. Maybe not." Tommy shrugged, Elizabeth shooting him a disbelieving look.
"Thomas, you're bookmaker, a robber, a fighting man, but you are not a fool. You sell those guns to anyone who has use for them, you will hang." Polly hissed at the two of them, "All your sisters work to get you back alive for nothing." She spat turning back as a priest walked by, Elizabeth looked away as her actions were used against her brother.
"Pol, maybe," The Shelby sister started when Pol jumped in.
"Dump them somewhere the police can find them. Maybe, if they know they haven't fallen into the wrong hands perhaps this might blow over. Tell Charlie to dump them tonight." Tommy shakes his head slowly.
"No. He won't move contraband under a full Moon. Three days until it wanes." Tommy explained. Elizabeth nodded her head in agreement, letting Polly know he was being truthful about that. The woman fixed the two of them with a hard stare.
"And then you'll do the right thing? And you'll make sure of it?" She asked, directing her attention to Elizabeth for the last question. Tommy and his twin share a quick glance before they nod once to the older women. Polly looked over at them both. Her eyes flickering between the twins, both their eyes the same baby blue and dancing with the same level of danger and warning but a hint of caution flickered over Elizabeth's every now and again.
"You have your mother's common sense but your father's devilment. I see them fighting. Let your mother win." Polly finished, before quickly turning and getting up. The two siblings remained sitting taking in her words as they listened to her footsteps getting further and further away.
The two remained sitting in silence, both staring up at the statue at the head of the church as they took a moment to breathe and process each other's story without the glare of their aunt hanging over them. Elizabeth closing her eyes for a moment and taking the moment to try a prayer, giving it one last go before she closed her heart to everyone but her family once more. Tommy cast a look over at his sister, catching a brief glimpse of the anger, disparity and loneliness he had felt in France rolling over her face, realising she'd been feeling that in Germany.
"How many?" He asked, unsure if she'd continue to reveal more. She opened her eyes, moving her focus from the statue to him, working out what he was asking from his look.
"My hand or my information?" She clarified, knowing the number was vastly different.
"Hand." Was Tommys one worded response. His sister sighed and sat back in the pew, her head falling back to look at the rafters.
"15 or so? Lost count after 10." She admitted, before she let out a hollow laugh, "Could be more, I never checked on them once I left." Tommy nodded his head; he could see his own turmoil reflected in his sisters' eyes and knew she felt like every bit the monster he did some nights but kept it all in for the family. He pushed himself to stand and held out a hand to his sister. She eyed him for a moment before accepting it and letting him pull her up.
"Keep an ear out." He ordered her once she was on her feet, the two walking together towards the exit, "Collect the meat from the butcher, the bread from the baker and keep an ear out." Elizabeth nodded her head, her chest buzzing with the order and the trust he was placing on her. It was a small job but it was a start. He nodded back, and quickly turned to leave, making it halfway down the steps before she realised.
"Tommy." She called after him, making him pause and turn back slightly. She walked over to him, pulling out the cap she stole and setting it over her head, "Thank you." She offered. Tommy took a moment to respond, nodding his head once to her as they shared a brief look of understanding. Elizabeth offered him a smile before she continued off down the stairs, feeling a touch lighter than she had before.