That morning, Tommy hurried back to Polly's. He wanted to see Tatiana, and find out if Polly was making any progress with her. The gun prepared in his coat pocket, he got out of the family car and looked around.
Even though he hated to admit it, his family was right. The women couldn't stay cooped up here with Michael for long. Sooner or later, the Italians would figure out where they were living, and they would end up dead.
Before he could open the door himself, Polly opened it for him. She looked extremely tired and her clothes were a mess.
Tommy raised one eyebrow at her and asked, "What happened to you?"
"I had a horrible bloody night, thank you very much! Between Michael's yells of pain and your duchess' nightmares, I barely got any sleep. And then I had to endure the complains all morning. Apparently, your pregnant lover got too accustomed to the style of Hampton Court! Nothing in this house seems to please her! Not the bed, not the food…and you should hear what she says about Ada's clothes. Your sister is beside herself!"
Cracking a small smile, Tommy started shaking his head, thinking that Tatiana was still the same troublemaking, impulsive and fiery Russian woman he has always known.
"Oh! And we have a visitor. But I think we should talk when we're all here. We're still waiting for John and Arthur."
Tommy's smile disappeared when he heard about the visitor. He stepped around Polly and walked into the kitchen.
Audrey Changretta was sitting there, one of her hands holding onto a white flag, signaling peace. Tommy hadn't seen Mrs. Changretta for a very long time, the last time being probably when John was still in school.
Her hair was gray and her grim expression said it all, as she focusing on the cup of tea in her hands. She was the one who had provided Luca with information about his organization. She was the one who made her eldest son come here, and get revenge. As soon as she saw him, her face showed smugness. She put the white flag on the table and faced him from her chair.
"My son has managed to kill seven of your men. And you thought that your organization would be impenetrable. Who did you think you were, Mr. Shelby?"
"Realizing that my own organization lacked the numbers, I handed out razor-bladed caps to whoever asked for one. Inexperienced men…but eager to rid their city of foreign invaders." Tommy replied and unbuttoned his coat, taking a seat opposite her at the table.
Lighting himself a cigarette, Tommy puffed a smoke, ignoring the disgusted look on Mrs. Changretta's face. He didn't have enough respect for this woman to ask her beforehand if he could smoke in her presence…as he did with Marie Kimber.
He continued to say what was on his mind without looking at her in the face, choosing to focus instead on the flag sitting at the table.
"As I said, inexperienced…but with a proper goal. Killing for a higher purpose…to rid Birmingham of the Italian Mafia. With ambition and a proper goal in place, I believe from the twenty men your son came here with, he is left with…eight? Isn't that right, Mrs. Changretta?"
He didn't look at her but heard her scoff and the way she prepared for retaliation, but Tommy once again cut her off. "As an answer to your question, I thought and I still believe I am King of this city…the proof being right in front of me. You have come here asking for peace."
Being arrogant in a position of power was more John's thing. But Tommy was his brother, and although he was wiser, he couldn't help but show some arrogance in light of the situation. He had started hating the Changrettas more than any other enemy in the past…except perhaps the priest.
"So the way I see it…we get to decide how this will all play out!" Polly stated, leaning on the kitchen door. Arthur, Ada and John had joined her, and were now pouring into the kitchen, standing next to Tommy in support.
Looking at the newcomers, Audrey Changretta's eyes hardened when they met John's.
"I was your teacher. I taught you well, and my husband did a lot for you. Clothed you when you were on the streets, fed you when your father left your mother for days to gamble away all the money. You killed my youngest son out of pure envy and then, if the pain wasn't enough, you took away my husband." she said to him, bitterly.
Rubbing his eye, John sniffed and mumbled, "Yeah, well, your husband was no fuckin' saint. He got Tommy's wife dead because he pissed himself at our meetin'. And I spared you!" He pointed a finger at her in warning.
"I spared you because you were my fuckin' teacher! Because you meant a lot to me, to Arthur! You should've started a new life, like I said!"
With every sentence, John's voice started getting louder, ringing into the kitchen, which forced Arthur to come next to him and put his hand on his shoulder in comfort. "Easy, John boy. Easy."
Tommy played with the cigarette in his hand and examined the scene before him.
"My brother is upset, and rightfully so. I ordered him to kill you, Mrs. Changretta. He didn't. He dared disobey me because he cared for you. I wanted him to put a bullet in your heart, so that your husband would see what I felt like when he sent his men to put a bullet in my wife."
"You were the target, Mr. Shelby, not your wife, and you know it!"
"To you, my wife was collateral damage. But you knew that I wouldn't see it that way. Your husband paid the price for his mistake. And in that situation, once again, my brother Arthur, here, has been generous. Decided to put a bullet in his head, rather than let me torture him all night."
"You are monsters!" Audrey exclaimed, her bottom lip, trembling.
Tommy was not impressed by her grief, not even when she asked, "What of my Angel? What did he do to deserve your torture, John? What did he do to deserve death? What did he do, except love a woman?!"
Neither member of the family answered. Ada looked over at John at that point, however. They all knew of John's impulses and when he went off after the meeting with Vicente and beat Angel to a pulp, slashing his eye with the razor blade attached to his peaky.
They didn't know whether that was because of Vicente's threats or because of Lizzie Stark. Either way, Tommy didn't condone his brother's behavior. He had encouraged it.
As far as Ada was concerned, both Tommy and John were responsible for bringing this war over their heads.
"Your son had been warned many times, Mrs. Changretta. He disobeyed and continued seeing a woman working for me as my secretary. Something had to be done to remind him of his place…in our city. As for his death, it could have well been prevented, had my wife not been shot to death at the gala." Tommy replied to her questions calmly still.
Somehow, it was getting easier for him to talk about Grace. He could also talk about the incident at the gala, even though almost an entire year had passed.
Polly had told him that time healed all wounds and with time, Tommy was sure that he could move on with his son, towards a better future for the family.
Audrey Changretta wiped away her tears, and Tommy motioned for Polly to give her a tissue. Polly only rolled her eyes but complied. She always had to do everything women-related around that house.
Putting out his cigarette, Tommy said, "I am tired, Mrs. Changretta. Perhaps you wish to explain why you're here and what makes you think that you will walk out the door alive."
The woman looked up from her tissue at him in shock. Tommy continued speaking with a touch of sarcasm, "Oh, I'm supposed to just let you walk free after our little discussion, eh? Don't look so surprised. I've wanted you dead from the beginning of this fuckin' nightmare I am forced to live, but John here spared your life to go live in peace in America. You refused. You went there and convinced your other son to return with his men, and threaten my family, in my city…my country."
Audrey picked up the flag and started waving it around in his face, before putting it back where it was, "This flag represents peace. I am here because I want to propose a temporary truce between you and my son."
She was acting as if he hadn't already figured it out. But Tommy decided to let her plead her case.
"Go on."
"A temporary truce for a month, the whole of December. And once Christmas has passed, it shall resume. We cannot simply end this vendetta for good, Mr. Shelby. The stakes are high, but my husband deserves to be avenged. My Luca loved his papa and he will not rest until you pay for his death."
"With your continued support and influence, I'm sure!" Ada spat at her with her usual sass.
"What my sister means to say is that I am sure that your son and I could have come to a permanent understanding. But we are certain that you will not let that happen." Tommy explained.
"Of course not! But after the holidays…"
"Because your son lacks men. He is in a foreign country and he is losing. You fear for his safety, and that is why you are here." Tommy interrupted her, crossing his palms on the table and leaning forward, whispering, "What if I reject your proposal?"
Letting a moment of silence pass them, Audrey finally told him, "Then your brother will be the one to suffer."
"The fuck you talkin' about?!" Arthur raged.
It was at that moment that Tommy realized. Finn was not there with them. He eyed Polly, and she had come to the same realization, her eyes widening, leaving the kitchen at once to find him. Maybe she was mistaken, but Tommy knew…they had him.
Finn was still a child, only sixteen, and Luca had promised to leave the children out of this mess.
"You do not have to worry, Mr. Shelby. He is alright. He is but a child, after all. And he will not be harmed. We are not animals like your lot. We have honor and we respect our opponents. Honor is something you will never have."
John pulled out his revolver at that moment and pointed it at her, "Where is my brother?"
"Violence is never the answer. I tried teaching you that many times, John. Put that down. Your brother will not be harmed, if you agree to this truce." Audrey explained.
"You are playing a very dangerous game here, Mrs. Changretta. Finn is not a part of this vendetta." Tommy said.
"He is not, because he is a child. And it is because he is a child that he will not be harmed while he stays with us, as a hostage of good faith. He will be returned to you once the temporary truce is finished. We honor our agreements, Mr. Shelby."
The iciness in Tommy's eyes was not lost, as his mind worked to get them out of this mess, and bring Finn home. He was analyzing the smug look that was now back on Audrey's face.
She had him right where she wanted him. She expected him to continue to threaten her, to refuse the truce, to act like a madman, desperate to have his brother back.
They would not kill Finn. Tommy believed that they really did care about their precious honor, them Italians. If they did kill his little brother, word would get around, they would no longer be respected, their 'honor' diminished, and he would not rest until all of their heads were cut off and sitting in his home for display.
"Very well." Tommy responded, shocking his brothers, his sister and Audrey herself.
"Oh…well then, I am glad we are in agreement, Mr. Shelby. I shall inform my son at once…"
Tommy cut her off immediately, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs under the table.
"I would not have agreed to a temporary truce had my brother not been taken and held as hostage for the time being. I was not impressed how Luca sent his mother to do all the talking for him…but it seems that I do not have a choice in the matter. A temporary truce it is…but if you are to hold something of value to me, it seems only reasonable that I ask to hold something precious to your son."
"And what is that?"
"You." Tommy responded and his eyes lit up at seeing how he had managed to catch her off guard with these suggestions.
"It is not like you would be able to walk out of here freely, Mrs. Changretta. And your son loves you dearly. After all, you are the only family he has left. You are the perfect guarantee that my brother is not harmed during our truce. If something happens to him, something very bad will happen to you."
Audrey was nervous. The old woman looked up to see that John was still pointing that revolver at her, his nostrils flaring in anger and disgust at her actions. He had spared her life, and now she and her lot of Eyeties have taken hold of his little brother.
When she looked over at Arthur, she noticed that the expression on his face was the same as John's. To prove his point, he pulled out his own revolver and pointed it at her.
"My brothers are angry and not very patient. If you do not agree, Mrs. Changretta, I will have no choice but to let them pull that trigger. I do not care either way. And believe me when I tell you that I am prepared to risk my brother's life to see to it that your son is left alone in the world…with no family…nothing." Tommy warned her.
He then stood up from his chair, buttoning up and giving John and Arthur more room to approach her with their revolvers pointed, scaring the woman to death.
"Now, please, decide. You have wasted enough of my time already." Tommy said calmly, behind them.
"Fine. I will stay." Audrey responded in a whisper almost immediately.
"Good. You will be well-guarded here. It is a big house, with maids, and Polly will have a room arranged for you upstairs. Go on and I beg you not to do anything to worsen your situation." Tommy explained to her, and stepped towards his brothers afterwards, to ease the tension and convince them to put down the revolvers.
"Save it for another day, eh, boys?"
John took a deep breath and left the kitchen, still pissed off at everything that happened. Finn was captured, and there was nothing they could fuckin' do about it.
Esme was in her room with the kids, and she was waitin' to speak to him. Or more like yell at him, because of what happened the other night.
He was ready to tell her about Emily. Fuck it! Tommy no longer cared. His deal with the Lees was off and only Johnny Dogs had agreed to stay with 'em.
Ada helped Polly with Mrs. Changretta, deciding to be gentle as well. She had been her student at school too and despite everything that went down in the kitchen, she understood how the woman must be feeling, at loosing her husband and her youngest son because of the dispute between the Peaky Blinders and the Changretta family. It was too much, and she had lost much more than they had.
Tommy was left alone in the kitchen and made his way to pour himself some whisky that was left on the table. He tried to ease himself…not worry. Finn would be fine. But the Italians had crossed the line when they took him to force this agreement.
Luca was desperate to gather up his forces after so many of his men were killed. Now he knew about Aberama Gold and the other paid gypsy assassins, all working for Thomas Shelby. Luca was not ahead in this vendetta and he knew it. He was losing and he needed to do something about it.
But both he and his mother knew that the Shelbys would never agree to a temporary truce now that Luca's army was weakened.
Tommy wanted to strike while the iron was hot. So, they captured his youngest brother in secret, and they would be holding him, to make this temporary truce possible.
But Tommy would be prepared. Once this agreement was over, Luca Changretta would wish that he never set foot in England.
At that moment, one of Polly's housekeepers entered the kitchen.
"Mr. Shelby." She nodded her head with politeness.
Tommy finished his drink and walked over to her asking, "In which room has my aunt placed Miss. Tatiana Petrovna?"
"The Russian duchess? Upstairs, first door on the left, Mr. Shelby." The housekeeper explained.
"Thank you." Tommy replied and left the kitchen with a sigh, not so eager to deal with another problem of his.
He would need all the strength he could muster to have a proper conversation with Tatiana again. He hoped that she would not be trouble. Now that the vendetta was temporarily off, he had more time to watch her, and talk her into keeping the baby.
…
"Where are the kids? You lettin' 'em play outside again? I told ya, it's too dangerous! Got 'em fuckers stalking around…" John started saying when he saw that Esme only had her boys, Henry and David in the room.
She turned to him and threw a vase in his direction, "You're a fuckin' liar!"
John moved fast to try to stop her from throwing anymore objects towards him. The last thing he wanted was to have Polly yell his ear off or threaten him with one of his own guns again, because of all the fuckin' mess they were leaving in her house.
Once he stopped her by grabbing onto her wrists, Esme spit in his face. "That fuckin' barmaid…what's so bloody special about her? She has a great body or wha'? She bewitched you, didn't she?"
"It's got nothin' to do with her! It's us, Esme! It's us!" John yelled in her face.
"You think that only because of Tommy! Only because of his bloody deals! He wants to turn you against me now, doesn't he? Now that my brothers don't wanna help him!" she argued.
John sighed and said, "No. No, Esme. You just don't get it. You were part of one of 'em deals. And it was great, but I…"
"You what? Spit it out already! I ain't got all day!"
"I don't love ya like I should, alright!" John finally admitted to her, feeling a bit ashamed. It wasn't her fault, and he didn't blame Tommy. It was just what it was.
The look on Esme's face told him that this wasn't what she was expecting, not at all. But it did make her a whole lot angrier. So angry that she just freed herself from John's grip and continued packing.
"Damn Tommy and his business! I hope he rots and I hope he loses in this stupid war! I'll be goin' to stay with me brothers and takin' me kids!"
"Your kids?" John asked, frowning, not really focusing on the fact that she had just told him she was leaving him.
"Yes. Henry and David are comin' with me!" Esme told him, as she picked the two boys in her hands.
This was the one thing that bothered John ever since they got married. Although she agreed to look after Martha's kids as any mother would, she never once referred to Katie, Mildred, Anne or John Jr. as her kids. She separated Martha's kids from her own. Now, she was going away with her own.
"Hey, they're mine too, Esme!"
"You can't be bothered to look after 'em anyway. I looked after 'em all! Goodbye, John! My brothers are waitin'!"
With that, she grabbed her bags, Henry and David, and walked out of the room. John didn't bother stopping her. He had a feeling something like this would happen. Her loyalty to the Lee family was well over her loyalty for him or his own.
He had asked for her loyalty many times. No. She wanted to get him away from the business and away from his brothers. He was tired of fighting for her respect or her loyalty. She loved 'em Lee brothers so much, she was better off with them.
The Lees had turned their backs on the Shelbys when they needed them most, and John was sure not to forget it. Neither will Arthur, and neither would Tommy. When the Changrettas were finished, the Lees would be next.
…
Tommy knocked on the door when he realized that it was locked. There was no answer and he was beginning to get worried. Worried that without Polly's supervision, she had done something to herself.
"Yes?" came the sound of her silky voice, dripping with sarcasm, from the locked room.
"Open the door." Tommy said, calmly. He was doing his best but she was already getting on his nerves. He didn't know how, but he had a feeling that she knew that it was him from the first knock.
He heard the shuffling from the inside, before the door was unlocked and it was opened slowly by her. She was wearing one of Ada's floral nightdresses. Her hair was natural, curled down her back, and she hadn't bothered to put it up with pins, as she used to.
She looked more wild this way, just like the night they had first gotten to know each other intimately. Less composed and dignified as when she presented herself as a royal duchess in his home office in London.
However, she looked much better now than when he had last seen her at the hospital. She looked refreshed, her bruises were close to disappearing completely, her eyes were no longer showing signs of extreme tiredness and her legs were no longer wobbly. She could stand on her feet just fine. For that, she was glad.
With her signature smile, Tatiana nodded in greeting, "Tommy."
Nodding, his eyes skimmed over the nightdress, before landing on her belly. It was bulging from the garment, indicating that she was indeed pregnant.
Tatiana's smile disappeared as she watched where his eyes had wondered. Away from her face and onto her belly.
"Of course." She mumbled, shaking her head in presumed disappointment. "You were worried I had done something to your child, no?"
"Our child." Tommy corrected, entering the room, forcing her to step back as she gazed at him curiously. He closed the door behind him, his blue eyes never leaving her hazel ones in the process.
"Do you not care, at all?" he finally asked her.
"Care about what?" Tatiana batted her eyelashes in genuine surprise, while tilting her head. She feigned innocence and it worked for her with many, but never with someone like Thomas Shelby.
"That child." Tommy was making it obvious, pointing at her belly.
Looking down and rubbing at her belly through cloth, Tatiana whispered, "I care about me, and this baby brought me nothing but trouble, because it is your baby. I never thought about being a mother. I only thought about living."
Her disposition changed quickly. Eying him angrily all of a sudden, she advanced and pressed a finger onto his chest, "And now my life is ruined because of you!"
Tommy took her hand from his chest, but held onto it for a minute and asked, "That poor man didn't suit you, did he, love?"
"He sold me out and took my jewels!" she exclaimed, her eyes now glowing with disdain as she thought about her lover in Vienna.
How foolish she had been to trust him so blindly. He ruined her.
"Care to tell me how you escaped?" Tommy finally asked, genuinely curios.
Tatiana smirked at hearing him ask that she was all too happy to start explaining the process in detail. How she came close to seducing Luca Changretta, how she stole his knife when he least expected it, his mistake of leaving her alone in that compartment with his two henchmen, and the way she slashed their throats mercilessly, before breaking the glass and jumping out a moving train.
Tommy was shocked at her courage…and her craziness, but the second part was of no surprise to him.
What he was most certain of from her story was that she never thought twice about the possible harm her escape plan could have been inflicted on the baby or how the plan could have resulted in terminating the pregnancy altogether. That jump was dangerous. It could have ended her own life.
"You care nothing for that child." Tommy whispered, looking at her in the eyes. Her maternal instincts had not kicked in. Would they ever? That was the big question.
At seeing the disappointed look on his face, Tatiana rolled her eyes and said, "You're a good man, Tommy. But like most men, you are too sentimental, and that is why you are in a war with that Italian. You are…how you say…in very deep shit." She smiled when she pronounced the last two words.
"I do not care. No. I would get rid of this baby today if I could, because I want my life back. I lost everything because I was involved with you. A good fuck, but it cost me everything." Tatiana continued to explain, her voice almost lacking any emotion whatsoever.
The thought of her getting rid of the baby on her own angered him. If it had been any other woman carrying his child, Tommy was sure that he would have suggested that she saw one of those 'special women' to terminate the pregnancy.
He wouldn't have wanted the burden, especially since he could barely keep track of Charlie.
But he found himself wanting this baby, and he wanted Tatiana to be responsible for it. He wanted to teach her how to care. At a time when he should be focusing about the vendetta, he wanted to mold Tatiana, shape her into a woman who cared for someone other than herself.
Because he was certain she did. But she was stubborn. She refused to show it. And her stubbornness was a challenge for Tommy, a challenge he accepted.
He would need to keep her with him at all times. Polly was right. She would move in with him, in his home in Small Heath, quite soon.
As calmly as he could muster, he told her, "You had a fucked up life, love. You told me that once. Well, I did too. But that doesn't free you of your responsibilities."
"What are you talking about?" Tatiana asked him, her anger boiling up.
"That fuckin' child is your responsibility! Whether you like it or not, you are stuck here, with me, and you will learn how to be a mother!" He made his point clear, his fingers reaching into his coat pocket to pull out one of his cigarettes, needing a light desperately.
"I am not having it!" Tatiana raised her voice and crossed her hands over her chest.
"You bloody well will! I'll tie you to a fuckin' bed if I have to!" He exclaimed and focused on putting the cigarette between his lips. She watched him in silence, her lips pursed and her eyes glazing with fury.
Without saying anything else to her and without even looking at her, he left the room and slammed the door behind him. His fingers trembled as he searched for the matchbox in his trouser pockets.
He heard the door lock again behind him. Who knew if she would ever let him enter again? No matter. He was willing to break down that bloody door next time, just to prove a point. She was no longer in charge. He was.
Ada was there in the hallway, her smile reaching her ears as she saw him. "Got to you already, didn't she?"
Finally managing to light his cigarette, he approached his sister and calmly stated, "I was afraid I might strangle her."
Ada watched him calm down with every puff of smoke he blew in the air. Her next words were, "You ever read 'The Taming of the Shrew'?"
"Spending so much of your time in the library got you thinking about Shakespeare at a time like this, dear sister? Are we the embodiment of tragedy?" he asked, while balancing the cigarette in his mouth.
Smirking, Ada shrugged and said, "You might want to give it a read." With that, she left him in that hallway with his thoughts.
…
Emilia Changretta…the name she had been trying to run from, for a very long time, was coming back to haunt her. She didn't know why her mother had convinced her papa, Vicente, to recognize her as one of the family.
Probably because of the cruel times, how hard it was for an average actress like her from America to make money.
Jane Wright wanted to make sure that in case of anything, her daughter would always have her father's family on her side, to help her.
Help her? Her mother was foolish to believe such a thing. Emilia had been treated terribly by Luca ever since she and her mother had been sent away from England and back to America when she was a little girl.
A bastard with his father's name, that was what Luca was always saying. He loved his own mother dearly and couldn't imagine how Papa hadn't been able to be faithful, as he had promised.
Nevertheless, she was now in very real danger. She had been discovered and her mother was in their grasps. Emilia would do anything for her mother. Luca had caught her at a weak moment but he made his point quite clearly.
If she followed through and killed John Shelby, her mother would be freed and unharmed, and she would probably gain the respect of the entire family, for avenging Vicente, her father. If she didn't…Luca would harm her mother, probably even kill her, and he would let slip to the Peaky Blinders who she really was…and they would kill her for him.
Either way, she would lose John. Emilia came to that conclusion as she was wiping tables. The Garrison was still open, but not a lot of people had come today. Probably off at the races. When she came here that morning, she wanted to quit her job, and tell Jeremiah that before Luca and his men stopped her.
She was now undercover…much like a former barmaid at the Garrison had been. But undercover for enemies far greater to the Peaky Blinders than the coppers had been. She had tried so hard to start over. Run from America and build a new life here.
But she made a mistake when she chose Birmingham. She had followed her heart and came here because it was where she was born. It was the place where she had spent her childhood, before being sent away. Emilia had wanted to start fresh, especially when she met John.
Wiping away her tears with her apron, she tried to finish her work and was thinking about asking Jeremiah for the day off. Arthur was not present at the Garrison, nor would he be for a long time. He couldn't call the shots himself yet. Not until the vendetta was over.
The dagger she had wanted to attack Luca with was still laying heavily in apron pocket, but nobody seemed to notice it yet. She had been instructed to use it on John. But how could she? She was no traitor. And she was in love with the man. Of that she was certain.
The doors opened and slammed at that moment. A woman came inside, a small child beside her and a baby in her arms. She was also holding on to some bags. Poor thing, how was she managing?
"Can I help you?" Emilia asked, stepping forward, wanting to help the poor woman if she was having troubles. She looked angrier than ever the moment she caught her eyes.
"You that fuckin' barmaid my husband has been eying?" she snapped and Emilia stopped dead in her tracks. Of all the days this meeting could have happened…
"Esme!" Jeremiah could be heard from behind Emilia, stepping forth with a warm smile, while wiping at his hands with a cloth. "What're you doing here? John need something?"
"No! I'm leaving! Back to me family! And I needed to come here and see what is so special about this barmaid of yours that has John runnin' to her every night like a dog sensing a bitch in heat!" Esme snapped, eying Emilia up and down as if she were nothing but a whore.
Jeremiah's eyes widened and he looked over at the Emily he thought he knew. The girl tried not to look ashamed at the situation, even though the few men who were in the pub were already watching with interest.
This was a display of anger from John's wife towards a possible mistress. And Emilia knew that word would get around throughout Small Heath.
Still, she was determined to keep her dignity. After all, despite all the seduction and courtship from his part, she had not slept with him. Being a girl of faith, Emilia knew that she could never be in bed with a married man.
"I am truly sorry. I did not know he was married." Emilia tried to explain, with sincerity.
"I am sure you didn't." Esme hissed angrily, and then started mumbling something in her native tongue. Her gypsy tongue. Emilia obviously had no idea what she was saying, but the look on Jeremiah's face said it all. It was not good.
"Esme, don't!" Jeremiah put his hands in front of Emilia to try to shield her. Emilia didn't understand anything of what was going on. Esme picked up her children and her bags, walking out of the Garrison.
"Jeremiah, what happened?" Emilia asked, frightened to the core. First Luca and now this.
"A curse." Was all Jeremiah said. It was enough.
…
A/N: Alas, with this temporary truce, we are taking a small break from the vendetta just as we enter December 1924. That means Christmas preparations, parties and romance.
Tatiana is going to have to adapt as a normal woman from Birmingham, and she will not be making it any easy for Tommy. Emilia Changretta is in deep shit but with Esme gone, John is not going to leave her alone and will continue to pursue her. We're also going to get a more relaxed Arthur when he interacts with Marie Kimber.
Leave a review and let me know what you think!