𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟏

Maeve leaned her hand on her fist, tapping a pencil on the desk when someone banged on the door.

Esme sighed, "can't wait to part with their money the stupid bastards." She said whilst Polly walked to the door. "It's alright, it's me!" Linda's voice came from the door.

Maeve snapped her head up and shook it quickly. "Aunt Pol don't let her in!" Maeve whisper-shouted, looking over her shoulder. "Aunt Pol please don't bloody let her in! She's worse than the drunk men down the Garrison—"

But Polly opened the door. "Arthur said you'd be short staffed today because they're at a works outing." Linda spoke cheerily causing Maeve to groan and throw her head back.

"It's a piss up actually." Esme corrected her.

"I brought sandwiches and lemonade that i made myself. I'll make tea and i'll empty ashtrays but i won't handle money or slips. Arthur says what you do here is illegal but not immoral." Linda said with a smile still present on her lips.

"Depends what time you get here, Linda."

"And anyway, i thought i'd offer you my physical and spiritual support in your time of need." She offered. "Oh Linda if you want to be a help, run up to the shops and get me twenty senior service. Lizzie will give you the change." Polly joked.

"If you want to be a help just fuck off." Maeve said confidently, placing her hands under her chin.

"Actually," Linda began, "i'll use my own money, Polly. And before you ladies decide to find me so amusing, i have a message for you."

Polly dropped her head the same way Maeve did. "God no Linda. I've been to church already."

"Not a message from God, Polly. It's from Jessie Eden."

"Who is Jessie Eden?" Polly frowned. Maeve sighed, "She's the lady shop Stuart of the Lucas factory in Sparkhill." Maeve told them all.

"Lady shop Stuart?" Esme asked.

"She's bringing all the female workers out on strike for the day. A protest for being made to work on a holy day. Poor conditions, lack of holidays, unsanitary lavatory provisions and lower pay for female workers. Apparently all the female factory workers in the city are joining the protest in sympathy. They'll walk out of their places of work by nine am to march at the bullring."

"Those bastards down there shooting deer whilst i'm five months gone sat here like a pudding." Esme scoffed.

"Only one outside lavatory for the lot of us." Lizzie added. The women continued rambling about the negatives of being a female worker and Maeve couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Right i'm sorry but you know i'm all for 'go women's rights' and all that," she jokingly raised her fist as if she were cheering, "but if you want to join the strike, just bloody go instead of trying to make a fucking pros and cons list. You're all hurting my head."

There was a continuous knocking on the door and muffled shouting from men outside. This made Maeve stand from her seat and practically march over, pulling the door open and taking a newspaper from the table beside it.

"Shops closed, fuck off." She smiled, throwing the paper into the man's face before slamming the door closed.

"But if you go out on a strike, best believe i'm staying here." Maeve pointed a finger at them whilst they gathered up their things. "Wont catch me running round the bullring."

-

Maeve sat on the couch after lighting the fire. Although she didn't want to go with the others to the bullring, she had nothing else to do. Nevertheless, she was not going to the bullring.

There was a knock on the door and she rolled her eyes. "We're closed."

"It's me, can you let me in?" Isiah spoke from the other side. She hummed in confusion and made her way over to the door, unlocking it. "Hurry up before people see i've opened the bloody door," she ushered.

Isiah stepped inside the den and pointed a small bundle of flowers toward her. When she turned, her eyes widened at the sight. "What are those?"

"Flowers." He said plainly.

"Well..yeah i know what they are but like, why do you have them?" Maeve asked, tilting her head to look at him. He cleared his throat awkwardly and placed his free hand in his pocket, "they're for you."

Maeve bit back her smile and hesitantly took them from his hands, muttering a "thank you."

"I guess i've realised that i was in the wrong." He said quietly, clearly not wanting to admit the fact he was indeed in the wrong in the whole situation. Maeve shook her head, "you didn't have to buy me flowers."

"But i did."

"Why?" She asked again, admiring the pink and white flowers. "Just because," Isiah said, both hands now in his pockets. Maeve slowly looked up and smiled. "Stop it i'm supposed to be annoyed with you."

Isiah couldn't help but grin as she turned away from him, placing the flowers down and walking back toward the living room.

Without thinking, Isiah grabbed her from behind and spun her, placing small kisses on the side of her neck. A contagious laugh fell from her lips and she tripped onto him tightly. "Isiah you'll drop me! Put me down!"

It was amazing how quickly
Isiah could change the Shelby girls mood.

"Trust me sweetheart, i'd never drop ya," he said with a grin, gently placing her down onto the couch and throwing himself beside her. "Never in a million years."

"Oh shut up," Maeve jokingly gagged, hitting him with the back of her hand and throwing her legs over his. Isiah hummed in amusement and draped his arm across her shoulders, pulling her in. "Where is everyone?"

"The women have gone on this workers strike, dads out with all the lads for a works day out but we all know it's just a piss up."

-

"Hello?" Maeve looked up quickly at the sound of the door closing. "Aunt Pol is that you?" She asked, quickly sitting up and walking through the den. She quickly placed a hand on her chest when she saw Tommy stood by the table.

"God you almost gave me a heart attack. You alright uncle Tom?"

Tommy took his hat off and placed his hands onto the desk. "I need your help." He said bluntly. Maeve raised an eyebrow and pulled herself a chair. "You've got to be a bit more clear."

"I'm planning on killing someone, Maeve. A religious man. And i need you  to be the person who is there if it doesn't go to plan." He told her. The Shelby girl tilted her head and frowned, "what do you mean if it doesn't go to plan? Surely you've got it all mapped out."

He took a deep breath. "I do indeed have it mapped out but Aunt Pol decided to go to the church this afternoon. Confessed to a sin that wasn't hers. Confessed to my sin. I'm afraid Father Hughes knows what i'm planning."

"So change your plan, Tom. God what's gotten into you? You're doubting yourself."

"No, Maeve i can't change my plan. Things need to be done and they need to be done quickly!" Thomas raised his voice.

"Right, don't need to have a go at me." Maeve pulled a face at him whilst she crossed her arms.

"Listen to me, eh. There's going to be a robbery— nobody knows about this but ya father and John. It's involving the Russians so i've not got time to waste!  Are you going to help me or not?"

Maeve sat forward and thought for a moment. "Tommy, of course i'll help you. When have i ever not helped you? You're my uncle for christ's sake." She said sternly. "What is it you exactly want me to do?"

"If anything happens to me, you'll be the one to look after Charles. You're smart enough to know when it's best to make a next move. Maeve, if something does happen to me, it's not going to be minor. God forbid I die."

"Tommy, you need to think about whether or not this stupid robbery or killing of Father Hughes is worth your life? You have a child. Charles has already lost his mother, he can't loose you too."

"Yes. Yes I know that. But it has to be done."

"I'll help you." She cut him off. "If the worst happens, i'll look after Charlie. And i'll kill Father Hughes myself, i know i'm fully capable of doing so." She assured him. "Just please, think about what you're doing, Tommy. I can't loose you."

Tommy's face softened at her words.

"I know that after the war you changed, so did I. But you've always been the only person to understand me. Other than dad obviously but he was verbal about it. You and I both have the same.." she paused, knowing what she wanted to say but unsure if it was the right thing to say, "we both have the same thirst for blood, Tommy. We are both bad people."

Thomas listened to her carefully. "We both know what it is that scares the people around us. We both know how to feed off the fears of others in order to give ourselves a sense of authority or control. That's what makes you and I alike."

Tommy stared at her with a somewhat blank expression. "You're too smart for your own good, Maeve. You deserve a chance, a chance to live a proper life. Hopefully one day you can escape from all of this...all of this blood and murder."

"But what if i don't want to escape it?" Her voice sent shivers up his body. "What if this is what I was made to do, Tommy? I once remember when I was younger, it was years ago. I remember Aunt Pol talking to Ada after i'd been kicked out of school for almost killing a boy, she said God can only help us if she keeps going the way she is. She reminds me too much of Thomas." Maeve paused.

"You're a king that sits on a blood throne, that's what they say isn't it? What if i was the one made to sit on the throne beside you?"

"Then Small Heath need to pray to the gods, eh?" He smirked, "Because God can only help them if you're right."

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