𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃
chapter 5

Everyone had gathered in the betting den. "This better be good to have interrupted my holiday." Polly sighed, walking through.
"Where are the kids?" John asked curiously.

"In the back room," she sighed, "afterwards i'm taking Micheal to the museum."

"What about Florence?" John asked. "What about her?" Polly frowned. "You not going to take her too." John asked his aunt.
"I told her i'd ask someone to take her down to the stables, the girl loves horses." Polly placed the bag down. "And that someone can be you, John. Get to know the girl."

"Micheal wanted to come in and say hello-"

"Shut up John, there is nothing of interest to them in this room. Now Tommy get on with it—"

Tommy clasped his hands together. "Last night one of our men had his throat cut in Winson Green." he said. "This morning, i had a telegram saying it was Sabini's order."

"And it says here that Thomas Shelby is next." Arthur stated, pulling out paper.

"If our men think we can't look after them in prison they'll not work for us. Sabini knows that so we need to get the Green sorted out. Scudboat, you and one of the boys, break a couple of windows and get arrested. And if our coppers get you into the Green, you find out who did it."

"Instead of breaking a window can we pinch a car?" Scudboat asked. Finn and John laughed. "What? Everybody else is getting a car. I'm still on a donkey."

"All right, just get yourselves fucking arrested, doesn't matter how. And before you all laugh, a boy is dead, he was just a kid. We'll start a fund for his family, Pol."

"Agreed." she nodded. "So is that it? Can I go now?"

"Well as company treasurer i need your permission to spend a thousand guineas." Tommy stopped her. "On what?" She raised her eyebrows.

"A horse."

"A thousand guineas on a horse?"

"That's right."

She looked around. "When was this decided?" she asked. "You've been busy, with Micheal. Not so much Florence, but still." John said slyly.

"Oh my god. So in the absence of common sense you boys have had an idea."

"The common sense we had was fucking Florence." Arthur joked.

"Polly, there's a thoroughbred quarter Arab filly up for auction at the Doncaster Blood Stock."

"What do we want with an 1000 guinea horse?"

"When we make our move on Sabini's racing pitches, any men we get in the betting enclosure will be lifted by his police, a good race horse is a passport to the owners enclosure."

"We'll be in there with all the toffs," Arthur chimed in. "Coppers won't know where to look."

"Yeah, the Epsom Derby Pol" John said. "We'll be drinking with the king."

"The derby?" she asked. "Did he say the Derby?" Thomas cleared his throat. "That's right. For the last 10 years, Sabini's made it his race, if we're gonna take him down, might as well make it there as a symbol."

"Did you come up with this in the pub?"

"Pol, a good racehorse is an investment, like property. We need to diversify the portfolio.."

"So when is this sale?"

"Tomorrow."

"Tommys had a death threat so we'll have to go with him." Arthur said. Florence stepped away from the door after listening in. "They'll kill you if they find out you're doing that," Micheal said, sipping his tea. Florence shrugged. "Come have a listen." she whispered.

Micheal stood, pushing the door open slightly.

"So we'll have to go with him, as protection." Arthur continued. "So you're going to close up the shop and go out on a piss up and blow 1000 guineas on a horse that's not even whole Arab?" Polly asked.

"Quarter Arab is better." Curly laughed.

"Micheal," Florence hissed as he stepped into the room. He nodded at her, telling her to come with. She swallowed hard but did so. John and Polly looked at them.

"I thought i told you to lock that door!" she hissed at John. "He did, i used the key on the nail." Florence said. "We've been listening, we want to go with them" Florence blurted out, her brother hitting her to get her to be quiet.

"You see—" Polly shouted. "Florence loves horses, so do i. We could even help!" Micheal argued.

"Over my dead body."

"It'll be alright mum!" Micheal pleaded. "I've been to loads of horse auctions with my uncle, they're very respectable, People bring their butlers."

"Yeah, and their posh wives."

"And their mistresses," John teased, tapping him. "Let them come Polly," Arthur said. "We'll go there, buy an horse, come back."

"I'll drop them back at the house in Sutton before it gets dark." John told her. Florence looked at her with pleading eyes. "No." She said again."Please!" Florence stepped toward. "Fucking no." Polly raised her voice. Florence lowered her head, returning behind John who held her shoulder, shaking it slightly.

Micheal turned, "Come on," he said, taking his sister back into the other room and slamming the door.

"All right that's it, back to work. Come on." Tommy said.

"Aunt Pol, when i was Michaels age, i'd killed a hundred men and seen a thousand die, if you want to scare them kids away forever, carry on how your going. If you want them to stay, let them come."

She stared at him as he walked away.

-

"I can't believe it!" Micheal laughed, catching the attention of Florence who was on the couch and Polly who was making food. "All of Johns old stuff fits me."

"Christ you look like your father." she whispered. Florence sat straight as Micheal sat at the table. "What was he like, my dad, how did he die?"

Florence leaned her head on the edge of the couch, listening.

"Well, i won't lie to you, he died drunk squeezed between a boat and a lock. A real river gypsy's death." Polly wrapped the sandwiches. "But he could sing, play the piano, his smile would break your heart."

"I can play the piano—" Florence spoke. Polly nodded at her. "You've got his same beautiful eyes." she told the girl. "When he was sober he was kind and gentle. His trouble was, he fell into the wrong crowd when he was a boy," A car horn sounded outside and Florence jumped from her seat, grabbing her coat.

"I have told them not to blow that horn!"

Polly handed Micheal the bag. "This is a respectable fucking neighbourhood!" she shouted. She quickly kissed the younger girl on the head and watched them walk outside.

"Hello John," Florence gleamed as she sat beside him. "Hello, Florence, girl," he ruffled her hair.

She scowled, shoving his hand away. "I've told you to stop doing that!" she reminded him.