𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑

Maeve sat hunched over the desk in the betting den, working out the profit they'd made the day previously. Her head was pulsating and her body was aching.

She turned her head when Tommy opened the green doors that separated the house and the den. He walked through to John, swerving the people who rushed around.

"Oi, Maeve. Add ten shillings to this weeks list!" John shouted, writing on the chalk board. She sighed and did so. "Tommy, Tommy! Look at the book." He said eagerly, "just look. All on Monaghan boy."

"Good work, John."

"Tommy." Arthur's voice boomed as he stood outside the office, hands in pockets. "Get in here, now." He demanded.

Maeve raised her eyebrows and looked at John.

"Someone's in trouble," she said quietly, swearing when her pencil broke. "John get me a new pencil." John laughed at her and shook his head. "I said get me a fucking pencil, John."

John smirked and took one from the table and throwing it in her direction. "See, wasn't hard was it." She scoffed, continuing her work.

Tommy soon left Arthur's office. "I'm calling a family council tonight. At 8 o'clock, I want all of us there. You hear me? There's trouble coming!" Arthur shouted.

"Trouble?" Maeve asked. Arthur glanced at her but said nothing. "Dad, what do you mean trouble?"

"Nothing..just go see Theadosia or something. John i've told you to stop making Maeve do the count!" He snapped, slamming the door.

Maeve sniggered and put her middle finger up at John, grabbing her coat and swiftly leaving out the front door.

-

"Do you like it?" Thea asked, holding up a pale blue dress to her frame and spinning. Maeve looked up from the newspaper and nodded, "it's beautiful. You should make me one of them," Maeve grinned.

Thea rolled her eyes jokingly and hung the dress back in the wardrobe. "Did Max get you home last night?"

"I think so, can't really remember. Only remember my dad helping me up the stairs last night," Maeve laughed at herself and rolled onto her stomach, placing her chin into her hands whilst she looked at Thea.

"Cameron was hardly able to walk me home, he was absolutely shit faced." Thea shook her head, frowning. "Which reminds me, do you still fancy him?"

Maeve raised an eyebrow, "why, do you want to shag him or something?" Maeve teased. Thea's face dropped slightly at the accusation, "no, no of course not. I'd never do that to you. I'm just curious."

"Yeah okay, i'll believe it when I see it."

"That doesn't even make sense, Maeve." Thea tormented, sitting on the edge of the bed and crossing her legs. "Whatever," Maeve sighed, looking around the room. "It feels like you were away for ages, I can't remember the last time I was here."

"Well, i was away for a few months," Thea hummed, leaning back. Maeve nodded slightly and shot up in realisation, "shit..family meeting. I've got to go-"

Thea sat back against her headboard and huffed, "what?" Maeve slipped her shoes on. Thea shook her head, "nothing, go on. Don't want to make you late for an infamous Shelby meeting."

Maeve pursed her lips into a straight line and grabbed her jacket, "see you later then," she sighed, quickly rushing down the stairs and out the door.

What was her deal?

As Maeve pushed the door open to her own home, she snuck into the betting den, relieved when she realised everybody else was late too. Typical.

"Right, Finn, Maeve fuck off" Arthur sighed, walking into the den. "No, i'm staying," Maeve placed her hands under her chin and gave her dad a sarcastic smile.

"What?" Arthur asked. "She's almost fifteen for christ sake, she needs to have some sort of idea of what's happening." Ada defended as she too sat at the table.

Arthur sighed in defeat, knowing he wouldn't win the argument. "I called this meeting because i've got some very important news." he began. "Scud Boat and Love Lock got back from Belfast last night. They were buying a stallion to cover their mares. They were in a pub on Shank Hill Road yesterday and in that pub there was a copper, handing out these,"

Arthur handed out paper leaflets and Maeve snatched one out of John's hand, reading it quickly. But it wasn't long before he took it back.

"Bastard," he muttered, "If your over five feet and can fight come to Birmingham" He continued, looking around at Polly and Arthur.

"Who on earth is willingly going to come to this shit hole?" Maeve asked, earning a smack off Polly for her language. "What?! It's true," she trailed off.

"They're recruiting Protestant Irishmen to come over here as Specials." Arthur told them. "To do what?" Ada asked.

"To clean up the city, Ada," Tommy chimes in. "He's the chief inspector," He leaned against the wall.

"All there is to clean up is horse shit and people like you." She stared at her uncle Tommy, desperate to annoy him. He scowled at her but didn't react any further.

"The last four years, he's been clearing the IRA out of Belfast." Tommy nodded. "How do you know so bloody much?" Arthur squinted.

"Cause i asked the coppers on our payroll." Tommy shrugged. "And why didn't you tell me" Arthur leaned forward.

"I'm telling you."

Arthur shook his head, swigging the contents of his flask. "Why send him to Birmingham?" Polly asked. Maeve leaned up and took the flask from Arthur's hand, screwing the lid back on and shoving it in his pocket.

"Oi, give that-" but before he could take it back she'd stood and walked round to where John was sat, leaning her elbows on his shoulder.

"There's been all these strikes at the BSA, and the Austin works lately. Now the papers are talking about sedition. And revolution. I reckon it's communists he's after." Tommy continued.

Maeve's eyes burned into Ada's as Ada looked up from the paper for a moment, biting her lip. Ada had a thing going on with the communist Freddie Thorne. Maeve was the only one who knew about it because once her and Ada snuck out at the same time.

The only reason nobody else knew was because they both promised not to tell anybody else about each others whereabouts.

"So will we av this cooper sticking his nose in our business or are we in the clear for once?" Maeve asked, clearing her throat.

"There are Irishmen in Green Lanes who left Belfast to get away from him," Thomas stated. "Catholic men who crossed him used to disappear in the night."

"Yeah, but we ain't IRA. We bloody fought for the king" John spat. "Anyway we're Peaky Blinders, we're not scared of coppers."

"He's right"

"If they come for us, we'll cut them a smile each, isn't that right Maeve?" John said, looking down at her. She grinned widely, nodding.

"So, Arthur, is that it?" Tom interrupted.

"What do you think, Aunt Pol?" Arthur looked at the older woman. "This family does everything open, you have nothing more to say to this meeting, Thomas?"

Tommy shook his head. "Nothing that's woman's business,"

Maeve raised her eyebrows and placed her hands on the table to pull herself up, "Excuse me?" She asked him, unable to believe what he'd said. "Whilst you were away, everything here was women's business. So don't start that bullshit Thomas."

"What's changed?" Polly asked.

"We came back" He said bluntly. Maeve took a few steps forward, looking up at him and giving him a cold look, "you'd be no where without us women doing what we did during the war. You'd be nowhere without women anyway, so the next time I hear something like that leave your mouth, i'll-"

"Yeah all right, Maeve." Arthur stopped her, dragging her back by her shirt. She scowled and crossed her arms.

Everyone in that family knew how awful it was to get into an argument with Maeve. It was not only annoying but embarrassing because she always won. Especially when it came to her own rights as a girl. Nobody was winning that argument. You'd be lucky to walk away with your eyes.

"All you do is shag whores and slice people's eyes, uncle Tom! Don't start that shit with me!" She shouted as he began walking away.

"Maeve, I said enough." Arthur scolded, reaching into her pocket and taking his flask back.

"Yeah, well." She shrugged, shrugging his hands off her, "everybody has told you enough, but here you still have that bloody flask in your hand," she retorted.

John snorted with laughter and Arthur stood with his mouth wide open, in complete shock at what she'd said. Of course she was right and he knew it, that's why he was so shocked.

"She's done you there, Arthur. No getting out of that," John teased, earning a hard look from his older brother. Polly chuckled and shook her head, "right, everyone get back to work and let Maeve get on with her day. Youse have all annoyed her enough already," Polly smiled.

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DISCLAIMER: if i accidentally say that
Theadosia is the Montgomery brother's cousin, please ignore it. At first i'd written it like that but changed my mind. So please ignore.