𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟔

"I've gathered you all here today because there is news—" Tommy looked over to the door when Maeve entered the Garrison late. "Apologies." She said quietly and sat. "Of interest to the whole family." He continued. "First of all, i'd like to welcome Finn's new wife, Mary, to the family." Tommy nodded toward the short haired girl.

Maeve mustered up the energy to smile genuinely at the young girl and look to Finn proudly. They had a small wedding that came around quickly.

"Right, well i'm very glad that i dragged myself out of bed for this." Ada sighed. Maeve let out a breath. "Ada." She scolded softly.

"There is one more item of business.." Tommy and Johnny shared a look. "Johnny." He said. Johnny went to retrieve someone and returned with a dirty looking boy. Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Everyone— this here is Erasmus."

"Nobody calls me that." The boy spoke.

"They call him Duke..." Tommy sighed. "Twenty years ago, at Appleby Horse Fair, I met a girl. We shared the shade of a Hazel Tree and nine months later this lad was born. This is my son."

Maeve snorted with laughter and shook her head. Lizzie stared with raised eyebrows. John on the other hand shook his head.

"His mother died on the road and up until now, I never tried to find him. But i'm trying to look at life in a different way. A child is a precious thing so i'm bringing him—"

"Into the fucking family with the snap of his fingers." Lizzie snapped.

"No, i'm bringing him into the fold. You have to earn membership of the family. For the moment, welcome son. Have a seat." Tommy nodded.

Duke approached the chair beside Maeve and she put her feet upon it. The boy stopped and looked down at her. "Move along." She said with a straight face. John stifled a laugh and so did Arthur. Tommy watched with careful eyes. "You know.." Maeve crossed her arms and turned toward Tommy. "Finn hasn't even been brought into the fold, yet Erasmus here waltzes in and all of a sudden you want to worship the ground he walks on. Why?" Maeve defended her youngest uncle.

Tommy sighed. "Don't start, Maeve."

It was like she was a teenager all over again. Back to square one.

"No, no. Do enlighten me. Because i'm wondering why you won't even involve your own brother but you'll involve to son of a whore who looks like he's in desperate need of a wash— or does he need to earn that privilege too?" Maeve raised her eyebrows.

At this point, John was laughing hysterically with a hand over his mouth.

"How do we know he's even your son, Tom?" She added.

Tommy glared at her. "He's mine. End of discussion."

She hummed and gave the boy a once over. "I'll make sure to keep hold of my pearls, eh?" She joked.

Tommy shifted his weight from one foot to another. "There's some mistakes i've made that I can never address. Some I can. Some wounds I can try to heal."

"New wounds you can open up." Lizzie muttered.

"Anyway. That's the business of the day." Tommy announced. Ada breathed in. "Is it too early for whiskey?" She asked. Arthur poured a glass and handed it to Duke. "Here you go. Shelby breakfast for you son."

"I don't drink. And i'm not a Shelby. I'm a Duke."

Maeve dragged her chair across the floor to stand up and stood inches away from Duke. "So get the fuck out." She hissed. "This is our fucking family and nobody of your sort comes in here and thinks they run the place, alright?" She flicked his shirt. "Look at the state of you, yeah? Get a wash before you come chatting your shit." Maeve hissed.

"Arthur, open up the shop and put the kid here on the black board writing up the odds." Tommy said.

"I can't write." Duke said. Maeve scoffed and stepped back. "Look at that! He can bring flies and attitude but can't fucking write!" She laughed. "Put the kid on the blackboard and he can wipe the fucking chalk." Tommy sighed.

Maeve grabbed his cheeks and squashed them together. "Don't get too comfortable." She whispered.

-

Maeve tapped her foot against the floor and watched as Arthur entered the office with Duke. "The fucks he doing here?" She hissed. Duke closed the door over and Arthur raised a hand to quieten her and looked at the man who stood sheepishly. "So this is him is it? You're the one that likes to be fucking difficult, eh?"

"When I leave this place i'm going straight to the police." The man spoke.

"You are?" Arthur asked with no interest. "This man pointed a gun at me." He said. Arthur looked to Isiah who had his hand resting on Maeve's thigh. "Who? Him there?" Arthur pointed.

"Yeah."

"Well let's phone the police, eh? Go on." Arthur nodded to Finn. Finn held the phone to his ear and cleared his throat. "Hello? Yes. Give me the police. Reports of a man with a revolver on Watery Lane—" Arthur snatched the phone and forced it into the man's hand. "There you go. Ask for Inspector Moss. Chief Super Intendant Moss. He's in charge of Watery Lane and Bordesley Green. And you see this? That's his betting credit with us. He makes a lot of money from football matches because we give him the results before the match."

The way the man's face dropped made Maeve cackle.

"On Saturday afternoon, you take this whistle and you blow. You give a penalty to Birmingham in the final minute. The goalkeeper will let the goalkeeper go by him and Birmingham City will win one nil. All you have to do is—" Billy blew on the whistle tauntingly.

"No. I won't do it."

Maeve shifted in her seat and leaned forward. "If the police won't listen i'll go to the newspapers. I'm not afraid." He said. "I was in France."

"Phone Tommy, Arthur." Finn said.

"You shut up, i'm not phoning fucking Tommy." Arthur whispered. Maeve stood. "It's alright." She hushed and pushed between them. The man looked down on Maeve. "I'm leaving." He said. Maeve grabbed his arm and pulled him back but he shoved her slightly.

Isiah was quick to get up on his feet and push in front of Maeve, a hand on the man's chest. "D'ya know who she is?" Isiah asked, his accent thick. "That's my fucking wife." He said through gritted teeth. "Arthur Shelby's daughter."

"It's not right what you're doing." The man said shakily. "I will not take money to cheat."

"Fucking hell.." Billy whispered.

"In France I ran at the wire. And I was not afraid. I am not afraid. I won't do a bad thing. I've seen too many bad things." Arthur began closing the blinds. "A beating won't do no difference."

"I know that." Arthur said. "But you've already done a bad thing." He nodded at Maeve. "You put hands on a woman. And I can see it in your fucking face."

Finn swore under his breath and looked away. Maeve stepped back and stood slightly behind Finn, holding his arm.

"In the bleak midwinter.." Arthur said.

"Holy Mary mother of God." Billy looked up. Finn stepped closer to Maeve but remained in front of her as Isiah grabbed Billy from behind and Arthur held a set of wires.

"Arthur you can't." Finn panicked. Maeve had wide eyes.

"You've been with us long enough." Arthur got Billy in a headlock. Maeve was confused. Isiah grabbed the other man and kept him aside. "Dad what're you doing?" Maeve asked.

Despite wanting to help his friend, Finn kept his arm in front of Maeve as they watched Arthur force the wires into Billy's hands. "Look him in the eyes.." Arthur shouted.

Billy shakily wrapped the wires loosely around the man's neck and continuously apologised before tightening them. Maeve squeezed her eyes closed and leaned her head on Finn's shoulder. Finn tilted his chin up and felt Maeve squeeze his arm as they heard the sounds leaving the man's mouth and blood pouring from him.

"You're blooded now, Billy. You ain't going to heaven no more. They won't let you in." Arthur held Billy's face. Maeve had not lifted her head yet. She refused to see the sight. Arthur gave Isiah and order which made him leave alongside Billy.

Maeve swallowed hard and slowly looked up, her eyes automatically set on the dead body. Finn stared with wide eyes and Maeve gasped. "What the fuck.." she whispered.

Finn hadn't moved his arm from Maeve so she was still behind him.

Duke stood with a somewhat entertained look on his face. Maeve moved around Finn and stood in front of Duke for a moment before slapping him. Arthur looked over in confusion.

"You have no right to witness what we do." She scolded. "Get out." She pointed at the door. Duke fumed and breathed out. He contemplated hitting her back but could guess it wouldn't end too well considering her father and uncle stood only metres away from him.

Finn was still staring at the sight in front of him so Maeve went and touched his arm. "Stop looking." She muttered and grabbed his chin. He looked down at her. "Remember it's what we do.." she said doubtfully, knowing she no longer did that kind of stuff but had done in the past.

Finn just nodded.

-

"Oh no— Gina's running wild you see. Harrods, Dope, Amphetamine. Lords and Ladies you know? The whole English Aristocracy thing— fuck wine Whiskey." Jack scolded the servers. "Shelby you having whiskey?" He asked Tommy.

"I'll stick to wine."

"Fuck wine. Whiskey." Jack shrugged. "I'm celebrating. Celebration you know? Getting off this fucking Island. The thing with England— the currency here isn't money. No, you got bored of money a long time ago. Anyone can have money. You can fucking find money in the mud. You can forge money. Mr Shelby, you can steal money am I right?"

"What's your point, Mr Nelson?" Maeve asked.

"The currency here it's blood. And Mr Shelby knows that better than all of them. Blood is like wine— it's the label it's the grape that makes the wine. Who cares about the glass around it?" Jack continued. "You my friend, you're an American. You fucking smashed the glass. You spilled the blood and you spend their currency to get what you want. Am I right?"

Lizzie sighed and Maeve was growing bored quickly.

"When you come to America, I will show you things."

"You're going to America?" Lizzie asked. Maeve leaned forward. "To Canada, Lizzie. To collect payment for the shipment. I need to do it myself." Tommy sighed. "And who will be going with you?" She asked, hoping he would say Maeve.

"Micheal will be there to watch his back." Jack said.

"Another journey, Tommy?" Lizzie asked, leaning in.

"Five million dollars, Mrs Shelby. Worth a little cruise don't you think?" Jack tormented. "You're like a dog, Jack." Maeve spoke up. "Maybe we need to get you on a lead."

He let out a small laugh.

"You know whiskey does talk, Mr Nelson, and sometimes whiskey is very eloquent. But five million dollars, Mr Nelson, that is a legacy. And when i come back, i will know everything." Tommy stared forward.

"I see myself so clearly in you, Thomas Shelby. You are a man with a bright and glittering future." Jack grinned.

Mary suddenly appeared at the door. "Mr Shelby there's a car coming up the drive, a Rolls Royce. Were you expecting more guests?" she asked politely. Maeve knew it would be Diana and Oswald. So she leaned back in her chair.

He shook his head slightly. "No." Tommy excused himself.

The door opened and Diana and Oswald walked in. "We were on our way to my constituency in Smethwick and i heard our American friend was in Birmingham and he was coming here. So we came to say one last farewell—" he stood in front of Tommy. "Champagne, we have much to celebrate."

The pair entered the room and sat down.

"It's not that i thought Mr Shelby wouldn't give you an excellent send off. I just felt, since telegrams and wires and letters can so easily be intercepted, we might confirm all that we've achieved during your visit over champagne." Oswald said smugly.

"It is remarkable how quickly our relationships have developed.." Diana smiled. Maeve rolled her eyes. "So many triangles in this room," she continued. "Everyone except Mr Nelson and Maeve is the point of a triangle."

"How am i part of a triangle?" Lizzie scoffed whilst smoking her cigarette. Maeve squinted and watched Tommy's shift in mood. He had done something. And it took Maeve only mere seconds to figure it out.

"Mr Nelson, you have all that you came for?" Oswald asked.

"I have confirmation that the future of Europe is in the hands of men like yourselves." He replied.

"And that urgent conversations between Washington, Rome and of course Berlin can now begin. A two week visit may have changed the course of history." Oswald said. Jack nodded. "We all got what we wanted."

"Yes," Diana said, looking at Tommy. "And i got what i wanted from the moment i set eyes on it." Tommy stared down at the table in shame as both Lizzie and Maeve looked at him coldly. Maeve's mouth fell open and she shook her head with a loud laugh.

"Elizabeth, you are a very lucky woman. To have each day what i have only sampled once."

"Diana I will cut your tongue out." Maeve hissed. Lizzie slowly got up from the table and left. Maeve used her hands to push herself up from her chair. "Do you find enjoyment in draining the life from the people around you?" She asked Tommy. "Because that seems to be the theme recently."

And with that Maeve sat back down.

"Forgive us, Mr Nelson. That was a bit of necessary house keeping." Oswald hummed. "Thomas, we do so hate to hear indiscreet but we have told you many times that if you were to seek power in these days of shiny magazines and society photographs. Sooner or later you'll have to find a spouse who is more suitable. A woman with Lizzie's past and history really isn't suitable. She doesn't deserve you Mr Shelby."

"No." Maeve hit her first onto the table. "I will not stand for Lizzie's name to be spoken down on. She is just as much a woman as myself or Diana. Except Diana is a moth who will attach herself to anything she can, desperate for attention. When it comes to Lizzie's so-called history, Mr Mosley, I would say that Diana's everyday life isn't too far off it." She pointed.

"Maeve sit down." Tommy scolded.

"I'd rather stand." She shrugged.

Tommy shook his head and went to pour a drink. "You're right, Mr Mosley. You're right she doesn't deserve me. She doesn't deserve what I am. She doesn't deserve what I will become."

"What will you become?" Jack asked.

"Truth is i belong at this table. With fuckers like you. She doesn't. I try to hide it. Im just one of you. Could there be a sadder ending, eh?" He threw back his drink.

Maeve shook her head and walked out. "This family has gone to shit." She huffed.

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