𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 ♛ thomas shelby

xxxx | ʟɪɴᴅᴀ

    Shaking her head with mirth, Caterina sashayed towards the adults, silver dress casting light as she moved. "Have a champagne, you two, please," she nudged the couple as one of the maids stopped by them with a tray, herself indulging in one.

     "I'll have two," announced Esme, quickly wrapping each hand around the flutes of the bubbly liquid. John gently extracted one from her grip immediately.

     The casks of the good French stuff were a spoil of the Selfridges trip she'd embarked on with Ada, along with the search for a suitable Christmas present for each member of the family. It provided her great amusement to observe how the Shelby sister's communist ideals slowly slipped up and started to crumble with each increase of the allowance Tommy forced upon her bank account.

     "I simply want to provide what is best for Karl," she justified vehemently, sifting through the racks of light brocade dresses, ignoring the shopping bags slung over her arm.

     "You're full of shit, Ada," Cat would laugh, and then gently stir her towards the Ritz for tea. She's make a capitalist out of her yet.

     She attached herself to the aforementioned woman as soon as she arrived, Karl clutching her hand and the young poet that lodged in one of the rooms of her London mansion trudging behind, eyes wide as he took in the elaborate decor of the house. Cat greeted them all with a kiss on both cheeks and offered to show them the newest addition to the renovated parts of the house, the glass winter garden.

     Several cousins with their families flooded in, as did Polly and Cousin Michael, matching with her plum coloured dress and his waistcoat. Only noticeable absence was the oldest Shelby brother, and his supposed wife-to-be. It would not be for long.

     A hush fell over the entrance hall once the two appeared I the doorway, halting the conversation between Tommy, Cat, Polly and Charlie. Arthur sauntered in, air of relaxation fortified with what was surely a few glasses of whiskey, the woman beside him following in quick, short steps.

          He paused before the four with a wide smile behind his unruly moustache. "Linda, I want to introduce you to the Shelby clan. This is my family," he introduced each by name, and Caterina noticed, he made no mention of her different last name. It filled her with a moment of warm acceptance.

     A firm grip clasped her hand, and shook it steadily. She had to give it to the woman, at least she did not tremble in their presence.

     To her right, Cat could practically hear Polly's spine straightening as she took in the blonde and yellow thing clinging to Arthur's arm. She was well shorter than the eldest Shelby sibling, and tidy in every form of that word. Not a single blonde curl stood out of place beneath her boxy hat, nor did she have any creases in the canary yellow dress that fell well bellow her knees.

     "You must be Aunt Polly," she spoke with a crisp, polite tone that revealed nothing. Linda outstretched a hand, expecting a handshake with the older woman

     "Arthur's told me a lot about you. How you raised him, and his brothers. It's very admirable," Linda tried with a smile, "It is a very devout thing to do."

     "I know," Polly replied with equal amount of brisk, leaving the woman's hand to fall limply after a few seconds of awkward hesitation.

     Caterina took the opportunity to shuffle slowly to her left, inching closer to her partner until she could whisper by his chin. "I don't like it, Tommy."

     "Tell me about it," he murmured, lips wrapped around the cigarette he was about to light. Just as he took the first drag in, Caterina snatched it from his fingers to take a drag of her own.