red↳ thomas shelby

- XXII. -

[ B i r m i n g h a m , 1 9 2 2 ]

Now that Zara didn't have to split her time between her family and the Shelbys, she was quite bored. She was around five months pregnant, and Tommy was beginning to really restrict her workload. She couldn't attend most meetings with him anymore, and she wasn't allowed to help Arthur take over the Eden Club (which she had been looking forward to for a long time). Now, Zara spent most of her time with John's wife, Esme, at the betting shop, and trying to pretend that her whole life was not crumbling around her.

"I love you, Esme, but I don't know how much longer I can sit in this fucking little shop." Zara groaned, laying her head on the table as the women listened to the group of men outside, banging on the walls to get them to open up.

Esme laughed. "You get used to it, after a while."

That sounded like absolute hell to Zara. "Look what he's reduced me to! I was in line to run a whole gang, and now I can't even attend the meetings. It's like I'm his fucking prisoner." She scoffed.

Esme hummed. "Tommy's just trying to keep you and the baby safe."

"I have worked so hard my entire life to prove that women can be in charge. Now that I'm pregnant it's like none of that even matters." She picked her head up, and ran a hand through her hair, lightly pulling at the roots.

"Once you have the baby things will go back to normal." Esme shrugged.

"Will they?" Zara shook her head. "Was my father right? Am I just going to be Tommy's little housewife forever?"

Esme gave her friend a sad smile, and walked over to give her a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around Zara's shoulders and set her head on top of her friend's. "You and Tommy will figure it out. You always do." 

"Who the fuck is that?" Zara asked as someone began knocking softly on the door.

"We're not open for winnings yet." Esme called, going back to cleaning up the shop.

"I'm here to see Thomas Shelby. I have an appointment." A feminine voice replied. Esme looked at Zara who was just as confused.

"Come in." Esme opened the door for the woman, promptly closing it before any of the men could push their way in.

Zara scoffed as the woman from the auction came into the betting shop. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." She muttered to herself, shaking her head and planning her lover's murder when he showed up.

"May Carleton." She said, sticking her hand out for Esme to shake. The Gypsy woman shook it carefully, looking at the posh woman with suspicion.

"Mr. Shelby has his proper meetings in his other office." Esme said, looking at Zara.

"May, how lovely to see you." Zara fake smiled, getting up from her chair and walking towards the two women.

"Zara." May smiled back.

"Mrs. Shelby is fine." She placed a hand on her bump, directing May's attention to it. "Is my husband expecting you here?"

"This is the address he gave me." May smiled awkwardly.

"He gave you this address?" Esme asked.

"He said it was a gambling den. I told him that I'd wanted to see one since I'm always reading about them in the papers. Quite the big scandal in The Telegraph lately." May looked around. "Anyway, he said that I could come and have a look. And now I feel like a bit of an idiot because I'm early and he's late and I have no idea how to behave."