Eye of the Storm | Thomas Shelby

III

1911

The sound of water sloshing fills the bedroom, as Evelyn dips a bloody rag in and out of the water basin in their bedroom.

As her pregnancy further progresses, she has noticed Thomas has been out late at night and indulges in what she calls scheming. She knows he feels the pressure of having another mouth to feed.

Even though he isn't the official leader of the Peaky Blinders, she knows her husband partakes in gathering new business for them. It's his ideas that get them food on the table.

It seems tonight whoever he was dealing with wasn't happy with the terms and conditions of doing business with the Peaky Blinders. She had been coming back from the outhouse when Thomas had slithered in covered in blood. She had led him to the bedroom and quickly made him strip.

Now he is only in his boxers as she wipes away the blood. He has been quiet with his eyes closed as she tends to him. She wipes the last trace of blood away from his neck when she plops the rag into the basin.

She begins running her fingers through his hair and massaging his scalp. He melts into her as much as he can with her growing belly between them.

"Are you bothered by this?"

"No," she answers. She grew up with stories about Aberama Gold and the antics of the Lee's. Those men barely had souls. "I trust what you're doing is for the good of our family."

Besides, Thomas treats her right. He cares for her and their unborn child. Its more than most men.

Thomas moves her between his legs. His hands go to her waist as he is at eye level with her belly. His lips caress the fabric of her shift. "Our son won't grow up in this. I'm going to get us a house in the country. A big house with a bunch of horses."

They are rewarded with a few kicks in response to his words.

Thomas immediately places a kiss on the area of the kicks as he rubs her belly.

Evelyn smiles.

~

1919

Evelyn wakes up startled when she hears the bedroom door click shut. She sits up and rubs her eyes. Considering how dark it is she knows it's after midnight.

"Is everything okay?" She mumbles sleepily.

"Go back to sleep," Thomas answers.

Evelyn frowns and she doesn't listen to him especially as she gets a strong whiff of copper. She turns on the oil lamp. Thomas looks like he stepped out of a butcher shop. She immediately gets out of bed.

She is awake and alert. "Christ, Thomas, you're lucky Jamie wasn't in here seeing you like this."

She didn't expect business would be this violent this quickly anyways. She had the misguided notion the men would have been done with their need for violence.

She doesn't bother asking questions. She doesn't think she wants to know why they have been referring to her husband as the Devil anyways. Thomas also wouldn't answer her.

He doesn't fight her as she removes the bloody clothes.

"I don't even think these are worth saving," she mutters.

"Toss them in the fire," he adds as he works on lighting a cigarette.

"Your lungs are going to turn black."

"Worried bout me health?" He questions as he works on removing his pants.

She chucks his shirt in the fire and gathers the remaining articles of clothing and folds them neatly. "I would like to have my husband home in one piece."