Marguerite - A Thomas Shelby story

Epilogue (Part 2) - Take Me

1929, Period of the Wall Street Crash and British Fascism

Marguerite still suffered from nervous exhaustion. She was resilient, but from time to time, she couldn't control the stress. It had gotten to a point where she was often out of breath after shooting someone, because taking someone's life took a toll on her mental health. 

She often stayed home with Polly now. Polly too was sick, stressed. Michael and Tommy had been on edge with one another, especially since Michael had returned from America having lost a lot of money, but not just because of the Wall Street Crash. Gambling, useless spending, reckless investments and even treason... 

Tommy was furious, and Michael was disrespectful, having come back from America with a not-so-pleasant partner, named Gina. The young woman had a short, wavy blonde crop, a thin figure, a slim face and wide, dark, judging eyes. She constantly had a scornful, sarcastic grimace plastered on her bright red lips which drove Marguerite mad with rage. And her clothes were too bright, too tacky and disgustingly expensive. 

Polly and Marguerite were dragged into the awkward conflict of interest between Tommy and Michael Gray and Gina. Polly disliked Gina a lot, much like Marguerite. 

The family dynamic and situation was quite clear, despite it being tense. The Shelby brothers, Polly, Olivia, Marguerite and all the rest of the gang stood united to attempt to fix the financial ruin, and there was hostility from all of them towards Michael and Gina Gray. Even Polly was beyond disappointed in her son. 

Olivia had been wrong: Michael and Marguerite were not the same. She was loyal, and he was not. 

And now they were sat in the Garrison, listening to Michael lay down his new terms of employment in Shelby Company Limited. 

"You fucking what?" bellowed Arthur, standing from his seat, walking with a hunched back and swinging his arms towards Michael, who was sitting at the centre of them, with Gina standing proudly behind him, gazing as if in disgust at the family. 

"I wish to be the new director of the company. I want to improve this business." His voice was unwavering, serious. They couldn't quite believe it. After everything he'd done, he truly believed that he could take over the business with his hoarder of a wife. 

Tommy scoffed, taking a swig of his whiskey, exhaling loudly after gulping the warm liquid, feeling the alcohol melting down his throat, warming his chest. He hummed, uninterested as he eyed the stack of documents that Michael had laid out onto the sticky wooden table, as if his effort for formality would be met with compliance. Of course, he was entirely mistaken. He was foolish and self-centred, much like his wife, hoping to take the business from under Tommy's nose. But nobody questioned Tommy. No one should. 

Marguerite let out a sneer, returning from behind the bar to pour more whiskey for everyone, apart from Michael and Gina. After she had finished serving everyone, her black heels clicked loudly and obnoxiously on the flooring as she strut towards the now unwelcome couple, all the while keeping her gaze on Gina as she reciprocated the look of disgust. Setting down the almost empty bottle and two glasses in a lethargic, unbothered manner, in the same way that her husband would, she hissed; 

"If you want whiskey, pour it yourself." 

She said this, almost spitting at them, or at least wishing she could do so, but she kept her composure as best she could. 

Finn, Polly, Olivia, who was now with child, Arthur, the entire family was there. Aberama Gold, an ally of Tommy and lover of Polly was there too, along with Johnny Dogs, the uncle Charlie and a few other members of the gang who were not direct family. They all laughed along with Marguerite. They all liked her and her determination. She did not like her husband or his family being disrespected.