The Poisoned Rose

Chapter Forty-One

Staring into the distance, watching the trees sway in the wind, Rose was deep in thought. Things were beginning to change, she knew that, she was going to have to fight again. Rose Crawford had died yet she had been replaced by Rose Shelby, they were still the same person but now she had more power, and she knew how to fight. 

His sigh from beside her, caused her trance to break and turn to glance at him, "What do you want?"

"I need some advice." Tommy replied, his eyes trained upon her, "And you are the only person I knew would be able to help me."

"There are many people that would provide you help." 

Tommy laughed, "None that have the knowledge that you possess."

Rose looked away from him and back at the large gardens through the window, "You've become too complacent Tommy."

"What are you talking about?"

"You need advice." She said angrily, "And I am now giving it to you."

Tommy grabbed her upper arm, "I am Thomas Shelby, leader of the Peaky Blinders."

"And there it is again," She sneered back at him, "Your weakness."

"I have no weakness."

A bitter laugh slipped out of her mouth, "And again."

"Stop it." He shouted, "I came here asking for your advice not to listen to you berate me."

Rose turned to him so that their heads were almost touching, "You think you are invincible Tommy, you think no one will be able to stop you." She pulled his hand off her arm and let it go immediately, "That shall be your downfall. That shall be the end of you."

"You don't know that."

"Every great man who thinks nothing can stop him has been killed by his own power." Rose told him, "Listen carefully Tommy, or you are going to die."

He smirked, "I do not have to put up with this."

"But you will, because you know I am right."

Tommy glanced away from her, "I am expanding the business."

"Why? What do you get from expanding the business?" Rose asked him, "You already have enough power."

Shaking his head, he told her, "No, we have to constantly change to stay the most powerful family."

Scoffing, Rose stared coldly at him, "You rule the majority of England, instead of wanting more, you need to concentrate on keeping what you have. You are already struggling, why add more?"

"Majority of England," Tommy ignored what she had said, "I need to rule all of England."

"You are not listening! Listen to me Tommy." Rose shouted, "Stop being blind!"

Tommy laughed, "I am not blind."

"An uprising is brewing Tommy, an uprising which shall see the end of your reign."

"You are lying." He spat out, "You are the biggest liar there is. Rose Shelby, no, you shall always be a Crawford."

Rose grabbed his chin, "Your men are angry, they are growing tired of your antics. Do not blame me when you are the one to blame. Be careful Tommy, be so very careful."

And with that she left the room, leaving Tommy to his own thoughts. 

"Why were you shouting?" Michael asked her as she walked into the kitchen. He along with John, Finn and a couple of more of the younger Blinders were sat smoking. 

"He asked me advice and then became angry at what I had to say."

John passed her a cigarette, "Did he hurt you?"

"No." Rose told him immediately, "The only person he's going to hurt is himself."

The men all nodded, "Isn't that true." 

"Thomas Shelby is old." Michael muttered, "He doesn't care, not anymore. To him the only important thing is his ambition."

Finn then added, "He's my brother but I cannot follow him blindly. Tommy doesn't care about who dies, only if he gets what he wants. To him our lives mean nothing."

"And what he plans to do will not actually help any of us."

"He's ill." Rose said sadly, "Power has tainted him."

John agreed with his wife, "That is the only thing he truly cares about, power. Charlie asked for his father yesterday, he misses him. Yet Tommy still won't go to him."

"He's going to get us all killed if we are not careful." Michael informed them, "We're going to have to do something drastic."

Rose shook her head, "Firstly, we must try to help him. We should try to solve it peacefully and then if that doesn't work then violence may be our only option."

"Violence is the only thing Tommy knows."