The Queen Of Birmingham

5.

5. white wedding
'It's a nice day for a white wedding.'
~

Once Ivy had left the pub, she began walking in the general direction of her temporary home, planning on calling her office to see how things were doing. However, as she rounded one corner, a pure white material caught her eye against the thick grey bricks of Birmingham. The streets were practically empty, making this even more strange. Her curiosity got the better of her and Ivy quickened her pace in the direction of the mystery material.

Whoever it was seemed to be just far enough ahead of her so that she could never recognise who it was. However, once they reached the canal, she saw the figure decending down the stairs onto its bank. Leaning over the wall, Ivy was shocked to see Ada and Freddie.

Ada had been the one wearing what looked like a wedding dress while Freddie wore a suit far nicer than the ones he usually sports. Ivy's first thought was one of happiness as she could just about hear the excited whispers confirming that they were getting married. Her second thought, if Freddie was here, who the fuck was watching her shop?

Not wanting to confront him on his wedding day, Ivy instead marched to the nearest place that she knew had a phone, Shelby company limited, still located in the same place as it used to be when her father co-owned it.

Bursting through the door, she marched around the room in search of a phone. Polly Gray had stood up in her office, peering through the door when she heard the whole room of men turn silent. Upon seeing a phone on Polly's table, Ivy marched through the door of her office and sat down.

"As you were." Polly called to the men before closing the door. "Iviana fucking Thorne." Polly smiled as Ivy angrily dialled the number of her own shop.

"Hello?" A voice Ivy didn't recognise spoke on the other line.

"Who the fuck am I speaking to?" Her voice was stern, making Polly smile as she observed.

"May I ask who's calling?"

"May I know who the fuck is picking up my company's phone?"

"M-miss Thorne?" The man stuttered. "Johnathon Brown, Miss Thorne, I'm terribly sorry."

"And who is currently in charge of you Mr Brown? Or have you all just been left to have a piss up?"

"No, no. Your father is taking charge, Miss."

"Fan-fucking-tastic." Ivy hung up the phone, sitting back in the chair.

"Everything alright?" Polly asked sarcastically.

"I'm going to kill Freddie Thorne."

"Well you'll have Tommy to beat, he looked furious when he came back here after you told him it's Freddie's baby inside our Ada."

"He's going to be even more furious with what I have to tell him now."

"And what would that be Iviana?" Tommy entered the room as if on cue, cigarette in his mouth as always.

"Have you been eavesdropping?" Polly questioned.

"Well when a young woman comes barrelling into my betting shop, I tend to take notice, yes."

"Well I had to find a phone to call my shop seeing as my brother is currently in Small Heath marrying your sister."

"You what?" Polly stood up from her seat.

"What church?" Tommy exited the room with the clear intention of going to find them. He also thought that Ivy wouldn't object in front of a room full of men, oh how he was wrong.

"Thomas Shelby." She bellowed, once again silencing the room. She had a habit of silencing people wherever she went. "You walk out that door and I will chop your fucking balls off."

Not only was everyone in the room surprised a woman was talking to Tommy like that, they were surprised that he actually obeyed. Turning on his heels, he walked back into the room he had just walked out of.

"What do we do then?"

"You let Polly deal with this. If either of us show up, he'll know we put her up to it." Ivy turned to face Polly. "Polly, you offer them money to go to our side of Birmingham, there's no coppers looking for communists there. I know Ada won't want to leave Small Heath but convince her it's only temporary, just until I'm done here and can go back. I need Freddie back at the shop, my father can't handle it on his own. There's some extended family there who are nurses, too. They fix my boys up all the time, they can take care of Ada." Polly and Tommy looked at each other, thousands of questions running through each of their heads at what Ivy had just told them

"Alright." Polly simply nodded, understanding that Ivy was clearly under a lot of stress trying to manage her business from the other side of Birmingham. Ivy then left the shop, leaving Polly and Tommy stunned in her office.

"What the fuck happened to the sweet girl she used to be?" Polly asked.

"That's what I'm trying to find out." Tommy attempted to hide the emotion in his voice but Polly could see right through him.

"You still love her, don't you?"

"She's nowhere near the girl I fell in love with. I just need answers, Pol." Finishing his cigarette, he put it out in the ash tray before standing up. "You offer them twenty pounds. When Ivy's back and Freddie isn't needed there, you tell them to move on, go somewhere safer." Tommy left the room without a clue what was going to happen next. Ivy had suddenly burst back into his life and dominated every part of it.