𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑-𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 || Peaky Blinders

IV.

"Will you watch them for a minute, I must go get ready for church." Polly poured her some tea, sliding it down the kitchen worktop. Martha merely nodded, taking a sip of her tea whilst the child was distracted. "Are you coming?" The woman asked and Martha couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her lips as Julia let out a snort.

"If you want her to burst out in flames." Julia retorted, barely avoiding a whack to the back of her by her mother. "Sorry, Ma. We have plans." She explained as Annabelle raised a brow at her daughter. Polly rolled her eyes, heading up to her room to get ready. "I still need to change so I'll meet you outside the shop in half an hour!" Julia called, scrambling after her mother so she wouldn't get into more trouble. It was hard to believe she was older than Martha.

Staring around the room, she knew that Polly would only be a few minutes but that didn't stop the internal panic. Honestly, she struggled to take care of herself, never mind someone else's snotty kids. To say John was always complaining, the children weren't the worst she had dealt with. As she sat at the table with them, they proceeded to ask her questions. You know, everything a child could be interested in. Her clothes, her hair, where she lived, if she would play with them, if she would read to them. His boys were twins, clearly had them before the war broke out because they were nearly five - Ella was his oldest and must have been seven, meaning John was only young when he had his first. He probably married at sixteen. And Katie, she wasn't sure of. Maybe he had been let on leave due to injury, it's the only way it made sense.

"You remind me of my Mama," Ella said, swinging her legs in her chair as the boys left to play out on the street. Martha had to remind them not to get dirty or Polly would be out for them. So, it was just the girls that remained. "Sorry." She added at Martha's clear discomfort. "You don't look like her. Just the same name, I think." Ella told her with a small smile. Had his wife been called Martha too? It was a terribly popular name. But she hadn't spoken to the boy. "Mama always gave us lots of hugs, like you are." She explained, watching her little sister snuggle into Martha's side. It's the most at peace she'd been in. When the door to the Den creaked open, it was a slight shock to see John barge in as he was looking for Polly.

"Have you seen-" He cut himself off, watching the three at the table as Martha turned around. "How'd you get them so quiet?" John was confused, normally they swarmed to him as soon as he showed his face.

"The boys are out front." She shrugged it off, looking down at Katie who seemed to be dozing off. "If you're looking for Pol, she's upstairs getting ready," Martha explained, receiving a curt nod from the boy who was now deep in thought. He didn't say anything, just beelined for the stairs. How odd.

♱

"This one!" Julia shouted in a hushed tone as Martha jogged up to the car. They had headed into the centre in hopes of finding one. "If you rip that suit, Ma will have your head." She said as she watched Martha get the door open. Both of them were swift to get in so they didn't get caught. It hadn't been that long since had done this so the car started and they were off. The races. Her brother's contacts were there and she had to worm her way in before him. She was posing as Joshua because none of them knew him. Corrupting business from the inside. That company was rightfully hers but she had decided she didn't want it, the company was everything she stood against. One day she would reinvent it but for now, it had to go. The Westbrook's didn't deserve a legacy.

Pulling up at the races, it didn't take long until they had lied their way into the Private room where all the rich elites pranced about with glasses of champagne in their hands as they chatted about politics or danced to the lively band. The hall was all too familiar. She'd been to ones so similar all around the country; she'd performed, served, danced. A thousand lives in a few short years. Her eyes were immediately attracted to the groups of men that sat around the dance floor. Two caught her eye: Billy Kimber and his men, her brother's new clients.

As Julia sat and looked pretty, Martha explained her plan as they all drooled over her best friend. It was disgusting really but it was always Julia's idea, she loved the thrill of people chasing but never receiving her. Guilty pleasure, really. They were on board after a few hours of discussion, their money will diverge to another account and if Joshua attempted to contact them - they would believe him to be a fake. The downfall had begun.

They were ready to leave, having a drink on the house before they slipped out. Martha should've been on film. Her acting immaculate and her singing skills come in handy to lower her voice. It was all going so well, too well.

Their expedition was almost over when trouble arose. Both of them minding their business when someone called out Julia's name. It was Jack. She knew that. They dipped down a back corridor as they couldn't risk being caught, you don't know who belonged to which side around here. Grabbing a hat from the rack, Martha placed the grand hat on Julia's head to disguise her a bit more. The car wasn't too far now. She just hoped that the boy wasn't as familiar with this type of building like she was. And it seemed to have worked, cutting out the back off the building and into a flock of people.

So the last person she expected to bump into was Thomas Shelby. He was heading towards the building when their shoulders collided. Stopping in his tracks, she looked back to see the familiar face which was a problem because he had now seen her too. The man looked like he was going to say something until he recognised who it was. Shit. This was not supposed to happen. In regards to her, he'd already been quite nosey so this wasn't going to end well. Why was she at the races? Why was she only here with Julia? How did she get here? And more importantly, why was she crossdressing? These things weren't easy to explain.

Julia must have noticed the man too as she tugged Martha along before he could follow them. Slipping into the car, they remained silent as they pulled away from the grounds and back onto the roads. Thomas had watched them drive off, now more curious than ever. It seemed to be a never-ending mystery with this Harper that frustrated him miserably. She was the only one he knew nothing about and the only one he couldn't figure out. And that's how she wanted to keep it. All of them at arm's length because this was a temporary thing. She'd be moving on once she finished what she just started.

   Attachments couldn't get in the way, even if curiosity was trying to drag her down. It was a weakness, love, at least for her. She fell head over heels or she felt nothing at all. So distance was needed. Julia was the only one she kept close because she was the only one that ever understood: her boundaries, her love, her mind. People tried but always gave up. Excuse her for not fleeing into their laps, for wanting to leave again. Family wasn't sacred. Not to her. Blood meant nothing and she realised that the harsh way. It was ridiculous to keep family close when one is forced to be their relative.