In Small Heath | Peaky Blinders

nine; as the wind blows

"You're in the Garrison with Martha. Ada and I will run this betting shop and I'm sure Finn would love to help."

With that small piece of information, Dora was livid. Why was someone of her status being made to work in a place full of the common folk? Surely, someone who carried the Longley surname and the legacy that it supposedly had with royalty, would be somewhere other than a pub. A stingy pub.

"Aunt Pol!"

A voice called out, but it wasn't just any voice. No, it was Bash; Sebastian Shelby, the middle child, who had been the one to tell for her- Tommy followed rather quickly behind her, them both being completely unaware to the self-proclaimed mothers meeting that had been going on.

Eyes scanned the room, brows raising once John, Arthur and Tommy saw their elusive sister in law, Bash didn't really seem to even acknowledge her like John did to Martha .

No one really expected him to, though. Not when they were about to ruin their Aunts sanity.

"Go-on, Bash! Tell her, or are you too scared?" Tommy taunted, jabbing his elbow into the side of his brothers chest, earning a whack from Polly and a glare from Ada who just wanted her brothers to stay home- to not get themselves hurt, because it was inevitable with the Shelby Genes.

Sebastian Shelby was no chicken, no scaredy cat- he was the bravest; in his eyes obviously, out of everyone. Gently, or rather harshly, shoving his younger brother sideways, a wicked grin slid onto his face.

"Ant' even been to war and they've already promoted me. Int' that great?"

That piece of information was new, even to Thomas, but Bash enjoyed keeping everyone on their toes. He was far too quick of a thinker to not pull one over his brothers eyes; though he had wanted the perfect time to tel people of his promotion.

Pollys face dropped, to her; a promotion wasn't the best thing to hear, it meant that her favourite nephew would have more responsibilities and more of a chance to be injured during this prolonged six month war- it was bad enough all four of the older Shelbys were being shipped off to God knows where to fight God knows who. She knew that Finn would be distraught, Ada wouldn't quite understand why it had to be Bash and his wife— well, Polly knew that the money hungry woman would be over the moon to receive a bigger pay check.

"Shouldn't you tell your wife this information in private?" Dora almost shrieked with her nasily voice, drawing the attention back to her.

"No- you ain't exactly family, are you?" Bash said aloud, he wasn't supposed to but that didn't mean he didn't mean it.

Bash didn't marry for love, not like John had, and how Tommy desired it- he married for his family, for better connections just in case something happened- and he was secretly hoping that she'd run off whilst he was away, allowing him to live out the rest of his life without the woman who sucked every ounce of happiness out of him.

"Sebastian! You shouldn't talk to your wife like that!"

There it was again, Dora's insufferable voice; grating on every last nerve in his body- he wasn't one to hit a woman, or even fathom it, but her actions weren't that of a noble lady as she claimed to be, she was more common than the Shelbys combined.

"Oh, bite me, Theodora."

Thomas physically cringed at the oh-so common bickering between husband and wife; Bash always had excuses as to why he was never home, usually by the Cut, or with the Shelbys uncle, Charlie, looking after the horses. Anywhere his wife wouldn't be seen dead near- places with too much dirt or too many common folk around.

"I'm going to see Charlie." That was Bash's go to excuse to leave and he'd always stick to it, the moment Lola shows up in Charlie's Yard, is the day Hell freezes over- or the day someone dies.

Probably not even then, actually.

"Right- so I'll see you when you come back from war, then? Because you can never stay in a room with me for more than a minute, are you a puff? Do you prefer the company of other me-" Dora was cut off by the sharp slap from Polly Grey, there was no way she was going to let the harlot slate her nephew without repercussions.

"Watch your mouth- this isn't your home, Theodora. The moment Bash leaves Small Heath, we all know you'll run back to your parents."

The cold hard truth seemed to hit a nerve, her face contorted from a scowl to a fake pout. Polly Grey didn't care, Ada Shelby didn't bat an eyelid and Martha- well, she simply turned her back to the Fake Shelby without a care. The two Male Shelbys had already left, without hesitation- the slap was enough to witness for one day.

"You'll regret that, Elizabeth Grey. You'll regret that!"

With that, the women left the hysterical Dora without a care, not even batting an eyelid; but little Finn had a better idea, picking up a glob of mud mixed with either beer or water and threw it at her rather pale dress before running off to find Thomas and Bash.

Boys will be boys, right?