petrovna. peaky blinders

C H A P T E R 18

"I have a meeting, that I want you and Arthur to attend. At the end of next month." Tommy dodged the question easily. Before John could press for an answer, he said, "it's about the Russians."

"Fuck sake, Tommy. You almost fucking died," John shouted, standing up and sending the rigid chair toppling to the floor behind him.

But Tommy remained stoic.

"Say it how it is, eh, John," he said, his eyes flickering to stare straight at him with a piercing gaze. "You want to know what you're getting into."

"I don't k-"

"You want to know what you're getting in with. Don't worry, John. None of this is your fault." But Tommy's voice didn't sound reassuring. "Not your fault."

"Go on. Tell Michael to come." Tommy said, wavering him off with a nod to the door.

John paused a moment, digesting what had just happened. And then he was turned like a shot, walking with long lengths to the door.

"Fucking Michael..." He muttered, pulling his flat cap back onto his head as he left the hospital room.

He had to see Ana.

The library, at the beginning of her stay, had once been the only room that Ana could find comfort in. Now, with her mother staying, it had become yet another tea room, the books discarded of thought and the beautiful smell of old pages being overcome by the sweet yet harsh scent of pastries and cakes. Mrs Barker, the housekeeper, never seemed to be out of it, a pot of fresh tea or a platter of biscuits in her hand as she pushed through the door and it was a surprise that her mother hadn't doubled in sized.

But Ana couldn't imagine the animosity that the housekeeper would surely feel for her. She was no longer Izabella's disliked niece, and so she had no reason to scorn her or 'forget' to bring her tea. Mrs Barker had to be nice to her. And for that she must have hated her more than ever.

The housekeeper had been sent out and asked not to return until lunch was to be had with her aunt, yet her mother had spoke not a single word of what she really wanted to say. Ana begun to get annoyed, huffing our and setting her tea cup down with a gentle clank.

"Are we going to talk about it?"

Ekaterina wasted no time in dawdling with her words.

"So are you with me, or not? Will you help?" She asked.

Ana nodded. "Yes, I will help. But I want to know what you will use those jewels for."

"The man I told you about- he can transfer them safely to actually buy those tanks and ammunition," she said.

"So they aren't actually buying the tanks, but you are? If they aren't using the priest and Tommy Shelby to buy them, then what are they doing?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's not good. Not good like what we'd be doing." Her mother leaned forward, gripping her hand in an attempt to persuade.

"That's not good enough."

"Don't you trust me?"

"No. Quite frankly, I don't." Ana scoffed, shaking her head. "Never mind. This man- the one you had an affair with. Who is he?"

If Ekaterina was affected at all by the mentioning of the fact that her daughter knew of her affair, she didn't show it at all. She merely shrugged, brushing it off and saying, "That doesn't matter. He wishes to remain discrete and I will respect that."

Ana moved to say something.

"You will too, Anastasiya." Ekaterina glared.

"A man doing so much for his cause and yet he wants to remain anonymous. Don't you find that humorous?" Ana almost laughed out. "Since when has a man ever done anything for a cause and not for the glory or himself?"

Her mother glared at her and Ana was startled by the sudden show of an emotion stronger than her pleading. After agreeing to help, in her mother's eyes, there was no need for the coaxing and over used kindness.

"I am still your mother Ana. You will do well to remember that," she snapped, moving to pick up her tea cup with an air of arrogance that made Ana scow. "Now we must plan how to go about this."

Ana shuffled about in her chair. She had the nerve to act as if she would do anything more than coax her along, when they both knew that it would be Ana doing the work. It was why she had been asked in the first place.

"Don't worry. I already know where to start."