devil's backbone 🗝 tommy shelby

chapter 24

"You, Sybbie, are going to love it.  Nothing like these fucking weddings out here — these... these are weddings."

The type we'll have one day.

Tommy smiled a little at the thought, staring down into her eyes, getting lost like he always did.  Placing one last deep kiss on her lips, he pulled away and took her hand.

"Now come on, we have to get the groom."

"I must say," Sybil began, exiting their home and watching as Tommy locked up. "I didn't think you'd be this excited about John marrying Lizzie Stark."

That's when Tommy's face fell. He knew that she would find out about him playing matchmaker eventually, but he thought he'd have a little bit more time before that. So, he bit the bullet, and confessed.

"He's not."

"I'm sorry?" Sybil asked in surprise. "Last I saw him, he was on his way to get your blessing. You mean to tell me that he's already found a new bride?"

"I rejected his relationship with Lizzie Stark because no matter how much she claimed to have changed, she didn't. Her profession came before my brother." Tommy explained. "So, I found him a new wife."

"Oh? And who might the lucky lady be?"

Tommy knew that by her tone she was getting angrier and angrier with him, but he continued.

"The Lee family — the ones who left the fucking bomb — they have a young woman in their family who needs a husband."

"Oh, for fucks sake, Thomas!" Sybil exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. "You can't be serious!"

"The Lee girl needs a husband, our John needs a wife, and I need peace between the lot of us. This is our only option."

"Is it really? Or is it the easiest option?"

Thomas took a step forward, closing the gap between them.  Looking down, he inched his face closer so that they were just barely touching, and spoke.

"'It's all about politics, or sex'," he began in a haunting whisper.  "You said it yourself, Sybil.  This marriage isn't your cousin's.  This isn't for the sake of appearances.  This arrangement is the only way all the killing is going to stop.  If this marriage doesn't happen, there will be a war.  And what we had before, that was just a taste of what they're capable of.  We all made it last time, but there are no guarantees.  They could come for my brothers, my sister, myself, or even you.  And I can't let that happen, Sybil.  I can't. So if this is what I have to do to prevent that fucking war from rising over that horizon, I'll do it, and I'll sleep on the fucking couch tonight.  Do you understand me?"

Sybil looked up into his wide, blue eyes and clenched her jaw, letting her stubborn nature take over.  Noticing this, Thomas knotted both of his hands through her loose curls and leaned her forehead against his, taking a deep breath.

"If there were another way, I'd've done it.  But there isn't.  If you wish to stay here, you may.  No one is stopping you, and no one will.  However, if you wish to come, you don't have to speak to me, but Finn will be there, and so will Polly, and so will my sister, Ada, who won't leave me alone about meeting you.  The choice is yours."