|07|
WAR IN MY MIND
EMILY BROWNING | DAISY WILSON
ROSE GAZES AT the black and white picture on the wall of Tommy with a horse.
He looked almost happy.
There was another picture that caught her eye, it was what looked like a younger Tommy, Arthur and John, arms around each other.
Tommy was smiling so Rose knew it had to have been before the war.
He looked vulnerable, in a good way, he looked like he was open with his feelings and didn't care too much then. Genuine joy was in his eyes and that smile — that smile was real.
"So this is where we keep most of the documents about the races." Ada unlocks a cabinet drawer with a key before pulling it open. "So all the boring stuff basically."
Tommy had gotten Ada to show Rose around the betting shop that was attached to house, they had been walking in circles all morning as Ada attempted to explain to Rose what her new job consisted of.
She walks Rose to the other side of the office, showing her pay checks and bills. "Polly oversees all the financial nonsense, but you might have to look at transactions every now and then. Are you just as good with numbers than words?"
Rose focuses back on Ada, realising she was asking her a question. "Um, yes. I just prefer literature and you know, actual words."
"Who doesn't? I took one bookkeeping class at the town hall and fell asleep! Mr Holt had to wake me up to tell me everyone had left. There was drool on the desk." Ada recalls with a giggle.
"It can't be as bad as the time I was in Oxford, in an English lecture and I yawned." Rose laughs, struggling to finish her sentence. "But it came out as a really big burp that echoed everywhere."
The two lady's laugh in unison, holding one another. It was almost like they were school girls again, telling a joke about a strict mean teacher.
"I was surrounded by scholars, officials and children of bloody millionaires! They all heard it! I think the whole of Oxford did." Rose continues, struggling to breath.
Ada sighs, as her laugh declines.
"I'm so hungry, could do with a roast. Are you?"
"I ate this morning." Rose replies, watching Ada sit on the desk.
"I eat everything in the house sometimes and I'm still starving." Ada admits casually.
"Don't you feel sick afterwards?" Rose queries with a chuckle.
"I felt a bit sick this morning actually." She admits, turning around. "Only because I stuffed all the bread and jam from Penny's down my fucking throat."
Rose liked her; Ada didn't care much what people thought, she was pure and honest.
"How about I pour us a drink and we scrap the whole office tour for now?" Rose proposes, eyeing the bottle of alcohol on the desk.
"I don't really feel like it... I actually just don't feel good these days. Always being sick and the whiskey makes it worse."
For a second, Rose thought maybe Ada had declined because she didn't fully trust her yet or, she was supposed to be being professional.
Then it hit her, in such a barbaric manner, she shamed herself for not catching on sooner.
"A-are you pregnant?"
It was a risky question but, Rose couldn't help it. She had to ask or it would be pinching her all day.
Ada sighs, looking out the window to hide her facial expressions. "I mean I don't know I-"
"How late are you?" Rose didn't mean to pry, it just came out.
Ada turns around, looking at her with an anxious face. "Honestly, so late I forgot a time when I did have them."
For Ada's sake, Rose attempts to hide her shock.
"You can't tell a soul. Only aunt Polly knows."
She admits further, pouring herself a drink. "I thought if I ignored it then it would go away."
"Do you want it to go away?"
Silence fills the room almost immediately , a type of silence that was deafening to be around.
"They're going to cut him, my brothers. They're going to cut him up and dump him in The Cut." Ada whispers in grief to herself.
Rose stands besides her, putting a hand of comfort on her shoulder. "So, marry him. They won't if you marry him."
"It's not that easy, he's— he's not here." Ada croaks, on the verge of breaking down. "He went all the way down to Plymouth to get the right papers for something."
Rose rubs her back. "But he'll be back, right?"
Ada crumbles into tears, burying her face in her hands. It was an uncontrollable sob, the worst kind. As much as she tried to fight it back she couldn't.
Rose rushes to her aid, doing everything she can to comfort her.
•••
THE GARRISON
10:58pm
"Where the fuck is Tommy?" Arthur questions his brother, who was sat down drinking.
"He's out of Birmingham remember? He went to go pick up that new horse." John turns back to the men he was talking to, laughing.
"What the fuck is wrong with him? Always doing shit without telling us." Arthur complains as Daisy walks up to him, giving him a drink.
John puts his arm around his brother, trying to lighten the mood. "He'll be back before sunrise Arthur, no need to get your knickers in a twist." He jokes.
All at once, Finn Shelby breaks through the pub doors in utter panic, searching for his older brothers frantically.
"Woah! Finn, what's happened?" John questions as the eleven year old runs into his arms.
"The O'Donnells are here! They're heading for the pub!" Finn was shaking in fear.
"Daisy, get him home, now. Go through the back way." Arthur demands, giving Finn to her.
"But, what ab—"
"Now!" Arthur bellows. "And everyone here can go, all of you!"
Everyone in the pub takes off with the speed of lightening, cluttering around, trying to make it out the exit.
John looks at Arthur with fear."They must've known Tommy wasn't in town because why now?"
"Drink this." Arthur hands him a bottle of whiskey and watches him down it. "And take your gun out."
Feeling more confident, John takes out his gun, standing side by side with Arthur who was ready to fight.
Arthur looks John directly in the eyes. "Remember who we are. We're the Peaky fucking Blinders and we don't lose fights. Especially to an Irish traveller gang."
John nods vigorously, motivated.
The next thing they knew the doors burst open like a grenade, three O'Donnell men rush inside, screaming and throwing curse words as well as punches.
This was payback for what happened at the races.
John couldn't be held back as he punches one of them, before grabbing them by the head, fingers digging into their scalp. Arthur joins in, slamming his fists into one of their ribs.
•••
"There's so much blood coming out your nose!" Ada exclaims, "here put this cloth over it, I'll get ice, it'll help the bruising."
Arthur takes the cloth, holding it over his nose in agony. "You're Florence Nightingale now, eh?"
"Don't undermine me, brother" Ada warns, still tending to Arthur. "John you need to wipe the blood out your eyes."
"Since when did you give orders?" John questions with a mocking tone.
Ada puts her hands on her hips. "I'm a trained nurse!"
Arthur chuckles slightly. "Don't make me laugh, it hurts my face."
"I bloody am!"
"You went to one first aid class in the church hall and got thrown out for giggling." John adds, amused.
"Not before I got taught how to stop somebody from choking." Ada frowns, cleaning Arthur's wounds.
"Well he ain't choking." John argues from his seat.
"But you will be when I wrap this cloth round your neck." Ada responds with an attitude.
"I'm surprised they didn't use guns, the Irish are smart." Polly begins, wiping the blood on John's face. "You all are very lucky. It could've gone worse without Thomas."
"Because they weren't trying to kill us Pol, it was a message." Tommy sighs walking into the pub.
He had just gotten back and this was the first thing he walked into, a smashed up pub and his brothers beaten down.
"I wasn't even gone a day." He mutters to himself, Tommy hands John and Arthur bottles of whiskey. "It'll help the pain."
"At least we won that fight, didn't we Arthur?" John couldn't even turn his neck to address him, he was in that much pain.
"Why didn't the coppers come and help, we have some of them on payroll?" Arthur questions, annoyed.
"Because the O'Donnells are bribing chief inspector Whitely. Our cries for help are silent to them." Tommy answers.
"What are you going to do about the O'Donnell gang then, we can't keep doing this?" Polly interrogates Tommy. "You're holding up your part of the agreement by keeping them away from Kimber and his men but what protection is Kimber offering you, Thomas?"
"Polly, I'll sort it. In the mean time, you and Ada get John and Arthur home, they need rest." Tommy sits on the stool next to the counter.
He watches his family walk out the pub, and that's when he realised how much they really needed him.
"There's been fights in this pub, but this," Daisy says looking around, "this is the worst."
"Clean the barrels and sweep up the glass." Tommy lights his cigarette. "We'll buy new tables to replace the broken ones."
"Is it worth it Tommy?" She walks up to him, cautious of the broken glass on the floor. "Are the Kimber's worth the pub being destroyed?"
She edges closer to Tommy, trying to evoke a reply. "Siding with them, dancing with their girl, is it worth it?"
"What it's worth is not your business." He responds, blowing smoke in her face.
"They left this Tommy, a bullet with your name on it." Daisy slides it across the counter. "You know what that means, they're out for your head. A declaration of war from the whole O'Donnell clan. You might have the Peaky Blinders but the O'Donnells have a whole fucking battalion."
"A war is nothing I'm not used to."
Daisy shakes her head, fed up of his nonchalant attitude.
"I heard you gave her a job." She grabs a broom, sweeping. "Ada likes to talk a lot."
"That she does."
"I needed a job too, you knew that."
"You have a job."
Daisy stops what she's doing. "The Garrison only pays me so much, I need more to pay for my dads treatment and surgery. That's why I'm even here in Birmingham in the first place."
"She matched the criteria." Tommy replies, unbothered.
Daisy scoffs, biting back her irritation. "What, because she's seen Paris, New York, London? Because she has the glitz and the glamour?"
Tommy doesn't reply, smoking his cigarette.
"I stuck by you Tommy when you didn't have anything." Daisy couldn't hold back her annoyance anymore.
He turns around, looking at Daisy in the eyes for the first time in the whole conversation."But you left."
"You left first." She shoots back.
"But I came back, that's the difference."
Daisy turns around, continuing to sweep up. "She's going to leave you the second she finds someone else."
Tommy lets out a small condescending chuckle.
"—Someone else to work for." Daisy finishes, she knew what she was doing. "You know, for someone or something richer and better."
"Then it won't be anything I'm not used to."
Daisy knew that was a dig at her.
"Do you have a thing for women with flower names then?" Daisy jokes, in more of a ridiculing manner than friendly.
Tommy stands up, "The thing about daises is you pick them to know if someone loves you or not. Each petal, she loves me, she loves me not..." He trails off.
"What does that mean?" Daisy asks, confused, as Tommy comes closer to her, barely leaving space between them.
She breathes heavily, her heart beating as he speaks to her, inching closer.
"I don't mind getting pricked by thorns, Daisy." He whispers. "Does your flower have thorns?"
Her face changes.
"Send the bill to the Peaky Blinders, we'll pay for any damages that happened tonight."
Tommy puts on his peaky cap, walking out the pub and leaving Daisy to stand there on her own.
•••
does anyone actually like Daisy?