In the Garrison, Harry and Clara were working behind the bar, Grace wasn't anywhere to be seen, thank the lord. Clara had just served a middle aged man some scotch whiskey, and accepted the coins when none other than Finn Shelby comes through the door, weaving through the older men who were triple his height, and grabbing a chair. The Scott watched, amused, as practically her little brother, dragged the chair across to the bar, stood on it and took down a painting of the king.
"Finn, lad what are you doing?" Clara asked the young boy slightly amused.
He hopped down off the bar and said "we're having a fire, cmon Clar, Tom wants you" as he left.
"Who's having a fire?" Harry asked watching as the doors closed behind the young Shelby
"God knows Harry, I've not been told nothing" she took a drag of her cigarette and blew out the smoke.
"You better go have a look if Tommy wants you"
She contemplated him for a second
"Are you sure you're alright with that, I'll be back in a few minutes, sorry Harry"
"Don't worry about it I'll manage" and with that she grabbed her coat, walked around the bar and out through the doors.
She stepped onto Watery Lane and already she could see and hear the commotion, a pile of wood was stacked high, pictures of the King scattered among the wood.
People all around were cheering but Clara soon found her boys and walked over, standing between John and Tommy.
"Nice way to make a statement lads" she said Arthur offering her a sip of whatever alcohol he had in the flask he was holding, and she graciously accepted, letting the liquid trickle down her throat before handing it back to the elder boy who grinned at her.
"Do you want to do one Clars?" John asked from beside her, holding out a painting of the king.
"Why not," so taking the picture, she threw it in to the flames, which immediately engulfed it, licking at the edges.
"Chuck em on boys" Tommy called out throwing one on as well. He held out an unlit cigarette for Clara and placed it between her lips, lighting it for her. She smiled at him gratefully and took a drag, blowing the smoke out in his face. He chuckled at her actions and turned back to the fire.
"I hope to God you know what your doing" Arthur said gravely and all of them faced the fire again, all deep in thought, watching it burn.
Clara was taken out of her thoughts by a random man, with a pompous looking demeanour, oval glasses perched on his nose and a fedora hat sat on his head and said
"You're Tommy Shelby?" She looked round at Tommy and gave him a questioning look, which to her annoyance, he ignored.
"I am" he said to the man, then he turned to Clara and said "Clara, love, go back to the Garrison, tell Harry I said you could go home and then go to bed, I'll speak to you when I'm back" She nodded, deciding there was no point in arguing as he obviously didn't want to be overheard, she bade him and who she figured must be a reporter, goodnight and headed back to the Garrison, before returning home.
She entered the parlour and sat down with Polly who was reading the newspaper, and poured herself and the elder woman a cup of tea. Ada then came down the stairs, making both women look around at her.
"Good of you to join us" Pol said looking back down at her paper "where've you been all day" she asked while Ada went over and cut herself a slice of bread.
"In bed. Couldn't sleep. Then I couldn't wake up. Then I was cold, then I had to go for a wee. Then I was with this bear on a boat but that was just a dream" she walked over to the table and sat down next to Clara and finished her spiel by saying "and then I was hungry"
"Sounds... eventful" Clara said smirking.
"Oh it was. Why are you reading the paper?" She directed at Polly.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"I've never seen you read a paper, I've only ever seen you light fires with them" Ada observed, and now Clara thought about it, she hadn't ever seen Pol read a paper either.
"BSA are on strike, the miners are on strike, IRA are killing our boys, ten a day"
"Yeah I heard about those, no clue why everyone's striking all of a sudden, they should be happy they even have jobs" Ada hummed in agreement but Polly wasn't listening, she was staring at Ada's stomach.
"What?" She asked
"Stand up" Polly commanded
"Why?" Ada said taking a bite of her bread
"Just stand up" the young woman stood up from the table dusting her hands off as she did so. Polly did too but Clara stayed seated and observed.
"Side on" Polly grabbed Ada's left breast and the younger flinched away, pushing her aunts hands away and exclaiming "what are you doing?!"
"Ada how late are you?"
"One week" she said timidly, Clara gave her a look from the table, that was not what she had told her the other day.
"Five weeks" she admitted at both Clara and Pollys gazes "seven if you count weekends, I think it's a lack of iron" both Pol and Clar breathed out simultaneously. Polly sat down in Ada's discarded chair and gave Clara a look.
"I got some tablets"
"But did they work ades?" Clara asked the girl
She paused and took a seat before saying "No"
"Well Ada we better take you to a doctor then" Polly said.
"Go to Mrs Simeons, she'll tell you if you are or not Ades"
Outside Mrs Simeons, Clara lit up a cigarette and handed it to Ada, thinking she'd need it more than her after the news and Pol said "keep bloody walking, if anybody sees us here they'll know"
"I'm not getting rid of it"
"I say depending on who the father is, it should be her choice Aunt Pol"
"Just come home and we'll talk about it" Polly gripped Ada's arm but she pulled away
"You get off me or I'll scream it, I swear"
A moment of silence ensued upon the three until Polly spoke "Alright, you want to do this on the street, let's do it. Who's is it"
"If I tell you, you'll tell them and they'll cut him to pieces,"
"Not if he marries you they won't" Clara said to Ada, lighting a cigarette for herself. "Will he marry you" she added as an after thought.
"I dunno, I dunno where he is"
"Jesus Christ, Ada"
"He's gone away but he said he'll come back"
"Yeah but they all say they'll come back, men are like that, have I not taught you anything" Clara groaned.
"He's not like that, he's a good man, he promised" and she started to cry, so Clara took her into her arms, rubbing her back comfortingly.
Still in the embrace, Ada looked up into Pols face "he will come back Aunt Pol, I know he will"
Clara pulled away from her slightly "let's get you home"
Next day came faster than expected and Tommy didn't speak to Clara like he promised. All she knew was that this morning he was out getting his new horse he had won from the Lee family.
Clara had a shift that morning so decided to walk to the pub half an hour early, just to get some extra work done. So putting on a plain blouse, skirt and cardigan, with black leather boots, she left the house, calling goodbye to a Ada, who didn't reply because she had locked herself up in her room ever since the night before. However, looking to cross the lane, she caught sight of Tommy and the new horse but he was talking to someone.
A blonde girl.
Grace.
Clara would say she wasn't an insecure person in the slightest, she was part of the biggest gang In Birmingham and ran the whole city, so why did she care about Grace. She was half of Clara, and for all we knew, could be some sort of spy, who knows anymore.
She told herself to forget about her so she did, but her thoughts were still plagued with Tommy. That was something she couldn't forget about.
Her shift actually started at 11 but when the clock striked she had already been wiping tables for 20 minutes, because the pub was empty, before none other than Grace came in, completely stopping Clara from forgetting about her.
"Do you want a drink or something?" The Scott said to Grace sassily, taking a drag of a cigarette.
"I'm working today, Harry said he was going to book you off, you can go home" she said in her thick Irish accent.
"But I have only worked like one shift all week, you've taken every one of them" she said affronted. No she didn't have to work it wasn't like she needed the money, but she did enjoy working there.
"Well doesn't seem like you really need the money, living with Tommy and everything"
"Dangerous game you're playing, first name basis with Tom now are we?" Clara said, walking round the bar and stepping closer to her.
"Just so you know, he wouldn't go near you with a ten foot pole" she added
"And he would you?"
"You know, love, you better watch your mouth, because my family, may not be blood, but will come and cut you if you say one thing to offend me"
"Or I could do it myself," she shrugged "I'd cut a nice deep smile into your mouth, maybe it would make you look half decent" Harry came out from out the back, looking thunderstruck at the sight of Clara and Grace standing face to face, and hearing the words that had just come out of the Peaky's mouth.
"What's going on here?" He said timidly
"Nothing," Clara said smiling, taking a step back from the frozen Grace, "just giving her a talk on how things are run around her, don't think anyone gave her the introduction" Clara grabbed her coat and made for the door, "enjoy your shift" she mockingly smiled holding her hand up and wiggling her fingers, and slammed the door behind her.
"Whats she being such a bitch for?" Grace asked, still looking at the place where the other woman had disappeared.
"I told you from the start, never ever get on Clara Scott's bad side. How did you manage to get on it so fast" he asked her
"Well I only spoke to Tommy"
"Ahh rookie mistake, rule number one, never interfere with Tommy and Clara" he explained to her, pouring them both a whisky.
"But they're not even dating" she said exasperated
"No one will ever know what happens between Clara and Tommy apart from them, but all we know is that there is something going on there"