make sure to read 24 first!
"Mummy! Mummy! It's Christmas Eve!" Daisy exclaimed as she bounced up and down on Elijah's side of the bed, waking Florence from her sleep.
"Morning, sweet girl," Florence smiled as she rolled over in bed, looking up at Daisy's happy face, "What time is it, lovely?"
"Ten!" Daisy told her as she sat beside her on the bed, "We've been playing downstairs with Emma."
"That sounds lovely," Florence smiled, happy that her daughter finally seemed content with one of the nannies that Margaret had picked out for them, "Where's your brother?"
"He's downstairs with Uncle Vinnie," Daisy explained, "Vinnie said I should come and get you."
"Of course he did," Florence muttered, "Why don't you go and show him where we'll be putting Father Christmas' whiskey and mince pie tonight while I get myself ready?"
"Okay!" Daisy exclaimed as she scrambled off of the bed, rushing out of the bedroom, letting the door slam behind her.
Florence slowly climbed out of the bed, making her way over to her wardrobe where she had picked out her clothes the night before. A dark red blouse with a tweed jacket and wide legged trousers. Her wardrobe had changed considerably since she had left Small Heath. She concluded that to do well in London society she at least needed to look the part.
Once she had got herself dressed and applied her signature dark makeup she slipped combed through her hair, taming any loose strands. Content with her appearance she made her way downstairs, welcomed by the sound of high pitched squeals.
"I'm gonna get you!" Vinnie's playful voice rang through the house as Daisy and her brother squealed playfully.
Florence entered the living room to see Vinnie chasing her two children around in circles. Daisy, now six years old, was dressed in a dark red dress similar to the shade of Florence's shirt. Florence's youngest child, Oliver, was dressed in a white shirt and deep red shorts.
Oliver was three years old and conceived on Florence and Elijah's anniversary trip to Paris, which was to make up for their lack of honeymoon. Despite Florence's concerns about whether the siblings would look much alike, they did share similarities, proving that the Dawson genes remained strong.
"Come here, you cheeky rascal," Florence crouched down, scooping up her son, "What have you been up to?"
"Chasing Uncle Vin Vin!" Oliver replied with an excited grin.
"Good boy!" Florence grinned, bouncing the boy on her hip as she watched Daisy drag Vinnie over to her dollhouse.
Florence knew that it wasn't the sort of life that an average twenty six year old man would be particularly interested in involving himself in. But that didn't matter, because all that mattered to Vinnie is that he was finally experiencing what it meant to be part of a loving family. He also adored his niece and nephew so that helped considerably.
"Mummy, when will Dad be home?" Daisy asked as she approached her mother.
"Tonight, petal," Florence assured her, "His ship docks in Southampton, one of the drivers will be there to pick him up, but he'll be back late tonight so you'll see him in the morning."
Florence realised in the first few months that she'd been living in London that it was best for her sanity to try and forget Tommy Shelby. But she knew that was easier said than done, because even though it wasn't necessarily blindingly obvious that Daisy wasn't Elijah's biological child, Florence could see Tommy everytime she looked at her. The way she smiled, the way she frowned when didn't get her own way, she had all the mannerisms of Tommy Shelby.
"Would you two like to make some Christmas cards today?" Florence suggested to the children, not entirely sure of how else to entertain them on Christmas Eve.
"Yes!" Daisy grinned, "We'll make one for Dad, and one to send Grandma Imelda in heaven."
Daisy loved to talk about Imelda, she was obsessed with hearing stories about her. She would tell the other children at school that she was extra special because she had an angel grandma watching over her.
"That sounds like a lovely idea," Florence smiled as she placed Oliver back down on the floor.
"Come on, Ollie!" Daisy grinned as she took her brother's hand and dragged him out of the room in search of the playroom where most of their toys were kept.
"Florence," Emma appeared in the open doorway, "There's some post for you, I've left it on your desk in the study."
"Thank you, Emma," Florence smiled, "Would you mind helping the children, they want to make Christmas cards."
"Of course," Emma nodded before exiting the room, leaving the two Dawson siblings alone.
"Tony told me it was dealt with cleanly," Vinnie told Florence, referring to what had happened the night before.
"Will he be easy to find?" Florence asked, knowing that the orphanage would cease to exist once Mr Chapman's body had been found, allowing Florence to help relocate the children to a safer home.
"I imagine it'll be sometime between Christmas and new years," Vinnie told her, "I've already found them a more suitable alternative home that seems willing to take the children on."
"In London?" Florence replied.
"Birmingham," Vinnie told her, "It's called the Grace Shelby Institute."
Florence had been rather selective in the information she shared with her brother regarding life in Small Heath. She may have mentioned the Shelby brothers in passing, but given that she hadn't returned to the city in six years, she had no reason to tell him more than that. It wasn't an issue of trust, she knew she could trust him with anything, including the truth about who Daisy's father was if she wanted to. She just feared that it might complicate things, and despite the line of work that the pair had found themselves in, she didn't know how her brother would react to Daisy being the product of her relationship with Birmingham's most notorious gangster.
She was also aware that Tommy had married Grace. She had been sent a wedding invitation, it was the first form of contact she'd had from Tommy since the day she left. But it wasn't Tommy who sent the invitation, she didn't recognise the handwriting but assumed it belonged to someone of good education, concluding that Grace sent it to toy with her. So she tossed it into the fireplace, watching the corners of the expensive paper curl up and burn into ash, with no desire to attend or give her blessing to that marriage.
It wasn't that she was jealous, because she wasn't, it was that Grace had betrayed Tommy, and yet Tommy had found it in himself to look beyond that. Whether it was because he was blinded by love or because he had truly forgotten everything that woman put the people he cared about through, she hadn't decided.
But Florence didn't forget, Grace would always be the woman who in many ways signed Imelda's death warrant. As much as Florence had accepted that it was a case of wrong place wrong time, she still blamed Grace for betraying Tommy and the Peaky Blinders like that.
After leaving Birmingham Florence had continued to stay in contact with Polly. The two women would write letters to each other, updating each other on the state of their lives, so with that came the news of Grace's death.
The emotions that came upon hearing that news were complex. She had never liked the woman, but that didn't mean that she truly wanted the woman dead. She would also never wish that sort of hurt on Tommy, no matter how much she once resented him. And then there was little Charles, who Polly had told her about, she dreaded to think of the little boy growing up without his mother.
"Who did you speak to?" Florence asked, snapping out of her haze, "At this institute?"
"It was a woman, we only spoke on the phone," Vinnie told her, "They seem to really care about the children."
"Good," Florence nodded, "Will you join the children? Tell them that I'll be in shortly."
"Is everything alright?" Vinnie asked, noticing a shift in his sister's disposition.
"Yes," Florence nodded, "I've just a mountain of things to sort through before Christmas."
"Come and get me if you need any help," Vinnie told her.
"I will," Florence smiled before making her way out of the living room and into the room that she had made her home office.
Florence and Elijah lived in his parents' London house for the first year that they were in the city, until they found a large townhouse that they both liked, not far from the West End. It had four floors, allowing for the children to have their own bedrooms, a playroom and an office for both Florence and Elijah.
Florence entered the office, which was as tidy as usual, there was a stack of letters on her desk which she decided needed immediate attention. She liked to make a habit of dealing with all work matters before Christmas so that she could spend the festive period fully focused on spending time with the children and Elijah.
She sifted through the envelopes, opening and discarding the various Christmas cards sent from suppliers and friends who the couple had made during their time in London. There were letters from contractors about new business ventures in the new year, so she filed them, intending to review them in the new year.
Lastly was an envelope, sent as airmail, which she first assumed must have been sent by Elijah some weeks ago when he first arrived in New York. But upon closer inspection she realised that the letter wasn't addressed to her, it was addressed to Daisy. The name read: Miss Daisy Shelby.
Florence tore the envelope open, wondering how anyone could know the truth about who Daisy's father was. The only people she told were Ada, Polly and Tommy himself, and she trusted each of those people to keep it secret, so how could anyone outside of the country know?
She pulled a card out of the envelope, opened it and quickly dropped it onto the table in fear, it was a black hand. She knew what it meant to be sent a black hand, she knew that was bigger than anything she experienced in Small Heath, black hands were the work of the Mafia.
The card read: Merry Christmas to you and your family, From Luca Changretta and Family.
She didn't have a clue who Luca Changretta was and she didn't know what she or Daisy could have done to be served a black hand by a man they didn't know. But then it dawned on her, whatever this was it had to involve the Shelby family, why else would the envelope be addressed to Daisy Shelby?
In a moment of fear she shoved the card back into the envelope before slipping it into her pocket. There was only one person who could give her the answers that she needed, and that person resided in a city she vowed she would never return to. She also knew that as much as she could hold her own, she and the children were vulnerable in London, it may have been a city that they called home, but they didn't have an army of men willing to protect them there.
She picked up the telephone and dialled the number for the staff quarters in the basement, hoping that her driver would answer first.
"Hello?" The familiar voice of one of the drivers came through the phone.
"I need a car ready within the hour," Florence told him, "I'll drive it myself, but I'll need you to stock up on fuel."
"Where will you be driving to, Mrs Harrington?" The driver asked.
"Birmingham."
"Alright, Mrs Harrington," The driver replied.
"Have whoever's collecting my husband up from the ferry in Southampton drive him straight to Harrington House, is that understood?" She replied.
"Of course, Mrs Harrington, I'll have the car parked at the front of the house as soon as possible," He told her before she placed the phone back on the hook.
She hurried out of the office and into the playroom where Vinnie was sitting with the two children, decorating Christmas cards.
"Change of plans," Florence told him, attempting to not appear panicked, "We'll be spending Christmas at Harrington House."
"Really?" Vinnie asked, standing up and approaching his sister, "With the mother in law from hell?"
"It'd be nice for her to see the children," Florence assured him, even though Vinnie knew that Florence didn't like Margaret enough to spend the festive period with her without a valid reason.
"Be honest with me, Flo," Vinnie muttered.
"We're not safe here, something's happening," Florence whispered, "Birmingham is the only place we'll get answers and it's the only place we're protected."
"Whatever you say, I'll get packing," Vinnie told her before leaving the room, knowing his sister well enough to know that she'd tell him the full story when she was ready.
"Pack for the children too, please," Florence called out.
"Yes, boss." Vinnie shouted back.
"Emma," Florence smiled at the nanny who was sitting with the children, "Would you mind getting the children ready to leave?"
"Of course," Emma nodded.
"We won't be here for Christmas so tell the chef that whatever food he was going to cook for us, it can be shared amongst the staff," Florence told her.
"That's very kind, thank you," Emma smiled before Florence rushed out of the playroom, heading upstairs to pack herself a suitcase.
She reached her bedroom and rummaged through her wardrobe, picking out various items of clothing and shoving them into a suitcase. She didn't know how long she'd need to be in Birmingham, so she concluded that it would be best to overpack.
She opened the top drawer in her chest of drawers and rummaged for her gun, pulling it out and tucking it into her holster under her blazer. She slipped her feet into her heeled boots before retrieving her bags from the bed and rushing back down the stairs.
"Mummy, where are we going?" Oliver asked as Emma helped him to put his coat on.
"We're visiting Granny and Uncle George," Florence explained as she dropped her bags beside the children's bags, "You'll also get to spend Christmas with your cousins, that'll be fun, won't it?"
"But how will Santa know where to deliver our presents?" Daisy asked.
"We might just have to wait a little bit longer to open those presents, my love," Florence told her, knowing that she couldn't realistically transport her two children and all the presents to Birmingham, given the urgent need to leave London, "But I'm sure Granny will have lots of presents for you to open."
"Can we still leave him a whiskey?" Daisy asked, reminding Florence that it had been the little girl's favourite activity last year.
"Of course we can," Florence smiled.
"We've never been to Granny's house," Daisy remarked.
"I know, I think you'll love it, sweet girl," Florence assured her daughter.
"Ready?" Vinnie asked his sister as he came down the stairs, tucking his revolver into his shoulder holster.
"To Birmingham we go." Florence sighed.
The drive to Birmingham was just as cold and bleak as Florence had anticipated. It might have been six years since she had left the city, but she still knew its roads as though they were the back of her hand. The children had ended up falling asleep in the back of the car while Vinnie continued to ask questions about what exactly was putting them in danger. Florence was honest, she explained that she didn't know the true extent of what was unravelling, she didn't know why her six year old daughter had been served a black hand, but she knew there was someone who might know.
"Here we are," Florence smiled as she pulled up onto the gravel outside Harrington House, the sun having set in the time it had taken to drive all the way from London.
"I know Elijah's family are rich, but I wasn't expecting this," Vinnie muttered as he climbed out of the car, looking up at the large house where Elijah and George had grown up.
"Would you get Ollie out of the car?" Florence asked, ignoring her brother's statement as she helped a now awake Daisy out of the car.
"What about the bags?" Vinnie asked as he picked up a sleepy Oliver.
"One of Margaret's staff will handle them," Florence told him as she took Daisy's hand and led her up the steps towards the front door, which was already open, George standing in the doorway, taken aback to see his sister in law.
"I didn't know we were expecting you," George remarked as Florence and Daisy entered the house.
"Georgie!" Daisy grinned as she ran towards her uncle, wrapping her arms around his legs.
"Hello, little rascal, how's my favourite niece?" George asked, crouching down to see her, "Are you excited for Christmas?"
"Very! I asked Santa for a puppy." Daisy told him.
"Well, why don't you see if you can find Granny and the twins?" George asked, noticing how on edge Florence seemed, "I think they're in the drawing room."
"Alright," Daisy nodded, turning to Vinnie who was still carrying Oliver, "Come on Vinnie."
"Yes, your majesty," Vinnie saluted her playfully, following her down the corridor towards the drawing room, leaving George and Florence alone.
"What's happened?" George asked, knowing that something must've happened to trigger Florence's return, given just how strongly Florence felt about never returning to Birmingham.
"Florence?" Margaret appeared, approaching the pair, "What a pleasant surprise."
"Margaret, it's lovely to see you," Florence smiled, politely greeting the woman, "I'm so sorry for turning up unannounced, we've had a nightmare with our kitchens, a burst pipe would you believe it?"
"Oh that's awful," Margaret nodded, visibly tipsy.
"I've told Elijah's driver to bring him straight here, his ship should have docked an hour ago, so it'll be a few hours," Florence explained.
"How delightful," Margaret smiled with too much enthusiasm.
"Lizzie will also be joining us for Christmas," George explained.
About a year after Florence and Elijah left Birmingham George's wife Diana had given birth to twins, but there were complications. She lost a lot of blood and there wasn't much that the doctor could do to save her. Given that George and Diana were never emotionally close, it didn't take him long to move on, and somehow he found himself in the arms of Lizzie Stark.
"Oh terrific, Christmas with the bastard child and the prostitute." Margaret clapped her hands together.
"Margaret," Florence snapped, "You like living here don't you?"
"Yes." Margaret nodded.
"And who did Richard leave this house to in his will?" Florence asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"Elijah." Margaret answered.
"Mmhmm, and what's mine is his and what's his is mine, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't use such obscene language under this roof, are we clear?" Florence remarked.
"Of course," Margaret sighed.
"Good," Florence smiled, "Now feel free to go and spend some time with your grandchildren, I don't know how long we'll be staying."
"Very well." Margaret nodded before returning to the drawing room.
"She likes Lizzie a lot less than she likes you," George assured her.
"I know," Florence sighed.
"So tell me, what's the real reason you're here?" George asked.
Florence contemplated whether or not she should tell George the truth, but she knew that in his absence at the family firm, he had been working with the Peaky Blinders as one of Tommy's right hand men. After what had happened the year before with Arthur, John, Michael and Polly's necks in nooses, all of them except Michael cut ties, meaning that Tommy needed someone that he could trust at his side, someone he knew could keep him updated on Florence and Daisy's wellbeing. He would be able to give her the information she needed.
"What do you know about the Changrettas?" Florence asked.
"Why do you want to know-"
"Just tell me what you know, George." Florence replied.
"Angel Changretta is the man who the Peaky Blinders had problems with that led to Grace's death, he's also dead," George explained, "And Vicente Changretta is his father, Arthur killed him."
"And Luca Changretta?" Florence remarked.
"He's the oldest son, he's been living in New York, why?" George asked.
"It doesn't matter right now, do you have a gun here?" She replied.
"Of course," George answered, "I've got the twins here, should I be worried?"
"I don't know," Florence sighed, "None of the Shelbys live in Small Heath anymore, do they?"
"No, they've all dispersed since they've been making more money, and since what happened last year," George explained.
"Polly told me in one of her letters," Florence replied, recalling what she had been told about the near execution.
"None of them have been the same," George told her.
"I can imagine," Florence sighed, "And where does he live these days?"
"Who?" George asked.
"The devil."
author's note: we are so back...next stop, arrow house