"Danny bolted," Tommy said, leaning against the doorway to the parlour.
"Oh, fuck," Arthur replied as he cleaned the still healing cut on his forehead. "So what, we're at war with Italians now?"
"Don't be so dramatic," Polly chided.
"No..." Tommy said.
"Why are you saying it like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like you can't quite believe it."
Tommy blew out a trail of smoke and took another drag of his cigarette.
"They seemed so certain on it. It isn't in character for them to just accept that he would be gone. They'd want some sort of penance."
"Just be glad they don't," Pol said, putting a cup of tea in front of him. "Tessa will be happy at least."
"How is she?" Tommy said, interested.
"What?" Polly sighed.
"Well..."
"You don't think she had something to do with it?" Arthur asked incredulously. "What sway would our Tess have over the Italians?"
"That's what I'm afraid of."
"Well don't be," Polly said. "She stayed in the house all day yesterday like you said and now she's upstairs, sick."
"She's sick?"
"Temperature," Polly nodded. "She's been sleeping all morning. I'm gonna get her up now or she won't sleep tonight."
"Y'know she's not a baby anymore," Arthur laughed.
Polly smacked him on the back of the head as she went.
----
She returned with Tessa trailing behind. She was paler than usual and dark marks lined her eyes.
"Alright, Tess?" Tommy asked.
"I'm not talking to you."
"Sit down, love," Polly said, sliding her a cup of tea and some jam and bread.
"Thanks, Pol."
"And Tommy's got something to tell you."
Tessa looked up to find him studying her. She hated when he did that. He was searching for answers and she couldn't afford to give them up. Telling her family would escalate things, and that was when people got hurt. For all she knew, the baker would never cash in his favour, and they could forget all about the whole business.
"Danny ran away last night. He got on a boat to London. He's alive."
Tessa made her eyes widen, trying to seem shocked.
"That's wonderful."
Tommy didn't say anything as she swapped her attention to her lunch, but she could feel his eyes on her. And not just hers. Tessa glanced to her left and saw Polly staring at her too. Was she really so transparent?
"Well, Arthur and I better get going. We're meeting up with John and then going to the faire. It's a shame you're so sick, Tessa, or you could have come," Tommy said as he and Arthur got to their feet. "See you, Pol."
Tessa avoided their eye as they passed, and let out a breath when the door shut.
"You must really be sick," she said. "To not put up a fight over that."
She shrugged, "Not that fussed."
"Really?"
"Really," Tessa said, and pushed her plate away. "I'm gonna go back to bed, see if I can sleep it off."
----
She didn't go back to sleep straight away. She just turned the situation over and over in her mind. It was the biggest decision she had ever made on her own, and she wasn't even sure if she should have made it. Had she made things worse? Had she signed her own death warrant?
Now she was being dramatic. Pol always said the more you think about something, the worse it gets. Tessa could understand that now. When she'd been younger, she'd had people to think for her. As she got older, she had people to think with, to guide her and ultimately take responsibility. She wondered if she hadn't left that stage yet, and was punching above her weight.
It was done. Nothing more to be said, or thought about.
She slept.
----
She slept all day, and only woke the next morning. Maybe she had come down with something. It was only knocking that woke her. She cringed at the noise and rolled out of bed. She bet it was Pol, coming home from church. But it was soon clear that that wasn't the case. The soft knocking continued, a knock every two second, like clockwork.
Tessa fastened up her shirt buttons and pulled her suspenders up onto her shoulders as she approached the door. She took a breath and opened it.
A man smiled at her. He had light hair and a moustache. Maybe in his fifties?
Behind him, carnage reigned. People were being dragged from their houses through their broken doors, furniture being thrown out of windows. Their neighbour wailed as a vase went flying from their upstairs bedroom and shattered on the pavement.
"Thanks for knocking," she said. "I expect you want some tea, Detective Inspector."
"You know me?" the man said in a broad Irish accent.
"Of course," she said, stepping back to admit him entrance.
She and three policemen followed him into the parlour. She got to it making them tea, trying to stall. She didn't know what they had planned for her but she wasn't sure she'd be able to take four of them in such a small space. She glanced back and saw him turning over the book she was reading in his hands.
"I must say, I admire your bravery," she said.
"Hmm?" he said, placing The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde back on the table.
"Coming here when the boys are out of town, so you don't get your heads staved in."
"Colourful," Campbell said.
"And of course, bringing your lapdogs with you," she said, nodding to the policemen.
She poured the tea and sat on the opposite side of the table.
"What can I do for you?"
"That depends on what you know."
"Oh, I don't get told anything," she took a sip. "I'm decoration more than anything."
"Then why don't you wear a dress?"
"Not my expertise."
She wanted to break his nose and rip off that ridiculous moustache.
Campbell smiled, "See I think you're lying to me. I think you know more than you're letting on."
"About what?"
"The stolen guns."
Tessa blinked. Well, she wasn't expecting him to mention something she actually didn't know about. She didn't know if that made the situation easier or not.
"I don't know anything about any guns."
"Really? Because from my understanding, it's your father, Thomas, in charge of things around here, not Arthur. Doesn't he let things slip occasionally?"
"I don't have much to do with the business."
"Oh. Okay. Could you explain this to me then - why were you seen beating two men within an inch of their lives just this week?"
Tessa scoffed, "'Inch of their lives?' Come on."
"Or last month," Campbell continued. "the... Peaky Blinders... got into an altercation with the Marshall family, in which you were again sighted slashing a man's face to ribbons. Is that where those came from?" he asked, nodding to the bruising on her arms.
"No."
The fact he had pointed out the only injuries she had gained under honourable circumstances made her snap.
"Now if that's all you have to say to me, Inspector, I'd like to get back to bed now. I've been sick these last few days and I would hate to pass that onto you or your entourage," Tessa said with a polite smile.
"Funny," he said, staring at her. "You seem remarkably switched on to me."
"What the fuck are you doing?" Pol's voice rattled down the hallway as she burst into the parlour. She took in the scene and almost snarled. "Get out of this house."
Campbell stood up.
"Thank you for the tea, Theresa."
Tessa winced at the use of her full name as Pol closed the door behind them. She rushed back into the room.
"Are you alright, love?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Pol, do you know about any guns?"
Polly's face fell.
"He told you."
"Yes," Tessa said tightly. "He told me, but not in detail. Maybe you can fill me in."
"You wait for your dad. They'll be back any time. He should be the one to tell you."
"That's what he's here for isn't it? Not fucking communists," Tessa said.
Pol nodded.
"Does he have it under control? Dad?"
"I don't know, Tess," worry shone in her aunt's eyes. "I don't know."
Tessa slid an untouched teacup over to her and they sat in silence and waited. Tessa flipped open Jekyll and Hyde.
An hour later, they heard the car pull up outside and almost instantly, the door was slammed open.
"Pol?!"
"We're in here," Polly shouted back, then pursed her lips.
The four boys, along with Scudboat and Lovelock came into the room. Finn stole one of the biscuits from Tessa's plate and ran back upstairs while the other three fumed.
"What the bloody hell's going on here?" Tommy demanded.
"Inspector Campbell. He's searching all the homes. The coppers told everyone Arthur agreed to it when he was arrested. They said the Peaky Blinders had cleared out to the fair to let them do it."
"I never said nothing to that copper about smashing up bloody houses."
"Did they come here?"
"Yes, Thomas, they did," Polly said shortly. "Came in and Campbell was sat at the table here with three coppers and Tess on the other side."
"They hurt you?" Tommy asked.
"Better bloody not have," John chimed in.
"No. Just talked," Tessa said, sighing.
"About what?" Arthur demanded. "I swear when I - "
"Can you calm down? He just talked. Asked me questions I didn't know the answers to, so it's a good job things didn't escalate," Tessa said pointedly to her father.
"I'm sorry, Tess," he said, realising what she was implying. He knew she knew.
"Alright," he sighed. "Which pubs did they do?"
"The Guns, The Chain, The Marquis," Pol said. "All the ones that pay you to protect them. Only one they didn't touch was The Garrison. Make sure people think we were in on it. He's smart, this copper," she took a drag of her cigarette. "So go on, get out. You'd better show people you are still the cocks of the walk."
They all filtered out apart from Tommy and Arthur.
"Hand out some cash to the landlords of the pubs. Organise the clean up," Tommy told the others as they left.
"So what about you, Tommy?" Arthur asked.
"I have to go to Charlie's to stable the horse. She looked footsore in the box."
"Let them see your faces," Pol said as she saw Arthur into the shop and closed the doors so that only she, Tommy, and Tessa remained.
"So we both know what we were looking for," Pol said.
Tommy cut a look to Tessa.
"He told me, Dad," she said, leaning her elbows on the table. "He told me about the guns."
"I figured," he said, irritated. "And what else did he say?"
"Called me Theresa. Made me want to vomit but that's not important."
"He ever comes near you again, you come and tell me, right?" he said, that fierce protectiveness rearing its head. He kept it under wraps a lot of the time, but the flash in his eyes signalled its awakening. "There's no reason for him to talk to you other than to provoke me."
"Oh that was clear," Tessa said. "Asked me why I don't wear a dress."
Tommy clenched his jaw.
"I can't guarantee he won't try to hurt you, Tess."
"I can take him," she insisted.
"You shouldn't fucking have to."
"You don't read the papers," Pol said, seeing that her nephew was one more comment from storming out and blowing the Inspector's brains all over his office.
"Racing papers," Tommy replied.
"So let me tell you the odds. 3:1 says there's gonna be a revolution."
"I wouldn't bet on that."
"That copper's betting on it. He's not gonna let it rest until he gets those guns back."
"Did he talk to you, Pol?"
"In the Church."
"Did he try to find our Ada?"
"She was sleeping."
He scoffed, "Where was she sleeping, Pol?"
"I thought you didn't care for women's business," she smiled. "He knows you're the boss. He wants to meet you. Will you talk to him?"
"No. You don't parley when you're on the back foot. We'll strike a blow back first."
"And what does that involve?" Tessa asked.
"Come with me and find out. Unless you're too sick, of course."
She glared at him and stood up.
"I've already had enough of men breathing down my neck today. If I come with you, you're gonna shut up."
"Done," he said, exasperated, and held open the door for her.
"And the boys are coming."
"... Fine."
----
Tessa stood between Arthur and Tommy at the bonfire. Arthur voiced his concerns that he hoped he knew what Tommy was doing. Tessa had to admit that she shared his apprehensions.
Richie, Eddie, and Jack were smart enough to stand a distance from her when she was with her family. She winked at them when they threw on their collection of the King's portrait. Jack was having the time of his life.
----
"Oh fuck," was all Tessa had to say.
"Oh fuck indeed," Pol replied.
"She's fucking pregnant," Tessa whispered. "How did that happen?"
"Surely I don't need to explain that to you."
Tessa made a disgusted face.
"Obviously I know. I just don't see the appeal. At all."
"Good. It causes shit like this. She's not... taking it well."
"Yeah, you know who also isn't going to take this well?" Tessa said, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Let me worry about your father. Just try to keep out of trouble for the time being, eh? Give him one thing concentrate on and he won't explode."
"I think he's got more than one thing going around in head, Pol."
Polly sighed, "Those bloody guns."
"I've seen them."
"When?"
"Went to find them."
"And you did?"
"Course I did. I heard Dad telling Charlie where to put them. Don't worry, I went on my own. They're... frightening."
"You think they're frightening?" Pol said, raising an eyebrow.
"Maybe not the right word. They're just... big. It's like you look at them and can see exactly what they're gonna be used to do to someone. Makes me want to burn them. Or throw them in the Cut."
Polly reached across the table and touched her chin.
"You hide that big heart well, Tess," she smiled. "That's a good thing. Just don't forget about it, okay?"
Tessa frowned.
"I won't," she promised.
Their heads whipped around at the sound of the door opening. Even through the thrum of people that occupied the house as well as the shop placing bets, Tommy had an aura that made his presence known.
"Shit," Tessa said, biting her lip.
"Go upstairs," Pol said, getting to her feet. "I'll deal with his."
"I want to find Ada."
"No. I know you're worried for her, love, but it'll be better if you stay out of this one."
"Because of my mum?"
She hadn't meant to say it. It just slipped out.
Polly turned to her, a look of shock on her face. Tessa had never mentioned her mother. Ever.
"I - "
"Pol," Tommy said, stepping into the parlour. "You wanted to see me?"
Polly was still staring dumbfounded at Tessa. She tried to collect herself.
"Tess?" Tommy asked, confused.
"I'll be upstairs," Tess said, squeezing Pol's arm as she went by to let her know she wasn't upset. "Don't be too mad, Dad."
----
Tessa came back down once she heard the slam of the door. Pol fell down into her chair and was puffing furiously on her cigarette. Tessa sat next to her silently. The woman offered her one and she took it.
"Do you think of your mother often?" Pol asked.
"I'm not here to talk about her," Tessa said quietly, taking a drag.
"You brought her up, love."
"I didn't mean to."
She tapped the ash in the pot in the middle of the table and pushed her curls back off her face.
"No, I don't think of her. I've got enough family here."
"Good," Pol smiled. "Soon to be one more."
"Might be twins."
"Oh Christ, I hope not," Pol laughed lightly, then her smile dropped. "You know whose it is."
"Yes."
"How long have you known?"
"It wasn't my business to say. If she wanted you to know, that was Ada's decision."
"Good girl," Pol tapped her cigarette. "For someone raised in this household, you've got a surprising set of morals."
"So have you, Pol."
Polly laughed so hard she almost choked on her cigarette.
"Oh, love, that's very nice to say. We both know that's not exactly true."
Tessa shrugged, "You always do your best by us."
"I try."
Tessa looked up at the door at a light knock from the shop. She immediately put out her cigarette at the sight of Daisy Knowles.
"Daisy," Tessa said, getting to her feet. Then she realised she didn't know what to say. "How... how are you?"
Daisy shrugged, "I'm okay."
"Good."
There was an uncomfortable silence, which Pol dispelled.
"Would you like to come in?" she asked kindly, obviously remembering the name as the girl who the Stones brothers had attacked.
"Actually, could we go outside. It's a bit close in here."
Tessa saw her pull down the collar of her dress, and how the sweat ran down the side of her face.
"Yeah, coming."
She picked up her hat from the sideboard, as usual, and placed it on as they went out onto the street. A boy met them there. He was the same height as Tessa, with blonde tufty hair and freckles. He was wearing shorts and an ill-fitting jumper. Daisy's dress was greying.
"This is my brother, Reg."
Tessa held out her hand and Reg, a little confused, shook it. Tessa supposed he wasn't used to shaking girls' hands.
"I just wanted to thank you. For what you did to..." she trailed off, a dark look crossing her face. "Thanks for doing it so I didn't have to. I don't think I could get over that. I don't think I would have stopped."
"Have they bothered you again?"
"No."
"Because I could finish the job if you want."
All it would take would be for her to let them get the upper hand, mess her face up a bit, and then she would have all the permission she needed. A very small price to pay.
Daisy looked at her, hard. Then she swallowed.
"No."
"If you change your mind, you know where I am."
"You would do it?" Reg asked.
Tessa nodded.
"I have a special hatred for men who hurt women. Especially like that," she said, and didn't say any more on the subject.
"I want to go back to the pub. Wanna prove that I can, but..."
"You don't want to see them? I told them to stay away from you."
"And they probably will. But..." she trailed off again and Tessa could see the anger inside her. It seemed to radiate from her like heat.
"You don't want to take the chance?"
"I said I would be there," Reg said. "But I'm not exactly a fighter."
Tessa took one look at his skinny legs and skeletal frame and had to agree.
"When do you want to go?"
She licked her lips.
"Not tonight. It'll be busy. A lunchtime maybe. Before payday."
"Just you let me know," Tessa said. "And I'll make sure no one even looks at you the wrong way."
The girl gave her a smile, then held out her hand. Tessa took it, and smiled approvingly at the girl's tough grip. It occurred to her that she had never shaken another girl's hand before.
"Tessa Shelby, by the way. I don't think I've ever properly introduced myself."
"Daisy Rebecca Knowles."
"And Reginald Argent Knowles."
"Argent. Strange."
"I am a bit," he said, grinning. His grin faltered until Tessa returned it.
"We won't keep you if you're busy. We live just on the next street. Forth from the end if you ever want to find us," Daisy said. "Opposite the barbers."
"Right."
Tessa put her hands in her pocket, unsure what to do next.
"Right," Daisy said.
"Right," Reg repeated.
She cleared her throat.
"Right!" Daisy said, grabbing her brother and pulling him along with her down the street.
Tessa waved when she turned back, then quickly ducked inside again. She manoeuvred around the full room to get to the shop, and got behind the desk next to John.
"What's got you smiling like that?" he asked.
"Met some new people." Or clients, anyway. Not that she would ask for payment from them, but being hired to protect someone was a first.
"Boy?" he said, handing someone their receipt.
"The boy is most certainly not a threat, don't you worry," Tessa laughed, and got to counting the random notes and coins being thrown at her.
She didn't even tell any of the customers to fuck off, which was a first for her.
The race started and ended, and they all cleared out. Monaghan Boy lost for the first time in three races, conveniently on the day they had their most earnings. John left as they finished counting with a whoop of glee, and headed straight down The Garrison, Arthur close behind him. Finn went to bed after Tessa caught him falling asleep on top of the ledger and slobbering on the pages.
Pol had gone out, presumably to see Ada, which left her alone when Tommy returned.
He barely looked at the vast amounts of money on the table in front of them as he picked up a bottle of whiskey and sat opposite her. He tipped out a sizeable glass, and drank. Occasionally, he would give her her own glass but she felt like tonight wasn't the night to ask.
"You knew about Freddie?" he asked.
Tessa nodded.
He sighed and ran a hand down the long part of his hair.
"Fuck's sake."
"I couldn't tell you."
"I know."
That was the entirety of their conversation for the next hour as Tommy drank more, and Tessa updated the ledger. She put down the pen when she heard Polly enter, knowing it was about to get even more tense.
Their aunt put down her hat on the table and looked at the money.
"So Monaghan Boy finally lost."
"Third time unlucky. We took money from all over the city."
"Yeah but you'll pay it back to people around here. Buy your popularity back."
"Already done."
"Taught you well."
Polly leaned over the table and Tessa closed her eyes, knowing what was coming.
"And you fixed this race with permission of Billy Kimber?"
Tommy scoffed, and the next moment, the glass in his hand shattered against the wall.
"I obviously didn't teach you well enough!" Polly yelled. "Rule one, you don't punch above your weight."
"Billy Kimber is there for the taking."
"Says who? Says Tommy and his parliament of one?"
"Dad - "
"Quiet, Tessa."
"I ran this business for five years," Polly said.
"Yeah, while I was away fighting, remember? Where I learnt some things, such as you strike when your enemy is weak."
He stood up and went to get himself another glass.
"I thought you came here to talk family business."
Polly took out a cigarette.
"I'll deal with it," she motioned to the money. "You're too busy taking over the world."
"Polly. If it's about Ada, I need to know."
She sighed.
"Fine," she muttered, and took out a letter. She walked around the table and handed it to Tommy. "Ada wants you to give Freddie this letter. She wants Freddie to know she's having his baby. He deserves an opportunity to do the right thing. I say we give them a chance."
If Tessa could have slipped out without either of them noticing, she would have. She didn't want to be here for this conversation but she couldn't leave now without making a scene. Instead, she sat still, and quiet.
Tommy turned the letter over in his hands.
"For a woman who's had a hard life with men, you're still full of romance, eh? What do you think Freddie sees in our Ada?"
Polly shrugged, "That's Freddie's business."
"No. No, I'll tell you what he sees. He sees machine guns and rifles, and ammunition and some glorious revolution. I bet if Tessa was a bit older, he'd have had a toss up between the two of them. At least Tess would have the sense to see through him."
Tessa concentrated on recounting the money.
"What is it you really don't like about Freddie?"
"She'll have no life with a man on the run. If you can't see that, you can't see much," he said as he placed the letter on top of the open grate of the fire.
He slipped it into the flames just as Polly raised the poker, ready to strike. She stilled, then threw it down onto the fire with a metallic clatter.
"Damn them for what they did to you in France!" Polly shouted.
"Tell Ada, Freddie went to America," Tommy said in a false calm.
Polly brushed past Tessa to get her bag.
"Or Russia. Polly it would do no good for Ada to bring a bastard baby into the world alone. It never works. What life will the baby have, never mind Ada?"
Polly lifted her bag onto her arm and walked out into the parlour, disappearing through the door.
"The truth is, you would have hit me with that thing, but you know I'm right!"
He kicked the cabinet he was leaning on in frustration, and took a calming breath. That was when he seemed to realise that he wasn't the only one in the room. Tessa had stopped counting the money and was staring down at her lap.
"Tessa?"
She ignored him, her expression blank.
He repeated his words over in his mind, then cursed himself.
"Tess, I didn't mean - " he sighed.
"'Never works'?" she said, looking up at him.
She wasn't crying. Tommy couldn't remember the last time that she'd cried, but the light from the fire gave the illusion that her eyes were filled with tears.
"Hey, I didn't mean you. This is Ada's situation, not yours."
"But I'm a bastard. My mum brought me into the world alone. And you didn't care. How are you any better than Freddie if he doesn't come back?"
Tommy looked down at the table, trying to keep his temper in check.
"That's not fair, Tessa."
"You wanted me shipped to an orphanage. Maybe at least give Freddie the chance to see if he wants his child before making the decision for him."
Before she could say anything else she would regret, Tessa stood up and made to follow Polly, but Tommy grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"No," he said. "That wasn't how it happened."
"Arthur has a big mouth when he's drunk. You didn't even carry me home. You wanted to leave me there."
"I was - hey," he pulled her back when she tried to rip away from him. "Listen. I was young, and in shock."
"For two fucking years?"
Tommy hung his head and after a moment, let her go. She shrugged off his hand and stood there.
"It wouldn't matter to me if you weren't being such a pain in the arse about Ada. You didn't like me when I was a baby. Alright. Past's past. But you're repeating it all over again by not giving Freddie a chance. Do you regret how you acted when I was little?"
"Course I fucking do," Tommy murmured.
"Then don't make the same for him, no matter how much you hate him. And trust me, no matter how much you think he suffers, I can guarantee that baby will suffer tenfold."
Tommy didn't want to leave the conversation there, knowing from Tessa's trembling voice that she was the most emotional she'd been in a long time, but what could he say? She was right. He couldn't change the past.
He sighed, reached for his new glass, and filled it right to the rim.