"Get the boys, John, we've got a boat to meet," I offered, strolling quickly through the den, hearing all of our bookies counting and taking bets.
"Where d'you think you're going, Thomas? It's race day!" Polly shouted after me as I swung my jacket over my shoulders, placing my hat atop my head.
"I've just gotten word that the gang is stomping up at the docks. They've just got here from Scotland..." I informed my aunt quietly, watching Arthur enter the front door of the house.
"Let's go, Tom, they've just landed," my brother waved me toward the door, and I nodded in response.
"Watch the shop, Pol, we're going to see what these Scots have to offer," I demanded.
The scene before me as I reached the docks, was, to say the least, unnerving. There, stood at the unloading bay of the ship, was a group of men in suits. When I say a group, I mean about sixty lads, all dressed in finely tailored grey suits, each with a tartan cravat and white carnation blossom.
"They've just been collecting their luggage," Arthur offered, still sitting by my side in the family car. "Said that there's a pair of brothers that head them, the MacKenna's."
"Why're they here so early?" I asked. "Why come to Birmingham when they're supposed to be here Sunday?"
"They're looking to cause a fuss, ten quid," John offered from the back of the car. "They're just here to ruffle your feathers and push us out."
"Nah, John, they'll not be wanting to do that," Packy offered, now appearing with his arm leant on the open window of the back seat. "They're here to meet Tommy." Out of instant reflex, my body jumped at his sudden apparition.
"How'dya know?" Arthur inquired. "You call 'em down here early?"
"You told the queen you needed soldiers. Here are your soldiers, Mister Shelby," The gypsy offered with a sly grin. "We've called in a favour to get them here early. They would've barely made it to the races had we not."
"Right," I nodded, getting out of the car. "Let's go."
My brothers followed, each of them donning their flat caps, and swaggering on behind me. I straightened my black coat, adjusting my own cap as I went. We followed the sandy trail down the hill and to the loading dock. Why so many Scotsmen?
In the madness of all the men acquiring their luggage and belongings, I noticed that this was too many trunks to only be here for a few weeks. They'd be staying for longer.
Every man parted before us as we walked to the front of the group, seeing two scarlet headed twin brothers speaking to the shipmaster.
"And you're sure you can't find it?" One called. "It's a purple velvet case, I'm right bloody sure it can't have gone far!"
"It's nowhere on board, Mister MacKenna," the shipmaster informed the boy.
"If I find otherwise," the other brother said intimidatingly, his extremely tall stature towering over the shipmaster. "You'll not like what we have to say to you."
I smiled at the boy's confidence and walked closer to the scene before me.
"Master Collins, I do believe that you may have forgotten to check the crew quarters!" I greeted the man, coming to stand next to the extremely tall red-headed gang leaders. "Maybe it slid into their compartments, on accident of course!"
"Oh, yes, Mister Shelby, I'll personally check, right away sir!" The moustached sailor nodded, the sight of me making him fall in line, and ran back into the cargo hold. This man had an affinity for pinching jewels and many fine things from the more rich passengers on his ship, just to slide in some extra cash.
"I'll be damned," One of the boys smirked and chuckled. "If it isn't the infamous Thomas Shelby."
"I'm just glad to be of service, Mister MacKenna. I've come to talk business," I pulled my cigarette case from my jacket pocket, lighting up a stick.
"We don't talk business," the opposing brother offered; the gruff, threatening one. "You'll have to talk to our-"
"I found your case, sirs!" Shipmaster Collins came back with the deep purple case, handing it off to the gruff brother.
"Thank you, Collins," I thanked the man, and watch him usher himself away.
"Oh, Kormac, Keiran, you found my case!" A small, red-headed woman in a three-piece grey suit cantered up to the brothers and smiled brightly between them. I studied her, freckles adorning the pale skin across her cheeks, bright crimson hair floating in ringlets around her form, a flat cap adorning her crown.
Her bright green eyes finally landed on me, looking me up and down before grinning. "Well, I'll be," She shook her head, and placed a hand in her pocket, extending the other to me. "Thomas Shelby, it's a pleasure!"
I took her hand, confused as to who this woman was until Kormac spoke up.
"Mister Shelby, this is our sister, Arabella MacKenna, leader of the Highlanders. You'll do business with her." I took the girls hand as her brother placed a long grey coat over her shoulders, the chill of the air now sweeping across the docks. The boys of her kin seemed very stoic, though they watched me with a careful eye as I greeted their sister.
"Aye, we're here to help you with your Italian problem, love," Arabella offered, smiling up at me. She was an awful cheery girl, and it unsteadied me. But it also let me release some of the tension in the air.
"These are my brothers," she motioned to the two very lengthy and strong men behind her, the two who shared the same face. "Keiran," she pointed to the civil man, the other coming next. "This is Kormac."
"Thank you for travelling to help us, Miss MacKenna," I nodded, offering her an arm to walk with me. "I take it you're who I do business with?"
Arabella took my arm, pulling a cigarette case from her jacket as we walked through the crowd of men once again. "Yeah, Keiran and Kormac know to let me handle the big business, jus' as long as I'm in line of sight, they'll let us talk," she informed me, lighting a black papered cigarette, smoking it slowly before offering it to me. I obliged. "I've been told by your gypsy queen that you've a little rivalry with Sabini."
"He's an obstacle I'd like out of my way," I nodded, taking another drag. I walked us closer to the docks, the wooden planks soon coming to reside above us as we stopped. "He's preventing me from using shipping docks in London, and I need that to make my business legitimate."
She nodded, her red curls bouncing along with her as she did. "You want to take him out," she contemplated, still attached to my arm, dragging her cigarette. "You need men to overpower him..."
"He's a lot more men than I have."I agreed. "He fixes the races, we protect his bookies. But I'm planning on making sure he's not got the legal right to take bets."
"You've already a plan," she smiled, taking a drag off of her cigarette as I once again passed it back to her.
"The Lees know that you're doing this?" She asked, finally finishing the fag.
"Yes. Packy Lee is one of the boys that called you down. And I 'ave a proposition for you," I replayed all of the plans that I'd come up with since arriving at the docks. The plan was somewhat strung together, but it was still a work in progress. "Your men work for me, I'll pay them for their day, and I'll give them a percentage of the bookie keep."
She seemed to think on the matter for a long while as we now stood face to face, wandered farther away from the group. Her brows knit together, and her eyes narrowed. As she looked back up to me, they widened and let me peer deep into the vibrant green.
As she paced the wet sand beneath us, I noticed the way in which she held herself. Tall, for as short as she was, her neck and back straight as a board. She was quite fit...
"We'll work with you, not for you. We won't take a percentage, but we'll take the pay. I'm already uppin' the pay fer their time out of Scotland," she answered.
With a slight nod I gave a sigh as I knew now I'd have to ask questions she wouldn't like.
"You've arrived early," I pointed out from under the dock back to the ship. "We were told you'd be here Sunday."
"I'm not planning on takin over yer city, Master Shelby," the woman chuckled brightly. "I'll help you with yer Italian mess before I pack up and head fer London. I do have a business to expand ya know."
I nodded, liking her answer and our deal, extending a hand, "I look forward to working with you, Miss MacKenna!"
"It'll stand!" She voiced enthusiastically, taking my hand. She leaned in closer to me and squeezed my fingers a bit tighter. "But, you have to let me put you in a proper suit, just for the races."
I couldn't help but chuckle a bit as I nodded to her, knowing that this family was in the tailoring business. And from what I'd seen of their men, they did fine work.
"Right," I said, letting her take my arm again. "Let's round 'em up! We've got work to do!"