"Fabergé is not part of the deal. We would not offer you Fabergé eggs."
"Mr. Romanov, my jeweler here, he advises me to insists on Fabergé."
"It's a deal breaker, Tommy." To our surprise Tatiana had rose to her feet and mysteriously walked up to one of the boxes behind her. Slowly she opened it and carefully grabbed beautiful detailed Fabergé.
"Oh, hell..."
~~~
When we had the suitcase full, we had drove away from the insane household and went on to Birmingham, leaving Alfie alone with him driving back to London. I would soon give him a visit again, but for now too much had to be done back in Small Heath. We had reinforcements of veterans and had explained the plan, hoping it would all be clear so they could dig to the big treasury of the Russians. Though, today, we had a big celebration to deal with and all dressed up, we, as whole family, had made a photo before walking into our new business, Grace Shelby Institute For Orphaned Children. Stepping foot inside among my brother we had took our seat.
"Welcome to the opening.... of the Grace Shelby Institute for the non-insured children of the poor. I would very much like you to join me in thanking the man that made the founding of this establishment actually possible. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Thomas Shelby."
With joy the crowd started to cheer and applause for Thomas who stood up with his kid in his arms. Meanwhile, I and Michael laughed at each other when we heard Arthur scream from the background.
"SPEECH!! COME ONE SPEECH!! SAY IT TO 'EM, TOM, SAY IT!"
Tommy handed Charles over to my niece, his sister, Ada, making his way to the lectern in the middle of the slightly upper ground he was now standing on.
"LAY THE FOUNDATION!" John yelled at him after Arthur was done.
"Um, I didn't come here today to make a speech, but I will say this. These children are now safe. In our care, they will be safe. Because we are from the same cold streets as they are. And in our care, they won't be shipped away to the colonies. Or separated from kin. Or made to work for men in their various way. They will grow up here. At home. Loved." I glared up at Michael as he looked disturbed and hurt behind his serious face expression. "In Birmingham. Because this is our city. By the order of the Peaky Blinders."
"By the order of the Peaky Blinders." Arthur confirmed as I still hadn't switched my attention from Michael, glaring at my brother with concern.
"Get up!"
We obeyed and stood up, applauding for the second time. Tommy nodded at the public with us in it and stepped away from the lectern, my mother taking over the speech again.
"Now, let us sing Immortal Invisible." My mother took her place and together we sang the song for the opening of the Institute. The room was beautifully decorated with colorful flowers, carpets and cloths hanging on the walls. When the time had come the song was over, everybody went their own way in the building and in the corner of my eye I locked gazes with a weird priest before he roamed through the same hallways Tommy had done a few minutes ago. It had caused some strange thoughts in my head and followed my brother who as well followed the same path both men had walked in a certain time.
"The, uh.... The Lord Mayor would like you to come and eat cake and drink some tea!" I heard my brother speak when I walked their way and saw him disappear behind the large half glass, half wooden doors.
"Tommy, Michael seems strange today. Any reason for that?"
"I don't know."
Together making our way to the feast room where everybody had gathered.
"I just spoke to Johnny Dogs. He said the tunnel's hit heavy clay... it's slowing him down."
"How long?"
"Two days before they hit the wall."
"Tell him to dig a sink hole to drain the clay." Tommy pointed out at John as he took a step closer while Arthur and I had our distance.
"He asked if you could go down and have a look yourself, Tom. I told him wild horses wouldn't get you down."
"Mmm." Tommy turned around, nothing a kind-looking lady talking to him and he quickly nodded while smiling dearly at her.
"Mr. Shelby, I would just like to say that I wish I had met your dear wife before she was taken from us, and I would like to allocate an hour a day of each of my ladies' time to make winter clothes for the little ones."
"Speak to my secretary, Miss Stark, in the gray hat. She knows my diary."
Tommy had send the woman away and Arthur and I stepped a little closer, keeping the conversation between the four of us.
"Fuck me, Tom. I don't know how you do it. Incoming."
Another woman interrupted us and I sighed loudly.
"Mr. Shelby."
"Yes?"
"Ohh, your little boy looks so much like you."
"Yes. Yes. He's a little rascal isn't he?"
"Mr. Shelby, would it be too inconvenient to steal you for a moment?" She pulled Tommy away from us and I raised an eyebrow at John and Arthur as they as well looked confused.
"No, no. No inconvenience at all."
"Tommy, I'm sorry. He wants you."
"Oh, come here, Charlie."
"Here's daddy."
I swear, I didn't know how he could deal with all this. As assassin I was always in the shadows and I already hated the light I was in now, let stand being in the shoes of Tommy. Ada had handed over Charlie to Tommy as he was crying loudly, probably missing his father. Tommy shushed his little kid while bouncing him a little up and down so he would silence a bit.
"Oh, little boy."
"So lovely to see a man willing to hold his child in public."
They had made a picture together with horse the women gave the two and suddenly he watched the room in concern as did I. Charlie was nowhere to be seen and fuck, something bad had happened.
"Where's Charles, Ada?"
~~~