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Tommy Shelby was in London and looking to make an ally, or at least a deal. But Tommy was not one to walk into a business meeting without an advantage so he put some feelers out to see what he could learn about the man.
It was only a day before he learnt about Alfie Solomons' maid.
"She absolutely hates him, he's a beast to her. You can hear him roaring at her from the other side of the river." Someone told him. "She'd do anything to ruin him from the inside. If you want to get to Solomons, she's your girl."
"Why doesn't she just leave?" Tommy asked.
"She's got no one else. And she's clever. She knows being Solomons's maid offers some protection from the rest of London. Better face to one man than the rest of the world."
Tommy found out the address and watched it. From the shadows of an alley he listened to Alfie Solomons yell at the maid, accusing her of theft, telling her she did poor work and her food was inedible. There were bangs and crashes, but Tommy didn't hear a peep from the girl herself throughout the tirade. He wondered vaguely if she was dead.
The next morning Alfie left the house early and headed off to the bakery. Tommy lingered a while longer and after an hour the maid emerged. Tommy watched her head off before going to see Alfie.
After what Tommy would call a successful meeting he headed back to Birmingham with Curly.
Tommy walked out of Alfie's distillery with James, trying to shake off the shadow of death he had felt with Alfie's gun pointed at him. "Go back to my sister's." Tommy told the boy. "Don't tell her anything about this." James nodded and hurried off to get out of Camden as quickly as possible. Tommy watched him to make sure he was gone before heading to Alfie's house. He watched it for a few minutes before going up to it.
Tommy knocked on the front door and it was soon opened by the maid. She was shorter than him, her clothes plain and practical and her hair tied up away from her face. The girl blinked at him. "Tommy?" She scanned the street behind him. "Get in, quick." He squeezed past her and she shut the door behind him.
"Hello. It's been a while." She smiled at him.
"That it has. What brings Tommy Shelby down here? Come to drag me back to Birmingham?" She moved to the kitchen and put a kettle on the stove.
"No, I've come to see how you are." He murmured, taking a seat on the settee.
"How did you find me?" She asked, not facing him as she busied herself with mugs and tea. "I told no one where I was going. I didn't even know where I was headed when I left."
"I heard rumours." He watched her fuss for a few moments until she turned to face him. "Why did you leave?"
"I couldn't stay." She said softly. "After my brother and his family went to America there was nothing left for me in Small Heath. Only memories." A dark shadow crossed her face as she winced slightly at one such memory.
"I took care of Robbie Carter." She shuddered, gripping the counter. "If you'd come to me I would have done it sooner. Heard him bragging about it a few weeks after you disappeared. Didn't take much to put it together. You didn't have to leave."
"I did." She rolled her shoulders. "I'd've had to walk past that alleyway everyday. I thought about going to the police, but knew I'd get no justice there because of the colour of my skin. So I packed up my bag and started walking beside the canal and didn't stop." She shook her head to clear it of the memories "What about you, Tommy Shelby? Found yourself a woman worth your time?"
"A few." He shrugged.
"I heard Grace is married to an American. I'm sorry."
"You never liked her." She turned to face him, resting her hip on the counter.
"No, but you did and I'm sorry she's hurt you. Also heard you two were out together the other night."
"Did you now?"
"If I didn't like you two together when I first met her, I certainly don't now she's married and that's all I'm going to say about it." Tommy smiled as she crossed her arms. "How are the boys? And Polly?"
"They're alright. Keeping busy."
"I hope you're looking after poor Finn. He's not like the rest of you Shelby boys. He didn't go through the war, thank God, he's not seen those horrors. I don't think he'll find it so easy to do what you do without that experience."
"Finn is fine." Tommy said and she smiled weakly.
"Course he is, I was just saying."
"How did you find Alfie Solomons?" A small smile went on her face but she turned to take the kettle off the heat as it began to whistle.
"I was trying to find some food. Heard someone talking about going to the bakery and followed them there, figured from the smell it wasn't and tried to work out where to go next. Alfie saw me lingering from his office window, sent Ollie out to bring me in to talk and he ended up offering me a job as his maid. Been here ever since." Tommy shifted in his chair.
"If I offered you a job would you come with me?"
"Why would you do that?" She asked, glancing over at him while she poured the water.
"Alfie Solomons is a dangerous man." She shot him a sceptical look.
"And you're not?"
"And I've heard how he treats you." She rolled her eyes and brought over the tea.
"No, you haven't." She sat on the armchair opposite from him. "That's all pretend. It's to keep me safe. If everyone thinks he hates me and I hate him they won't hurt me to get to Alfie. They try and befriend me for information sometimes, so I tell Alfie who's scheming against him and he tells me what to feed back to them to keep them away. No one even imagines we're sleeping together, the racket he makes. I think he quite enjoys it sometimes though, having a rant and throwing chairs around. Gets it out his system." Tommy frowned. "He'd never hurt me though, Tommy. He's not like that."
"Does he love you?"
"Yes." She murmured. "Yes," She said again, a little more firmly. "He's never said it, but he doesn't have to. He keeps me safe and happy."
"Then I'm glad for you." She smiled but bit her lip.
"He's not dead is he?" Tommy shook his head.
"No, he's alive." She smiled.
"Been wanting to ask since you got here, only just got the courage to ask. 'Spose you're here to kill me then."
"I'm not." He said. "I just want to talk." She raised her eyebrows, but didn't comment on it.
"He's really not a bad man Tommy, he's just trying to run his business and protect the people he cares about, just like you. And he'll do whatever he thinks is necessary to do so, just like you." Tommy nodded.
"I know."
"And you know this means he's probably going to undermine you again." Tommy nodded. "Tommy if I asked you to give him three chances, would you? If he crosses you again, you'll still give it another go?"
"Are you asking me?" She nodded slightly and he studied her.
The front door banged open and she rolled her eyes, getting up and going to the hallway. "You're home early, Mr Solomons." She said lightly. He studied her for visible injuries and she shook her head slightly. He nodded once and pressed a light kiss on her lips.
"Heard we'd got an unexpected guest, thought I'd best not keep 'im waiting."
"He's just in here." Alfie came in and pointed a gun at Tommy for the second time in an hour. "Put that away, told you about guns in the house, didn't I?" She chided Alfie, gently, squeezing past him to get a third mug of tea from the counter. As she turned back Alfie was still staring down Tommy, pointing the gun at him. She took the gun from his hand and replaced it with the drink. Alfie rolled his eyes and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Come to make threats, Tommy?" Alfie asked, sitting on the armchair. Tommy sat back down on the settee.
"No, I've come to see an old friend." She smiled and perched on the arm of Alfie's chair, but he tugged her until she fell onto his lap.
"Right, well you two all caught up?" Alfie asked.
"Just about."
"Alright, Tommy, you've made your point. You know how to hurt me if I try anymore funny business, now off you fuck."
"Alfie," She said softly, hitting his arm gently.
"What? What more is there to say?"
"Only one thing." Tommy drank the rest of his tea and swallowed it before rising. "If you lay a hand on her or let anything happen to her, me and my brothers will come down here and make you pay for it."
"Lay a hand on her? You mean like this?" He squeezed her boob and she batted him away with a laugh.
"You know what I mean." Tommy said firmly before walking out.
The door was barely shut before Alfie started roaring at her for letting him in. Tommy ignored the sound of banging furniture and walked away.
Alfie pulled her up with him and pushed the armchair onto the floor with a bang as he continued to shout at her for her betrayal, carefully leading her away from the smashed cups he had thrown against the wall. She smiled and looped her arms around his neck as he moved her backwards until her back hit the wall. She cocked a leg up against his hip and let him rock his hips against her's as she pulled his collar away with her teeth and nuzzled against his neck, him still shouting abuse that they both ignored.
Afterwards, they lay in bed together, Alfie on his front, cheek pressed against her stomach as she sat, absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair.
"Looks like the peaky fucking blinders have finally found you then." Alfie mumbled against her skin.
"We knew it was likely. Tommy was always going to want to branch out the business to London, and you were the obvious choice to make an ally. Tommy's always been one for the underdog."
"Still, wanted to keep him away from you." He grumbled. "Might drag you back there, and I'll never see you again."
"He won't. And even if he did, I'd come right back, even if it killed me. You're my home now, Alfie." He smiled, pressing his face into her side to try and hide it, but she could still feel it.
Ever since moving to Margate, Alfie would rise with the sun and take Cyril out for a walk and come back in an hour when breakfast would be ready. He'd take him out again an hour before sunset. She had followed him a few times, wondering where he went and what he did. Each time he walked to the beach and stood looking at the waves until it was time to go back.
The morning he died, she knew something was going to happen. Alfie usually got out of bed and got dressed when he woke up, but that morning he rolled over and held her for a few minutes, pressing his head against her shoulder. He kissed her before getting up. She sat up, pulling the sheets up to cover her and watched him and he kept on glancing over at her, like he was afraid of her disappearing. He cleared his throat and looked at her once he was dressed.
He knelt a knee on the bed and leaned over to kiss her softly. "I love you." He said, looking straight in her eyes.
"Love you too." She whispered. He nodded and kissed her again before going. She listened to him go down the stairs and then open and close the front door. A tear rolled down her cheek. He had never said he loved her before. She closed her eyes and tried to hold in her tears.
Tommy walked away from Alfie's body. He hadn't wanted to do it, but he had kept his promise. That was more than anyone could have asked of him. As he walked to his car he saw someone sitting on the running board, holding a cigarette in a shaking hand.
She rose when she saw him.
"Is he dead?" She asked. Tommy nodded and her face crumpled. "Thought so. He knew it would be today, don't know how, but he did. Was it quick?"
"Yes." Tommy said. She closed her eyes and nodded.
"Thank you for that."
"Less painful than cancer." Tommy said.
"Cancer?" She echoed hollowly. "That what it was?"
"You didn't know?"
"Knew he was sick. Knew he knew as well, but I never asked. Thought he'd tell he when he was ready to. Didn't know it was cancer." She sighed and sat down on the running board again. Tommy leaned against the car and lit a cigarette.
"You going to be alright?" She nodded, wiping her eyes.
"Course. Don't worry about me, Tommy Shelby. Alfie probably set something up to take care of me." He put a hand on her shoulder.
"If you ever need help, just come find me." She nodded.
"Where's Cyril? The dog?"
"Down on the beach." She nodded slowly, eyes drifting in the direction of the sea.
"Better go call Ollie, have him and the boys see to Alfie." She stood, throwing her cigarette to the ground and putting it out with her foot and wiped her hands on her dress.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's alright, Tommy. I asked for three chances and you gave it. I wasn't expecting you to, to be honest."
"Neither was I." She smiled a little.
"He's good at worming his way into your heart, in't he?" Tommy nodded and she went on tip toes to kiss his cheek. "Look after yourself." She breathed and walked away.
Tommy knocked on the door and waited. After a minute it opened and he nodded.
"Hello again."
"Tommy. Better come in." She said, moving aside to give him room.
"Thank you."
"I hear you're a fascist now, Tommy." She said breezily as she led him up the stairs. "Come to send me and my like back where we came from?"
"Don't believe everything you hear on the radio."
"No? So its not true that Mosley declared his intentions of starting a new political party at your house after a rousing performance of Swan Lake and that next week you are holding your first rally in Birmingham?" She looked over her shoulder at him as she pushed a door open. "Load of nonsense is it?" Tommy said nothing and she rolled her eyes and showed him into the room.
"There's binoculars if you want, you might be able to see some ships out there. I'll go get him. You want a cuppa? Or is it only whiskey these days?"
"Whiskey would be good." She shook her head and poured him one, leaving the bottle next to him and left.
She made her way down the corridor and opened another door. She smiled as she saw Alfie sitting with the baby on his lap, encouraging their daughter as she did her colouring.
"See that, right there, is some high quality shit. It should go in the fucking national gallery. We should convert your mum's closet into our own personal gallery for this stuff. Fuckin' marvellous."
"Alfie," She said gently.
"I wasn't swearing." He said quickly. She rolled her eyes and came closer, slipping an arm around his shoulders and leaning against his side. He leaned against her too and turned his head a little to kiss her neck.
"Tommy Shelby is here." She told him quietly.
"Hmm." Alfie grunted and turned back to the colouring.
"Alfie,"
"Let him stew a few more minutes. I'm spending time with my girls." She smiled and ran a finger over the baby's head making it coo.
After a few more minutes Alfie groaned and rose, taking a gun from the top shelf and checking it over. "Give her to me," She ordered, holding her arms out.
"It's my turn." Alfie pouted.
"You've got a gun, Alf."
"M not going to use it."
"I know that, but if you want to look threatening you don't want to take a baby in there with you, not least because Tommy's smart enough to realise you won't fire it because it will make the poor thing cry and you won't want to deal with all that."
Alfie groaned again, but pressed his mouth to the baby's head and passed it over.
"Be good." She told him.
"Aren't I always?" She kissed him, running a hand over his scarred face.
"Don't let him finish the job." She breathed. He shook his head a little and headed off.