Mrs Shelby

"Please tell me I meant something"

Mariana's POV

The man aged every time I cut him off
It was like his skin morphed to the sins he was committing, dragging, stoic.
He was a complex and yet simple... thing
A man that stood and stared back at me, analysing every wrinkle and grey hair he'd missed over the last 3 years.

"Actually, Arthur would like to hand out some documents" Linda spoke up, pulling my attention
Was she serious? I stuck up for them both and she's really trying to act like this?

"Yeah, what documents?" Tommy asked
"I was just explaining to everyone Tom that um, we'll we're fucked, ain't that right, hm?" Arthur said
"Yes and no" Tommy said
"Yes" I said instead, earning the eyes of the room
"A large proportion of your earnings come from these stocks, over half in fact, so as Arthur said, you're fucked, your investments haven't served you well Thomas" I said.

"Invested or hidden?" Linda asked
"I'm trying with you, don't piss me off Linda, I'll switch sides" I warned
Mr Greene looked at me oddly, almost... scared?

"All investments are approved by the board Linda" Tommy said
"Only the ones that went through the books, Thomas" she replied
I sighed
"Yeah, no, I agree with them now" I said, she glared at me

"What? Your charm and wit is just too titillating" I said
"Linda, after this meeting, there will be a family meeting" Tommy said
"Since when?" I asked
"Since you came back" Polly said, warning me to shut up

"Did we vote on this?" Linda asked
"Arthur-"
"Arthur, can't you control your wife?" She mocked
"Yeah, can you? Cause if you don't, this meeting is ending" I said
"Why?" She snapped
"Because I can't speak up? See we are a very modern company Mr Greene" she said bitterly

"No, because I will grab those curls paid for by your husband's company, yeah? And I'll smash your head off the desk" I said louder
"Mar-"
"No, shut the fuck up Linda" I said, cutting Arthur off

"Anna!" Polly snapped
I stopped. Fine. Let them all bicker
"To be precise, everything we channelled through the New York stock exchange is now offering a return of ten cents to the dollar" Tommy said, going on to explain our return. Which was sweet fuck all

"But there is hope" he said
"Why? What have you got in there? A magic wand?" Polly asked
I scoffed
"As non executive director of the company, I need permission from the chairman to present my strategy to the board" Tommy said.

Fuck sake.
"No" I said
"Fucking no, come on" I said, Polly said nothing
Coward
"Permission granted Tom" Arthur said
"Are you joking?" I asked
Linda scoffed, standing up and storming out.

I had a crazy mind to go with her
But I didn't. I stayed. And waited for Tommy's bullshit to spill out.

•

"You're looking ever radiant pol" I said
"That's what the sun will do for your skin" she smiled
"You should consider a holiday" she said, taking her drink from the barman
"Maybe I will, soon, I hear Spain is lovely" I commented

"Can we actually start this family meeting?" Lizzie asked
I looked at her, putting my drink down
"Well fuck me Lizzie, the floor is yours" I said, sitting back
"I want to make a proposal" she said
"That we find somewhere else to meet" she added

"Too good for the rough old pub now?" I asked
"Your husband believes that being seen mixing with the common people is good politics" Ada waded in
"We are the common people" I chuckled, receiving a smile from Polly

"Well if this is our campaign for socialism perhaps next time, Polly you won't wear earrings worth more than the pub" Lizzie bit back
"Oh no, Tommy has a very different campaign for socialism" I commented, he looked at me, seemingly trying to figure out what I meant

What I meant was. I'm sure Lizzie didn't know about him fucking Jessie Eden all those years ago
For the good old cause.

"Right, family meeting, first item" Ada began
"Are you family then?" Lizzie asked, looking at me
"I'm sorry?" I smiled
"Well, you don't speak to me anymore, you don't speak to Tommy any more, you're not married or related to a Shelby so why are you here?" She asked

Well well, hasn't she gotten bitter over the years
Seems the title of Tommy's wife came with being a cunt to everyone.

"She's family" Arthur said, dismissing her words
"You're a wife Lizzie, she's a child" Polly said
She did practically raise me I guess.
"Can we get back to this then please?" Ada asked
"Yeah yeah, go on... cry about Finn" I said

Ada tightened her lip at me, before she slammed the bullet from Finn's arm onto the table.
"This" she said
"Dug out of Finn's arm yesterday by Mar using a blade and your gin" Ada said
"Finn?" Lizzie asked surprised

I rolled my eyes, the boy is fine. He knew he had nothing to prove, didn't stop him being stupid enough to try
"He says they were sent to lime house, Chinatown" she said

"Chinatown?" I asked, looking at Tommy
What was he doing mixed up with them?
"Sent by fucking who?" Lizzie asked
"Do you really have to ask?" I said, she looked at Tommy
"I told Finn to stay out of it, he obviously didn't listen" he said.

"Tommy sweetheart, I listen to you. I listen to you when you tell me no more sport for anyone named Shelby" she said
"Is that all sport?" I asked
She gave me a look, one that told me she wasn't impressed

"I listen to you when you make me promises, what's in Chinatown Tommy, what the fuck is going on?" She asked
Shock, Tommy Shelby didn't tell his wife everything that was going on.
What the fuck had happened in three years to make these two so... married?
She was fucking delusional

And he was actually... pandering to her?
"Fifty thousand pound, in cash" he said
"He said they were sent to kill somebody" Ada said
He sent Finn with them to kill someone? Is he stupid?
"That kid needs educating Tommy, he really does" Arthur said.

"He needs sense knocking into him" I added, taking a swig of my drink
"Jesus Christ Tommy!" Lizzie shouted
"It was a particular opportunity" Polly offered
"It was a particular opportunity presented to me in confidence, I dealt with it in confidence" Tommy said
"But you told Polly" she said

"Tommy told me that there was a pimp in London who sold kids" Polly explained
"Fucking kids Lizzie, eh?" Arthur said
"This pimp was blackmailing a senior member of the House of Lords, a very wealthy man"

"Now this pimp, is lying in a ditch, covered in flies" Arthur said
"Worlds a better place" he added
"Here here" I said.

"Holy fuck, so now your business is improving the world" Ada said
"Sometimes Ada, killing is a kindness" Arthur said
"Sometimes it's necessary, I know that's a fact you never want to admit, but sometimes... death is the only option" I said.

She looked away from me

"The man we did the job for is a high court judge, we received intelligence from a senior police office at Scotland Yard, I've made lots of new friends in London, men with influence" Tommy explained
"Men with money and no sense" I interjected
"But influence nonetheless Mariana, the police felt the same way, about this pimp, they cleared the streets, it was a commissioned job" he said

"It's not to be repeated" Polly said
And it was the right thing to do" Tommy said
For once I agreed
The streets were safer without him
Then again... the streets would be safer without Tommy Shelby.

"Lizzie you need to understand-"
"That you tell Polly not me" she cut him off
"Lizzie you knew that when you married him, you knew that when you fucked him and you knew that when you chased him round like a fucking dog" I said

I was sick of this high and mighty woe is me attitude
"You need to understand that the corridors of Westminster are very dimly lit, and for those who make the rules, there are no rules, and Mariana... you need to understand that Lizzie is my wife, and my wife will not be insulted, not by any common man and not by you" he said
I ignored him. I wasn't apologising for saying something true

"If Finn had listened to me, you wouldn't have known, when we go home, I'll explain" he said
Lizzie stood up, gathering her things
"Looks like your pillow talk isn't that convincing anymore" I said, pushing my cigarette into the ashtray hard.

Tommy then proceeded to push Ada out of the family meeting
Once again I had to hand it to him, he did have a point, she complained and complained but shut her ears off when it suits her and buys whatever she wants, lives in the grand house with the grand paintings.

This whole family was consumed in this... this dark whole of money and lies and death
I needed to leave as soon as I could before I got pulled into the Shelby sink hole.

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