Tommy knows

"We return to each other in waves. This is how water loves"

Mariana's POV

The ballet was... boring
As predicted
The girls were elegant, classy
They moved with grace I never knew was possible
But the show was overshadowed, by the devil sitting next to me

The devil... looking at Gina Gray
"I would advise you keep your eyes on the ballet" I said quietly
"That is the wife he brought back" he commented
"Yes. The pregnant wife" I said.

If he had any sense, he would steer well clear of that one
Then again. Maybe they were one in the same
The same class of people.

"It is beautiful no?" He said, looking at the dancers
"Yes" I agreed
"A beautiful ballet, for the beautiful Lizzie Shelby" he said

"Yes" I said again
"Although, she was far beautiful when I first met her... smeared lipstick and dress hanging off her" he said in my ear
I took a moment, looking at Lizzie.

"She tells me when she knew you, you were also younger, messier, drunker" I said
"She tells me of a time that moustache was non existent and you used to prioritise drinking over fucking" I said. She told me, of course she did

How fast he finished
How drunk he got

The performance went on, and slowly. One by one
Every Shelby disappeared
Even Aberama was absent from his seat
But Lizzie was still here. I looked around subtly, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Mar" Finn said in my ear, stood in the aisle
"Tommy needs you, in the hall" he said
"What?" I asked, looking back at him, Mosely's head turning with mine
"Just... come on" he said, walking away
I faced back to the dancers, figuring out some sort of excuse to leave.

But did I really need one?
I didn't need to tell this man anything
So I stood up, and followed Finn
Mosely's eyes following me too.

•

"What the fuck" I muttered as I entered the hall
Seeing Linda?
Writhing around on the table.
"Arthur?" I questioned
"I shot her" Polly said
"Why?" Was all that came out as I neared the table

Whilst Tommy cut into her arm. And Lizzie held her down
"It's right above the bone" Tommy said, digging in there
"Jesus" I said, looking at Lizzie

"Some fucking birthday" she mumbled to me
"Mr Shelby, your guests-" Mosely interrupted
"Get him out, Arthur, family only!" Tommy said
"Mr Shelby on your behalf-"
"Get out!" Arthur shouted, pointing a gun at his head
"Arthur" I said simply, approaching them both, standing between them

"Get out" I said calmly, face to face with Oswald
"Get some iodine" I told Lizzie, who rushed off
"Bite down on this" Tommy told Linda, as Mosely finally left
Tommy dug the bullet from her arm, before he poured his drink on it, making her scream

"Fuck sake" I said, putting my hand over her mouth
As Arthur was too busy coddling her
"Is she gonna be alright Tom?" Arthur cried
"It's in her arm not her chest Arthur" I said.

Did he have to be so dramatic?
"Go to the library, get some opium" Tommy told him, shoving him to the door
"Use mine" Polly said
"Since when did you use opium?" I asked
"Bought a bit, to celebrate the wedding proposal" she smiled.

"He proposed?" Tommy mused
I went outside, standing in the hallway as they talked about the proposal
Polly shot Linda?
At Lizzie's party?

What had we come to?
"Least you're alright" Alfie said
"Go away" I muttered
"Why? You want me here don't you?" He asked
"You're not fucking real, go away" I snapped beside me

"Mar?" Lizzie questioned
I looked the other way to her, as she came back with the iodine
"Yeah" I said
"You talking to someone?" She asked
"No" I said
Her eyes shifted between me and Alfie
Well... me and a blank space

"Go on. Tommy needs that" I nodded to her hands
She nodded, sparing me a fleeting glance as she returned to them

•

When I had finally gone back outside, Mosely was making a speech?
"Ridiculous is it not? A man preaching to the people when he has never been one of them?" Aberama said, coming up beside me
"Quite. He talks of the people" I scoffed
"The 'people' disgust him" I went on

"I want to tell you good folk first, that with the dawn of a new decade, I will be setting a new course. Setting up a new political movement here in the very heart of England. And Mr Shelby will be with me, shoulder to shoulder" Mosely announced

I looked at Tommy. This was the plan?
Seriously?
"That boy will dig his own grave before any man has the time to push him in it" Aberama commented
"That boy... is a fucking idiot" I summarised simply

"Quite" Aberama smiled back.

"He talks of Jews, of my workforce, the community I live in like... devils, like scum" I said
"He is allied with men who strung my son up on a cross. Men who shot my son in front of me all for a message" he seethed
"The man's a parasite" I spat
"He's a dead man walking" Aberama said

Tommy's POV

"I'm going to fuck the swan, somebody go and tell her to come to my room" Oswald said
"How do you know she'll come?" Polly asked
"Because they always do" he said, driving her away

He was wrong
Mariana didn't
Mariana hit him and established her place right where she was. Untouchable
Unattainable
Off fucking limits to a man like him.

I led us away
Away from my fucking wife and the fucking swan.

•

"There are some things we need to discuss" Oswald said, once we were settled
"I've been looking into your companies, the Shelby portfolio. Your company lawyer is a Jew" he said
"Yes, Mariana recommended him" I said
"He will have to go" he said

"Of course" I said
"As will she" he said
"She is gone, she has shares in the business, that is all" he said
"Shares we can not afford to go public with, she will have to go" he persisted

"She married Alfie. She is now widowed from Alfie. Her blood is Romani, not Jewish, her shares stay" I held my ground
He looked at me for a moment
Before seemingly moving on
"Our friend, Jimmy McCavern, has asked for control of racecourses north of Wincanton" he went on.

Mariana's POV

I was sick of all of this shit
All the glamour
All the high nosed pricks looking down at us whilst looking at Tommy like a god
I wanted my bed. Fast.

I jogged up the stairs, where I found Mosely a little too close to Lizzie
"He's been seduced just as you were" Mosely said as I reached the top
"Lizzie" I said, both of them looking my way
"Goodnight Mr Mosely, goodnight Mariana" she said, nodding at me assuringly before she hurried down the hall.

"You are going to bed too" he said, nearing me slowly, to go back to his own room
Thankfully mine was no where near his
"Yes. Goodnight" I said, but he gripped my wrist
"Get... your hand off me" I said calmly
"I have a dirty minded swan in my room, perhaps you would like to meet her" he said
"And perhaps I cut your fucking eyes, then what?" I said, looking him dead in the eye.

In those fucked up eyes.
He let go. And I took my chance to leave
I locked my door that night
As well as my window
Rolled up in bed with a bottle of whiskey as Alfie rambled on to me beside me

I just wanted to be at home
Without Alfie in my ear
With my kids

Alfie's POV

"See? Nothing" I said, Ollie took a breath, sitting down
I hadn't taken anything since he took the last lot off me
"I'm going to tell you something. And you have to promise not to hit me" he said

"Go on then" I said
"Promise..."
"I fucking promise alright? What is it?" I asked
"Tommy knows" he said
"Knows what?" I asked

"Knows about you. About you being alive" he said
"The telegram?" I asked
"Yeah, can't exactly palm that off on someone else... the shit you wrote" he mumbled
"Alright? And?" I asked

"And he want to speak to you" he said
"When?" I asked
"He told me to get a time and a place and he'd come. I'm not sure he fully believes it himself" he explained.

"Okay. Tell him to come" I said
"Do you think that's a good idea? It's Mar you should be seeing not him" he said
"He's the one who did this to you in the first place" he added

"Exactly. Tell him I'll meet him. Here" I said.
The game was up.
The time of hiding was over.

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