VULNERABLE | thomas shelby

☆T W E N T Y-FIVE ☆

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE; FAMILY MEETINGS

BETH WAS SAT IN her kitchen drinking tea and reading a newspaper in peace when she heard her door fumble and soon, John fell into her home. Johns eyes fell on Beth and he gave her a lopsided smile, reaching down and picking up her cup of tea, he tipped the tea cup back into his mouth finishing the tea in two big gulps and gently placed it back in front of Beth who watched him in amusement. "John, please don't tell me you stopped your bloody day to come into my kitchen and drink my fucking tea."

John chuckled softly. "Family meeting love. Next door. Now." Beth let out a small grumble and stood up pulling her dressing gown closer to her body. "Alright, alright let me get out of my bloody night gown and I'll be over in a minute." She sighed, making her way towards the stairs. John let out a huff and walked to the front door. "Don't be bloody fucking late Beth or Pol will kill me!" John shouted, walking out the front door and slamming it behind him.

Beth sighed in content at the silence, and stared at herself in the mirror. She raked her hand through her hair before she began to pull on a dress and shoes and wrapped her coat tightly around her. She walked down the stairs of her house and out the front door and in next door where she knocked on the front door of Polly's home. Finn threw open the door and smiled at Beth, standing back to let her walk in and Beth took a moment to look him up and down.

He was no longer the small boy that tugged on her dress for her to lift him up, he was now taller than her and matured. He hand become such a gentle man, holding open doors and offering his hand to Beth every chance he got but Beth couldn't tell if it was because he feared Tommy's reaction if he wasn't kind to Beth or if he was truly just mannered but Beth chose to believe he was just mannered with a kind heart and innocent mind unlike his older brothers who were exposed to war when still young themselves.

Beth walked through Polly's house and soon found the back room, sending a wink to John as she walked past him she sat down beside Arthur, and looked around quietly waiting for Tommy. Finn began to pace up and down the room and Arthur was getting angry his hands wrapped tightly around the chair. "Sit down Finn." Arthur spoke. Finn sighed in defeat and sat into a chair at the table. "Where the bloody hell is Tommy?" John asked. Polly never spared him a glance as she watched out for Tommy. "He's on his way."

"Right then while we're waiting patiently." Arthur began, sitting up from his chair and walking over to the stairs where Beth noticed Esme was sat. Arthur picked up a big cradle of whiskey and placed it onto the table. "Whiskey." He took out two bottle and placed them on the table and Beth took one, pouring herself a drink. "It's good stuff as well." John walked over to the front of the table and poured himself a glass, and downed it letting out a loud belch Beth couldn't help but snigger.

"Right. Before Tommy gets here, there's a few things we need to get straight between the rest of us." Polly glanced over her shoulder at John. "You think?" She mocked. "Yeah. I do. I want to know when did we all take a vote on this explanation south?" Polly began to walk into the room glaring at John. "You have anything to say, you wait for Tommy." Beth spoke picking up her cup of whiskey and downing it. "Beth's fucking right." Arthur agreed.

"I see all the books. Legal and off track. Saw stuff you don't see and in the past year the Shelby Company Limited has been making 150 pounds a day. Right. A fucking day. Sometimes more. So what I want to know is why are we changing things?" John questioned. "Polly, look what's happened already. We haven't set foot in London yet and they've already blown up our fucking pub." John spat. "Who said anything about Cockneys?" Arthur grumbled.

"Who else?" Esme spoke. "Do you know who did it, do you?" Polly asked glaring over at Esme. Beth's let out a small laugh and poured herself another drink of whiskey. "No she doesn't know who did it." John grumbled. Tommy walked into the room and Beth sighed in relief. "I'm told only family are aloud speak." Esme complained. "Everyone's aloud to speak. On your feet Esme. Let's hear what you have to say." Tommy declared. Polly and Beth gave grins of amusement towards each other.

Esme looked over at John cautiously. John shook his head quickly. "I speak for our household. So could-." John began. "John. This company is a modern enterprise and believes in equal right for women. On your feet Esme." Tommy instructed, nodding his head for Esme to stand. Esme set her book down and pulled herself up to a standing position and looked around the room. "I'm not a blood member of this family, the same as Beth isn't but yet she gets to speak, but perhaps that means I can see things in a different light, unlike Beth who has been to busy with Tommy to see the bad."

Beth scoffed, her eyebrows raising in shock, and she went to step out of her chair quickly to defend herself but Arthur placed his hand on her hand to stop her, nodding to Tommy who had his jaw clenched, and stood waiting for Esme to continue. A bad sign for Esme who had just been granted promising to speak. Esme noticed Tommy's body language change so she quickly continued speaking. "So I will get to my point." Polly grinned into her cigarette. "That would be nice."  Beth let out a small chuckle, still glaring towards Esme.

"As my husband said, Shelby Company Limited is now very successful. But London.. I have kin in Shepard's bush and Portobello. It's more like war with army's down there and the coppers fight side by side with them. And there are foreigners of every description. And the use of bombs is the least of it. I have a child. Blessed with the Shelby family good looks. I want John to see him grow up. I want to someday live somewhere with fresh air and trees. But London is just smoke and trouble." Esme paused for a moment, glaring at Tommy. "Thomas."

"Thomas?" Polly repeated. "That's all I have to say." Esme declared sitting back down onto the stairs. Beth let out a small laugh and reached up to cover her mouth to contain her laughter. "That was a lot of words." Arthur stated grinning himself, he picked up a glass of whiskey and held it back to Tommy. "Wash them down with a nice drink." Tommy took the drink and swiftly tipped it back with a swig. "Thank you, Esme." He grumbled and watched as she took her seat back on the steps.

"Firstly, the bang in the pub had nothing to do with London. Understood? The bang is something I'm dealing with on my own. Secondly, we have nothing to fear from the proposed business expansion as long as we stick together. After the first few weeks nine-tenths of what we do in London will be legal. The other tenth is in good hands. Isn't that right Arthur?" Arthur nodded his head, his hand still on Beth's arm in comfort. "That's right."

"Some of you in this room may have expressed your reservations. Fair enough. Any of you who want no part in the future of this company, walk out the door." Tommy glanced around the room in question. Beth looked up at John with a glare in her eye, he could have at least said something to Esme for taking a dig at her but chose not to. "Right now." Tommy demanded, his eyes glancing between Esme and John. "Go raise your chickens." Tommy glanced down at Beth nodding his head. "But those of you with ambition. The expansion process begins tomorrow."

Beth's mouth fell open in shock, and she quickly stood up to follow Tommy where ever he was to go next. Tommy held out his hand and Beth gladly took it giving him a small smile. Tommy stared at her for a moment before glancing back over to the stairs to where John was leaned against the stair case talking to Esme. "Oh and Esme you should have more respect for people who have bloody been in this family longer than you." Tommy spat, before beginning to walk out of the back room, Beth following behind him with a proud grin on her face.

AUTHORS NOTE
I'm really sorry if you like Esme but I don't think Beth and Esme are going to get along too well😂