FIRE & ICE | Thomas Shelby

003

Bella was standing behind the bar. She looked up as Grace served more customers than what she had been used to. "Is it always this busy on a day time?" Grace asked. She was clearly getting overwhelmed.

"No. These boys are off to St Andrews," Harry told her.

"To pray?"

Bella scoffed. "No. St Andrews is a football ground. The blues are playing," Bella said as she stood next to the barmaid. She smiled. "Morning. That's the forward line. And believe it or not, that's the goalie."

Bella looked up as the window to the snug opened. Bella looked into Thomas' bright blue eyes. "Hello."

Grace walked over and smiled. "Hello," she said as she looked at him.

Tommy was looking Grace up and down. Like he was assessing her. Eventually he stopped staring. "I need a bottle of rum," he said.

Harry walked over. "Whatever it is, it's on the house," he told her.

Grace looked between Bella and Tommy. She looked mainly at Tommy. "A whole bottle?" She asked as she looked at him. When he didn't reply, she asked. "White or dark?"

"Doesn't matter."

Grace handed him the rum. Tommy looked at her. "Are you a whore?" He asked. He saw the smirk on Bella's face. "Because if you're not then you're in the wrong place."

Grace said nothing. Belle grinned as Tommy walked off. Grace looked at Bella and Harry. "He's one of those you warned me about," she said.

Harry looked at the girls. "Look Grace, Bella knows this. But be careful. If I say something is on the house, then say nothing to whoever you're serving. If they decide that they want you, then there's nothing anybody can do about it," he said. He looked at Bella. "Lucky for you, since he came back from France, Tommy doesn't want anybody at all."

****

Bella stood behind the bar as the Peaky Blinders walked in. They were staring at Grace who was standing on a chair. Tommy took off his hat and leaned against a pillar. But he was looking directly at Bella.

When the singing finished, Harry walked over to them. "We haven't had singing in here since the war," he said.

"Why do you think that is Harry?" Tommy said.

****

Bella looked up as Tommy appeared in the window of the snug. She looked at him. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"The new barmaid. Is she a whore?"

Bella smiled slightly. "I don't think she's a whore. But I do think she has a purpose for being here. Rumour has it there's a new Irish copper that's come to Small Heath. And then a Irish little blonde barmaid turns up? There's something dodgy there," she said.

Tommy nodded. He had the same suspicions as Bella. That there was something off about the new barmaid. He looked at her. "See if you can find anything out. Then let me know," he said as he went walk off.

"Okay. But my best guess? She's a spy. And she's been sent here for some reason. I just don't know what that reason is," Bella said.

Tommy was about to speak when Polly walked in. "It's Arthur. He's been grabbed by the cops and beaten," she said as she looked at Bella. "Hello love."

Tommy turned to look at Sierra. "You any good at patching up?" He asked.

"I am as it goes."

****

Bella followed Tommy and Polly into the house. She saw Arthur sitting on the chair. "What the Fuck you been doing now Arthur?" Bella asked as she looked at him.

"I only wanted a fucking blow job."

Ada walked into the room. "John. Wipe the blood out of his eye," she said.

"Since when did you give orders?" John said.

Ada rolled her eyes as she squeezed a cloth. "I'm a trained nurse," she said.

Arthur groaned as he tried to laugh. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts."

"I am."

John rolled his eyes as he looked at Ada. "You went to one first aid class in the church hall. And got thrown out for giggling," John said as he looked at her.

Ada smiled as she nodded. "Not before learning how to stop someone from choking," she said.

"I'm not choking."

"You will be when I wrap this cloth round your neck."

Bella looked up as Tommy walked into the house. Polly looked at her. "Come and give us a hand. Could do with your help," Polly said.

Bella nodded. She took some tape from Polly and taped up Arthur's thumb. She smiled. "You're going to have to be careful to not break it even more," she told him.

Arthur looked at Tommy. "He said Mr Churchill sent him to Birmingham. National interest he said. He said there had been a robbery," he said.

Bella had soon realised the day she had met the family, that Polly was the one in charge. She noticed how Polly was giving Tommy looks.

Arthur put down his glass of rum. "He said he wants us to help him."

"We don't help coppers," John told the family.

Arthur again looked at Tommy. "He knew all about our records. He said we were patriots like him," he told her. Bella wiped off the blood from his face. "He said he wants us to be his eyes and ears. I told him we would have a family meeting and take a vote," he said as he took a sip of rum.

Bella noticed how Tommy didn't say anything. Arthur sighed. "Why not? We have no truck with communists. Or Fenians," Arthur said. No one said anything. "What the Fuck is wrong with you? Polly what's wrong with him lately?"

"If I knew, I would buy the cure from Comptons Chemists," Polly said.

****

Bella left the house and saw Tommy. She walked over to him. "He should be okay now. He'll have a few bruises. But he will definitely be more than okay," she told him.

Tommy nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I should go back now. I left Harry lurch. I'll see you around. I'll keep my eye out for what Grace is up to. After all. No one suspects the barmaid."

Tommy again nodded. "I'll come find you tomorrow."

Tommy saw Polly looking at him. "What?"

"You like her. But Bella is pure. So don't even think about it. We need to talk about those fucking guns. What's this copper going to do next? Go after Ada or Finn?"

Tommy nodded. "I'll sort it Pol," he said as she walked off. His mind was on Bella.

What was it about the brunette barmaid that made him want her?

****
Authors Note:
Sneak Peek for the next chapter;
Bella finds out the truth about Grace