Criminal Royalty

Planning

"Oh, I best be going then. Do you want me to take your kids home John, and watch them whilst you're here?" Rose offered.

John, despite having help from many a babysitter, was still adjusting to the ease of having someone to watch his kids at all times and was pleasantly surprised by her offer. Before he could accept however, his aunt chimes in.

"I think she should stay for the meeting; she's going to be involved with this family after all."

The rest of them turned to their unofficial leader, Tommy, for direction.

"I suppose any lass who would fight the inspector for one of us should be welcomed."

Polly did not even bother hiding her triumphant smirk, but Rose couldn't hide her shock. Tommy on the other hand, was allowing her into the fold as a test, to see how trustworthy she really was rather than in agreement with his aunt. It would be foolish to believe he would let her in on any informs of true importance.

Seeing that Finn was trying to lurk about in order to be involved, Rose set him his own task. "Finn love, I need someone to keep an eye on the children, do you think you can do that for me?"

He nodded, his chest puffing up at the sense of responsibility as he herded his own nephews and niece towards an upstairs bedroom. So engrossed in the task, he almost forgot to be hurt at being excluded from the meeting.

Now that the kitchen was free of children, the adults could talk freely about the events of the last few days and there were lots to discuss.

"Campbell spoke to me the other day, in the church," Polly began.

"What did that copper want?" Questioned the ever-hot-headed Arthur, still sore at being injured by the inspector.

"He said that he wants to speak with Tommy this time."

Again, several sets of eyes turned to him. He simply took another drag of his cigarette.

"Everyone knows you don't parlay whilst you're on the back foot."

Rose nodded, thinking of her brothers own strategies when it came to illegal business.

"What do you want us to do then Thomas?"

The second eldest Shelby felt strange being referred to by his christened name but began to explain his plan nonetheless.

...

Rose went back to watching the children whilst the blinders, plus Finn, went around paying the locals to burn pictures of the King in Watery Lane. It was all part of Tommy's plan and whilst some were still unsure of his tactics, they all followed like the good soldiers they were. Finn was mostly just eager to show he could be trusted with Blinder business.

Night had fallen and it was probably past the bedtime children of Watery Lane should have had. Yet the excitement of the bonfire, doubled with their puppy dog eyes, convinced Rose to walk John's children home a little later than ideal.

She found John staring into the fire, not far from where his brother was talking with some journalist from the Birmingham Evening Dispatch about the bonfire.

"Hey, I'm just going to take your kids home alright, it's getting pretty late for them to be out".

John looked up at the girl who was a basic stranger to him but a confidant of his children. He found himself thinking that she had a nice face, a kind face and, as his eldest son William had attested to, she lived up to her appearance.

"Yeah, that's fine- you can stay if you want, no need to wait up; I'm not sure how long I'll be."

Perhaps his invitation was too forward but it was more practical for her to stay, truly, and if he was being honest, it scared John to be alone with his kids sometimes because they were so fragile and delicate. He often found himself questioning his parenting skills after missing so much time with them and not having their mother around to help him. It is probably the main reason he wanted to marry Lizzie, to have that support when it came to the kids.

The introduction of Rose into his life, a woman who was a natural with his children that most described as menaces, made him question his choice to marry Lizzie. Yet it reaffirmed to him that his children needed a mother, just as he longed for a companion.