𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝗉𝖾𝖺𝗄𝗒 𝖻𝗅𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌

x. p a s t h a u n t i n g s

t h e   w o m e n   o f   w h i t e
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act one — nine
____________✝︎___________
1919

there was one thing

that you would be wise not to do and that thing was to anger polly gray. it was something the whole of small heath swore upon as well as the rest of the shelby clan. however, edith was never one to follow up on rules. edith dawson wrote the rules and when necessary she broke them.

— "sit down and shut up." the harsh spit of words faced the young women upon arrival at the house. with tired eyes edith complied with a sight, wondering what trouble she'd brewed now. "a letter came this morning, addressed to a edith adler." the wise women spoke, her eyes like fire as the blazed fury upon the young women. "who the fuck is edith alder?"

"pol-" she began with pleading eyes as she tried to push this away. but polly wasn't about to let up. against her best judgment the women had opened the letter.

"edith, you explain now or i'll bloody cut you!" she raged with fury that edith had never seen.

it caused shivers to crawl her spine at the spite that laced her god-mothers voice. "my alias, from new york." She answered shortly before twirling her cigarette along her dainty fingers.

with swift, strong hands polly grabbed at edith's collar tightly. "it's from the new york fucking mafia, edith!" she seethed, her voice like a hot iron as realisation dawned upon the young women.
polly had already read the letter.

closing her eyes, edith had to fight the shaking that begged within her bones. not letting the hot tears she called poison fall, edith breathed softly. "polly." lifting her dark orbs to meet with her mother figure she felt her stomach turn. "because i like you, i'm asking you not to go there." her words were quiet as if glass would smash if it were an octave louder; or maybe it was her heart that would.

the elder women's eyes softened, but not with pity, with blatant fear. polly gray had already lost her real children and her nephews to war, she couldn't loose edith too. loosening her grips she sighed heavily. "what the fuck did you get yourself into, edith." this time it wasn't a question but pure shock.

edith was stubborn, something polly knew, and giving up secrets wasn't something she was fond of. with a shaky breath the petite women snatched the letter before storming out of the Shelby home, the ground almost breaking as she did.

✞

darkness had fallen over small heath yet the shaking within edith's hands had yet to stop. it seemed that the spiteful winds had followed the young women, even when in front of a the fire. fear churned in her stomach like a hangover but this was worse.

with a knock rattling against her door a frown sprouted upon her face. with the warmth of her secret little home, with the cut in sight, edith had released her guard. nobody, not even polly, knew of her safe house. exactly why it was in fact her safest home to buckle into.

allowing her spine to strain, her hands to tighten, and breaths to even, the young women stood with a scarily clam exterior. dainty fingers clutched onto the silver revolver resting upon a holster under her skirt. with one last glare towards the back of her daunting door. more accurately whoever lay behind it. stealthily edith clicked several locks before swinging the heavy door open; revolver pointing directly to the presence. "fuck."

without so much as a flinch, thomas shelby stood before the barrel of her smith and weston. "nice to see you as well." he grunted softly, his icy blues peering almost through edith.

"how did you find me?" the question flew from her mouth before real cognition had returned. relief was pulsating throughout her veins at the sight of his face. a feeling that edith wasn't privy to when it came down to the shelby man.

squinting slightly thomas puffed softly at the butt of his cigarette before answering. "everything comes through me, edith." his statement lay blunt and quick yet it played upon her ears like a novel. "someone comes, someone goes, i know off it. Mrs holmes fucking gets another cat, i know." thomas fumed his words; the rage he was containing slowly spilling out. "so do you think i would know if a women involved with the mafia and the 1907 massacre bought the little white house down at charlie, fucking, strong's yard!" voice slowly rising as his words spat out hatefully.

within a second edith had latched his collar before pulling his inside the small house. securing the several locks once again, a just a irate edith pushed the gangster to her living room. "your'a fucking idiot, thomas shelby." her voice wasn't loud as his was but it's clam tone spun harsh daggers. black eyes, hot with rage, bored straight into the shelby man.

however, thomas could see past the fury that seemed to brew over within the small women, he could feel the fear radiating in waves from edith. dropping his tense shoulders he sauntered towards the whiskey before softly taking a seat; not once taking his intense gaze from edith. "i'd heard of a women down in new york, who took over for the men that braved the wars." edith softened at the new change in thomas' husky voice. it wasn't demanding or even challenging. in some way it seemed as if his words were sent as a comfort towards the women.

as loose hairs fell from the pins holding up the caramel locks, thomas found himself almost smiling at the sight. a few buttons upon her shirt were left undone, skin glowing within the fire and not to mention her fiery black iris. all these things seemed to break thomas shelby down into what he simply was: just a man.

leaning forward his elbow rested on his knees, eyes following her every slight movement. specifically the sway of her waste as she poured yet another gin. "a queen who was incredibly smart and extremely dangerous." his last words made her pour the burning liquid past her throat swiftly.

"i made a deal, one i don't regret." Her voice was quite and gentle, almost tickling his ears. curiosity oozed out of every one of tommy's pores. "i needed protect from-" taking a shaky breath it seemed that her nerves came surging upon her abruptly "-they needed a leader." just as his words had once done they sounded vague but spoke a million stories.

standing from his seat, thomas held out his hand, whilst a small smile spread at his lips. he'd noticed the soft music coming from the record in the corner of her small living room. there was a daunting feeling inside his veins that distraction was what edith needed. "dance with me, miss dawson." his voice quiet as his eyes merged with edith's dark ones.

I haven't even re read this because i am ridiculously exhausted (cough cough: hungover) from Halloween 🎃.

However this is the finishing of the sneak peak! i will be picking up the next chapter from here, do not worry, i will provide all of my lovely readers with a thomas+edith moments.

I love and appreciate every single one of you!! 💓 thank you for the support.