T.S.

Diana aged 17: September 1914

We all sat in the field overlooking Small Heath. We share a cigarette, not bothering with our old habit of stubbing them out or the ethics of it. I take the last drag and stub it out on the grass. We look around. Jayden had gone off to see 'Esme' which really just meant Paul. I had come to see Zilpha or rather auntie Zilpha. She had married one of our uncles as a negotiation for something or other. Tom got up suddenly as did John and they opened their mouths to say something.

"Oh don't." I say grimacing and cutting them off. The sun was shining wonderfully and It had been a warm summer day and I could see they had bad news, Whatever did we need to ruin it for?

"What ?" says Freddie

"They look like they're about to say something bad, Fred."

"We're not." protests John

That's when I saw Martha. She looked extraordinarily upset. There was rage but also sadness. "Fred, look at Martha." The group sets eyes on her ruddy face.

She looks at us, "What?" she says, snapping a bit.

"Ooooo. John, what did you do? Martha, come on, tell us what he's done." I tease both of them.

Tom smirks at me and Martha sees, "Don't you smirk Tommy Shelby. You did it too."

His smile drops and I start to get anxious, "What did they do, Martha?"

"It's not my secret to tell Di. And anyways I don't want to say it."

I throw my arm around her shoulders, "Oh come off it. You've always been a bit of a gossip-"

"If I say it, it takes the edge off of them to tell you because you'll have been told." she snarls at the boys.

Freddie, Ada and I look between us. "Well what could they possibly have done?" says Ada almost incredulous. Martha looks like she's about to burst. Tom and John don't want to say it. "They've done something bad, Ada. And they don't want to take it head on like men." I say

Martha does burst but she's crying. Her face is red and it's pure misery. We're all a bit startled but much more serious. I look at Tom, death in my eyes, "What did you do?"

My head snaps to John as he begin, "It was Arthur's idea," he says, close to tears himself, "He said-"

Martha's wails stop him from saying anything else and I finally realise. Realisation is like a cold bucket of water and tears burn my eyes. Fred notices, "What did they do, Diana?"

"They signed up." my voice breaks and through the tears I can see John going over to comfort Martha. I swivel to face Tom, "So even after I told you that you were going to play soldiers for the government-"

"It's not about that-" He cuts me off

I do it back, "Except it fucking is. You're willingly going to sign up to get killed for something that isn't even fucking worth it Tom. And you're doing it just because Arthur said." I seethe

"Don't say that." He says quietly

"Well what's going to happen then? You're going out there and you'll fight off the Germans single handed? You couldn't even tell us you were going." scoffs Ada

"We have to. For king and country." says Tom trying to break the tension. His heart wasn't even really in it.

"You're a fucking prat." I fume.

Freddie's face is a ghostly white and he looks like he's about to heave. Ada doesn't notice and she says, " At least Fred's not fucking stupid like you two are."

Pained, Freddie looks up like he's been caught. I cry out and Martha sniffles, "There's fucking stupidity in the air and apparently you've all caught it !"