In Small Heath | Peaky Blinders

twenty-six; nothing beats a bonfire

Finn had spent the best part of the day running around, giving everyone two-bob for every available picture they had of the King. Of course, Tommy instructed him to leave the ones that were in number four Watery Lane alone, out of respect for Sebastian; but also out of love for him too.

It was all Tommys plan, to call for a journalist, of a pretty large newspaper, and show people just how Small Heath felt.

The wise words of the man ran through Pollys mind. You don't parley when you're on the back foot. You strike first.

It took the best part of the day for her to figure out what he meant, but she hadn't expected burning of the kings portrait en masse. It was only when the smell of charring wood wafted through the open back windows of number seven, did everything click into place.

Tommy needed people to see, that to mess with Small Heath, was to mess with him. No one, not even Chester Campbell, was immune from the glares from those above.

Not only that, but by placing pressure on Chief Campbells shoulders, perhaps he'd realise that he had indeed bitten off far more than he could chew.

"Come on, for me?" A woman, Lizzie Stark, called out from the rather uncomfortable chaise lounge. Her hair jostled from its usual position of pristine, into a haphazard mess.

While Lizzie was considered a fallen woman, who had turned to giving men their desires,
Sebastian only ever went to her for an hour or two of conversation - perhaps a little bit of light reading, should she be willing to entertain the idea of re-reading books of old.

"Why would I go to a bonfire?"

Though a question, it was entirely rhetorical and wasn't meant to be answered, but lovely Lizzie did anyway.

"Because you've been cooped up in your room, or the library since you got the fear of God knocked back into you... and the sight of you makes me feel sad. We're friends, Bash, are we not? If not for yourself, accompany me."

Her argument, though unwanted, was very compelling. Sebastian had always been far too chivalrous for his own good. He couldn't bear the thought of letting Lizzie, or even Ada, attend such impromptu events alone.

"— fine, but Ada's coming with us."

While Lizzie knew what was going to happen at the bonfire, having entertained Thomas Shelby just a few hours before being graced with Sebastian's presence; she knew that he was still very much unaware. She had made a promise; for a small cost of one pound, and had managed to keep the information to herself.

But it was hard for her, to look Sebastian in the eye and continue to act as though the news, once broken, wouldn't hurt him.

"She can't go, well - she's not allowed. Your Tommy said something about not wanting her to get mixed up in all of 'this', whatever that means." A fools lie spoken by a fools wife, Lizzie kept her eyes trained on her book, daring only to glance upwards when she heard the sound of the cushions rustling against wool.

Sebastian had gotten up and made a few small - no, timid steps towards the window. He could tell it was getting darker. Earlier, he could see the blurred outlines of the other buildings, he could almost see them in the way that people saw their own shadows.

Now, he just saw a mass of blurred shapes, all slowly morphing into one.

"Fine, fine! Come on then, I want to feel the heat of the fire against my skin and that means front row seats."

Lizzie jumped up, slipping her shoes on before making her way towards the small mirror nestled between two books on the shelf. Her hair, while a mess, didn't look terrible, merely windswept — she could manage a few hours with a hat on, she was sure of it.