Only Time Will Tell - A Peaky Blinders Story

Chapter 29 - Plans change

"Come on, Cass!" John shouts up the stairs. "Alright, alright. I'm coming. I just had to put my shoes on." Cass yells in reply before rushing out of her room, finally ready for the races. "Wow. You look beautiful." Arthur says in awe as she descends the stairs. "Thanks." Cass replies shyly. "Right then, come on. I told everyone else to meet us at the Garrison." Tommy says, ushering them all out of the house.

~

"Right! One pint and one chaser, on the house. There'll be plenty of time for rum and whiskey after." Tommy says as he walks around the bar to help Grace pour the drinks for everyone. Cass watches them both carefully, feeling slightly uneasy about the fact that Grace isn't returning the smile that her brother is sending her. "Is everything alright?" Cass asks as nicely as possible. "The barrel needs changing." Grace says bluntly before walking into the back room.

Tommy freezes his movements for a moment before sending his sister a confused look. Cass just nods to him with a raised eyebrow. "Go on, Tommy. Go and give her a good seeing to before we leave." Arthur says with a laugh, groaning when his sister whacks him in the arm. He and Cass watch as Tommy follows Grace into the back room.

"Arthur!" Jerimiah shouts as he enters the pub, clearly panicked. "What is it?" Arthur asks, pulling Cass with him to find out what the problem is. "Kimber is on his way here. Someone told him about your plan. He's got 2 truck loads of men." Jerimiah says urgently, prompting the siblings to look at each other with concern. "Go and tell Tommy." Cass orders, prompting her oldest brother to drag Jerimiah into the back room.

~

"Ada! Wake up." Tommy yells as he enters the house, only just letting go of Cass's arm after pulling her down the street from the pub. "What's going on?" Polly asks as she enters the room. "We've been fucking betrayed." Tommy says bluntly. "Someone let slip. Kimber and his men are on the way here." Cass reiterates, nervously fiddling with her hands. "You can handle them, Tommy." Polly says, almost panicked. "It's just us. The Lee boys are already halfway to Worcester. We're outnumbered." Tommy says, waving his hands around.

"Who else knew today was black star day? It was a secret, but obviously you told someone else." Cass asks seriously. "There's only one thing that can blind a man like you, Thomas. Love. That bloody barmaid." Polly says with a small gasp in realisation. "Grace? You fucking told Grace? I told you we couldn't trust her!" Cass yells, smacking Tommy on the arm a few times before being pulled away.

"I'll deal with Grace. If either of you see her then she'll be dead before she can speak." Polly says, calming the pair down slightly. "Ada, you and Cass keep the baby safe in the Bullring. It's the only place far enough from here where Kimber can't get to you." Tommy says darkly before storming out of the house, leaving the women to stand there in shock. Never would any of them have thought that Tommy would be so stupid. Then again, the heart is a curious thing which can make people do anything if it means they get to keep the person they love.

~

"Ada, look, I know we're not exactly on the best terms but going to the Bullring isn't the best option." Cass says as Ada changes out of her nighty. "I know, Cass. We can talk about that later. Right now, we're going to stop that war." Ada replies, walking out of her room and placing a black hat on her head to match her ensemble. "What do you have in mind?" Cass says in confusion. "Just follow my lead." Ada replies, leading her sister out of the house and towards Garrison Lane after forcing a gun into her hands. If the boys think they're getting all the glory today, they're wrong.