In My Blood // Alfie Solomons

Give him peace

Meanwhile in Birmingham...

'Give him peace, amen,' The priest said and every repeated. Amen.

'we are gathered here today to celebrate the life of my friend Freddie Thorne... I promised that if Freddie were to pass before me I would say a few words over his grave. I made this promise before he became my brother in law when we were in France, fighting for the king.'

'Amen,' Arthur said as Ada sucked in a pained breath.

'and in the end it wasn't the war that took Freddie, pestilence took him. But Freddie passed on his soul and his spirit to a new generation before he was taken...'

Ada didn't have a frown or a smile on her face as she joined her siblings. she should have been bawling her eyes out but Ada's eyes were dry on this very day of her husbands funeral.

"we thought now that's freddies gone you might come back to Birmingham." Tommy told Ada

'You know how funny it is that you've got a chauffeur and four-'

'its just for the occasion ada' tommy said trying to ignore the tone in her voice.

'do you know how unfair it is that you've got hour bugattis when half the countrys starving?'

'so we've made you ashamed of us, is that it?' Tommy questioned

'sometimes I think of how I used to be and it makes me embarrassed.' Ada told them.

'Karls with his cousins, I caught him trying to pinch flowers off a grave,' polly said with a grin. "so, Ada are you coming home?'

"I'm going home.' She told them. Polly opened her mouth to object.

'It's alright pol.' Tommy told her. 'apparently we make our ada embarrassed.'

'Tom that's not what I said.' Ada snapped.

'Theres another reason we want you home. I'm planning an expansion.' Tommy informed her. 'I'm taking premise in London.'

'tommy it's a funeral.' Polly interrupted. 'business can wait cant it?'

'it is... and if ada was weeping then id stop but shes not. The expansion means its going to be a dangerous to be a Shelby in London for a while.'

'well I'm not a Shelby anymore. I'm not a thorne now either.' Ada told them ' I'm free.' She grabbed her son karl before walking off. She was done with this family.

'ada!" Polly called but ada ignored her. 'I told you to let me do it!' Polly snapped at tommy.

'it's alright I will have some men watch her house til the danger passes.' Tommy told her watching his sister leave, thinking she was free of them just because she changed her name. what a fool.

'Til the danger passes.' Pol scoffed. 'That will be the bloody day!' Polly remarked.