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Today was the day of the races, and Matilda was actually quite excited. It was around 8am, and Tommy had just arrived at her house.
"Tilly?" He spoke out as he entered the home, looking round.
"Yeah give me a sec!" She shouted from upstairs.
He pulled out a cigarette and put it between his lips, and lighting it with a match. He looked up as he heard the stairs creek.
"How'd I look?"
"Beautiful." Tommy smiled as he nodded gently, admiring her pretty blue dress. Matilda smiled as they both heading the the car.
"Thank you Mr Shelby." Matilda giggled as she looked at Tommy as he opened the car door for her.
••••••
"Are we meant to go in through the back way?" Matilda questioned as Tommy lead her through the groups of people. His hand placed on the small of her back.
"Eh, well, I prefer it this way." He shrugged.
"How're we even meant to get in?"
"Now that's down to you. Say you are Lady Sarah of Connemara, and I'm your assistant who dosent speak a word of English, okay?" Tommy looks into her soft brown eyes. "Okay."
Getting in went smoothly, no questions were asked, Tommy showed Matilda around, pointing different people out to her.
"Do you dance?" Tommy questioned making Matilda raise her eyebrows.
"Maybe, if you ask me properly."
"Matilda Mitchell, will you dance with me?" Matilda nodded at the man infront of her with a smile, Tommy took one hand in his and placed another on her waist as he began to dance with her.
As they were dancing, Tommy spotted Kimber sat at a table, subtly making their way closer to him so they would be noticeable. Their eyes locked and he nodded at the man before looking away again, his eyes landing on Arthur.
The song ended and he pulled away from Matilda, smiling at putting his mouth close to her ear. "We're going to go to Arthur."
The pair made their way through the crowd, Matilda's mouth fell open as she looked at the cuts and blood on Arthur's face and knuckles. She looked at his face again to see him laughing, handing Tommy a duffel bag.
"Any men hurt?" Tommy questioned, taking the bag out of his hands.
"Few cuts and bruises, nothing too bad." Tommy nodded at Arthur, telling Matilda to go to the bar while he went back over to Kimber.
"Nice dress, doll." Arthur smirked as he looked her up and down.
"Thanks, love." She waved to the man as she walked over to the bar, ordering herself a whiskey, glancing over to Tommy every once and a while.
She watched Tommy and Kimber have a short conversation, before Tommy stood up and began making his way back over to her.
"Uh listen," he began, "we're gonna go to Kimber's for dinner, but I've got some business to finish so you can head over with him."
"Me and him? Alone?" Matilda asked.
"Yeah." Tommy nodded.
"You think I'm a fucking whore, Tommy?" Matilda wasn't happy in the slightest. She was mad at the the thought Tommy had brought her there so he could use her for his business.
"No, of course not. Listen, he's asked for 2 hours with you. He thinks he's a ladies man and can seduce you, so at any point you can just kick him in the balls alright?" Tommy tried to reason with the girl, and Matilda simply just stood, looking at him with a blank expression.
She didn't know why she agreed, but now she was with Kimber, alone in some room in his house. She couldn't deny, it was a beautiful house, but she didn't want to be stood in it.
"Let's dance, shall we?" Kimber put some music on the record player, taking Matilda's hand and attempted to dance with her. "Come on, you weren't this stiff earlier."
Matilda quickly shoved him off and stood by the window, trying to control her breathing. "I need a cigarette."
As she lit her cigarette she watched Kimber finish his rum, before he dropped it on the floor, glass smashing all over his expensive looking rug.
"Pick it up." He spat.
"No." Matilda scoffed, looking at the man with disgust. Kimbers face dropped at her answer, and he stormed over to the woman, grabbing her arms and trying to spin her around.
"You're a fucking barmaid, if I tell you to pick something up, you pick it up!" He shouted, bending her over the pool table and pushing up her dress.
"Get the fuck off me!" Matilda screamed, reaching for her bag. She felt Kimber unbuckling his trousers, and she got a grip on her bag, pulling it down to her chest, and taking the gun out from it.
In one motion she used all her force to push him back, pointing the gun towards him. "I told you to get the fuck off me you cunt!"
"Tilly.." Her eyes snapped over to the voice, her eyes filling with tears as she looked over at him. "Put the gun away, and go wait in the car."
"I had another hour!" Kimber shouted.
"I know, listen, I was gonna let it happen, but.." Matilda stopped before leaving, wanting to hear what Tommy was going to say. "She has the clap."
Matilda scoffed and shook her head before slamming the door behind her and leaving.
••••••
"You alright?" Tommy mumbled. They were roughly 20 minutes into their drive back, and neither of them had said a word to eachother.
"No Tommy, I'm not fucking alright." Matilda shook her head. "This morning I was Lady Sarah of Connemara, and by the end of it I was assaulted and had the clap." Tommy said nothing, just kept his eyes on the road. He knew she wasn't done just yet.
"And not only that, you fucking promised me I wouldn't get hurt," Her eyes filled with tears. "You fucking promised, Tom."
Tommy sighed and placed a hand over her's, rubbing them with his thumb in a soothing manner. "I'm sorry, Tilly. I didn't think it'd end like that."
Matilda decided not to reply, she didn't want conversation with him. Of course, she knew he wouldn't want anything bad happening to her, but he was well aware that anything could of happened, and Matilda new that.
Eventually they returned back in Small Heath, and back onto Watery Lane outside of the Shelby home.
Matilda walked in first, her anger evident in her strut. "You alright love, how was it?" Pol smiled as she saw the pair walk in.
"Oh it was great Tommy, wasn't it? You can tell them all about it." She pointed to Polly, Ada and John who were sat, confused over her mood.
"Tilly-"
"Save it." She cut Tommy off, "I'll be in the Garrison if anyone needs me."
