Hidden Secrets - Thomas Shelby//Peaky Blinders

Comparisons

Tommy opened the door to the Garrison pub and stepped in. Even though it was a Wednesday night, the pub was full enough with men enjoying a night cap before heading home for bed, only to wake up and start a long and grueling day all over again.

Pausing in the doorway to have a look around, Tommy took note of his brothers, Arthur and John, already in the snug to the right enjoying the company of a rather rambunctious Danny. There was no womanly presence through that doorway.

Turning his eyes in the direction of the bar and the blonde barmaid at the back of the room, he caught sight of who he had been searching for.

Grace leaned forward on her elbows, a frown marking her face, as she appeared in a deep and quiet conversation with Lis. Lis leaned forward, her arms crossed in front of her, resting on the bar-top. She clearly didn't agree with what the blonde woman was saying as she kept giving quick small shakes of her head.

Seeing the two women together allowed Tommy to see how different they were. Not just in looks but in mannerisms and how they carried themselves. Where Grace had pale blonde hair and soft blue eyes that matched her light skin, Lis had rich dark brown hair and warm brown eyes that contrasted with her soft skin. 

Grace moved in a way that made her seem almost nervous and unsure of herself; closed off. Lis in contrast, though she had shown nervous habits the few times they'd met, had seemed comfortable and inviting. While Grace seemed to 'talk the talk', Tommy felt that if need came down to it, Lis would be the one to 'walk the walk.'

Both women were beautiful in their own ways, but only one of them caused a warmth to spread in Tommy's chest whenever she was near. Grace had subtly flirted and smiled, playing the part of acting unaffected by the Peaky Blinder well. But Lis had played it perfectly without even knowing she was in the game.

Tommy watched the interaction of the two women sat at the end of the bar. Lis slightly folding in on herself and appearing agitated, Grace appearing to offer a face of kindness when her body language showed that of being insistent of something. He hadn't been aware that the two women were as close as they appeared, let alone knew each other.

Furrowing his brows in skepticism, he wondered about the note he had received just that morning from 'Miss. A.' It had warned him about who to trust, specifically mentioning the barmaid he now watched. 

If Grace wasn't to be trusted, did this newly discovered relationship between the two women mean Lis wasn't to be trusted either? His mind and heart rebelled at that thought. Lis was trustworthy. Wasn't she?

Tommy ran a hand through his hair in agitation. He was getting tired of the supposed helpfulness of 'Miss. A'. He wish he could just meet with her in person. He had too many unanswered questions and it was beginning to frustrate the Peaky Blinder. He didn't like that some anonymous person knew seemingly so much about his operations and working mind. Needing somewhere to direct his flustered nerves, he pulled out and lit a cigarette.

As if feeling his eyes on her, Grace looked up to meet Tommy's piercing gaze, the man taking a drag from the stick pinched between his thumb and finger. Without looking away, Grace whispered something to the woman across from her. Lis quickly turned her body away from the direction Grace was looking, appearing to fix something on the front of her person and face.

Tommy watched with squinted eyes as Lis turned slightly to ask Grace something. The barmaid searched Lis' face for a moment before giving a small shake of her head. At that, Lis picked up her shoulders and turned towards the direction of the door, a smile on her face as she slid from her stool and headed his way.

At the same moment, Arthur noticed his brother's presence through the doorway and came strolling over to loudly greet his brother. "Tommy! What the fuck are you doing standing out here? We've been waiting for you." The older brother clapped the man on his back.

"I'm just collecting our guest of honor." Tommy nodded to the brown haired woman now emerging from the crowd. Arthur turned to Lis with a grin as she approached. "Lovey! What are you doing out here? Didn't the boys tell you to meet us in the snug?" He gave the woman a brotherly hug, which was happily returned. 

Tommy looked on as the two greeted each other. Was Lis so well known by everyone in the Small Heath? How had he been back from war for so long and not had more interactions with her himself?

"Hello to you too, Arthur. I was coming, just wanted to ask your barmaid something for minute," Lis replied with a joyful smile. 

"I wasn't aware you were closely acquainted with Grace," Tommy commented, briefly looking towards the blonde woman who kept glancing up in their direction.

"I haven't known her personally before tonight. She offered some advice that was appreciated but unwarranted and we ended up talking for a bit," Lis responded, subtly scratching at the center of one of her palms with a fingernail. 

Arthur, oblivious to her anxious displays, gently turned her head to the side with the tip of his finger. "Oi!" He exclaimed, his countenance growing serious. "What's this?" He pointed to the edge of a bruise lining her jawline. "Someone laying their fucking hands on you, Lis?" 

Tommy stepped closer to her to get a better look at what Arthur was pointing to.

Being closer, he noticed her skin was covered with more makeup than he had seen before. Originally believing she had dolled herself up for a night out, something he didn't peg her as the type to do, he now wondered if that small bruise was all she was attempting covering up.

Tommy watched as Lis gracefully waved off his brother with a small smile, putting to bed his voiced concerns. "No, Arthur. Don't be ridiculous. I mis-stepped and slipped on the steps out front of my house the other day and my cheek caught the corner of the railing. Is it really so bad?" She asked, giving the older brother a genuine sad pouting face. 

"Of course not, lovey. You're beautiful as always." Arthur smiled softly at the woman. "And you are clearly drunk as always," Lis smirked. "Starting without us were you?"  

Arthur threw his arm out towards the door of the snug, his playful demeanor returning, "Well come on then! You've clearly got some catching up to do."

Lis brightly smiled and stepped forward to follow after Arthur but was stopped by Tommy reaching an arm out in front of her, his cigarette still pinched between two fingers. For a moment, Tommy held his arm in place across her chest, stopping her in place next to him, their eyes staring into each other's.

"Are you all right?" Tommy quietly questioned, referencing to her conversation with Grace with a quick look towards the bar. "I'm fine, Mr. Shelby," was the quiet reply.

Tommy searched her face, trying to find what struck different about the woman on this night. Her deep brown eyes looked up into his own, revealing a mixture of what seemed to be a blending of determination and what he thought might be a small hint of fear. Was she afraid of him? She hadn't seemed it in previous meetings. 

Was Arthur right and she was afraid of someone else? Tommy felt a sudden urge to wrap his arms protectively around this woman, but instead slowly lowered the one keeping her from moving forward, taking a small step closer.

"I thought I said to call me Tommy?" His voice came out low and gravely, his piercing blue eyes holding her gaze.

His eyes briefly dropped to her lips. Tinted a soft red from a layer of lipstick, they looked like they were made for kissing. Locks of dark brown hair framed her face with an elegance and rested on her shoulders in a cascade of silk, tempting Tommy to run his hands through their soft curls.

"Tommy?" Lis' softly spoken words brought Tommy gently back into the present, his eyes focusing back on hers. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like to hear her call out his name, not to garner his attention, but from him bringing her to a point of pure ecstasy.

"You didn't look like you were fine, Lis," Tommy calmly spoke barely above a whisper. His striking blue eyes searched hers. Lis' eyes darted down to his own lips for a second before quickly shooting away. 

With a noticeable swallow, she gently cleared her her throat and took a small step away from him. "Then you should stop looking, Mr. Shelby," she replied in a soft voice before stepping around him and through the doorway to the snug, being welcomed by the loud cheers of the three men waiting inside.