Hidden Secrets - Thomas Shelby//Peaky Blinders

Ruminations

Lis twisted the handkerchief tightly in her hand.

She was somewhat safe for now. As safe as she could be as a guest at Kimber's house anyways. She had arrived late the night before, escorted by a copper, at Billy's behest. They had paid him a visit prior and explained the recorded events of the night leading up to his brother's death. 

Billy had shown the smallest amount of compassion towards her, paying off somebody high up to grant her release and allowing her to rest for the night before demanding a meeting with her early the next morning.

Having just finished sharing her side of the tale, Lis had been excused and so had retreated to the quiet of the garden. She was just about to turn the corner around a row of hedges when a quiet 'psst' reached her ears. Turning in all directions, she finally spotted the source: a young housemaid crouched down beside a bench sat between two large hedgerows.

With a quick look around, Lis slowly approached the young woman who kept trying to crouch farther down as if she might be seen at any moment. As Lis approached, she casually looked around, slowly taking a seat next to the hidden woman.

"You're in danger, miss." The squeaky whisper of the maid reached Lis' ears, her spine immediately stiffening. "Mr. Kimber received a note just a bit ago. He's in a furious rage. Something about neighbors hearing the Shelby name last night with lots of screaming and whispering. He knows you've lied, miss."

Lis' heart pounded in her chest, the color draining from her face. With nothing but a quick nod at seemingly nobody, she quickly rose and hurried to her bedroom.

Shutting the door quietly behind her, Lis grabbed her bag of clothes, swiftly packing what she could in it. As she went to grab it off her bed, the sound of the door clicking open caught her attention. Spinning around and immediately plopping down on the bed in an attempt to hide the bag from the uninvited guest, she locked eyes with a furious Billy Kimber.

"Do you think I'm fucking stupid?" He slowly made steps towards her. She knew the look he was giving her. The more accurate news of his brother's demise now filled him with a barely contained rage.

"I'm fucking, Billy Kimber!" His nasally voice screamed out. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out what happened?"

Lis started shaking her head, shuffling back as the man leaned forward, one foot in front of the other, his body tight like a spring ready to snap.

Billy's eyes traveled behind her, hardening at the sight of the packed bag. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

Lis tried to pull the bag farther behind her, not knowing what else to do.

Her motion seemed to release the band holding the spring back. Billy shot forward, one hand grabbing hold of the front of her dress, the back of his other hand finding her already bruised face, quickly opening up the previous night's wounds. 

"You think you can fucking hide things from me?" A second back handed hit smashed against her temple. "Lie to me in my own home?" Lis' head snapped to the side from the force of another hit from Kimber, blood splattering across the floor and rug from the gash left behind by one of the fat rings on Billy's fingers.

"You fucking bitch!" Another blow landed on Lis' stomach, causing her body to try to double over but Billy's hand still clutching her dress held her up. "You're just a fucking bleeding Shelby whore, ain't ya?" Lis cried out as the next blow landed hard against her ribs.

"Doin' their fuckin' dirty work? Killing me brother?" Billy growled into her ear, venom infusing each word, before he let go of her dress, letting her fall to the ground. A violent pain screamed from her knees as they suddenly and forcefully smashed against the wooden planked floor, the impact itself sending a wave of pain throughout her lower body. A cry escaped Lis' busted lips.