love knows no bounds | thomas shelby

shelby brothers limited

it had been days since eveline and thomas last exchanged words. the air between them was heavy with unspoken emotions, and eveline found herself unable to make eye contact with him. they hadn't discussed what had transpired at the race. despite thomas's awareness of ward's distress, neither of them broached the subject, preferring to keep their thoughts and feelings guarded.

however, thomas called for a meeting. initially tempted to avoid any further commotion from the shelby family, eveline ultimately decided to attend. 

in the bustling house filled with people, she gravitated towards polly, finding solace and security in the presence of the only other woman in the room.

before the meeting started, eveline's eyes drifted upwards, and she caught sight of a familiar figure. clad in a coat and hat, with a cigar dangling from his mouth, it was billy kimber. a wave of terror washed over the girl, which caused her stomach to plummet and chills to engulf her body. she felt as though she were frozen in place, being able to move or escape. despite the overwhelming urge to flee, her feet remained rooted to the spot.

polly noticed the change in eveline's appearance and expressed her concern.

"what's gotten into you? you look like you've seen a bloody ghost," she remarked, her curiosity piqued as she scanned the crowd for any signs of trouble.

her question prompted eveline to snap back to reality, though she brushed off pol's concern with a dismissive remark, insisting that nothing was wrong.

despite her reassurance, polly remained skeptical, with her gaze remaining on eveline with a hint of suspicion.

as tommy began to speak, he drew everyone's attention to the front of the room.

"gentlemen," he began, then gestured towards polly and eveline, "and ladies."

"i have in my hand a legal betting license."

with careful enunciation, he revealed the exciting news: "the shelby family has its first legal racetrack pitch."

the announcement ignited a wave of euphoria among the gathered crowd. cheers erupted, fists punched the air with excitement, and amidst the jubilation, eveline couldn't help but join in, standing and clapping with a genuine smile spreading across her face. in that moment, she made direct eye contact with thomas, who returned it with a wide grin.

polly, caught up in the celebration, approached thomas and gave him a hug, followed by arthur and john. then, tommy made his way over to eveline, and embraced her softly as the room buzzed with joy.

after the hug, tommy locked eyes with eveline, his gaze searching hers.

"we finally did it, love," he said delicately. 

then, without hesitation, thomas leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. as his lips met her skin, eveline's smile grew wider, a surge of warmth spreading through her heart at the gesture from thomas.

eveline was in the midst of sanitizing glasses when the sound of one slamming against the bar startled her. she turned around to find thomas shelby standing there, his presence commanding attention.

"get another glass," he demanded, his voice firm and authoritative.

eveline complied, fetching another glass and placing it before him. 

with a swift motion, thomas popped open a bottle of whiskey and poured it into both glasses, the liquid cascading smoothly. once the beverages were poured, thomas lifted his glass and held it out. 

"can you make a toast?" 

"i reckon i can make a million toasts," eveline replied. "may you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you're dead." 

their glasses clinked together as they raised them in a toast. the sound echoed through the quiet and empty garrison. the two both took a swig of whiskey, the smooth, warm liquid slid down their throats, leaving behind a spicy taste. 

as they fell silent, the tension between them remained pronounced. their relationship still hadn't returned to normal, and there was an awkwardness that hung in the air like a heavy fog. 

to break the silence, eveline attempted to lighten the mood, "are we celebratin' cause you're now a man who can bet legally?"

thomas shook his head. his expression was serious as he revealed a piece of paper.

"no," he replied, unfolding the paper and placing it in front of eveline on the bar. "more for contract of employment."

ward looked down at the paper in disbelief, reading the words aloud, "book-keeper," she said, her tone playful as she continued, "shelby brothers limited."

"i don't like that word, 'limited.'" thomas muttered.

turning his back to eveline, he leaned against the bar and pulled out two cigarettes. eveline followed suit, placing one of the white cigarettes between her lips as thomas lit it for her.

"you have to be limited in order to be respectable," she mumbled around the cigarette.

"that's what worries me," thomas replied solemnly as he lit his own. the two of them fell back into silence.

eveline had known for quite some time that thomas had been eyeing her for a position within the gang. unlike many others of her time, eveline possessed a sharp intellect and a knack for numbers, writing, and reading. her proficiency in these areas stemmed from her upbringing, where her mother, once a schoolteacher, imparted knowledge to her during her formative years. before drifting into the world of alcohol and drugs, eveline's mother instilled in her a love for learning through bedtime stories, often choosing tales of adventure and nature like "old mother west wind" or "the adventures of maya the bee."

as eveline grew older, reading became more than just a pastime - it became a lifeline. whenever her parents' arguments escalated and tensions ran high, eveline sought refuge in the pages of her favorite books. if she didn't escape to the shelby's house to play with thomas and his brothers, she would lose herself in the world of literature.

books became a sanctuary for eveline, a means to distance herself from the harmful and abusive environment at home.

though, despite thomas's persistent requests for her to join the blinders, eveline hesitated to accept. while she held deep affection for the brothers, she preferred to maintain a separation between her work life and their criminal activities. she found joy in crafting dresses and suits at her aunt's shop, and later in serving customers at the garrison. the idea of becoming a book-keeper for the gang was a far cry from the life she envisioned for herself. 

eveline took a drag of her cigarette, the smoke swirling around her as she broke the silence once more.

"i had the phone put in today. it's in the back," she said.

"if we knew someone else who had a phone, we could call them," thomas replied quick.

eveline smiled at his wit.

then, tommy reached into his pocket and retrieved something, handing it to eveline.

"right, for your first job for the company, i want you to get that to my sister," he instructed.

eveline's eyebrows furrowed in concern at thomas's words.

"to ada? i haven't seen her in forever, tom." her tone was laced with surprise and worry.

"no one has. she's hiding from me," thomas confessed, looking off into the distance as he spoke. "i am told she goes to a bathhouse on montague street on woman-only days. she goes in disguise, so i need to get someone inside."

tom explained that it was a letter inviting his sister to the upcoming family event, expressing his desire for her presence there.

curiously, eveline looked at thomas.

"i'm not deliverin' bait for some trap, am i?" she asked.

thomas chuckled, teasingly responding, "if you check that contract, i think you'll find it doesn't say anything about asking questions."

eveline smiled at his playful retort.

"just give her the invitation."