VICES AND VIRTUES | Thomas Shelby

THIRTY THREE

Some days had passed since Elijah had left, and Florence spent those days cooped up in the house with the children, only Vinnie leaving for supplies or work. She didn't dare face Tommy, her brother had told her that Tommy had seen Elijah that night and that he had spared him. But she couldn't bring herself to face the man who her husband had effectively signed the death warrant for.

Florence felt guilty for a multitude of reasons, for returning to Birmingham in the first place, for pulling her children from the life they knew, for ruining her marriage by helping her brother heal his own wounds. Because that's what it came back to, the trust that was lost because Florence couldn't tell her husband the truth.

She had called their London home and everytime a member of staff would answer, telling her that Elijah wasn't there to come to the phone. She didn't know what to believe, whether he had told the staff to say that, or if he was just genuinely busy whenever she called.

So there she was, sitting in her front room with the children and Vinnie, trying to keep things normal for the sake of the children. Vinnie had urged her to busy herself with something as a distraction, even to take up work at the Shelby company if it would rid her mind of the burden she felt, the burden caused by being the daughter of Luca Changretta.

A knock came at the door as Florence sat in the arm chair, watching Daisy reading a book to her brother.

"I'll get it," Vinnie assured her, making his way to the front door and opening it, "Come in."

Florence looked up to see Vinnie welcoming Polly into the house, who's smile grew when she spotted the two children sitting on the carpet, "Hello, little angels, how are you?"

"Hello, Aunt Polly," Daisy jumped up from the floor, running towards the lady and giving her a quick hug which warmed Polly's heart, "I'm reading to Ollie."

"Aren't you a clever little lady?" Polly smiled at the girl, "Don't let me keep you, go on, finish the story."

Polly took a seat on the sofa adjacent to where Florence was sitting, offering her a smile of sympathy, she knew what had happened, Tommy had told her everything. She realised that she shouldn't have been so quick to judge Florence for spending so much time at Tommy's side, because if she had seen the Harrington man, she wouldn't have been so generous in letting him leave the city.

"How have you been?" Polly asked the young woman.

"As well as we can be," Florence sighed.

"What do they know?" Polly asked, gesturing to the young children.

"That their father has gone back to London to handle business," Florence replied, "That's all."

"When did you last leave the house?"

"When I returned from Harrington House with the children." Florence answered.

"Come to work with me today," Polly suggested, "It's good to keep yourself busy while all this is happening."

"It'll do you good," said Vinnie, "I'll stay with the children."

"I'm not sure," Florence exhaled, looking between Polly, Vinnie and the children.

"You're a contracted employee, Florence," Polly answered, "If anything you're giving the man a reason to come and find you to discuss how you've gone against the terms of your employment."

"Fine," Florence huffed, knowing that she'd only be next door if the children needed her, turning her attention to her brother, "Come and get me if there's any problems."

"Of course," Vinnie nodded as his sister stood up from the sofa, leaning down to kiss both her children goodbye.

Polly and Florence made their way out of the house and into the betting shop, which seemed empty. Except as they made their way inside they saw Lizzie in one of the offices.