VICES AND VIRTUES | Thomas Shelby

THIRTY FIVE

Children were resilient, Florence had come to know that in the days that passed Elijah's departure. She knew that Daisy was more intelligent than the average six year old, but she hadn't realised just how emotionally receptive the young girl was.

Since Elijah had left Small Heath, Daisy had only asked after him once, whereas Oliver, who was younger and lacked an understanding of such things, had more questions and would cry for his father some nights.

Florence felt guilt ridden for robbing her son of being with his father, Daisy had a ready made replacement waiting if Florence ever saw it fit to tell her the truth. The same truth that Daisy seemed to have forgotten about, choosing not to ask any more questions in the wake of Luca Changretta's cryptic revelation.

But that didn't stop Daisy's intrigue in the man who was in fact her father. Despite not knowing who he truly was to her, she asked after him most mornings, and with every request to visit the man, Florence wondered whether it would be best to tell her young, yet resilient daughter the truth.

She wondered whether the information would be better received now, when she was younger and had a more innocent perception of the world, rather than ten years down the line when she had a greater understanding of the world, and what it meant to be a child born out of wedlock.

Florence also knew what it meant to feel unwanted by a father, and while it was more complicated than that with Tommy, she didn't want to risk waiting until Daisy was sixteen when she'd have to explain it all, because sixteen year olds understood the world. The last thing Florence wanted was for Daisy to spend ten years adoring the man before discovering that he made that decision without understanding his reasons.

Which led Florence to Tommy's office, yet again, walking hand in hand with Daisy as they entered the Shelby Company Limited offices. The little girl was proudly carrying the wooden horse that Tommy had given her.

"Morning, Lizzie," Florence smiled as she approached the brunette woman's desk, "Is Tommy in?"

"Not yet," Lizzie sighed, "Do you want me to pass on a message?"

"No," Florence shook her head as Daisy stood beside her, "Little lady wanted to see him, and I was going crazy stuck in that house."

Since the incident at the hospital, Tommy had been even more protective of both Florence and Daisy, insisting that neither of them travel without the company of a Peaky Blinder (which was why Isiah was standing outside the Shelby Company building). He needed to be sure that the Changrettas couldn't get close to them.

"Mummy, can we take Tommy to meet Rascal and Whiskey?" Daisy tugged on her mother's hand with an eager smile.

"One day, my love," Florence smiled down at the little girl, picking her up and perching her on the edge of Lizzie's desk, "He's very busy at-"

Florence's sentence was cut short by the doors opening, as Tommy walked in, followed by the woman Florence knew to be May Carleton. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the Carleton woman, she also wasn't sure why this woman was accompanying Tommy to his office.

"Tommy!" Daisy exclaimed, stopping the man in his tracks as he looked between Florence and his daughter.

"I've got some business to take care of," Tommy told the young girl, "Then we can play horses, okay?"

"Okay," Daisy nodded eagerly.

"Morning, Lady Carleton," Lizzie scoffed, letting her opinion of the woman be known.

"I'm not a lady," May answered bluntly as she followed Tommy into his office, bewildered by the presence of Daisy.

"Too right, you're not," Lizzie muttered to herself.