I look up from my desk as everyone begins flooding in, I stand as Tommy comes around the table ready to speak.
"All right." Arthur's voice appears behind me as he walks past not even acknowledging me.
I look over at John standing with his new wife esme as Polly stands next to me.
"Right. I've brought you all here today because this is the day that we replace Billy Kimber." I turn my head as Arthur looks at me, I hold his stare for a few seconds before looking back to Tommy.
"This the day we become respectable. The day we join the official national association of race course bookmakers." Tommy shows a small smile.
"But first, we do the dirty work. We've all known this day has been coming, I just haven't told anyone the date." He turns around to face the chalkboard.
"We're going to the Worcester races. Track opens at one we get there at two. Now, Kimber thinks we're going there to help him to fight the Lee brothers, but thanks to the new efforts of our John and his lovely new wife Esme, The Lees are now our Kin, I interrupted those efforts this morning, and, uh, I can assure you all, John is making great sacrifices in the cause of peace." Tommy says making a few people chuckle.
"Yeah all right." John says shaking his head.
"So it'll be us and the Lee boys, against Kimber's boys, we take them out, leave the bookies. I expect a swift victory which will send a signal all the way to London that we believe in letting legitimate businesses run peacefully."
"And, uh, what about Kimber himself?" John asks leaning against the wall.
"I'll deal with Kimber." Tommy says taking a hit of his cigarette.
"Any questions?" Tommy asks.
"Yes." Polly interjects, walking away to the double green doors.
"Does anybody object if I bring a newcomer to the meeting?" She slightly smiles before opening the door.
"I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Shelby clan." She smiles as Ada walks in holding her newborn son, I smile and begin clapping with everybody else, not realizing Arthur had moved behind me until his hand was on my back.
"Welcome home, Ada." Tommy says nodding his head.
She nods. "We named him Karl." She said looking down at her infant.
"After Karl Marx." She looks around.
"Karl bloody Marx." Arthur says, his hand rubbing my back before he walks over to Ada.
"Let me get a look at him."
Arthur picks up the infant putting his hat on Karl's head holding him up. "Hey, look. He looks just like me, eh?" Everybody chuckles.
"He's all right, he's a Shelby." He says handing him back to Ada.
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Minutes later we walked down the road to the garrison, me, Tommy, John, Arthur, Charlie, curly, and some other workers from the betting shop.
I lit up a cigarette as we entered the mostly empty bar as grace began pouring us drinks, I sit at the bar making small talk with her before Tommy speaks up.
"All right lads, and lady. Listen up. You have a pint and a chaser, no more. On the house." I raise my eyebrow as Tommy gets behind the bar with grace, Arthur taking a seat next to me.
"Right. Let's get pouring." Tommy says rubbing his hands together.
Tommy and grace exchange a few words before she quickly goes out back because a 'barrel needs changing'
