The Poisoned Rose

Chapter Nine

Adding a layer of dark lipstick on to her lips, Rose checked her reflection in the apartment mirror. The Peaky Blinders, Rose and Lizzie were all in London and were going to her father's club for the night. She wore a burgundy dress and had a diamond headband going across her forehead. Lizzie stood beside her and wore a dark blue dress and light pink lipstick. "Are you ready?" Tommy asked them. "You're both very slow."

"We have to look good." Rose said, "There will be women there tonight and we must look the most fabulous."

"Which you will." John told her with a smirk.

The two women then followed the Blinders out of the apartment and into the cold night. When they arrived at the club, Rose looked around and sighed, "Is it good to be back?" Lizzie asked her.

"No, I hate it here." Rose stepped forward and without glancing back she said, "Let's go."

Tommy and Arthur walked in first, John and Rose following with the rest behind them. The group then sat down around a large table in the corner of the room, Rose in between John and Tommy. "Someone will come over soon." Rose informed them.

And she was right because half an hour later the group were sat with a variety of drinks, Rose and Lizzie both had a cocktail and the men beers. "What happened to that man? The one who was near you when you first met us?"

"He's dead."

The group all turned to stare at her, "Why?"

Rose stared forward and caught sight of her sister Charlotte who wore her red dress, "That's my dress." She scoffed, "She's trying to be me."

"She's not doing a very good job, for starters she isn't beautiful." They all turned to look at John but he continued to talk, oblivious to the stares they were giving him, "That dress doesn't suit her. Look at her make-up, it looks as though one of us has done it. And is she trying to flirt with him?"

Rose laughed as her sister tried her hardest to flirt with the man - he then walked away with disgust on his face. "I'm surprised my father even let her show her face, let alone take my job. Oh this is so funny."

Charlotte caught eyes with her sister and started to make her way over, "What are you doing here?"

"Having a drink, why don't you have one with us?" Rose smirked at her sister. "Come on Charlotte maybe I will even pass on some tips, you need them."

"I don't need your help!" Charlotte told her angrily. "How dare you? You are not even supposed to be here!"

"Yet here I am." Rose sipped her drink as she carefully peered up at her sister.

"Father will not be happy when he hears this!"

"You mean when you tell him." Rose rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, he won't say anything. No one knows who I am and wait - I've forgotten something." She turned to John and smirked. "Father knows I am here and he thought it was a great idea." Charlotte's face fell and Rose chuckled, "Oh no, did father never tell you? Oh what a shame. After everything you've done and even now you're stuck in the dark. Poor you."

"You will regret saying that to me!"

Rose lit a cigarette and stared at her, "What, will you poison me?"

"I'm the one here with poison and you-you..."

She raised an eyebrow, "What makes you think that I, the poisoned Rose, would have no poison."

"You left it all."

"Did I now?" Rose started to giggle.

The eldest Crawford child walked over to the group, "Charlotte you're not concentrating on the job at hand. If father hears about this then you're gone. You've already failed him several times."

With a groan she turned to him, "Did you know she was coming?"

"Yes, all of those closest to father knew they were coming."

"Why did I not know then? She knew everything and now I've taken her job, I am still not told everything."

"Perhaps you are not close to him." Rose interjected. "Now run along Lottie, we would hate for you to be - how should I put it - eliminated."

Charlotte stormed off away from them as the brother turned to them, he smiled at his sister "Care for your old job?"

"I quite like my new one." Rose told him. "Is she not doing very well?"

"Considering you trapped around a couple dozen a night, I think her one alcoholic victim doesn't quite beat yours."

Rose smiled, "Why is she allowed to keep doing it?"

"Keeps her quiet and it is quite funny to see her fail even fathers come up to watch her. She becomes even worse as soon as she knows he's there." He looked at his watch. "I should go, it was good to see you sister."

A man and women walked past the table and stared at those sitting at it causing Tommy, Rose and the Blinders to glare at them, "They don't know who we are."

"They don't know who you are!" Tommy said to Rose, "That must be a first."

"I quite like it." Rose said, "It's refreshing."

John stared at her as she continued to look around, "You wish to be someone in the background?"

Before she could answer him she noticed her father walking towards them, "I am glad you could all make it."

"Thank you father for inviting us." Rose said, "Charlotte is doing a great job."

He chuckled, "She's terrible which makes it all the more funny." He then turned serious, "How is your business going?"

"Well." Tommy told him. "The Balton's trust us, they've asked us to work with them."

"Excellent, excellent." He smiled evilly. "I so look forward to their demise."

"As do I father." Rose told him. "It'll be the most interesting."

He looked back at Charlotte before turning to Rose once more, "And then you will return home and have you job back. We are all waiting for you to come home."

"I look forward to it, father." Rose said to him.

"Good, now enjoy your night, I have business to attend to."

Music began to play in the background and Rose stood up, "John, come dance with me." The two walked over to the dance floor where they began to slowly dance together. "So, are you enjoying yourself tonight?"

"It's as though everywhere you turn there is another person watching you, waiting to stab you in the back, it's horrible." John looked over at his brothers who were drinking with a glum expression on their faces, "What are you going to do after all of this?"

Rose stared at him, "I don't know, I do not have any ideas about what is to come next."

"Will you stay in Birmingham with us?" John asked her.

"Why?" Rose and John's faces were next to each other so their lips touched each others ears. "Do you want me to stay?"

"The children love you and you fit in with our family so yes it would be nice to have you stay."

Rose smiled to herself, "I may stay, you never know."

"Do you want to stay?" John asked her.

"It depends what there is for me there?"

John grinned, "You seem to get everything you want."

"I wish that were true." Rose told him honestly. "I suppose you will need a wife for you children soon, do you have anyone in mind?"

He twirled her away from him and then back so they were close once more, "There is one woman I like."

"Who is she?" Rose asked him.

"Someone."