Embers of the Brave // Peaky Blinders

Chapter 15

Charming Arthur

           

After the moment of affection Michael had stayed far from her and the Shelby family had caught on to the sudden distance between the inseparable duo. Arthur drove the blonde home after the races and Ella could now count the hilarious eldest Shelby a friend. His witty and charming personality was just the distraction she needed to keep the brooding boy from her mind.

But Arthur couldn't help keep Ella from tossing and turning all night. At the first rays of day, she was dressed and out the door. She walked hurriedly through town to the betting shop, longing to go home with food and lounge out on the couch. Even on her day off she found herself having to come in.

The door slammed open with her angry force. Her sleep deprivation causing a nasty attitude, she always was a cranky person with a lack of sleep. The betting room came to a stop as they watched the girl walk through without her usual warm greetings and welcoming smile. The young girl made a beeline for Tommy's office.

"I need this week's pay check." She barged through the open door, intruding on a conversation between Arthur, Tommy and Michael.

"Why?" Tommy responded.

At the same time Arthur rounded the desk and pulled her under his shoulder, "there's my little firecracker."

She gave the smallest of smile before swinging her moody eyes to Thomas, ignoring the other boy. "Because."

Ella was ignored by the leading brother who instead decided to light a cigarette. "The morning after a job you must come in for a family meeting. Its mandatory."

She scoffed under her breath. "No. It's my day off. You can stick that meeting up your..." Her tantrum was cut short with Arthurs' hand moving from her shoulder to her mouth.

An amused smile danced on each of the Shelby's faces. Once she had successful shoved the hand away from her, she continued. "I need this week's pay and my cut for yesterday."

Tommy nodded in an understanding gesture and yet Ella could see his eyes mocking her. "That seems fair." He hummed.

The air shifted awkwardly waiting for Tommy to continue. Instead Michael moved to the filing cabinet towards the right side of the large office. Slowly he shuffled through multiple folders and files, clearly searching for a particular document. Some time passes before Michael finds what he was searching for and pulls a pile of documents from the draw and hands them to Tommy who was waiting impatiently with an outstretched hand. The chunk of papers where shoved across the desk to the blonde who had shoved the eldest man from her side so that she could examine them.

It was the ownership deed of the track. Ella's eyes continued to scan through the legal document, barely registering the uninteresting big words and unfamiliar statements.

But a single sentence at the bottom of the third page caught her undivided attention.

I Mr. Gunther herby sign the entire ownership deed to Miss. Eleanor Lee, represented by the Mr. T Shelby.

Ella's jaw practically unhinged and fell to the floor. "What have you done?! Who is this Lee girl?"

Tommy finished his glass of whiskey taking a quick swig, skilful letting the tension in the air grow.

"You."

The young blonde went from a state of fury to bewilderment. Tommy continued, "you are now legally Miss Eleanor Lee. Or at least you will be in a few hours."

Arthur laid a reassuring pat on her forearm, "they won't be able to find you if you change your name." 

Ella wasn't relieved nor was she pleased. And yet she didn't feel any desperation at losing her identity. Her grip on reality was shrinking the longer she stayed around the Shelby clan. They could be loving then merciless in a matter of seconds but they were an inescapable drug. Something that you couldn't help but come crawling back to. Just like Michael, he was fascinating to the London born girl. But she knew not to let her feelings for any of them run deep, especially the one that was already occupying every single inch of her mind.

Arthur drew her from her internal monologue when he took the stack of documents from her to give back to his cousin who was trying to not catch the girl he had been avoiding's eyes. The eldest Shelby looked to his brother and his cousin.

"Perhaps it's time we went and paid Solomons a visit?" Arthur laughed.

And with that the three of them and John who they picked up from the small house on Watery lane were on their way to visit their close friend Alfie Solomons.

                                    ***

It didn't take very long for the group to reach the 'bakery' in Camden Town. Ella was silent and unsure as the slick black car pulled up to the dark warehouse. She shifted in her seat, accidently rubbing her thigh against Michael's beside her. He inched away creating a new level of awkwardness.

The group excited the car and headed behind the building, there was only one lonely door along its side. Ella moved to be closer to John who having young children was the nicest and easily befriended Shelby.

Hopefully he would at least attempt to protect me. Ella's mind wandered.

The door was ripped open by an estranged Arthur who not doubt had a fix of snow before he they left. It smacked against the side of the building in a horrible metal scrape. Inside was full to the brim of barrels of some unknown liquid to Ella. In an unusual spot was a glassed in office where only one man sat lazily in his chair. Thomas led the way towards it, paying little attention to everything they were passing. However, Ella could clearly identify the sharp and harsh smell of pure alcohol. It made her mouth salivate at the idea, or maybe it was just her ongoing starvation.

Before they had made it to the door Michael pulled her gently by her wrist so that he was in step with himself. Ella gave him a confused glance before rolling his eyes and pushing her pace half a step in front of him. Again she was pulled back, a little harsher this time, her body being ripped into place.

His lips came close to her ear, "I'm sorry."

Ella replied back to him with the upmost etiquette, she wanted his contrasting friendship to be over. "Your forgiven, Mr. Gray." From now on Ella would keep a strictly business level relationship with him. She couldn't handle any more turbulence in her life.

And with that she turned and gave the bearded man in front of her, all of her undivided attention.

A/N:
Hey guys! How have you been. So I would like to apologise for these filler chapters, I'm trying to build it up into something I have planned! Get excited!

Please vote and comment, means the world to me! :)

-A