Loving Gwen Baker (Thomas Shelby/Peaky Blinders)

Chapter Twenty Two

When Gwen walked into the Garrison the next morning, she immediately took a seat at the bar. She was exhausted after her walk, but still, she hadn't needed to stop halfway for a rest at all.

Grace was behind the bar, and offered the strawberry blonde a friendly smile.

"How are you?" The Irish blonde asked, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Could I just have a glass of water, please?" Grace nodded, and once the cool glass was placed in front of her Gwen took a sip. "Thank you."

"Harry said you don't work here anymore?"

"No, I moved house so I'm renting out my old one." She replied with a sigh, "I miss being in town though, but the countryside is so peaceful!"

"That must be nice." Grace replied with a smile, and she leant against the bar in front of the strawberry blonde. "Do you wake up to the birds?"

"Every morning." Gwen replied with a smile, "I actually came down here to talk to you, if that's ok?" She looked around the Garrison, noticing that there were quite a lot of people about. "But I can always wait until you have lunch - it is rather busy."

"No, it's ok." Grace smiled, "I'll be glad for your company. I've missed you this past week."

Gwen was surprised, but felt warm all the same. "I've missed you too." She replied honestly.

"How are things?" Grace asked then, "I didn't get a chance to ask you about the wedding. You said Tommy was the one who gave you the invitation?"

Gwen nodded, a light blush flattering her cheeks, "He did." She said, "We danced together, it was lovely."

"And?" Gwen pushed, her tone turning quiet so as not to attract any unwanted attention. "Anything else happen?"

"We kissed." Gwen whispered, knowing that Grace wanted to hear about the romantic details. "He dropped me home after we left the Garrison. And we kissed."

"I'm happy for you." Grace replied, but that small hint of jealousy was evident in both her eyes and her tone. "Did you two have sex?"

Gwen choked on her water, "No!" It was a severely bold question, and Gwen (although she had teased Tommy with it) wasn't the type of girl to just give herself to a man she wasn't courting. "Tommy knows I'm not ready for that. He was a perfect gentleman." She said, "I actually came to ask you about something that happened last night."

Grace averted eye contact, and used the cloth in her had to wipe at the bar in front of the strawberry blonde. "Go on."

"I mean, I don't want to upset you but...I have to ask, because I know it wasn't Tommy." She began, fighting the tears that were trying to push through. She really didn't want to upset Grace with her potentially false accusation! "When we were in the snug, they were talking about Freddie - that he was coming back to see Ada - and you walked in to serve drinks and-"

"-You want to know if it was me." Grace finished the sentence before Gwen could fully start crying. "Who shopped him in to the police?"

Gwen nodded, and swallowed the lump in her throat as her heart started hammering nervously in her chest. "I know we are friends, and I hate myself for thinking it was you - but you disappeared out the back as soon as you heard...and then Freddie was taken. I know there's a phone in the back room and-"

"-Yes."

Gwen was horrified, "What?"

"It was me."

The strawberry blonde was quiet for a moment. There was no way Polly was right, and that Grace was working for Campbell...was there?

"Did that Inspector make you do it?" Gwen asked, her worried eyes looking into Grace's emotionless ones. "Because if he did, we have to tell Tommy - he can protect you-"