LIKE STEEL || Tommy Shelby

X. NEW SUSPICIONS

- NEW SUSPICIONS -

February 26th, 1920

Rose's tightly pulled coat was the only thing that kept her warm as she walked quickly down the still-thawing streets. Spring had yet to hit Small Heath and the wind still bit at Rose's cheeks as she knocked on Grace's door. Their flats were not far apart, but the short walk had frozen Rose to the bone and she almost sighed with relief as Grace pulled her in over the threshold.

"How are you?" Grace asked, pouring Rose a cup of tea. She sat down on her small sofa and patted the seat next to her. Rose wrapped her hands around the cup, smiling.

"I'm well," she nodded. "Just up to my neck in work and such."

"And such?" Grace asked, taking a sip from her own cup.

"Well, you know how it is. Things come up," she replied, Grace's tone making her pause.

There was a quiet lull, but Grace shifted in her seat and frowned.

"It's awful what happened to Ada and Freddy, isn't it."

Rose paused for another second, recalling the shouting and fear from the night before.

"I mean, to have a baby and then in the next minute have your brother betray you and your husband taken away..." Grace continued, idly fiddling with her saucer.

"It was-" Rose stopped. "Wait, how do you know about that?"

"Oh," she said, her voice pinched. "It must have been from the ladies down at the shops. You know how they love to gossip."

"Right," Rose muttered.

"Apparently the whole family is angry with Tommy for what he did."

"And what did Tommy do?" Rose asked, more interested in feigning disbelief than letting Grace know what really happened.

"Well Tommy gave Freddy the pass until sunrise to spend with Ada and the child. And then he betrayed him and told the coppers where he was going to be!"

"Oh," Rose said, nodding her head and taking another small sip from her cup.

"Rose, are you alright?" Grace asked, setting down her cup and placing a hand on Rose's knee. "You look worried."

"Yes- I'm fine," she stuttered. " It's just...Grace, how do you know all this?"

Her heart began to thump loudly in her chest, her eyes searching Grace's. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

"Arthur told me when they came home from the wedding about what Tommy told Freddy. We should've known that Tommy would do something like that-"

"It wasn't him" Rose said, unable to listen any longer. "He didn't do it."

Rose tried to shake the unease from her chest. She leaned back in the chair and took another sip of tea, focussing on anything besides the worries running through her mind.

"How has work been, Grace?" Rose asked, trying to keep any tension from her voice.

"It's been going well," Grace sighed. "Mainly the pub is just full of drunks. I see a lot of the Shelby boys, though."

"You do, do you?" Rose said, urging her words to sound casual.

"I do," Grace smiled. "You seem awfully close with them. Do you see them often?"

"Often enough," Rose said quietly.

"And you and Tommy? I'd imagine you two are quite close. At least it looks that way when you're together."