Subtle Invitation [Thomas Shelby]

Head Up Lily

"Lily come on now, remember keep your head up and your toes pointed!" Lily's ballet teacher Miss Minir called as they practiced in Lily's ballet studio. The studio that her father had built for her at the back of the house.

Lily's toes hurt as she tried her hardest to do as Miss Minir instructed but truthfully her heart wasn't in it. Lily wasn't any good and it made her teacher even more frustrated at her lack of effort.

"Lily just because it's hard doesn't mean you have the right to give up!" she chastised as she pulled Lily's arms up and then turned her hips.

Lily suddenly snapped out of her daydream and stared out of the hotel window. There was an overwhelming sense of pressure to do this right. One shot. One shot and feeling a sense of redemption for the lift that she could of lived.

—-

"It all checks out?" Arthur asked as he swept into the betting den with his coat in his hands.

Tommy nodded before lighting up a cigarette and offering Polly one. Polly declined, she was agitated and just wanted to get on with it.

"So what's the plan then?" John asked from Tommy's side as he straddled his chair.

"We're waiting for Lily Adler" Polly snapped, her eyes flitting between John and the door. Polly was a bundle of nervous energy.

"You sure you can trust her Pol? This int' some grand scheme to get at our family is it?" John asked, trying to be sensitive to his aunt but failing.

Polly sighed "What don't you understand about 'everything checks out' John? You think Tommy would let her waltz into the family if she was dangerous?"

The tips of Johns ears began to burn with embarrassment. It wasn't nice being told off by Polly and he resented feeling like a child.

"We watch her" Tommy interrupted "We keep her close until we can trust her. Hopefully we can get this business wrapped up as soon as possible. I have promised Polly that we will take care of it as a family and that's what we'll do"

"Damn right" Arthur agreed as he took his chair "Fuckers need to pay for what they did to ya Pol. I'm all in" and he nodded over at his aunt, ready for a scrap.

"You know I'm in" John agreed weakly.

Just as Polly was about to thank her family Micheal entered the door and took off his hat with a small smile for his mother. Everyone's eye's followed behind him and landed on Lily who was taking off her hat and shaking out her long hair.

"Wow" John breathed, she hadn't been what he had expected. John hadn't expected her to be so....together or attractive.

Polly was the first to kick him under the table.

"Hello!" Lily beamed as she swept into the room, unaware of the scrutiny she was now under. "Nice to see you again Arthur"

"Ah" John jumped up "Nice to meet ya love, names John I'm Polly's other nephew" and he stuck his hand out for Lily to shake.

Lily shook his hand "Nice to meet you John"

Micheal was the first to pull her a chair up to the table. Lily thanked him graciously and sat next to Tommy, trying to avoid his intimidating glare. Instead she looked over to Polly whose eyes where softening on her.

"You're so posh" John blurted out, his usual facade of control slipping briefly.

Tommy rolled his eyes at his brothers lack of control around a pretty woman. Lily was posh, she pronounced every letter, crossed her legs, sat up perfectly straight and was soft on the eye. It was strange to see her in the betting den, strange to watch her as she began to fit into group.