Roguish Women- Tommy Shelby

Gift of a Home

           Kate laughed because she genuinely thought he was kidding. The Shelbys were no different from the other powerful people she knew. People who were so above the law, none of their arrests actually stuck. The police force was far too easy to bribe, as were jurors and judges. She couldn't count how many times Frank Wallace was arrested, his rap sheet was endless and contained possibly every violation known to lawyers. He was always in and out of Charles Street jail, knew the warren personally and all the guards by their first names. Often times, Kate would pick Frank up from the short stints of being locked up and he'd always say the same thing.

"Alright fellas, same time next week?"

It never failed to make Kate laugh.

But no matter how many times Frank was arrested, he was never convicted. He rarely even stood trial.

So, to hear that the Shelbys had been arrested and sentenced to death? It was so outlandish.

But Tommy didn't look amused.

The smile dropped from Kate's face. "You're serious? Tommy, you can't be fucking serious. What happened?"

His hand slipped under his glasses so he could rub his eyes. He had hoped they might have a bit more time together before everything about the past month came out. Just to have a few days where neither of them had to worry about anything. They could just enjoy each other's company and make up for the time that had been stolen from them. There would be a time to address the issues in the outside world. There was always time for that. But there never seemed to be enough time for having a decent relationship. Perhaps that was his fault.

"There are things in place..."

Kate hated it when he used that excuse and she knew he knew. And yet, he would always have a plan until the day he died. "I don't understand what could possibly warrant this."

"It's difficult to explain."

"Try."

He sighed, forgetting how relentless she could be. "They won't be hanged. This is to ensure that the Crown cannot hold anything over my head anymore once this is over. I have a letter from the king that puts him in a very difficult place. They'll want these documents destroyed. So I'll destroy them once everyone is released from prison."

Kate fiddled with her mother's locket, unsure of what to think. "So, you're getting something out of this."

"The family is all getting something out of this. Everyone in the company, everyone.

"But they're the ones in prison."

"By the time we get back, it will be a few days until their release. Then the matter is done and over with."

She chewed on her lip. "I trust you know what you're doing but did you stop to think about what this might do to them. I mean were they even aware of what was going to happen?"

"They couldn't know. They couldn't look like accomplices to the matter."

Kate put a hand over her face. It felt like her life, for a few years, was just a series of tests. Testing her loyalty and love for Tommy. "Maybe I don't totally understand. Maybe I do, I don't know. But I worry about what'll do to your family. I know how important they are to you and how important you are to them. You can't risk those relationships."

"They'll understand once they know everything."

She gave him a worried look but nodded. She couldn't help but feel like there was nothing of the matter that was in her control.