I was standing by the back door of the Garrison. Grace was passing my buckets of drinks to throw on the pavement. My dark hair was falling out and all over the place, my dress was covered in stains and I was sweating. However, Grace was beautiful and was radiating beautiful. It was just unfair.

I had actually taken off my shoes because they were just getting uncomfortable and I was okay with going barefoot. I kind of liked it.

"Last one." Grace smiled at me with her beautiful irish voice. I took the bucket from her and threw it on the ground. I looked up to see Tommy Shelby standing there with a beautiful white pristine horse. 

"I'm so sorry, Mr Shelby." I apologised as I didn't looked at him. "I'm Clara, by the way." I added lifting up my head to look into his gorgeous ocean blue eyes. It wasn't possible to not fall into his trance.

"I know who you are." Tommy stated as he looked at me. Grace was behind me keeping quiet. 

"What's his name?" I asked Tommy as I placed down the bucket. I began to stroke the horse gently, he seemed to like it. 

 "He doesn't have a name." Tommy answered and I just looked into the poor horses eyes. 

"Poor boy deserves a name." I replied and Tommy looked frustrated and fed up. 

"You have something to say to me?" Tommy asked and I looked at him confused. He noticed that I had bare feet that were covered in mud. Then the beautiful Grace walled out.

"The other night you came into the pub and I was singing. You said singing wasn't allowed." Grace explained and I just stood away from the horse. I felt quite awkward standing there but I couldn't leave. "I'd like there to be one night a week when there's singing. I think it would be good for everyone Saturday nights." Grace suggested and I jumped in.

"Harry was too afraid to ask you, so..." I started to say but Tommy interrupted.

"But you're not." Tommy stated and Grace shook her head.

"I am." She added and I could see Tommy twitching into a smile, but then going back to his usual frown quicker. "But I love to sing." Grace added. 

"You sound like one of those rich girls who comes over from Dublin for the races." Tommy stated and he was wrong. "Do you like horses?" Tommy asked his eye gaze on Grace and not me. "How do you fancy earning some extra money?" Tommy asked her.

 "Doing what?" I asked moving my hair out of my face. 

"Dig out a nice dress. I want to take you to the races." Tommy smirked before he walked off. Grace turned to me happily before she walked in. I looked down at myself annoyed. I wasn't anything compared to her, she had Tommy and I wanted him.

___

"We're closed, Mr Shelby." I stated as I opened up the door to the Garrison. Tommy was standing there as Grace was in the back I knew this was our chance to talk.

"Just get me a drink." Tommy ordered as he walked past me. I nodded my head as I closed the door and got him a bottle from the counter. 

"Should I leave you alone?" I asked him, I didn't know how much glasses to get.

"I came here for company." Tommy answered and I smiled to myself as I picked up two glasses. "Where's Harry?" Tommy asked as I sat down opposite him.

"He took the night off." I answered as I poured as both a drink. "He went to the pictures. Lucky bugger I say. I love the pictures, living the movie life. The romance, the stories, the comedy. I have loved it ever since I was young and we used to go to the play." I explained and I couldn't tell if Tommy cared or not.  "How's your beautiful horse?" I asked him changing the conversation.

 "I just put a bullet in his head." Tommy answered as he drunk his drink. My stomach churned, I hated the idea of anything dying let alone a beautiful horse.

"Was he lame?" I asked him before I drank my drink too. 

 "He looked at me the wrong way." Tommy answered and I raised an eyebrow. "It's not a good idea to look at Tommy Shelby the wrong way." Tommy sighed before he drank some more.

"I'm I right now?" I asked him pulling a weird face. I saw Tommy smile the tiniest but. "Was that a smile from the Tommy Shelby?" I asked him and then he turned to a serious frown. 

"You know, in France. In France, I got used to seeing men die. I never got used to seeing horses die. They die badly." Tommy explained mortified and I knew how he felt. I could hear heels, the heels of Grace. 

"I dug out a dress like you asked." Grace smiled as she walked over to us. Tommy placed his cigarette down. 

"Thanks." Tommy stated before he puffed out a blow of his cigarette. 

"Is it Cheltenham you're talking about? Cheltenham's a grand affair, is it not?" Grace asked walking closer towards us. 

"The King will be there." Tommy smirked and I grinned. 

"King George?" I asked him interested, even though I wasn't going. 

"No." Tommy answered and I looked at him confused. 

"Then what king?" I asked standing up and walked over to the back. I was the third wheel, this only happened when I was with Grace.

"King Billy Kimber and all his men." Tommy answered and I didn't know who he was. I needed to do my research. 

"And what must I do?" Grace asked sitting down on the chair which I was sitting at. 

"For two pounds, you'll do what I ask you to do." Tommy ordered and I wanted two pounds. I was up for it. 

"I want three. If I'm meeting a King, I won't be wearing a cheap dress. And I asked you to let me sing. That's part of the deal now too." Grace ordered in a challenging tone. 

"Since when?" Tommy asked intrigued and I sighed a little annoyed as I stood up. 

"Since you nearly smiled. Saturday nights, open and easy. Everyone gets to sing their song just like we did in Dublin." Grace explained and Tommy drunk his drink.

"You never worked in Dublin so don't lie to me." Tommy stated and I silently gasped. I quickly walked behind the counter. "I asked around about that pub you said you used to work in. I have friends over there. No-one has heard of you. My guess is you're a girl from a good family who got herself pregnant." Tommy explained and it was unreal how of he was.

"It's not something I want known." Grace muttered, no of it was true but she just said it was to keep her cover. 

"And bringing a child into the world alone ruined your life." Tommy continued and I sighed a little. I was nervous. 

"You won't tell anyone my secret?" Grace asked him worried, as was I. If the Peaky Blinders found out who we were then there would be hell to pay. 

"Do you think I tell people things?" Tommy asked rhetorically as I wiped down the counter from behind. "So what do you sing?" Tommy asked changing the subject.

"Anything you want." Grace answered and Tommy nodded his head.

"Get up on a chair." Tommy ordered and Grace smiled happily. She walked over to the table, pulled up a chair and fixed her blonde curly hair. 

"Happy or sad?" Grace asked as she stood up on the seat. The light bounced off of her and she gleamed with light.

"Sad." I answered in a deep voice.

"But I warn you, I'll break your heart." She smirked at Tommy and he shrugged his shoulders. It was like I was invisible.

"Already broken." He replied and my breath hitched a little. I looked up at Grace and she began singing. 

"In a neat little town they call Belfast. Apprentice to trade I was bound. Many an hour's sweet happiness. Had I spent in that neat little town. A sad misfortune came over me. Which caused me to stray from the land. Far away from my friends and relations. Betrayed by the black velvet band. Her eyes, they shone like diamonds. I thought her the queen of the land. And her hair, it hung over her shoulder. Tied up with a black velvet band." Grace sang and I watched Tommy watch her. 

He was in a trance with her, most boys were intrigued with Grace. They used me to get to her and I was sick of it.

I wanted the guy and that guy was Tommy. I looked at them before I walked into the back rooms. 

___

"Hello John." I smirked at John as I walked over to him. I was doing some intel gathering. 

"Get me a drink, Clara." John stated and I nodded my head. 

"Rum, again?" I asked him as I brought the bottle on the top of the bar. 

"Uh yeah." John replied and I silently poured him a drink before I slid it over to him. I placed the bottle into the cupboard again before I took my cigarette packet out.

"Light my cigarette, will you?" I asked him as I stuck my cigarette in my mouth. I leaned over smirking and John lit his match.

"If I knew you, I would think you were flirting with me." John answered as he lit my cigarette. 

"Maybe I am, maybe not." I replied flirtatiously, really I meant it as a friend way. I didn't like John in that way. 

"I like you Clara." John smirked as I handed him over my cigarette and I walked over to Tommy. He was the only one who was sitting at the bar, well except for John. But I had already served him. This was becoming more of a lifestyle and less of a mission, but it was a lifestyle I could work with. 

"What can I get you Mr Shelby?" I asked Tommy, wiping my hands on my apron. 

"You call him John but me Mr Shelby." Tommy answered as I pointed to the beer and I nodded my head before I poured him some beer. I placed it down in front of him as I took down my long brown hair. 

"You picked Grace for the races, but not me." I stated bluntly before I walked away from him. I didn't think that Tommy had caught on that I did like him a lot but I watched him with Grace, he liked Grace more than me. 

I was that girl that boys walked over to get to the prettier girls. I was titled as a 'whore' because I liked to flirt but it was just my personality. I turned to face John.

"Alley, two minutes." I smirked before I walked out of the Garrison. I turned around to see John smirked at Tommy before he followed after me. 

John leaned against the wall and I pressed my body on his. I looked into his blue eyes and breathed heavily. Our faces were inches apart and we were staring into each other's eyes.

+++

What do you think will happen next? I hope you guys are liking this book. I think I am just going to make this book Season One and Two. We will just see what happens, won't we? 

Love all your support,

Mrs N O'Brien xx