VII. Billy Kimber.

On one Monday afternoon, Maude was sat in the snug with her brothers as well as the Shelby brothers. Grace was with them, eyeing Maude as she took everyone's orders. Four whiskeys were ordered before Grace turned to Tommy who was silently staring ahead of him, barely acknowledging her presence in the small room.

"Did you want whisky as well?" Grace asked him as she raised her eyebrows, frustrated as Tommy refused to give her even a single moment of his time. And now as he and Maude visibly grew closer, Maude also refused to give Grace her time, and when she did, she dodged every Tommy-related question.

"No, just beer." He muttered with a shake of his head as he continued to stare ahead of him and Maude followed his line of sight to the window showing the outside of the front of the Garrison. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked back at him and her gaze met his.

"Why no whisky, Tom?" Henry asked Tommy, but his gaze lingered on the barmaid slipping out of the snug. When the door closed behind her, he looked at Tommy." You expecting trouble?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow, sharing a look with the other three men around the table.

"Aren't you boys always expecting trouble?" Maude asked as she raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked over at the four, her head tilting to the side.

John glanced at her, a lopsided smirk tugging at his lips. "Well you should know, you've been spending a lot of time with the boss, ey?"He asked as he quirked an eyebrow at her, and all eyes inside the small room turned toward her.

Tommy glanced at Maude who remained silent as she stared back at John, a witty remark ready to roll off her tongue. But Tommy turning towards his brother kept Maude quiet. "John shut up." He demanded, shooting his brother a pointed look and John's smirk only grew.

Grace silently entered the room and handed out everyone's drinks, feeling angry as she completely got ignored. She slipped back out without so much as a word, remaining by the door for a second after she closed it.

Arthur chuckled as he stared at his brother. "It's about time, Tommy." He muttered softly before taking a swig of his whiskey, hiding his smile behind the glass.

"Time for what?" Tommy asked as he quirked an eyebrow at his brother, but before anyone could make a smart remark or get any wiser about what was going on between Maude and Tommy, car headlights outside the pub caught their attention.

Maude looked at Tommy, quickly realizing that was what he was waiting for, what he was looking at. That was the trouble he was expecting and she had a hunch on who exactly was bringing the trouble. Everyone inside the room was immediately tense as they looked at the window

"Coppers," Daniel muttered as he turned to look out the window before looking over at Tommy.

"No," Tommy replied with a shake of his head as he stared at the window with his eyebrows tightly knitted together.

"Maude, you should go home," Henry demanded as he turned to his sister with a stern look when she opened her mouth to argue with him.

"No, she stays," Tommy demanded as he shook his head, looking at Henry with a pointed look.

"And why the fuck is that?" Henry asked as he raised his eyebrows, planting his hand firmly on the table as he shot a quick and confused glance at Maude before turning back to Tommy.

"Because she's sitting in on my meeting," Tommy explained his voice holding a warning that no one should further question him on the matter. His gaze was hard as she stared at Henry, but it quickly softened when he turned to Maude. He only cared for her opinion at that moment, solely because he didn't want her to do something she didn't want to. Because he didn't want to scare her off and lose her before he even had her. "Do you have a problem with that arrangement?" He asked her as he raised his eyebrows.

"No, Tommy." She replied without batting an eye as she shook her head, and Henry inhaled sharply as his pointed look turned towards her, visibly upset and irritated with her choice, but letting it go nonetheless because still, anything was better than dealing with a pissed off Tommy if you try to push your luck.

The front door of the pub slammed open, and everyone inside the snug went quiet as they listened to the complete silence washing over the pub. "Is there any man here named Shelby?" A man's voice called out, but silence followed it. After a few short seconds, a gun was fired and a few of the men and women let out fearful screams. "I said, "Is there any man here named Shelby?" The voice repeated.

Daniel's eyebrows furrowed as he shared a look of confusion with John before turning towards Tommy. "Who the fuck is it, Tommy?" He asked as he raised his eyebrows.

"Billy Kimber," Tommy muttered as he got up to his feet and everyone else followed his lead, all getting up to their feet and readying themselves to meet the man on the other side of the snug.

"Billy fucking Kimber?" Arthur asked as his eyebrows furrowed, his glare setting on Tommy who didn't seem surprised Billy Kimber was here. And that could only mean Tommy knew. Tommy knew and he didn't tell Arthur. But what his brother didn't know, was that he told Maude.

"You stay close," Tommy instructed Maude as he pointed a finger of warning at her before ripping open the snug door. One for one they filled out of the snug, first the Shelbys and then the Feltons.

Four men waited for them. The boss, the brains, and the muscles. Maude recognized Billy Kimber only by the gun he had raised in the air, the gun he had fired into the ceiling only seconds ago. The brains she didn't know, but the lean man in glasses looked far too frail to be a gangster. Unlike the two who stood by the door, arm muscles bulging as they stood with crossed arms and mean glares.

Maude stared at Kimber as she stood between her brothers, observing him. She'd seen a few bad haircuts in her day, but none like him. She wasn't even sure the creased and slicked-back look was in style, and the hair was cut far too short. He looked dull to her, but she had heard of his track record with women. And now that she saw him, it truly baffled her.

"Harry, get these men a drink," Tommy instructed as he looked back at Harry before his eyes drifted over the rest of the people in the pub. "Everyone else go home." He demanded and within a second the pub was cleared as everyone scurried off to the closest exit, not wanting to be caught in whatever was about to go down.

Everyone settled around one of the pub's tables. Tommy pulled a chair next to him for Maude, as Arthur and John sat on his left side, Daniel and Henry standing behind them, hands already itching for their guns. Kimber and his frail-looking friend sat on the other side of the table, his muscles standing behind them.

Grace was still left in the pub, gathering a bottle of whiskey and a few glasses on a tray. She had insisted Harry let her stay while he returned home because she had hoped Tommy would keep her around and she could at least get some information to report back.

"You go home," Tommy instructed her with a pointed finger when she brought over the tray of drinks.

"But Mr. Fenton said..." She began to mutter as she put the tray down on the table, staring at Tommy with furrowed eyebrows, her lips tugging into a deep frown.

"I said go home." Tommy snapped at her as he pulled his cigarettes from his pocket, offering Maude one and handing her his lighter. After her cigarette was lit, Tommy lit his own one before his attention turned toward Kimber.

"I've never approved of women in pubs but when they look like that..." Kimber muttered as he watched Grace leave the pub out the back door before his attention turned to Maude. "Is this lovely one staying?" He asked.

"Yes, she will be sitting in on this meeting." Tommy nodded as he glanced at the woman next to him, assuring she was alright before turning towards Kimber again. "You said you want men called Shelby," Tommy said as he stared at Kimber while Arthur poured the table drinks. "You've got three of them."

"Right, I never heard of ya." Kimber began as he looked between the three Shelby brothers. "And then I did hear of ya, some little didicoy razor gang. I thought to meself, so what?" He muttered with a huff. "But then you fucked me over. So now you have my undivided attention." He insisted as he looked between the three for a second before waving a finger over them. "By the way, which one am I talking to? Who's the boss?" He asked.

Arthur glanced over at Tommy who kept silent, before he turned towards Kimber. "Well, I'm the oldest." He replied.

Kimber let out a chuckle as he stared at Arthur with his lips parted. "Clearly." He mused as he grinned at Arthur.

"Are you laughing at my brother?" John asked as he glared at Kimber and the man immediately went quiet as he stared at John, taken aback as the grin wiped from his face

"Right," Kimber muttered as he looked between them. " He's the oldest." He said as he pointed towards Arthur before pointing at John. " You're the thickest." He said before his gaze fell on Tommy. "I'm told the boss is called Tommy, and I'm guessing that's you, 'cause you're looking me up and down like I'm a fucking tart." He spat, his voice growing louder and louder with each word.

Maude took a long drag of her cigarette, her eyes on Kimber, her eyebrows raised. As she slowly blew out the smoke, she turned to Tommy, observing him. Kimber was bigger than Tommy, not physically but by his status. He had been in this game a long time and he held a record for brutality. But Tommy didn't t bat an eye at the man. He didn't look scared or worried. He was as calm as she had ever seen him.

Tommy was silent for a second before pointing a finger in Kimber's direction as he gave the man half a shrug of his shoulders. "I want to know what you want." He muttered as he stared blankly at Kimber.

As Kimber glared at Tommy, the man sitting next to him spoke up. "There were suspicious betting patterns at Kempton Park." He explained. "A horse called Monaghan Boy...He won by a length twice and then finished last. With £3,000 bet on him."

Tommy stared at the man before pointing between him and Kimber. "Which one am I talking to?" He asked them and Maude's gaze cautiously turned towards him, weary of the game he was playing. "Which one of you is the boss?" He asked as he quirked an eyebrow.

" I'm Mr. Kimber's adviser and accountant." The frail-looking man replied and Maude silently gave herself a pat on the back for recognizing that he would be the brains of the operation.

"And I'm the fucking boss, okay?" Kimber snapped as he shot up from his chair and both Henry and Daniel stood a little taller, hands already reaching for their weapons as they eyed Kimber and his men. "Right. End of parlay." Kimber snapped again, his finger waving over the three Shelby brothers. "You fixed the race without my permission. You fucking gypsy scum!" He screamed as the three brothers stared at him calmly. "What, live off the war pensions and these poor old Garrison Lane widows?" Kimber ranted. "That's your level." He spat as he pointed toward them. "I am Billy Kimber! I run the races and you fixed one of them. So I'm gonna have you shot against the post."

Kimber turned to walk away and Tommy stood up, flicking his cigarette in the ashtray. "Mr. Kimber." He called out and immediately Kimber's men had their guns drawn and so did Henry and Daniel. Kimber turned back around and Tommy pulled a bullet from his pocket, tossing it at the man. "Look at it." He insisted as the man caught the bullet, studying the small object. "That has my name in it," Tommy said and Maude's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at Tommy. "It's from the Lee family. You are also at war with the Lees, Mr. Kimber, am I right?" Tommy asked as he raised his eyebrows. "The Lees are attacking your bookies and taking your money. Your men can't control them. You need help." He insisted.

"Perhaps we should listen to what Mr. Shelby has to say before we make our decisions." Mr. Kimber's accountant suggested as he looked at Kimber over his shoulder.

"Yes, perhaps you should, Mr. Kimber." Maude agreed as she stared at Kimber, sitting back in her chair and crossing one leg over the other.

Kimber's attention turned to her, observing the pretty girl in front of him. Tommy took it as a good sign as the man was too focused on Maude to turn around and leave. "Right." Tommy continued. "The Lees are doing a lot of talking at the fairs. They have a lot of kin. They're saying the racetracks are easy meat because the police are busy with strikes. Now, we have connections. We know how they operate." Tommy explained as Kimber's attention turned back to him. "You have muscle. Together we can beat them. Divided, maybe not." He insisted as he shook his head.

"Mr. Kimber, perhaps we should take some time for reflection." Mr. Kimber's accountant suggested as he looked at his boss over his shoulder again. "Possibly make arrangements for a second meeting." He said.

"It is better to discuss everything now." Maude insisted, her eyes on Kimber as his attention quickly turned back to her, barely registering his accountant's words. "Time on reflection is time wasted." She said as she shook her head before taking a drag of her cigarette and slowly puffing out a cloud of smoke.

Tommy hummed in agreement as he glanced at Maude with a nod of his head, not only agreeing with her words but also her attempt to distract Kimber from his accountant's advice. Tommy turned back to Kimber again. "I admire you, Mr. Kimber." He insisted. "You started with nothing and built a legitimate business. It would be an honor to work with you, Mr. Kimber." He said as he clasped his hands together in front of him.

"Nobody works with me. People work for me." Kimber insisted as he stared at Tommy with furrowed eyebrows, almost looking disgusted by the mere thought of working with a backstreet razor gang. He pulled a shilling from his pocket, tossing it onto the ground by Tommy's feet. "Pick it up, pikey," he demanded. A test, to see if Tommy would follow orders.

The second Tommy bend down to pick up the shilling, John was on his feet. "Sit." He ordered his brother through gritted teeth as he pointed a warning finger at him. "Sit down," He demanded and John reluctantly sat back down as Tommy picked up the shilling.

"It's for your ceiling," Kimber muttered as he glanced up at the hole he had left in the pub's ceiling before turning towards the door, sending one last glance at Maude that both she and Tommy caught.

"Thank you, Mr. Kimber," Tommy called out as the man left the pub while his men remained.

"We will be at Cheltenham." Kimber's accountant informed them as he got up to his feet.

"As will I," Tommy replied with a nod of his head, sending Maude a subtle glance, knowing her brothers still didn't know how much he was about to involve her in the business.

Kimber's men left the pub and Tommy followed them to the door, locking it behind them before he turned to the rest. Maude let out a soft sigh as she stubbed out her cigarette before grabbing one of the untouched glasses Arthur had poured, gulping it down to calm her nerves and subside the rush she felt in her chest.

"So you picked a fight with the Lee's on purpose," Arthur muttered as he glared at his brother, gulping down one of the whiskey glasses as well. "Tommy, we can't mess with Billy fucking Kimber." He insisted as he firmly shook his head.

"Get yourself a decent haircut, man," Tommy instructed his brother as he grabbed himself a whiskey glass as well. "We're going to the races." He informed them before downing his whiskey.

"Just don't go to Kimber's barber," Maude muttered, staring at the door the man had just left through seconds ago, eyebrows furrowed as she remembered the awful hair that had just been inside the pub. John snorted in agreement as he patted Arthur on the shoulder.

The men all returned to the snug for more late-night drinking and Tommy turned to Maude who remained in her seat. "You did well," He told her with a nod of his head.

A day before the Cheltenham races, Maude arrived later than usual at the shop. It was mostly empty as everyone prepared for the big day, but Tommy was still in his office, overseeing some paperwork as he left most of the last-minute planning for the race day, to his brothers as well as Maude's brothers.

Maude only stayed at the shop for a few minutes before she was ready to leave again. Before she left, she made her way into Tommy's office to drop off some documents he wanted her to read over and check for him.

"You ready for Cheltenham?" Tommy asked as he looked up from his papers and raised his eyebrows at her.

Maude smiled softly as she nodded her head, clasping her hands together in front of her. "Just picked my dress up, had it cleaned." She informed him.

"I've seen your house, I doubt that dress was dirty." He insisted as he leaned back in his chair while pulling out a cigarette, lighting it before taking a long drag and blowing a puff of smoke out into the air.

She chuckled softly as she nodded in agreement, aware of how clean she was. "Wanted to be certain." She explained as she gave him half a shrug of her shoulders.

Tommy silently stared at her for a second before raising his eyebrows again."You trying to look pretty for someone, ey?"He asked with a hint of teasing in his voice.

She grinned at him as she shrugged her shoulders again, lightly biting down on her bottom lip. "Perhaps." She replied and the corners of Tommy's lips tugged upwards as he watched her turn around and leave.

At home later that night, Maude was in her bedroom, getting her things ready for the following day. When Henry entered her room, she was busy laying out various pieces of jewelry and trying to match them with the red dress sprawled out on her bed.

His eyebrows furrowed as he watched her, crossing his arms over his chest. "What are you doing?" He asked as his eyes followed her movements.

Maude only sparred him a quick glance over her shoulder before returning to the jewelry she held in her hands, debating between two pairs of ruby earnings."Getting my things ready for tomorrow." She replied before setting one of the pairs of dangling ruby airings down by her dress, tossing the other pair back in her jewelry box.

"Tomorrow?" Henry repeated as his arms fell back down by his sides and he entered her room, eyeing the dress laid across her bed. "What's tomorrow?" He asked as he quirked an eyebrow at her.

Maude bit down on her bottom lip as she turned her back to her brother, fiddling with a few pieces of jewelry in her jewelry box. "Cheltenham" She replied softly, and the silence following the single word was deafening to her.

"It's not a work outing, Maude," Henry muttered as he shook his head, staring at the back of his sister's head with a pointed look. "You're not coming with us."

"You're right, I'm not going with you." She agreed with a nod of her head, clasping her hands together in front of her as she turned back around to face him, picking at her nails. "I'm going with Tommy." She informed him.

Henry's eyebrows furrowed and a muscle in his jaw clenched as he stared at Maude, his protective big brother urges surging through him as he thought of Thomas Shelby with his little sister. "What the fuck are you talking about?" He asked as he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"He wants me to go with him when he talks to Kimber."She explained as she began packing up all the jewelry she would be wearing for the race, avoiding her brother's intense gaze that followed her around the room.

"Why?" He asked his arms crossed over his chest again and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Apparently I am an educated woman who is good with words and numbers and I'll make him look more professional." She explained as she began neatly setting aside everything she would wear and use the following day, laying them all out by her vanity. From hair brushes to her dress, jewelry, and even the makeup she had picked out. Everything down to the last T.

"I don't know how I feel about this," Henry muttered as he shook his head, his forehead creased as his frown grew deeper and deeper.

"You don't have to, because how you feel won't matter." She said as she turned to face him again, slowly approaching him and patting his chest as she gave him a forced smile. "I'm nearly thirty years old, please let me make the decision I think is best, for myself." She insisted.

"You really think getting involved with the Peaky Blinders is the best decision for yourself?" He asked her in a low voice as he raised his eyebrows, his gaze dead set on her with a stern look in his dark eyes.

"You and Daniel did." She reminded him as she shrugged her shoulders before spinning on her heel and walking out of the room, leaving her frustrated brother standing alone there to wallow in all his angry feelings.

Henry knew, there was no arguing with Maude. And there was no going against Tommy.