XXXVII. Sapphires.

After the meeting at the old Shelby home, Maude returned to Arrow house. She was working in her home office as she waited for her husband to return home. It was already late but by now she was used to Tommy's busy schedule. She was buried deep in work for the charity dinner Tommy had her organize for the new Shelby Children's Institute Tommy was opening in Birmingham.

She was overseeing the guest list, making contestant changes in catering whenever someone RSVP'd that they would be attending the charity dinner. Maude's own dinner was wasting away on her desk. Already forgotten when Mary brought it for her.

When Mary walked into the dimly lit room with a cup of tea, her eyes shot toward Maude's untouched dinner plate. A frown tugged at her lips. "Not hungry, Mrs. Shelby?" The older woman asked as she placed the cup of tea on the table.

"Hungry?" Maude repeated as she looked up at Mary with furrowed eyebrows before her eyes snapped towards the food and she shook her head. " Oh, no. Sorry, Mary." She said softly as she looked at the older woman with an apologetic smile.

"You'll ruin your eyes." Mary scolded as she turned on Maude's desk lamp, giving her somewhat of a pointed look before taking the food and leaving the office.

Ever since Mary had started working in Arrow House, she was very caring towards Maude and sometimes Tommy as well. Often times she did overstep her boundaries as a maid, but neither Tommy nor Maude ever cared because they liked having Mary around and they cherished her caring nature. Sometimes it seemed like she wasn't working in their house for the money, but to just take care of them.

Maude heard a door in the hallway open, heavy footsteps following that she already knew was her husband's. "Tommy..." She muttered, a smile tugging at her lips as she grabbed a letter and floor print from her table and met Tommy in the living room. "Hello." She called out to catch his attention.

"Hello, sweetheart." He greeted, eyeing her excited smile as he poured himself a glass of whiskey.

She greeted him with a kiss when he approached her before nudging him to the couch. "Sit down." She ordered and Tommy did. She sat down on the ground next to him, putting down the blueprints before resting her arms on his lap as she fiddled with the letter in her hands. "Guess."

Tommy quirked an eyebrow as he stared down at her, not being able to help himself as he responded to her big smile with a small one of his own. "Guess what?" He asked as he reached out to run a hand through her hair.

"He said yes." She informed him as she handed over the letter in her hands, letting him look at it. "The leader of the Birmingham City Council is going to attend the dinner." She explained, excited to have gotten someone so important to attend the dinner, even if she was aware that these important people knew her husband, because, for the past months, Maude has poured her heart and soul into getting the institution ready for the children. "Everyone has said yes. Everyone." She informed him and his smile grew at her happiness. "I keep having to change the catering. And my writing hand is almost falling off."

"Oh, what are you writing for?" He asked her as his eyebrows furrowed, putting aside the letter as his attention turned back to her. " I bought you a typewriter." He reminded her of the gift he had bought her recently. With Tommy, she often got gifts just because. There was no special occasion needed for Tommy to spoil her.

Maude pursed her lips as she looked at him. "You don't write letters of a social occasion on a typewriter." She insisted with a shake of her head.

"Oh. Forgive me." Tommy replied as his smile grew and he reached out to cup her cheek.

Maude turned away, grabbing the blueprint and showing it to Tommy. "I have the drawings of what they plan to do with the grounds of the house. There'll be an area for the children to play. Look." She said as she pointed at an area on the blueprint, but selfishly Tommy's eyes were on her, watching her with an adoring smile on his face. "And the Birmingham Charity Commission have agreed to set aside their three rotten floorboards upstairs and grant us the licence within a month." She informed him as she glanced back at him, smiling when she noticed his eyes on her. "You're not listening to me." She said with a shake of her head.

"Yes, I am." He assured her with a nod of his head. " I am."

"Do you think I'm becoming obsessed?" She asked as she put aside the blueprint and turned towards him again, her arms back on his lap as she looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

"Yes." He admitted with a nod of his head and Maude chuckled softly as she slapped his thigh, making him chuckle as well.

"Should I ask you how your day was, like a good wife?" She asked as she quirked an eyebrow at him.

"No." He replied with a shake of his head as he reached out and cupped her cheek once again. "You're already the best wife I could have ever asked for, sweetheart." He replied softly.

Maude hummed in response, her cheeks already aching from her permanent smile. " You look tired, my love." She noted as she looked at Tommy's eyes and he slowly nodded his head in response as he sighed. "I'm guessing that means your day was not as successful as mine, hmm." She muttered softly as her smile slowly slipped from her lips.

"That all depends on how you measure success." He informed her. "See, personally, I measure it in sapphires." He insisted as he smiled down at her.

"Oh!" She replied, her smile returning as she raised her eyebrows at him. "Sapphires." She repeated.

Tommy hummed as he sat up, putting his whiskey aside before turning Maude so that her back would face him. "Close your eyes." He insisted and she quirked an eyebrow as she glanced at him over her shoulder. "Close your eyes." He repeated and she dramatically sighed before closing her eyes and turning her head away from him. She felt his arms move around her, holding something in front of her. "All right, you can open 'em."

Maude's eyes fluttered open, immediately landing on the blue sapphire dangling in front of her. Her eyes widen as she reached out to touch the jewel. "Where the hell did you get this?" She asked softly as she studied it. "It's beautiful." She insisted before glancing at Tommy. "It's Russian." She concluded, knowing it was all where he could have gotten such a precious jewel.

Tommy hummed in response before putting the jewel around her neck. "You can wear it to the foundation dinner." He informed her.

"Don't you think it's a bit much for a charity dinner?" She asked as she looked down at the jewel resting against her chest before turning to Tommy with raised eyebrows.

"Maude, this is fucking Birmingham." He said as he reached out to cup her cheeks. "Good taste is for people who can't afford sapphires." He insisted and Maude laughed as she shook her head in response.

"Oh, Mr. Shelby." She muttered softly as she stared at him before a sly smirk tugged at her lips. She looked around before getting onto her feet, tugging lose her dress and letting it fall to the ground, pooling by her feet ."How about you fuck me wearing this jewel. Only the jewel." She muttered as she kicked off her heels and pulled off her undergarments until she stood naked in front of him.

Even after so many years together, Tommy was still as amazed and obsessed with Maude's body as the first time he saw it. His eyes roamed over her before he met her gaze. "I like how you think." He insisted before reaching out and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Come here." He insisted as he tugged her onto his lap.

The following morning Tommy had decided to take the day off to spend with his family. Maude was busy in their bedroom, scribbling things down in her notebook. Tommy entered the bedroom with Charlie in his arms, looking at his wife with raised eyebrows. "You dressed sweetheart?" He asked her.

Maude looked up at Tommy with furrowed eyebrows as her head tilted to the side. "Of course, I am dressed." She replied before looking at the window that showed the rare sunshine outside. "When am I not dressed this time of day?" She asked as she turned back to her husband with a quirked eyebrow.

"Let's go for a walk, the three of us," he suggested as he glanced from her towards their son in his arms.

"A walk to where?" Maude asked with raised eyebrows as she closed her notebook and got up to her feet,

"Down to the stables." He informed her as she hooked her arm in with his free one, following him out of the bedroom. "I want to show Charlie the horses." He said.

They took the little boy down to the stables they had on Arrow house grounds, with all Tommy's race horses as well as the horse he had bought Maude a few months after they moved into the house. Upon seeing the horses, Charlie was immediately out of his father's arms, waddling towards the newest horse in the stables, with his parents following after him.

"Horsy," Charlie called out, glancing back at his mother with a big smile as he pointed up at the black beast that stood in his stall.

Tommy crouched down next to Charlie, running a hand over the horse's muzzle. "This big man and his brother are going to make us a lot of money." He insisted and Maude hummed in response as she crouched down next to Tommy, resting an arm on his thigh to balance herself.

"Here, pet him gently." She spoke to her son as she took his hand and gently ran it over the horse's lowered head. Charlie giggled excitedly as he placed both hands on the horse, rubbing him softly and giving him loving pets. Maude watched her son with a smile. "He's definitively your son, Mr. Shelby." She teased her husband.

Tommy glanced at her with a quirked eyebrow. "Was there ever any doubt?" He asked with a hint of teasing in his voice as well.

"None." She assured with a shake of her head as she looked at her husband for a brief second before turning to Charlie, running a hand over his dark hair. "He has too much Shelby in him for there to be any doubt." She insisted.

Tommy was silent for a second before he spoke up. "Yeah, you had too much Shelby in you as well, for there to be any doubt." He muttered jokingly.

"Thomas!" Maude gasped as she slapped his thigh, staring at her laughing husband with wide eyes, "I've told you, no vulgar langue in front of our son." She scolded as she bit back her own laugh while shaking her head at him.

"He doesn't understand what I'm saying." He assured his wife who gave him a pointed look and he turned to the toddler. "Do you?" He asked and Charlie looked up at his father, babbling on before turning back to the horse. "See?" Tommy said as he turned to his wife.

"Leave your vulgar langue for the bedroom." She scolded Tommy softly.

He was silent for a second as he quirked an eyebrow and Maude knew she'd regret her words even before her husband opened his potty mouth. "But the bedroom's not the only place we fu-" He began to speak but Maude quickly cut him off.

"Thomas! She scolded with another slap to his thigh. "Last warning, yeah?" She informed him as he laughed. She got up to her feet, shaking her head at him as a soft chuckle slipped from her lips.

Tommy watched her as she walked towards the stable doors and then he turned to his son. "Piece of advice my boy, never cross your mother." He informed Charlie as he got up to his feet and picked the little boy up.

"I heard that," Maude informed in as she turned around to give him a pointed look, and Tommy shot her a teasing smile in response.

The two of them spend the rest of the with their son, showing him the horses before taking a walk into the field together. When they returned home it was already late and they had dinner together before putting their tired little boy to bed.

The following morning it was back to work as usual and Maude went to her office while Tommy went to the betting shop. Only an hour into her work day a pregnant Esme rushed into her office, panting as she rambled incoherently.

"Esme?" Maude called out, eyebrows furrowing in concern as she rushed to the woman's side, urging her to have a seat before getting her a glass of water. "What's wrong?" She asked once Esme had managed to calm down.

Esme took a deep breath as she looked at Maude. "Men came into the shop, took Tommy." She informed her. "Says it's Scotland Yard." She explained.

Maude's eyes widened, her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach. "Oh fuck." She whispered.

Maude called John after Esme left, panicking and worried for her husband, because she knew Scotland Yard was powerful, and even they had authority over the Peaky Blinders that not even the coppers in Birmingham had. She was instructed to go home and wait for Tommy.

And that is what she did. She waited for hours for him. By the time she heard Tommy in their son's room, it was already dark. She rushed to Charlie's room. "Tommy?" She called out before entering the room, seeing her husband stand over their sleeping son's crib. "Tommy, what happened?" She asked, her voice hushed in order to not wake the toddler.

"It's the fucking priest and Odd fellows." He informed her as a deep huff escaped his lips, running a hand over his face.

Maude's eyebrows furrowed, unaware of the connection they had with Scotland Yard, but aware that it only made them more dangerous enemies. "What did they want?" She asked as she approached her husband, taking his face in her hands as she looked for any signs that he could have been hurt.

"Ada is a potential security breach. She has connections with the Bolsheviks in London who have connections with the Soviet Embassy." He explained with a soft sigh as he shook his head. "We can't see Ada again until this business is finished." He muttered.

Maude was silent for a second as she processed his words. She sighed as well before her hands moved to his chest, her eyes roaming over him. "Did they hurt you, Tommy?" She asked softly.

"No...no." He replied with a shake of his head. "I'm alright." He assured before wrapping his arms around Maude, pulling her close to his chest, needing to feel her close to him as he calmed down. "I'm alright, sweetheart." He repeated.

"Let's go to bed, Tommy." She insisted as she pulled away from Tommy, glancing at Charlie who slightly began to stir in response to their hushed voices. They returned to their own bedroom and as Maude climbed into bed, Tommy poured two glasses of whiskey. "Whiskey in bed?" She asked as he handed her a glass before getting in bed with her.

"We've drank whiskey in worse places." He muttered softly and she hummed in response as she pursed her lips and nodded her head.

She glanced at her husband, resting her glass on her lap as she stretched her legs out on the bed. "The business you have with this priest...it gives me a bad feeling." She informed him softly.

Tommy sighed as he lowered his head, reaching one hand out to rest on her thigh. "I know sweetheart, I know." He whispered as he nodded his head.

Maude looked at him, eyebrows slowly furrowing as a frown tugged at her lips. She knew Tommy like the back of her hand, and she knew when something bothered or worried him. "You are worried about something." She insisted, a statement more than a question because she knew.

Tommy was silent for a second, knowing his wife would go mad with worry if he told her father Hughes had threatened their son, and someone was in Charlie's room. "Everything is alright." He assured her with a strained voice.

"No, Tommy." She denied with a shake of her head as she stared at him. "Everything is not alright." She insisted. "Scotland Yard, they're not to be fucking messed with, and this priest has them in his pocket. "She said.

"I'll deal with it, sweetheart." He assured as he turned towards Maude, reaching out to cup her cheek. "Don't worry, I'll deal with it." He told her.

"No, Tommy." She muttered with a shake of her head as she placed her hand on top of his. "We'll deal with it." She corrected him.

Tommy stared at her silently for a second. He didn't want her involved with this business because he knew men who threatened a baby had no worries about hurting a woman. But Tommy knew if he started now, he'd lose the argument. So he decided to change the subject. "Has your dress arrived yet?" He asked her.

Maude's lips pulled into a straight line, hating when Tommy changed the subject to avoid certain topics with her. But she knew he was now trying to avoid an argument because she knew he didn't want her involved so much in his business. Ever since Charlie was born he didn't want her involved.

"This afternoon." She replied softly as she turned away from him, sipping on her whiskey. "It's beautiful, but I think it will be too much with the sapphire." She insisted.

"There's nothing as too much in this world." Tommy insisted as he shook his head before finishing his own glass of whiskey.

"Certainly not for you." She muttered as she shot her husband a side-eyed glance and he hummed in response.

Even after Maude had eventually drifted off to sleep, Tommy stayed awake, worried for his family's safety. It gnawed at him until he felt sick. And as he looked upon his sleeping wife's face, he was ridden with quilt, because Maude truly did deserve better than him. Because only pain waited in her future with Tommy.