VIII. Fear.

Maude and Tommy were at the Shelby Limited offices, both sitting in Tommy's office as they signed documents together. Maude was smoking a cigarette, scribbling her signature on each piece of paper Tommy handed over to her.

The door to the office opened and both looked up as Daniel stepped in. "Tom," Daniel called out as he held the door open for a very familiar woman. Mrs. Ross, the mother of the boy Arthur killed in the ring.

Tommy put down his pen, his eyes shooting towards his wife, sharing a skeptical and confused look with her. Both of them knew she was coming today, but still, neither knew why the woman wanted to meet with Tommy.

Mrs. Ross approached as Daniel closed the door and left. She looked between Maude and Tommy, giving a small nod. "Good morning, Mrs Ross." Tommy greeted before pointing towards the open chair beside Maude. "Have a seat."

Mrs. Ross glanced between Tommy and Maude before slowly sitting down in the chair. "Thank you for seeing me, Mr Shelby. I know how busy you are," she spoke softly, her voice raspy and filled with uncertainty.

"How can I help you?" Tommy questioned the woman as he raised his eyebrows.

Mrs. Ross looked away, hesitating for a second before she spoke. "Well, you see, tomorrow would have been my son's 21st birthday. Had he lived," she spoke as she gave a strained smile. "And I'm having a bit of a thing. Just sandwiches and beer and looking at old photos. And, as a gesture, I thought I would invite your brother, Arthur." she explained as she lowered her gaze.

Tommy shared another look with his wife before turning to Mrs. Ross. "A gesture of what, Mrs. Ross?" he questioned.

The woman was silent for a moment before she explained. "Not exactly forgiveness. But something like that. And also it's a way of saying thank you to the Shelby family for helping me and my children get by since the death of my Edward." she replied.

"That's very kind of you," Tommy replied before inhaling sharply as he sat back in his seat. "That's very kind. Well, I will let Arthur know."

"It'll be at my house at midday." Mrs. Ross informed as she nodded her head. "He should come at midday." she insisted and Maude's eyes narrowed as she took a slow drag of her cigarette.

"Your house, midday tomorrow," Tommy repeated and Mrs. Ross nodded in confirmation. "All right. One of us will be there," he assured her.

"It ought to be Arthur." she insisted very quickly and Maude's gaze diverted from the woman. She didn't like this situation much. This woman hated Arthur with every fiber of her being and now she was insisting he come to her home. It was all too strange.

Tommy silently stared at the woman for a moment before slowly nodding his head. "Goodbye, Mrs Ross," he told her.

Maude and Tommy looked at the woman as she got up and hurried out of the office. When the door closed, Maude blew out a puff of smoke and turned to her husband. "She's planning something," she muttered as her brows furrowed.

"She wants Arthur dead," Tommy replied as he stared at the door with a hard look on his face, his jaw clenched tightly.

"You think she has it in her? To kill him?" Maude questioned as she raised her eyebrows.

"No," Tommy replied as he slowly shook his head, letting out a deep sigh through his nose. "She's working with someone." he insisted.

Dread washed over Maude. This could be no coincidence. "Changretta?" she asked softly as she stared at Tommy.

"Yeah," Tommy confirmed as his gaze flicked towards Maude and he gave a small nod of his head.

The next day came and Tommy gathered the Peaky Blinders to surround the area of where Mrs. Ross lived, sure that Changretta's men would come to kill Arthur when he arrived at the woman's home.

Maude sat silently in the kitchen, tapping her bare feet on the cold tile floor. She was restless as she waited on Tommy. Every now and then, her eyes would flick towards the clock, but it was as if time was at a standstill. It was already late in the afternoon and she was starting to really get worried about her husband.

With a soft sigh, she got up from the table and rummaged through the cupboards for a bottle of whiskey and a glass. As she poured the golden liquid into the glass, the front door slammed open, and heavy footsteps approached. Maude spun around just as her husband stormed into the kitchen, pacing like a wild animal.

"Tommy?" She questioned as she walked over to him with the whiskey glass in hand. "Is it done?" she questioned, her eyes following him as he continued to pace.

"We were played," Tommy muttered as he continued pacing. He grabbed the back of a chair and threw it to the floor, startling Maude. "We were fucking played," he repeated as he placed his hands on the tabletop and lowered his head.

"What happened?" Maude questioned as she pushed her whiskey glass into Tommy's hand and he accepted it silently, downing the burning liquid in one go before slamming the glass back down onto the table.

"They knew we'd find Mrs. Ross suspicious, that I would have all my men with Arthur," Tommy muttered in a low voice as he sat down on one of the chairs at the table. "Michael was left alone," he added as his eyes flicked towards Maude.

Maude's eyes ever so slightly widened as she lowered herself into a chair beside Tommy. "Did they hurt him?" she asked softly as her brows furrowed.

"No," Tommy replied as he slowly shook his head. His gaze diverted as he remained silent for a moment, his jaw clenching. Maude's head tilted to the side, sensing her husband's anger. "They didn't lay a single finger on him," he muttered.

Maude's eyebrows furrowed even further and she slowly shook her head in confusion. Surely it was a good thing that Michael was unharmed, wasn't it? But Tommy's reaction at the moment had Maude questioning herself. "What is it Tommy?" she questioned.

"They were in there with Michael for a long time. And they didn't kill him." Tommy muttered as his gaze shifted back towards Maude. "He said they only made threats, showing how easy it was to get to us. The thing is, they already made that threat," he said as he slowly shook his head once again.

Maude's eyes narrowed. She could hear the accusation in Tommy's voice, she could see the anger and betrayal in his eyes. She silently stood up and rounded the kitchen table, grabbing  the whiskey bottle. She returned to the table and refilled Tommy's glass.

"What are you saying, Tommy?" She asked softly as she sat back down beside her husband, her eyebrows still deeply furrowed.

"Michael betrayed me. I'm fucking sure of it." Tommy replied as he gulped down his whiskey. Maude stared at him for a second. She knew Tommy wouldn't say that if he didn't truly believe it. She let out a soft breath, shocked and confused.

"What now? What happens now?" She asked as she lowered her gaze down to her lap for a second before looking at Tommy. "Polly won't let you hurt him." she insisted as she shook her head.

"I won't hurt him," Tommy replied as he shook his head as well. "But after this business is done, he'll no longer be part of our family. Polly will just have to accept my decision," he stated firmly and Maude could tell his mind was made up. He'd never again trust Michael.

Maude sighed softly, shaking her head once more. "Do you think Changretta told him of the deal Polly made with him?" she asked as she raised her eyebrows. With Tommy's knowledge, Polly had pretended to make a deal with Changretta to betray Tommy so that no one else would get hurt. None of the family except Polly, Tommy, and Maude knew of this.

"It would make Michael betraying me easier," Tommy replied and Maude let out another soft sigh. It truly felt to her like the family was starting to fall apart. First John's death and now Michael's betrayal.

The day following, Tommy spent his time in his office, and Maude didn't see him. It was nearing midnight when Maude went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. The front door opened and closed, and a second later, Tommy came into the kitchen.

"Hello sweetheart." he greeted as he approached his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and pressing a kiss onto her bare shoulder. "Where are the children?" he asked softly.

Maude's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him over her shoulder. "In bed already, it's eleven pm, Tommy," she told him softly as she slowly shook her head.

Tommy's eyes flicked towards the clock on the wall near the back door, his eyebrows furrowing. "It's already that late, huh?" he muttered and Maude nodded. Tommy's eyes returned to his wife and he raised his eyebrows. "Why are you still up?" he questioned.

"Couldn't fall asleep, so I came to make myself a cup of tea." She replied as she motioned to her teacup in front of her.

"You don't want something stronger?" Tommy questioned as he pulled away from Maude, grabbing a bottle of whiskey and a glass.

Maude gave him a small smile as she slowly shook her head. "No, I don't want something stronger." she denied as she poured boiling water into her teacup, adding a bit of milk before stirring it.

Tommy side-eyed his wife as he poured himself a glass of whiskey. "Everything alright?" he questioned.

"Yes," Maude replied as she looked at him while stirring her tea, giving him another small smile. "Everything's alright," she assured before taking his hand and dragging him towards the kitchen table. "Come sit with me for a while." she insisted making Tommy sit down on one of the chairs before sitting on his lap. She placed her tea on the table and wrapped her arms around Tommy. "I've missed you today," she whispered.

"I've missed you too," Tommy replied softly as he reached out, tugging a strand of Maude's dark hair behind her ear. "Soon, we'll go back to our normal life again," he assured as he brushed his hand over her cheek.

Maude smiled as she raised her eyebrows at him. "Have we ever had a normal life, Tommy?" she questioned in a lighthearted tone.

Tommy smiled, knowing his wife was right. "Our normal." he corrected himself as he placed one hand on Maude's waist while he sipped on his whiskey.

"Our normal isn't any better," Maude replied with a shake of her head. She grabbed her teacup, taking a few sips of the warm liquid before putting it aside. Her attention returned to Tommy and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Take me to bed, Tommy," she whispered in his ear.

Tommy looked at his wife silently for a moment before putting his half-empty glass on the table. "You don't have to ask me twice, Mrs. Shelby," he replied as he stood up, hooking one arm around Maude's back and another under her legs, picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom.

The following day came and Maude went to one of Jesse Eden's communist meetings. It was already nearing the end when Maude arrived and within a few minutes, Jesse was approaching the Shelby woman with curious eyes.

"Jesse." Maude greeted as she gave the woman a nod of acknowledgment.

"Mrs. Shelby, I've already told you I won't help your husband-" Jesse immediately began to rant as she furiously shook her head at Maude.

Maude held a hand up to silence Jesse, and the other woman immediately went quiet as she frowned. "I'm not here to ask for your help, I don't need it," Maude explained as she shook her head.

"What are you here for then?" Jesse questioned as her brows furrowed in confusion and curiosity.

"I'd like to buy you a drink," Maude replied as she shrugged her shoulders, giving Jesse a tight-lipped smile.

"I'm afraid the pubs round here don't allow unaccompanied female drinkers," Jesse replied, shaking her head as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Maude's smile slightly grew as her head tilted to the side. "They will when one of them is a Shelby," she assured as she nodded her head.

Jesse quirked an eyebrow and gave a curt nod of her head. "Very well, lead the way." she agreed reluctantly as she rolled back her shoulders.

Maude and Jesse went to a pub a street over. It was crowded with men who were all chatting loudly, but it went rather silent the moment the two women entered the pub. Jesse walked first towards the bar, with Maude following behind.

"Sorry, ladies, we don't..." the man behind the bar began to speak in a scolding manner as he cleaned a glass, but his mouth fell silent very fast when he made eye contact with Maude. Everyone in Birmingham knew Thomas Shelby, and so everyone in Birmingham knew his wife. Disrespecting Tommy himself was bad, but disrespecting his wife was even worse because Tommy did not play games when it came to Maude.

"Don't what?" Maude questioned the man, her head ever so slightly tilting to the side as she quirked an eyebrow.

"It's all right. I'm sorry. I didn't..." the man stuttered an apology as he frantically shook his head.

"What are you drinking, ladies?" Maude spoke as she raised her chin, her eyes narrowing. "That's what you're supposed to say," she informed him, her tone as sharp as her eyes.

"Yes." the man agreed as he frantically nodded. "Sorry. Er, what are you drinking?" he questioned, his face going a little red as he grew more flustered.

Maude looked at Jesse, quirking an eyebrow. "Beer. Pint." Jesse replied as she looked over at the man behind the bar.

"And a stout." Maude added as she looked at the man behind the bar  before turning to face Jesse. "There's more than one way to achieve equality," she informed with a smile.

The two women found themselves at a table at the back of the pub and sat down. "Before you begin to congratulate yourself, I'm not impressed with your power to terrify people," Jesse informed as she shook her head, clenching her jaw at Maude.

"You're getting beer without having a man on your arm," Maude informed the woman as she folded her hands together on the table. "Sometimes fear, is the only way you win over people." She added as her head tilted to the side. "How do you think Thomas got where he is?"

A man came over, putting the two beers in front of Maude and Jesse before turning and leaving again. "Why did you come to see me?" Jesse questioned as she raised her eyebrows.

"Shelby Company Limited is prepared to offer parity for male and female workers across all the factories in our ownership," Maude informed as she picked up her beer glass, taking a few small sips. "And withdraw the pay cut for men."

"In return for what?" Jesse asked as her eyes narrowed.

"You leave the factories in our ownership, out of your revolution," Maude replied as her head tilted to the side. "No more bringing our workers out on strikes," she added as she shook her head. "He's willing to have a meeting with you, Shelby Limited offices, Monday morning 8 Am sharp," she added firmly as she took a few more sips of her beer. "If you don't show up, the offer of parity is withdrawn, and the pay remains cut. He is also threatening to let go of any man or woman who joins your strikes again."

"This is not how you conduct union business." Jesse spat angrily as she frowned at Maude.

"Well, we must all make personal sacrifices for the good of the good old cause. Right?" Maude replied as she raised her eyebrows. She shifted and leaned in closer to Jesse. "Let me tell you something, Miss Eden, something many men and women have mistaken on: when you conduct business with Thomas Shelby, it's never you who holds the power," she informed as she slowly shook her head. She left her beer unfinished as she stood up. "8 Am sharp," she stated firmly as she pulled money out of her purse, putting it on the table before walking away.