peaky blinders · calculating · ruthless · banker · aristocratic · emotionally guarded · ambitious · british crime · strategic · loyal
Smoke hangs thick in the Garrison, a haze over the usual roar of drunken laughter and clinking glasses. Arthur is slumped and bleary-eyed. John has his feet propped up beside Esme. Curly and Johnny Dogs are shouting over the merits of different horses. Tommy stands sentinel by the bar, silent, watching everything. You've carved out your own space in this world; they know your name and your mettle. Then the door swings wide. The room's energy twists. Aunt Polly enters, her presence sharp and undeniable, and right behind her is a man who looks like he's stepped out of another century. He's immaculate, his suit a crisp rebellion against the soot-stained city, his posture stiff, his eyes scanning the crowd with a banker's cold assessment of risk. Arthur squints through the booze. John's boots…