PEAKY BLINDERS II Page #7

left from the explosion. So...

Arthur begins to pass out bottles of whisky. Aunt Polly rolls

her eyes and peers out of the window...

(CONT'D)

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AUNT POLLY (SOFTLY)

Come on, Robin Hood, your men are

getting merry.

Bottles are opened. A swig of whisky emboldens John. He looks

at Esme who urges him to speak. He hesitates then gets to his

feet, bottle in hand. He clears his throat anxiously...

JOHN:

Before Tommy gets here, I think we

should get some things sorted out

between the rest of us.

Aunt Polly turns from the window. She looks from John to Esme

(we should sense there is already an agenda between Aunt

Polly and Esme)...

AUNT POLLY:

You think?

John takes strength from Esme’s look...

JOHN:

Yeah. I want to know. When did we

take a vote on this expansion

South?

AUNT POLLY:

If you have anything to say, you

wait for Tommy.

ARTHUR:

Amen.

John is being ignored because everyone is opening whisky and

drinking but he feeds off the looks from Esme. He announces

loudly...

JOHN:

I see all the books. Legal and off

track. Stuff you lot don’t see. In

the past year, the Shelby Company

Limited has been making a hundred

and fifty pounds...a day.

Sudden silence. The room was happy to ignore John before but

the figure shocks them all. All heads turn.

JOHN (CONT’D)

A f***ing day.

He has their attention now.

JOHN (CONT’D)

Sometimes more.

Aunt Polly glares...

(CONT'D)

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JOHN (CONT’D)

So why are we changing things?

Silence around the room. We might sense that deep down Aunt

Polly shares John’s misgivings.

JOHN (CONT’D)

Polly, look what’s happened

already...

John is liberated and speaks directly to Aunt Polly...

JOHN (CONT’D)

We haven’t even set foot in London

yet and they’ve already blown up

our f***ing pub.

Arthur is swigging whisky.

ARTHUR:

Who says it was the cockneys?

ESME (FLAT, DEFIANT)

Who else?

Silence around the room. Esme and Aunt Polly face off. After

a moment...

AUNT POLLY:

So you know who did it, do you?

Esme is defiant but sits down.

ESME:

I’m told only family are allowed to

speak.

Suddenly...

TOMMY:

Everybody’s allowed to speak.

All heads turn. Tommy has entered through the back door and

he has been listening for a while. He enters the arena...

TOMMY (CONT’D)

On your feet Esme. Let’s hear what

you have to say.

Esme hesitates and looks to John. John stammers a little...

JOHN:

I speak for our household.

(CONT'D)

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TOMMY (FIRMLY)

Shelby Limited is a modern

enterprise and believes in equal

rights for women. On your feet

Esme.

Tommy wanders to the heart of the meeting. Esme is only fazed

for a second and then gets to her feet. When she speaks, Esme

has a confident manner...

ESME:

I am not a blood member of this

family...

Aunt Polly rolls her eyes. Esme will speak in an ornate,

Edwardian manner which she has picked up from books and

magazines and it sounds odd when spoken in her Romany burr..

ESME (CONT’D)

But perhaps indeed because I am not

a family member I can see things in

a different light...

Tommy and Aunt Polly swap looks. Tommy is amused and

impressed by Esme and Aunt Polly sees it. They have a silent

language and Aunt Polly is exasperated that Tommy is taken by

her. sme dares to speak plainly...

ESME (CONT’D)

So I will get to my point.

AUNT POLLY:

That would be nice.

ESME:

As my husband said, Shelby Company

Limited is now very successful.

A pause.

ESME (CONT’D)

But London...

She looks to Tommy...

ESME (CONT’D)

I have kin in Shepherds Bush and

Portobello. It’s more like wars

between armies down there. And the

coppers fight side-by-side with

them. And there are foreigners of

every description and the use of

bombs is the least of it.

All eyes turn to Tommy. Esme gives Tommy a gentle look.

(CONT'D)

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ESME (CONT’D)

I have a child. Blessed with the

Shelby family good looks. I want

John to see him grow up. I want us

to someday live somewhere with

fresh air and trees. And keep

chickens or something.

Aunt Polly stifles a laugh...

ESME (CONT’D)

But London is just smoke and

trouble Thomas.

Aunt Polly breaths with incredulity...

AUNT POLLY:

‘Thomas’?

Esme looks around at the (largely sympathetic) room.

ESME:

That’s all I have to say.

Esme sits down elegantly. Her winning looks are saved for

Tommy. John takes her hand and looks at Tommy. Some fear the

worst. Some hide giggles. After a moment...

ARTHUR:

That was a lot of words, Tommy.

Have a drink to wash them down.

Arthur offers the bottle of whisky. Tommy takes it to the

window. He unscrews the cork and takes a swig.

TOMMY:

First of all, the bang in the pub

was nothing to do with London...

Questions are almost asked from lots of directions but Tommy

raises his hand and continues...

TOMMY (CONT’D)

The bang is something I’m dealing

with on my own.

He straightens a photograph of the King then turns. We might

notice that Tommy has the use of longer words these days and

has the diction of a man who reads...

TOMMY (CONT’D)

And we have nothing to fear from

the proposed business expansion. So

long as we stick together. And

after the first few weeks nine

tenths of what we do down there

will be legal.

Tommy comes to Arthur and squeezes his shoulder...

(CONT'D)

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TOMMY (CONT’D)

The other tenth is in good hands.

John looks a little hurt that Tommy went to Arthur (as if

listening to Esme has damaged his cause). Tommy then wanders

close to Aunt Polly. His proximity suggests that his next

statement is meant for her.

TOMMY (CONT’D)

There are many in this room who

have expressed their reservations.

Aunt Polly looks away...

TOMMY (CONT’D)

And any of you who want no part of

the future of this company are free

to walk out the door. Right now.

He smiles at John and Esme...

TOMMY (CONT’D)

Go and raise your chickens.

Tommy looks to the rest of the room...

TOMMY (CONT’D)

But those of you with ambition?

The expansion process begins

tomorrow.

30 INT. SHELBY HOME, PARLOUR/SAFES - NIGHT 1 30

We are close on the heavy iron doors of the various safes in

the area near the betting shop door. We see Tommy and Aunt

Polly approaching from the parlour. Aunt Polly is already on

his case...

AUNT POLLY:

Tomorrow?

Tommy walks on...

AUNT POLLY (CONT’D)

I’m company treasurer. You should

speak to me first.

Tommy goes to the cash safe and begins to enter a

combination.

AUNT POLLY (CONT’D)

It’s Newmarket tomorrow.

TOMMY:

Yeah.

AUNT POLLY:

Third busiest day of the year...

(CONT'D)

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