( book i, CHAPTER EIGHT )

IT WAS THE NEXT MORNING WHEN IT happened. Eliza had gone to work earlier to make up for her early departure the night before and had left Ronan at the inn.

The day before, Ronan had spent the afternoon helping Agatha around with cooking and cleaning, and by later she would just allow him to run around the streets with the other boys his age.

But today was different.

He decided to run around town early in the morning, not long after Eliza left, and see the wonders Small Heath to offer. They had been there a full day already and he had not done any exploring- this trip was a necessity.

And so he was off. He poked around the small crevices of town, tip-toed past the sleeping dogs, and by the time his trip was done he found Small Heath a very uninteresting place to reside. Of course, he enjoyed Monaghan Boy and the dock, but other than that, everything else was boring or restricted to himself.

As he was about to head home, the young Buchanan boy heard the soft muttering of voices not too far from him. He immediately recognized one as Tommy and was ready to bound to him and ask for another ride on Monaghan Boy, but he held still.

By the dead silence of the early morning, and the low voices of Tommy and his companion, Ronan knew something was wrong. He swiftly hid himself behind one of the many crates near the dock as he watched the scene play out.

God, he thought, Would Lizzie kill me if she knew where I was.

She always did tell him to stay out of the business of others- "it never ends well," she would say.

Maybe he should have listened.

Ronan curiously watched through a jagged hole in the crate with his light eyes. He watched as Tommy and the man walked towards the edge of the dock and watched as the pair shook hands. He noticed tears streaming down the man's cheeks and suddenly Tommy had a gun pointed to the man's head.

Ronan wanted to scream for Tommy to stop- to make him put the gun down and leave the man alone, but it seemed as if his voice was lost in his throat. Maybe it was for the better. Maybe, he should have listened.

Yet, as Tommy pulled the trigger, Ronan couldn't seem to look away, his childlike wonder getting the best of him. He watched as the man's body fell limp into an upcoming boat- it's steerer not even batting an eyelash. He watched as Tommy walked away with blood on his cheeks. He watched as two men, that he hadn't noticed until then, nodded at each other and also left.

Ronan couldn't help but wonder if that's how quick it happened to his brother. One moment to the next and then gone. Did he suffer? Did he feel it?

Little Ronan peered through that hole in the crate long after Thomas Shelby and the Italians left. He continued watching until the dead man's body was rowed to a point in which he could no longer see.

Stepping away from the crate, the blonde child felt a sort of numbness. A feeling he thought was only reserved for adults because they were grown up and could handle the scary things- the hurtful things.

But before the first tears could hit the floor, Ronan Buchanan was on his way home.

• • •

TOMMY AND THE OTHER SHELBY brothers had decided to go to the fair for the day, leaving the Garrison in an uncharacteristically calm mood. While it seemed peaceful to others, such as Harry, Eliza couldn't help but think that the day was passing by slower than others.

And it was in that moment that Polly had chosen to make herself present. She entered the bar with a pointed stare, but once her eyes met Eliza's chocolate brown orbs her face broke into a look of shock.

"Elizabeth Ramsey? Is that you?" Polly croaked in shock, quickly ambling her way towards Eliza.

"Hello, Poll," Eliza responded with a hefty chuckle.

Polly wasted no time in rushing behind the counter and giving the girl a tight hug and a peck on the cheek, "My girl, my girl, you need to make these visits more often. What's brought you down here?"

And so they caught up with each other as Polly drank and Eliza continued working. Eliza told her of her mother'a untimely death, then her father's. She spoke of everything that had happened to her since she first left Small Heath, but remained careful with the information she revealed. Although, it grew hard- Polly had a way in conversation that made Eliza want to tell her everything that had befallen her throughout the years. It was a unique trait, but Eliza was careful with her choice of words.

It wasn't until the noon rush began swarming in that Eliza had to bid the woman goodbye- although, Polly made her promise to stop by soon for a cup of tea and an introduction to little Ronan.

And so her morning and afternoon went, and it wasn't until early evening that Harry had dismissed her from her shift.

"Go on home, 'Liza. Grace and I can close up here," Harry stated as he continued to serve drinks.

"But it's hardly evening," she contradicted, but when she looked to Harry she noticed he had ignored her comment and continued on serving drinks and wiping down the counter.

Not wanting to irritate the man, she removed her apron and bid he and Grace a goodnight. As she left the bar she felt a sigh of exasperation escape her- she knew exactly why Harry sent her home so early. Tommy held the respect and fear of everyone in town, including Harry. So when Tommy refused to let her walk home in the dark one night, he expects her to not walk home in the dark at any night.

Yet it's still bloody sunny outside, she thought to herself.

She quietly entered the small inn and greeted Agatha from the door outlooking the staircase, "Hello, Agatha."

"Hello, dear. You're home early," she mentioned, glancing out to see the sun still shining behind the clouds, "Don't tell me Harry's already fired you?"

"Quite the opposite, in fact," the Ramsey girl chuckled, "Have you seen Ronan?"

"Went out this morning and came back not too long after. Silly boy thinks he can sneak in and out of my inn from right under my nose. I'm not so easily fooled," the elderly woman replies with a shake of her head.

Eliza laughs at her words before nodding in thanks, "Alright, thank you, Agatha. I will see you for dinner."

The Ramsey daughter climbed the stairs to the suite she shared with Ronan. As she entered the room, she found the blonde boy sitting by the window sill, his legs curled beneath him.

Eliza smiled and stepped towards the boy, kissing his head, "Hello, my sweet boy. Agatha said you've been off and about. How was your day?"

He stayed silent, but Eliza could distinctly hear sniffles coming from him.

"Ron?"

She turned to look at the boy's face and was met with red eyes and tear stained cheeks. Kneeling in front of him, Eliza stroked his cheek tenderly with her hand, "Ron, darling, what's the matter?"

His eyes met hers before they lowered to the ground.

"Ronan, please talk to me. I want to help," Eliza stated, running her fingers through his hair, but it seemed the comforting action stirred more tears to swell in his eyes.

"Promise me you won't be mad?"

"Ronan-"

"You always told me not to get into the business of other people and I didn't mean to. I was just walking by the docks, I swear I was headed home," he stated hastily, while hiccuping, "I didn't mean to see it- I didn't want to- I-"

"Sh..." Eliza cooed, brushing the blonde strands out of the boy's eyes, "Slowly now, Ron. Tell me what happened."

"Tommy shot the man on the dock."

"What?" Eliza choked, her head already starting to swirl, "Ron-"

"I saw him, Lizzie. He shot him right in the back of his head. I saw the blood on his face-" Ronan continued, but Eliza hushed him by pulling him into a tight embrace. Her heart clenched at the thought of Ronan- her little Ronan- witnessing such a horrid event. The mere thought brought tears into her eyes. He was only a boy.

She felt his hands balling into fists as he bunched her dress into his palms, burying his face deeper into her chest. It was quiet for a moment as the two hugged one another. And then Ronan spoke, the side of his head now leaned against Eliza's frame, "That's what happened to Will, isn't it?"

Eliza was silent as she herself choked back her own sob. She wanted to avoid this conversation for as long as she could. No one had ever told Ronan how his brother had passed during the war, but she knew he wasn't stupid- he would figure it out eventually, he always did.

Ronan knew that Eliza's silence was the only answer he needed. He had always been told by her and the other Ramseys that Will had died a hero. And for some time he believed it- he wanted to believe it. But the truth of the matter remained, hero or not, Will died like the man on the dock.

And that's what hurt the most.