Contains SPOILERS for Peaky Blinders season 6.
absence of matriarch Aunt Polly, with real-life actress Helen McCrory having ed away from cancer.
All cultures have their own ways of dealing with bereavement and grief. For Romani society, this manifests itself in the form of burning away all physical possessions and even memories of the deceased, as showcased by the funeral of Polly in episode 1, season 6 of Peaky Blinders. Being a nomadic society since their exodus from the Indian plateau, Roma have faced the hardships that come along with such a lifestyle—including the difficulty associated with finding a final resting place for the dead. The hardships of life on the road must be dealt with daily and spending time mourning is a luxury not enjoyed by nomads. Thus, complete removal of deceased personae is often preferable for families, especially for children who must learn to cope with the lifestyle.
It is for these reasons that Arthur Shelby may have stopped the IRA commander from speaking of their dead. But there is also an element of storytelling involved in the scene, with Captain Swift (McKee) itting the Shelbys had "reasons to hate her." It was her actions that led to the deaths of Shelby family - a fact that Tommy and Arthur are unlikely to forget, or forgive. A close examination of Arthur's phrasing suggests an open-ended interpretation of the words "dead in company," as this could be referring either to the Shelbys or McKee herself in the future tense. It is both a reminder of the dark legacy of the Romani people and a personal warning to the IRA commander of debts unpaid.
How this reprisal will inevitably play out is unclear at the moment, as Thomas Shelby is deeply enmeshed in the politics of both the communist and fascist parties of Great Britain. The IRA, having saved Mosley for their own reasons, are also actors within the Labor party which Tommy represents in Parliament. Both Thomas and the IRA seem to be in business together exporting opium to the United States, with him remarking "business comes before vengeance."
Ultimately, how the Shelby family pays tribute to Aunt Polly and their dearly departed will also showcase their own unique and violent process of grieving. Romani they may be, but first and foremost, they are a powerful crime family with a reputation to uphold. All will the family motto before the end: "Don't f*ck with the Peaky Blinders."