Roguish Women- Tommy Shelby

Waiting for Death's Knock

            Alfie was sitting on one of the benches in the back of the venue. He was wearing a wide-brimmed hat and had both hands resting atop his cane. He didn't appear to acknowledge Kate when she walked in, but then he addressed Tommy behind her.

"Tommy, mate, you mind if I talk to her alone?" He requested.

Kate wasn't sure she'd ever heard Alfie be so polite toward Tommy without at least adding in a smart comment or simpering look. It gave the atmosphere a strange feeling.

Tommy hesitated but she gave him a reassuring look. He nodded and left them. Kate went to sit across from Alfie. "Something's different with you." She remarked right away.

Alfie lifted his head to look at her. There certainly was something off with his demeanor. He seemed less intimidating, yet he wasn't relaxed. Perhaps he was lost in thought. "Everything's upside down, innit?"

"Tell me about it." She sighed.

"I weren't going to tell Tommy yet, but I think I can trust you. We've got a mutual trust, yeah?"

"Of course."

Alfie nodded, clearly thinking to himself. For the first time in Kate's experience, he appeared tired. The man has always seemed full of life, not matter what mood he was in. "Been to the doctor. Said I've got skin cancer. Must've picked it up from the war, the gases and such."

"Oh." Kate's heart fell. "Alfie, I'm sorry-"

"No need for sympathy." He waved her off. "Just wanted you to know why I'm retiring."

"Retiring." She looked surprised and could hardly wrap her mind around the word. Like most of the world, she assumed that nothing could unseat Alfie from his pedestal in life. He would be the last one standing.

Yet, the world really was upside down.

"What are you going to do?" Kate asked.

"Margate, have you ever been?" He wondered.

She shook her head. "No. But you'll go live out there on your own?" Her brow wrinkled in worry. After spending a lot of time with Alfie, she knew that his mind could be a powerful weapon. She just didn't know what would happen when he would let himself go out to pasture.

He chuckled. "Love, I've been on me own for a very long time."

"I was too." She reminded him. "I was on my own for most of my life. And was I hesitant when I found Tommy? Of course, I assumed that love was just not in the cards for me. That this was just some punishment that I would only have feelings for him from afar."

"Hm." He grunted, clearly listening but not too convinced.

"I was out talking to Alice and some of her women. I met Lillian's sister, Mabel."

The name instantly caused a reaction in Alfie. His blue eyes looked up at her to see if she was sincere. His eyebrows lifted in surprise. He straightened up a little. Clearly, this woman had made an impact on him at least once or twice.

"You know who I'm talking about, right?" Kate asked, feigning innocence. As if she hadn't picked up on his body language.

"Erm, yeah." He admitted. "We grew up together. There were times when I thought..."

"That maybe things could work between you two?" There was no need to tease him or throw in his face that she had been right. After all, he had listened to her all that time ago when she lamented about her feelings for Tommy. He was frank with her and didn't poke fun at her expense.