𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑵 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻

𝟐

♱♱

𝟑𝒓𝒅 𝑷𝑶𝑽

Tommy was cooped up in office all day and all night since the death of Grace. It had been 3 weeks of mourning for him and the only time he left was to shower and handle business outside of Arrow House. The business he was handling was getting revenge on the Italians who killed his lovely wife.
Tommy was stuck in his own mind, papers and empty whiskey bottles spread around him. Last night Tommy had splurged, fucking some unknown whore then coming back home.
Every morning, before the crack of dawn he would go out on his horse and ride then come back when everyone was fully awake.
His Aunt Polly and sister Ada took a notice to this.

"He's back." Ada said looking out the window, Tommy arriving on his jet black horse.
"Is he out all morning?" Jeremiah Jesus ask.
"Comes back to see Charles and feed the horses, when it gets the dark he goes off again." Ada explains, Polly right beside her reading the newspaper.
"He use to sleep out when he was a kid, Curly would find him the pasture." Polly gave her best excuse, she could feel and see the pain Tommy was going through even if he didn't express it.
"How's the baby?" Polly changed the conversation from Tommy to his son Charles.
"He ask for his mum at night." Ada sighs, walking over to the dining table. "Tommy made a list, he wants to see you two first." Ada hands Polly the note Tommy had written.
"Not John and Arthur?" Polly looked over at the note quizzically.
Before Ada could respond the sound of a heavy door slamming and Tommy's footsteps caught their attention.
He waltz past all four them straight to his office, not a single word was spoken.
"I believe our presence has been called gentlemen."

There Tommy sat visibly exhausted scribbling away on countless documents spread out on his desk.
Polly, Michael, and Jeremiah sat there in silence watching him do so eating for Tommy to speak.
"How are the books?" Tommy asked not looking up from whatever document he was writing in.
"Unaffected." Polly felt so much sympathy for him.
"Up sightly." Michael answers as well, Tommy pauses. "There's also been a 3-fold increase in donations to the Shelby Foundation Charity. The councilor also suggested naming the school The Grace Shelby Institute." Michael nervously answers not knowing how his cousin Tommy was gonna react to the news.
Tommy aggressively stubs out his cigarette in his full ash tray.
"Tell the councilor to make it The Grace Shelby Institute is acceptable to us." Michael looked over at his mother Polly, she looked almost shocked as well doing her best to hide her reaction.
Tommy folds a paper and hands it to Polly. "This is a list, a list of things I want doing, that's all." Tommy sits back in his seat, Michael clears his throat and leaves the office Polly stays behind with Jeremiah.

"Tommy-"
"That's all Pol." Clearly fed up with him Polly rolls her eyes.
"I have brought Jeremiah here-"
"Hopefully not to pray for me." Polly scoffs.
"Stop fucking cutting me off and stop fiddling with the goddamn papers." Polly says sternly.
"Go on." Tommy sits up, dropping the pen from his hand.
"Thank you." Polly huffs. "I have brought Jeremiah along because he has a proposition."
"For what? Business?"
"For Charlie." Tommy quirks his eyebrow, from his knowledge Charlie was properly fine right now.
"I thought young souls were exempt from sins, Charlie doesn't need praying."
"It's not that Tommy-" Jeremiah cuts off Polly by putting his hand out signaling that he'll explain himself.
"Young Charlie needs watching after, ya Aunt and sister can only do so much." Jeremiah says.
"That's what I have the maids for." Tommy responds in a matter-of-fact tone, clasping his hands together.
"The maids can only do so much. You need a nanny for Charlie." Tommy looks at Jeremiah quizzically to see where he was going with this. "Charlie needs 24/7 care, the maids and your family won't be able to do that when 'aving to handle everything else. I have a niece in the states, she has worked with children all her life. Me and Miss Polly think it'll be best if my niece becomes Charlie's nanny." Jeremiah fully explains without any sly remarks coming from a short tempered Tommy.
"Now why would I allow a stranger to look after my son?"
"She's not a stranger Tommy, the girl is family."
"Your family."
"Jesus Christ Tommy!" Polly intervenes. "You allow his boy to work for ya what's wrong with allowing his niece to work for ya! The girl is coming from the states has no knowledge of any of this so she's not a enemy!" Polly was going to do everything to convince Tommy to let Jeremiah's niece work for them.
Tommy sucks in his breath and sighs.
"Tell me about her." Tommy signals his hand from Jeremiah to continue.
"She's my late sister's daughter, Pedolia James. Lives in Georgia, only 24 has no harsh background. Been working as help as soon as she graduated highschool." Tommy didn't say anything, going back to his countless documents.
Polly and Jeremiah sighs, both getting up and walking away.
"Well done the both of ya." Tommy voice stops them from leaving, both turning to face him. "I expect to see Miss James standing in my office as soon as possible." Polly and Jeremiah but Polly most of all at a content smile on their faces before leaving.
"I say you get on with that telegram Jeremiah." Polly had a accomplished smile on her face as they walked down the hallway.
"I believe you are right Miss Polly." So did Jeremiah, now his niece will be with and a job with the people he trusted with his own life.

Back in the office Tommy sat there staring into space, hoping that Grace would magically appear from behind that door or for his brothers to tell him that Grace didn't actually die and she was just being held somewhere.
"I need a fucking drink." Tommy muttered under his breath, breaking contact with nothing.
Pulling open his draw there was a half finished bottle of whiskey, already been opened last night.
Tommy sat back in his chair sipping his whiskey. As much as he didn't want to admit it, his son Charlie did need a woman in his life. Polly and Ada were good for him but like Jeremiah said, Charlie needed 24/7 care and Tommy wasn't cutting it right now.
Seeing your son only to tuck him in wasn't really being there, maybe

𝑷𝒆𝒅𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒂 𝑷𝑶𝑽

"It came!" I run over to Ruthy-Jean who was hanging up her linen, a rare off day for her.
"What came child?" Ruthy-Jean looked at like I was crazy.
"The telegram." I hand Ruthy-Jean the telegram.
"Who this?" Ruthy-Jean looked down at the piece of paper in her hand.
"My Uncle Jeremiah girl, I'm going to England soon!" I squeal in excitement.
"I thought you already had the job?" Ruthy-Jean place her hand on her hip.
"Well not really but that's beside the point." Ruthy-Jean rolls her eyes at me.
"You done quit ya old job without knowing if you had the job or not, what am I gonna do with you girl." Ruthy-Jean shakes her head at me.
"Even if I didn't have the job, I was still gonna go live with my Uncle Jeremiah. I know he would get me the job no matter what."
"Well since you leaving we need to host a going away party." Ruthy-Jean goes back to putting up her linen.
"Miss Pedolia James is going to England!" I squeal in excitement doing a little dance. "I need to pack."
"Yeah run off now." Ruthy-Jean shoos me away.
I run away back to my house in excitement.

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