Head West, To England - An Alfie Solomons' Tale

Chapter Five: The Bakery

After two weeks into the marriage, Alfie came home one day and asked Eliana to sit down with him in the study. He had something he wanted to talk to her about.

"So, remember how I told you I wanted a wife who would understand my work?"

"Yes," she said, nodding.

"Right, then. I run a bakery here in Camden Town." He said.

Alfie had a big house, an automobile, a dog, good clothes and good food. He was not a simple baker. She had a feeling he did something not so very legal for his occupation.

"How do English say, when something not true? Bullshit." she said, in her Russian accent.

Alfie smiled, then laughed. "Alright, it's good you're paying attention. I provide goods and services to the good people of London, in which the law may or may not approve. Does that make you uncomfortable?"

"Just...just don't get hurt." She said, "But no. I think I am comfortable."

He chuckled at that, "Good, I'm glad you are comfortable, love. I'd like you to come to my office this afternoon. Show you around the bakery, as it were."

They arrived at the "bakery" half past noon. Alfie led her through a storage facility that held barrels and barrels of rum. He then took her up to a large office room. A man was standing over the oak desk placing some papers on it.

"You remember Ollie from the wedding?" Alfie asked Eliana.

Ollie smiled, "How do you do Mrs. Solomons?" Then turning to Alfie he said, "Uh, Alfie...Tommy Shelby is here with the new applicants of bakers."

"Stay here, love. Ollie and I got some business. I'll have someone bring you some tea, yeah?"

Once Ollie and Alfie left the office she sat down on the couch and looked around the room. She told herself to just wait for the tea. After twenty or so minutes of waiting, the tea still had not come and her curiosity now outweighed her obedience to Alfie's request.

Leaving the room she slipped through the barrels and followed the sound of voices. It led her to a large room within the storage facility. Close to thirty or so men were lined up, with baking aprons slung over their shoulders, holding folded pieces of paper. A thin man was in front telling the men they were now bakers, and how they should use the paper they held to confirm that.

Then a man made a quip about not being able to see any bread. Out of the shadows she saw Alfie come forward. Alfie paused a moment, then brought up his cane to the man standing next to the one who had made the comment. The man fell violently to the floor.

Alfie then commenced into a speech of not discussing the distinction between bread and rum and about staying away from Jewish women. Once he was done he reverted back to the shadows. She pushed back through the storage house to return to Alfie's office. A cup of tea had been placed upon the table in front of the couch.

Alfie returned to the office about fifteen minutes after she saw him give his lecture. His demeanor was agitated at first as he came through the door, but upon seeing her, he seemed to calm down.

"What is a sodomite?" she asked in Russian.

He froze then turned to walk over and sit next to her.

"What?"

"Earlier, you said something about being a sodomite?" she continued in Russian, but saying the word sodomite in English.

"If I remember correctly, I told you to stay in this room," he replied.

She looked down at her cup of tea. "Yes, I know but I was curious."