𝐌𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐲 | 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐁𝐘

Chapter 12 | Twelve

'Chapter 12 | Twelve | Football'

•••••

I open the door to a young looking lad, around Montgomery's age, dressed in a black cap and suit trousers with a white shirt.

"Monty in?" The boy asks.

"Yeah, uh who should I say it is?" I reply, leaning against the door.

"Finn."

"Alright, give me a second and I'll get him." I tell the boy, he nods and waits, leaving the front door open I proceed out to the back.

"Montgomery, your friend, Finn is at the door." I shout over.

"Can he play footy with us?" Montgomery asks.

"Sure, I'll go get him," I head back inside. "Pertunia, do ya mind Finn seeing ya dressed like that?" I tease.

"Nah, not really, but 'Monty' will so I'll go change." She mimics his new nickname before trying to stealthily head up stairs.

I join Finn back at the front door and push it wider.

"He says ya can come play footy in the back if ya like." I gesture to the back of the house.

"Want me to take me shoes off?" He asks politely however his thick accent restricting it from being a soft politeness.

"Don't worry about it."

He nods again before stepping through the front door, wiping his feet on the front door mat before heading towards the back garden. I close the front door behind him and head into the dining area. Grabbing Archie from his high chair, I sit him in the small patch of grass beside the back door as I perch myself on the step, opening up one of the magazines I had brought round.

|| Time Skip ||

•••••

"Agh!" I hear an unfamiliar voice grunt, looking up from magazine I see Finn holding a hand to his face, blooding spilling out.

I quickly leap up from the step and head straight to him, keeping a side eye on Archie as he keeps trying to eat worms.

"God what happened?" I ask trying to investigate as to whether it's his mouth or nose bleeding, his hands blocking my view.

"I didn't mean to!" Violet's eyes fills with worry as she wraps her arms around the boys waist in an attempt of an apology. "I'm really sorry Finn."

"It's alright." He reluctantly says, his words slightly muffled by his hands.

"Pertunia!" I shout. "Get some tissues and a wet cloth!"

An 'Alright' comes from the house and a few moments later Pertunia rushes out with a big box of tissues and a damp cloth, I hold the box infront of Finn and he grabs a few before putting them straight to his nose. As his right hand holds the tissue tightly to it, I use the cloth to gently clean up his left hand, he switches and I clean the right one, both being previously covered in blood.

"Did it hit you that hard?" I ask, amazed at how much blood keeps pouring at as the pile of bloody tissues keeps growing.

"Nah, I get nose bleeds quite a lot."

"Come inside and we'll sit you down." I tell him, a hand on his shoulder ready to catch him in case he faints at either the sight of so much blood, the pain or both.

We sit at the table for a little while, Pertunia and Archie in the sitting area, Montgomery and Violet sat at the dining table with me and Finn as Victoria has gone upstairs to show Teddy where he'll be sleeping tonight.

"I think it's slowing." Finn says.

"Good, I should imagine your mother is expecting you home soon, I was half expecting we'd have to carry ya back after all the blood you've been losing." I joke and I hear him let out a small laugh, slightly awkward.

"Actually, Finn lives with his aunt and his brothers and sister." Montgomery explains.

"Shall I ring them? Let you know where you are?" I ask.

"Yes please, do ya know the number for the Garrison?" Finn lifts his eyes up, slightly straining.

I nod before heading to the phone on the sideboard in the hall.

"Who should I ask for?" I shout as it begins to ring.

"Polly Gray." Finn replies.

I recognise the name but can't quite place my finger on how.

"Oh and help yaself to a lemon sweet, distract ya from the pain and get rid of the taste of blood in ya mouth."

"Aww Cheers." He says appreciatively.

Finally someone picks up on the other end.

"Hello, this is the Garrison." A man's voice answers.

"Hi, have ya got a Polly Gray there?"

"No, will one of her nephews do?"

"Sure, thanks."

I wait a few moments.

"Hello?" A familiar voice answers.

"Hi, who am I speaking to?" I ask in my best telephone voice.

"Arthur Shelby, who's this?" One of my favourite raspy voices replies.

"Evangeline."

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" He says cheekily, I can hear the smile in his voice.

Arthur's pov:

"Evangeline." Gripping the phone tighter, my tongue pokes into the side of my cheek as I scratch the back of my head, nervous to speak to her in case I cock it up.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" I grin, leaning against the bar, sounding cocky, shit what if it's too cocky.

"Finn came round to play football with my cousin and I'm afraid he's had a nosebleed, hence why he's been gone so long." She politely explains.

"Want me to come get him?" An idea pops into me head, great I can see her again.

"I don't mind really, he says it's slowing but I'm not sure I want him walking home alone."

"No worries, luv, I'll head over now. What's the address?"

Evangeline's pov:

After telling Mr Shelby the address, I hang up and wander back to the kitchen.

"Your brother Arthur is coming." I tell Finn who just nods, still pinching the bridge of his nose with a tissue.

"Was Aunt Poll not there?" He asks.

"Apparently not." I shrug. "But it's getting darker and I really don't like the thought of you walking home alone anyways."

"Noone dare hurt me, my brothers would kill 'em, the same way if anyone done anythin' to you, ya dad would go ballistic, Reg and Danny n'all."

"You're not wrong there." I laugh.