wishing wells - michael gray

nine

Elsie hadn't spoken to Michael in a few days and had been avoiding him. Not only was ashamed that she almost had sex with him, she was horrified that he had done that and then had sex with someone else in under an hour. Elsie didn't consider herself insecure, but all she could think about was what did that girl have that she didn't? She walked into the business offices as usual to go into Tommy's office to get the briefcase she used to collect rent with Isiah, only this time, Tommy was in there.

"Oh...you're back from the honeymoon already?" she asked, tilting her head sideways.

"Yes, Elsie. Not happy to see me, then?" He said, putting out his cigarette.

"No, of course I'm glad to see you. I was just goin' to gather the rent with Isiah. I keep the briefcase in here."

"Yes, about that," Tommy said standing up. "You're a good Catholic girl aren't you?"

Elsie froze. "Is this about what happened with Michael?"

Tommy raised his eyebrow. "No what happened with him?" when Elsie didn't respond he continued, because quite frankly he didn't care. He did note the fading marks on her neck, however. "I have a meeting with a priest today. I want you to go with me, but if you utter a word to anybody about what's discussed at the meeting, I'll throw your body in the cut."

Elsie shifted her weight and sat up. "Well alright then. When?"

"Right now," Tommy said, putting his coat on. "Let's go."

* * *

"This is sketchy, innit?" Elsie asked, sitting atop a cargo box in the damp alley Tommy had taken her to. "What priest would meet a Peaky Blinder in an alley?"

"The bad kind, Elsie. Priests can be bad too," Tommy said, checking his pocket watch.

"Believe me, I know," she muttered, pulling her coat tighter to her body. She didn't look up when heavy footsteps approached them.

"Mr. Shelby, sorry I'm late," the voice said. Elsie's body was covered in goosebumps. She could recognize that Irish voice from anywhere.

It was Father Hughes.

Michael and Elsie were both placed in the care of the Holy Fathers after he was taken away and Elsie's birth parents passed. They both shared the horrors that Father Hughes bestowed upon them. This is why they became friends in the first place.

"It's alright," Tommy said, taking a seat at his stool. "Father Hughes, this is-"

"El Johnson. It's nice to make your acquaintance," she cut in, interrupting Tommy from saying Elsie Meyers. Tommy raised his eyebrow at her and then lit his cigarette, confused as why she would introduce herself differently.

"So will it just be boys in your charitable institution or girls as well?" Father Hughes said turning to Tommy, his voice creating a pit in Elsie's throat.

"Both," Tommy said, blowing smoke out.

"You must divide them," Father Hughes said. "You know how the little creatures can get."

Elsie winced at his words, knowing what he was insinuating. If Michael and Elsie had been divided, she wouldn't have survived.

"Where are your people?" Tommy asked, ignoring Father Hughes's statement when he saw the look on Elsie's face. "You said they'd be here by 5 o'clock."

"They are a law unto themselves," Hughes shrugged. "You can never quite grasp who they are, like gripping wet soap."

Tommy nodded. "I've done my research."

Hughes shrugged. "Perhaps you know them as the, uh, Economic League. Only once did I get a letter from them headed 'The Vigilance Comittee'. Which tips the hand a little."

Tommy clicked his tongue. "No. The name I've heard is Section D. That's what Special Branch calls them. Business men, MPs, army officers."

Hughes rolled his eyes, smiling at Elsie with a sickening grin. "Yes, it will be fun to bring such men to a Gypsy scrapyard."

Tommy scoffed. "You asked for privacy."

"Since the election, the government has decided that we are the enemy," Hughes explained. "When all we are trying to do is save the country from revolution. Are you political, Ms. Johnson?"

Hughes's attention shifted to the girl sitting opposite of him. Tommy looked at Elsie and read her body language.

"Are your people coming or are they not coming?" Tommy asked, shifting the priest's attention back to him.

"Mr. Shelby you will learn that these men are far too grand for the clock to govern them. You should get used to meeting in the small hours of the morning, preferably without guests."

Tommy brought his cigarette to his lips again, before Hughes continued.

"So when is your charitable institute opening?"

"When I fucking say," Tommy sighed, opening a bottle of bourbon.

"Well, I'll stop in from time to time..." Hughes said, looking across to Elsie. "...to hear confession from the little creatures."

Elsie stiffened and looked to Tommy, who's eyes shifted between the two.

"You'll meet Mr. Patrick Jarvis, MP. He'll probably want to become a trustee. It's just his thing to drop by in the evenings after a few drinks. We'll make it a formal arrangement as part of the bigger deal between us. I will have an office there."

Elsie flinched when Tommy suddenly stood up, dragging his stool achingly slow in front of her to face her, before he spit onto the floor towards Hughes.

"My God, some devil gets into you, doesn't it, boy?" Hughes taunted as Tommy stared into Elsie's soul, as if trying to read her mind. "Mr. Shelby, if I want to play the squire in your place of false charity, then I will. Ambition for respectability doesn't make you a saint. Am I wrong?"

Tommy didn't respond and his eyes were still scanning Elsie's blank face. The bells started to ring at a nearby church, as Hughes searched in his pocket.

"Oh Lord, it's six is it?" Hughes said, checking his pocket watch. "Well I wish you a good day. You too, girl." He extended his hand out to Elsie with a sick grin across his face.

"Where the fuck are you goin'?" Tommy asked, distracting the priest from shaking Elsie's hand.

"Did I not make it clear?" Hughes said. "They said if they weren't here by morning prayers then the meeting had been canceled. You'll meet someone today at the Ritz."

Tommy took the paper from the priest's hand. "I have meetings today."

"You have one meeting today. In London. That's it."

Elsie and Tommy sat in silence for a moment after the priest departed.

"Do you know him?" asked Tommy, breaking the silence.

"I did. You can't let him take confession with the kids. Please, Tommy."

Tommy sighed as he stood up. "You heard the conversation. You know I don't have much of a choice. Let's go to London, shall we?"