The Sharpest Jewel | Alfie Solomons |

~Chapter 34~

London, 1924.

Sunlight streamed through the curtains, inching its way over Florence's face. She was sprawled on the settee, still in her dress from the night before, her shoes kicked off somewhere across the room. Just as she shifted, faintly aware of a headache pounding through her skull, the sound of barking filled the flat. "Lara, hush!" she mumbled, squinting against the light. But her dog's barking only grew louder, and then she heard a voice—bright and cheerful, far too cheerful for this early hour.

"Oh good, you're alive." Florence managed to open her eyes just in time to see Ada standing in her doorway, hands on her hips and her son Karl holding her hand, looking at Florence with a curious, wide-eyed stare. Groaning, Florence sat up, rubbing her temples as the events of last night felt like a blur. "Ada... what time is it?"

"Time for you to crawl out of whatever hole you got into last night," Ada replied with a smirk, setting Karl down on a chair. "You look like you've been through it." Florence tried to brush off the comment, glancing around for water—or perhaps some way to dull the headache that was now throbbing in her temples. She barely had time to gather her thoughts before Ada spoke again, her tone casual but her words pointed.

"Funny thing, actually—heard some whispers this morning. A little rumor about you leaving with Alfie Solomons last night." At that, Florence froze. Bits of the evening came rushing back—the hazy ride home, the way Alfie had looked at her, the surprising dinner invitation she'd somehow accepted. Her eyes went wide as she met Ada's amused gaze.

"Oh, God," she muttered, putting a hand to her mouth, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. "Did people actually...?" Ada chuckled, crossing her arms. "Not every day someone like Alfie takes an interest, is it?" Florence shook her head, burying her face in her hands. "I didn't—I mean, it wasn't like that. He was... decent. Civil, even.". "Civil ?" Ada let out an almost cackle of a laugh "he must be good in bed for you to lie and say he was civil." Ada began looking through the post piled on the table "no no he just drove me home dropped me off even asked me out for dinner."Florence rambled. "Asked you out to dinner ?" Ada arched an eyebrow, clearly enjoying Florence's mortification. "So, you're telling me you didn't actually agree to it?" Florence groaned, the memory sinking in. "I... I think I did. I was drunk. I didn't think he'd take me seriously."

Ada laughed. "Oh, Florence. I feel like Alfie's not the type of bloke to make empty gestures. If he's got you to agree to dinner, you better believe he's planning on it. I hope you've got a decent dress ready." Slumping back into the settee, Florence closed her eyes, trying to imagine how she'd ever make it through a dinner with Alfie. "You'll survive it," Ada teased. "In fact, you might even enjoy it." Florence could only sigh, feeling her headache now mixed with nerves.  Florence's head was pounding, and her stomach churned at the mere thought of actually going through with dinner. She glanced over at Ada, who was watching her with an amused, knowing look that only made Florence feel worse.

"I can't go," Florence muttered, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Not with him. It was a mistake, Ada—an absolutely drunken mistake. He'll think I'm... interested or something, and then what?" Ada laughed, sitting down next to her on the settee. "Interested, really? Or just bored of hiding out in this flat all the time?" Florence shot her a sharp look. "It's not about that. I just... I don't know how to talk to a man like Alfie Solomons. He's—he's dangerous. He's not the kind of man you sit across from over a nice meal. I mean last time I was sat across from him he had a gun to my head while your brother told him to shoot me"."Lovely old Thomas," Ada countered, unfazed. "Look, you're right. Alfie's not like the men in the Shelby company, but that's not a bad thing. Maybe he could do with a little civility himself I mean he didn't shoot you and he was nice enough to drop you off home last night... alive."ada added.