Childhood Memory (Finn Shelby)

Part 13

Elsie couldn't look Finn in the eye. After hearing him in the bathroom she didn't know what to think. She knew perfectly well what he was doing but she didn't know why. She knew it was a perfectly normal thing to do but it still made her flush as she thought of it.

Finn didn't understand why Elsie wasn't facing him, she wasn't ignoring him but it was strange. The day went on and Elsie was telling Finn about what each room in the house was used for, this was mostly pointing to a door saying "that one is a bedroom, that one is a bedroom, that's a bathroom" etc.

"What about this room?" Finn said, pointing to a door Elsie skipped over.

"That was my dad's room and study. I haven't been in their since I saw him the day that he died." Elsie said sadly, looking st the door briefly.

"Oh, why don't you go in there?" Finn said, going to open the door but Elsie placed herself in front of the handle and in front of Finn.

"No" she told him, looking him dead in the eye, "I'm not ready to step foot in there" she told him.

"There's a phone call for Mr Shelby!" A voice shouted from down the corridor.

"He'll take it in the library!" Elsie said to the maid, she nodded. Elsie and Finn went back a few rooms and went back to the library. Finn picked up the phone.

"Hello?" He questioned, "what? ----What do you mean he's in jail? ----Michael too?---Why?---- we'll come back now--- I'll see you soon Thomas---bye" Finn sighed and ran a hand down his face before looking at a very confused Elsie. "We need to go back to Birmingham, now" he told her.

"How are we going to go back? We can't drive"

"I've been learning" Finn said, "do you have a car?"

"There's one in the garage" Elsie said, "are you sure you can drive?"

"Positive" Finn said.

So the two packed their bags, they only had a few items as Elsie didn't bring much back to her house as she had left most of it back at the Shelby's and Finn didn't bring much either.

Finn placed their bags in the back of the vehicle whilst Elsie quickly wrote a note saying that she was going back early and to keep an eye out on the horses, etc.

The two teens got into the vehicle. Thankfully, Finn wasn't the worst driver in the world but he made Elsie almost scream several times as he swerved to avoid other cars or animals which ran on the road.

It took them several hours to get back to Birmingham and it was now dark. Finn haphazardly parked the car in front of Shelby Company Limited and brought Elsie inside where she spotted Polly and John.

The two explained the situation to them but they were told to go home as they had to wait until Tommy got back which wouldn't be until the morning to get full answers.

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Finn and Elsie were out of the house early and back to the Shelby Company as they waited around for Tommy.

Polly, John and his wife, Esme, were also with them, Polly sat smoking on a armchair, John sitting down at one of the tables, Esme standing near him and Elsie and Finn stood behind the table.

Tommy eventually walked in, "John?" He questioned.

"The coppers have lifted ten of our men in Camden Town, the rest are on the run" John told him.

"They've taken Michael" Finn told him, fiddling with his hat in his hands.

"Business first" Tommy said, holding up a hand to Finn.

"They took Michael" Polly said forcefully. "They picked him up-"

"Polly, Business first" Tommy said loudly, causing the woman to be quiet. "John?"

"They took all of our whiskey, so they'll be sipping that for Christmas. They've impounded all our vans, put their own locks on the warehouse. The Eden Club and all our pubs have been raised by the coppers and handed back to Sabini and Solomons. The Black Country boys think it was Arthur who killed Billy 'cause that's what the coppers told them. So there will be no more free passes for our whiskey boats"

"I don't give a fuck about whiskey, I don't care about Billy Kitchen. I want my son out of prison. Now!" Polly demanded.

Polly and Tommy shouted at each other since John's wife started to speak. Elsie just stood there trying to take on all the new information. Elsie soon realised that their business wasn't just owning buildings like pubs but it goes much deeper and perhaps a bit illegal, she didn't seem to mind that at all, apart from the fact two of her friend's relatives were in prisoned for no reason.

Tommy accepted something from John's wife and Polly got into Tommy's face. "If Michael ever gets out of prison, I am taking him away from this family. For good. This life is bad" Polly walked away from Tommy and towards Finn who she grabbed his arm and then grabbed Elsie's too. "This life is all bad"

"Aunt Pol, what are you doing?" Finn questioned, looking back at Tommy with a confused expression.

"Shut up and walk" Polly snapped at him, she pushed the two out of the door and slammed it shut.

Elsie and Finn were basically under house arrest. Polly wouldn't let them leave so they sat together sulking in the living room. "I don't get as to why I have to stay here, I'm not family" Elsie pouted, staring angrily at Polly.

"You might as well be, Tommy treats you like a sister or a daughter." Finn said.

"Does he?" Elsie questioned, "I didn't know that"

Finn laughed, "you've got him wrapped around your finger" he told her.

Elsie asked Polly if she could have the newspaper, Polly gave it over and Elsie looked in it. "Finn, look. Roland is entering Hellion in the races. I thought he would've chosen a different horse. Oh, there's Tommy's horse. Grace's Secret? Unusual name for a horse"

"And I thought Hellion was a unusual name" Finn said and Elsie gasped dramatically, slapping his arm playfully.

"Hellion is a great name, Mr Shelby." She giggled.