A Shelby Mistress

Finn

Polly was sat enjoying a pot of tea, enjoying her small afternoon break and hiding from the Shelby men when Aurora walked into the room with a discontent look on her face. Her eyes appeared sad and not wanting Tommy to come through and cause a fuss over Aurora's mood, Polly nodded at the girl, gesturing her to sit down.
"Search not going well?" Polly questioned absent minded looking down at the newspaper as Aurora took her seat and sighed.
"No....it's not that" Aurora muttered, her eyes flickering to the shop doors. She didn't want Tommy to come in, Polly was best for answers, Tommy on the other hand, a riddle.
"Go on then sweetheart" Polly pressed wanting to go back to her alone time before she forced herself back into the shop.
"I met Lizzie today"
The statement threw Polly off and setting her teacup on the table, she raised her eyes brows and leaned back.
"Lizzie Stark?! The prostitute?!" Polly exclaimed and noticing the recognition in Aurora's face she knew she had been right in her guess.
"I think so Polly, I didn't get her surname but yes, her work is prostitution" Aurora nodded, pulling her chair further into the table and leaning forwards slightly like she was about to whisper a secret.
"From the look on your face I take it she told you about her and Tommy" Polly muttered, tutting slightly, only coming to a stop when Aurora's face twisted in confusion "perhaps not"
"Her and Tommy? Is that why she won't let me ask for help?"
Aurora expected herself to feel jealous but rather she felt herself coming to an understanding instead. Maybe there was a bad history behind Lizzie's refusal to get mixed up with the Shelby's again. Nevertheless, Aurora still wanted to help her in anyway she possibly could, even if it meant charming Tommy without Lizzie's knowledge.

"Tommy was a regular customer of hers after the war" Polly stated, answering the thoughts swimming around in Aurora's mind.
"She said it was best not to get mixed up with the Shelby's again, so when did it stop?" Aurora wasn't sure what she'd do if Polly told her it hadn't stopped. The thought was enough to nearly crush her but she knew Tommy, she trusted him and Aurora felt as if she could trust Lizzie too.
"Stopped when she tried to marry our John"
Letting out a choked cough, Aurora's eyes went wide and slapping the table she felt her jaw slacken.
"Oh my, she really does want to get out!"
Aurora pitied Lizzie, she imagined prostitution was not easy, to have to deal with violent, horrible men, to give yourself every night in order to make enough money to survive. It didn't help that people thought they could treat you like you were nothing but dirt. Lizzie had been through two brothers and rather than see a whore as every else did, Aurora saw a woman doing all she could to escape a terrifying way of life and that's why she wanted to help her.

"You still want to help her?" Polly questioned, tilting her head slightly as she tried to read Aurora.
"Of course I do! Even more so now! I saw a man attempting to force her into fucking him, if I hadn't of been there she would of been hurt. He even tried to grab me, the bastard! These women aren't safe Polly and if I can help Lizzie I will" Aurora explained, golden eyes shining with with tears that she was just managing to hold back.
"You were fuckin' grabbed?!" Polly spat, her blood ablaze at the thought of Aurora being hurt in her own home.
"It's ok Pol I kneed him in the balls, doubt he's getting any service today" Aurora grinned, a sense of pride running through her as the picture of him crying out on the ground came back to her.
"Tommy will kill him"
"Tommy doesn't need to know, I dealt with the issue, it's done" Aurora whispered, looking frantically at the shop doors, expecting Tommy to come through at any second and demand to know what's happened.
It was Aurora's first day staying in Small Heath and she didn't want to be a bother or cause any unnecessary while everyone was busy.
"Aurora" Polly sighed, mourning the loss of her peaceful break while admiring the kindness that was Aurora's heart.
"Do you think Tommy will help me?"
"If anyone can persuade Tommy to help Lizzie, it's you"
Perking up at Polly's words, Aurora jumped up and clapped her hands together.
"M'going to make tea tonight, six o'clock, will you let everyone know? I'll pop down to the shops now and get ingredients, then I'll work on persuading Tommy" she declared, thinking of ways she could bring up the Lizzie situation to Tommy. Tea with the family seemed like a perfect way to get him in the best of moods.
"I will" Polly responded, hiding the smirk that threatened to escape. The poor girl would need look in getting the family together. Polly had tried many times and still found the task utterly hopeless.