The Golden Girl ↠ Finn Shelby

CHAPTER 2 ↠ meeting alfie solomons

"Hello, little lady. You're new here."

"I am." Bea says but just looks around the pub, uninterested in what the man had to say.

"Are you old enough to drink?"

"Why don't you ask that to Tommy Shelby?" Bea asks annoyed and looks at him in the eye.

"What did you say to me?"

"Bea, this is Tommy Shelby's brother, Arthur," Bonnie says as a warning for her not to mess with him.

"Perfect. Then I am sure you can easily ask your brother if I'm allowed to drink. But I'll save you the trouble and tell you that he offered me gin when the pub wasn't even open."

"Shut up, or we're leaving," Bonnie threatens.

Bea didn't shut up, and so Bonnie payed the drinks, grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the pub.

"I didn't even do anything," Bea says innocently.

"You were picking a fight with Arthur Shelby. Of all people, Arthur Shelby."

"He was the one that came bothering us," she defended, with a quiet tone, as if to prove she couldn't hurt a fly.

"I won't tell father, but make sure you keep quiet if you're around people you don't know."

Next morning, Bea went with Aberama and Bonnie to where Tommy Shelby kept his gin. When they get there, Aberama tells her he'll let her inside if she promises to stay quiet and behind Bonnie at all times, which she promises.

When they get inside, there are already two men with Tommy.

"Mr. Shelby," Aberama says loudly, before even having a complete view of him. "We've come to talk purse for the fight."

"Your kestrel?" the man in the hat points with his cane to Aberama and looks at Tommy and then back at Aberama. "Tommy, when a pikey walks in with hair like that, you've gotta ask yourself, 'Have I made a mistake?'."

"Who the fuck are you?" Aberama asks to the man.

"Who the fuck am I?" the man repeats.

"Who the fuck is this?" Aberama then asks to Tommy.

"I, my friend," the man starts answering, "I am the uncle, I'm the protector and the promoter, of that fucking thing right there in whose shadow nothing good nor godly will ever fucking grow."

Bonnie, leaning against a poll, looks to the side, Aberama looks back and Bea leans to the side to see pass Bonnie, at the somewhat young man, who looked like, to Bea, the monster of Dr. Frankenstein, by the shape of his body.

"That there, right, is the Southern Counties welterweight champion," the man continues. "He is of mixed religion, therefore he is godless, he was adopted by Satan himself, before he was returned out of fear of his awkwardness. He is impossible to marry off due to his lethal dimensions, his mother terrified, she's fucking abandoned him. And there he is stood before you like the first of some brand-new fucking species."

No one stopped the man from talking, and Bea was trying to hold back the laughter, because that was the most ridiculous speech she had ever heard. However, since her father looked serious, she tried her best to not even give out a smirk.

"Any man that you put before him, right, it'd be like entering a fucking threshing machine, mate. Now, will you offer your son?"

Tommy didn't say a word, and everyone was silent for a few seconds after. Then Aberama turned slightly to Bonnie.

Bonnie stands up straighter and says light-hearted, "Name the day Mr. Shelby."

As the two men who were already there, started to leave, the one that gave the amazingly ridiculous speech stopped near Bea and Bonnie.

"Is this your daughter?"

"She is."

"How old is she?"

"I'm 17," Bea answers herself. "And I am perfectly capable of answering questions about myself."

"When you're 19 come and find me," the man says.

"What?" Bea asks confused, but without another word the man leaves. "Who is that man?" she asks directly at Tommy.

"That is Alfie Solomons. And if you think we're bad men, look at his men."

"And why did he ask me to look for him when I turn 19?"

"Why do you think?" Tommy says blowing smoke from his cigarette.

Bea raises her eyebrows. "He likes the company of women?" she looks back to where Alfie left. "He just doesn't seem like one who does those things."

"What do you mean?" Tommy asks trying to hide the amusement he got from her words.

"You see, I look at someone like you, Mr. Shelby, and I get it. But Mr. Solomons? I just can't imagine him sleeping with women."

"Do me a favour and don't imagine anything, yeah?" Aberama says.

Bea just shrugs, but Tommy tries to hide a smile.

"Where are you staying, Beatrice?" Tommy asks as he drinks his gin.

"At the camp, with us." Aberama says.

"But I am looking for someone who will give me housing in exchange for a painting, or music or... good company," Bea says boldly.

"I will talk to my aunt Polly and ask her to spare you one of her rooms."

"And what is the price, Mr. Shelby?" Aberama asks, knowing nothing is a free lunch.

"Well, good company to Polly, whose son is at the hospital, and perhaps a painting of Polly. I'd like to see the talent your daughter bares, Mr. Gold."

"We will think about your offer."

Bea steps forward and extends her hand to Tommy.

"I'd very much like to stay in a room at Aunt Polly's house." Tommy stands up and shakes her hand. "You see, I haven't stayed in a camp since I was 12, when my father abandoned me and my sisters in London. I'm not used to it anymore."