Coraline Murphy

38.

"This is Michael." Polly smiled shyly as she introduced her son to Coraline for the first time. "My son." She added proudly.

Coraline smiled at the young man in front of her. He was a few inches taller than her, but was younger than her and looked nervous. "Hello, Michael." She hoped to put him at ease. "I'm Coraline - a family friend. We actually met when we were younger, but I don't suppose you'd remember - you were only a baby."

"Oh, right... no I don't, sorry." He blushed, and Coraline kicked herself for embarrassing him. 

"He's got a lot to catch up on, don't you son?" Polly rushed to appease him, and he laughed nervously, nodding. 

"How did you find your way back?" Coraline asked, going to put the kettle on the stove to make them a cup of tea. 

"Um, my cousin, Thomas - he found me at home, I mean, the farm..." The poor boy was struggling. 

"Of course he did," Coraline laughed. "If anyone could find you, it'd be Tommy. Speak of the devil..." 

The low kitchen door swung open and Tommy entered the kitchen, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. 

"'Ello, love," he bent to kiss Coraline on the cheek as he walked up to her, taking a cup of tea from her offering hands. "You alright?"

"I've just met your cousin, Tommy." Coraline handed the other cups out to Polly and Michael, and Tommy frowned at little as he watched his cousin's eyes linger just a little longer than necessary on Coraline. 

"So you have..." he mumbled, taking a long sip of his tea. "He behaving, Pol? Happy to take him back if needs be."

"You'll do no such thing!" Polly was indignant. 

"Anyway. Family meeting this afternoon. 1pm at the Garrison. Coraline, I want you there." Tommy finished his tea, and Coraline marvelled at how he could drink it so quickly.

"I'll nip in whilst I'm at work." 

"Harry won't mind." And with that, he left the room, his coat sweeping after him.

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"And you really think that revenge is the only option?" John sounded unconvinced. "I mean, I liked the guy as much as the next but..."

"He killed one of our own. If we don't avenge him, how would we look?" Tommy challenged. Truth was, he was sorry that the Digbeth Kid had been killed in prison - he'd liked the lad. He was only young, and he didn't deserve to die like that. "It's the perfect guise - we'll be going to the races to buy a racehorse anyway."

"I want to go." Michael spoke up, making the rest of the family and Coraline look at him in surprise. 

"Absolutely not." Polly was firm. 

"Please Mum..." 

Manipulative little bugger, Coraline thought, as she watched the emotions rush over Polly's face, plain to see. 

Polly let out a big sigh. "Fine. But you..." she turned to her nephews. "You let anything happen to him, and you'll never see another race again. Understand?" 

Arthur chuckled, giving Tommy and John an amused look. "I'll get the cotton wool out," he teased, making Michael blush. 

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All dressed in smart suits, including Coraline, they set off for the races. Coraline's suit had been tailor made for her, requested (and much to her embarrassment, paid for) by Tommy.  It was a dark grey, altered to fit her slim figure and complete with smart black boots and a peaky hat. It was not so tailored as to hug her gentle curves, and as such, when looking in passing, she blended in perfectly with the boys. Michael had stared wide eyed as she'd arrived on Watery Lane that morning, earning an amused look from John and Arthur, who were used to seeing Coraline dressed like that, and an angry look from Tommy.