VICES AND VIRTUES | Thomas Shelby

TWENTY NINE

"But not forgetting?"

"Never forgetting, Charlie," Florence sighed, "The things we remember are the reasons we do what we do."

"I like your yard, Mr Strong," She looked over her shoulder to see Aberama Gold, accompanied by some of his men, "How much would you take for it?"

"It's not for sale," Charlie answered.

"Not for sale?" Aberama repeated.

"That's exactly what he said," Florence nodded, "Nothing you see here is for sale."

Aberama Gold let his eyes linger on the Harrington woman before stepping away, "Okay."

"I'll find Tommy," Florence muttered to Charlie before weaving her way back through the yard, knowing all the back passages from when she was a child, getting to Tommy, Arthur and George before the Golds.

"Drink?" Tommy held out his hip flask as she approached the fire where the Shelby men and George were standing.

"Why not?" Florence sighed, taking the flask from his hand and letting a swig of the bitter alcohol run down her throat before handing it back to him.

"I just took a look around," Aberama's voice caught the group's attention, "I like this place, fire for melting silver, canal to get it away, how much?"

"As I told you before," Florence looked to the two Shelby men at her side, "Nothing you see is for sale, Mr Gold."

"Mrs Harrington is right," Tommy nodded, and Florence wished that he would just call her by her first name.

"Oh, everything is for sale, everything," Aberama replied, pouring alcohol on the fire to make it burn brighter, "You tell Mr Strong I'm going to buy his yard."

"This yard has been in his family since they settled," Tommy replied.

"But I have decided to make it part of our deal," Aberama remarked with a smile.

"Charlie?" Tommy called out, "Charlie, come here."

Charlie joined the group, wiping dirt off his hands, "We're going to spin a coin for your yard, Charlie."

"You're going to what?" Charlie muttered, saying what Florence was thinking.

"If it's heads, Abby here takes all of this...with my blessing," Tommy replied.

"Tommy." Florence muttered.

"And if its tails," Tommy paused, "I fuck your daughter, Mr Gold."

The group laughed to themselves, or rather Florence, George and Arthur laughed, Tommy was completely serious.

"You have three daughters, I hear, and Esmerelda is the eldest and the prettiest, so I'll have her," Tommy explained, "So make her part of the deal and spin her against the yard."

"Tommy, for fuck sake," Charlie muttered.

"Here, toss the coin, Mr Gold," Tommy tossed a coin towards Aberama who was quick to catch it, staring at Tommy and then looking down at the coin in his hand.

Aberama Gold laughed to himself, as though he didn't believe Tommy would go through with it.

"No, please don't believe this is a joke," Tommy pointed a finger at him, "The coin to us is sacred, yes, Arthur?"

"Sacred."

"If you toss that coin, you take a bet before witnesses," Tommy reminded him, "And if I win..."

"Then we'll insist that the terms of this agreement, or wager, are fulfilled," Florence added.

"Toss the coin, Mr Gold," Tommy replied softly.