1927 - Polly Gray's kitchen
Thursday 16th October. 12:23
Isabella was not a morning person, that was for sure. If she was woken early, you would be faced with a grumpy child who wore nothing but a frown on their face for what felt like forever. No matter what time she woke up she was grumpy. She used to be good at waking up and going to sleep at specific times, but that all changed when she discovered that parties, drugs, alcohol and sex were all within reach to her.
There she was awake from 6 in the morning. She felt like this day could not last any longer. It wouldn't be a lie to call it the worst day of her life. Married to a man she didn't know, who's voice she had never heard and who's smile she had never seen.
Polly looked after her over the night. She said it wasn't fair for her to be with Finn the night before, Isabella had only just found out about the marriage and she didn't like it lightly. Polly cared for Isabella as if she was her own, making her drinks and bringing her small delicacies whenever she felt like she should.
It felt odd to Isabella. She had never had a woman figure like that in her life. She had maids of course but all of them wore the same still, dull faces which weren't so kind to look at. But Polly was welcoming. It gave Isabella comfort. More than she expected to get.
Isabella was sat at the dining table with Polly's old wedding dress on. She had insisted she didn't wear it and she wore whatever of her own, but Polly did not let the girl go without a real dress. Polly saw herself in Isabella, a young girl who was scared and afraid of the true world, but extremely good at hiding it.
Ada was stood behind Isabella, taking out the plaits that she had left in over night. She couldn't help but marvel at the long curly locks which Isabella was lucky enough to inherit from her mother.
"Ada hurry up with her hair will you? We need to be at Charlie's yard by quarter two and at this rate we won't be there until tomorrow." Polly rushed around the house, trying to push everything she could into her purse. She stopped in her steps "Goodness Isabella, you look like a princess."
She smiled as she spoke.
"Thank you Polly." Isabella said, she sent a smile back and finished applying the lipstick which she had brought from Monaco.
Isabella rose from her seat and sighed, trying to fight away the tears which were just waiting to pour down at some point. She brushed her hands down the dress, pushing away any creases which had been made. They all walked out towards a car, Polly sat in the drivers seat and Isabella sat in the back. Ada next to Polly.
The drive was only 10 minutes, but it felt like forever. Not a word was said throughout the journey. Nobody knew what to say. Whether to compliment each other, or make small talk. Either way, they knew it would be awkward.
As they arrived, Isabella realised they were back where she was left. Next to the docks.
They couldn't see anyone around, they only heard the small conversation of people around the corner.
It didn't feel real, the car stopped and Isabella closed her eyes slightly. Still begging to wake up from the nightmare she felt she was in.
They got out the car and Isabella held up her dress above her ankles, trying to not get the ends dirty from the wet gravel on the ground.
"Don't worry about the dress love, you will be the last to wear it, a little mud won't do any harm." Polly said. Isabella nodded and let go of the dress. "Before we go, you must be brave, there is nothing to worry about and nothing will go wrong."
"Everything has gone wrong." Isabella said. There was no emotion in her voice, only a simple tone which was un-peculiar too Polly.
"You are safe with us, everyone looks after each other here and no one is harmed. You must understand that there is nothing else to do. This marriage must go on and you need to start a life here in Birmingham. You are a good person Isabella, and I'm sure you will make the same impression on Finn as you have had on me." Polly said. She took the veil from Isabella's hands and placed it over the top of her head. "You and Finn will grow to love one another."
It was true. They would grow to love one another eventually. Despite the arguments, mistakes and confusion in their relationship, the 3 words which they had been dying to say to someone would come eventually. Polly knew that from reading Isabella's tea leaves without telling her before they left.
Isabella nodded and turned towards the ceremony.
"An old friend of Tommy's will be the priest today, Jerimiah, he's a lovely man and you will most likely know him soon enough. He's a close friend to the family." Polly said as she began to walk Isabella towards the aisle. "Keep your head high and hide all sad emotion, it's difficult but necessary."
Isabella did not react to any of Polly's words, she did listen to every single one of them and she never disrespected them once.
As they walked down the aisle, Isabella felt like her knees would crumble beneath her and cause her to collapse. Heads turned to look at her, trying to get a good enough impression of her. They all knew she had been set up by her own father, which made Isabella feel ashamed. As if she wasn't worthy enough for anyone.
She looked up and saw Finn stood at the front, he was facing Jerimiah and he stopped himself from trembling. He felt cold, with goosebumps travelling all over his body, which was rather unusual to him. However he kept his head high, he didn't feel like he could move, he didn't want to scare the poor girl or make her feel uncomfortable.
The night before, Finn had decided to go to the Garrison straight after meeting Isabella, he was not prepared to marry at all. He had turned 18 less than a year ago and was now un able to go out and do what he wanted due to a woman being in his life, he was mad at Tommy for choosing him but he knew it was 'what was best for the company'.
This morning he had a very long conversation with his brothers. All of them saying the same thing. Do not fuck it up. Do not scare her off or get her to cause a scene. Be careful with her. Do not force her to tell you anything or to do anything. Get to know her straight away, if you don't then it will be awkward for you both in the long run. The one which was repeated was 'Do not fuck it up'. If Finn had counted, he would've known he had heard that phrase 72 times in the past 3 hours. Which is 72 more times than he hoped to hear it.
As they reached the end of the aisle, everyone sat into their seats. The seats which were just old chairs or wooden boxes which they had dragged out of the stables. It was nothing which Isabella or Finn had imagined their wedding days to be like. But no one imagined either of them would be marrying in this way.
Polly let go of Isabella's arm, and stepped to the side and into her seat. Isabella stood to the left of Finn, not too close to him but also not too far. Jerimiah smiled at the girl, he could see both of their pain but tried to make it as calm as possible.
Whilst he read out the beginning of their vows, Isabella and Finn both looked down towards the floor. She wasn't fully aware if the emotion Finn was currently feeling, she couldn't tell if he was happy, sad or angry. But she knew he was feeling scared. She could tell from the way he stood, how he also looked down and didn't move the tiniest bit.
As Finn said his vows, Isabella looked up at him. She looked around his face. Noticing every small detail. How his hair was slicked back but not too far back. His eyes were bright but also had a dark side to them. He had freckles dotted all across his cheeks. Isabella was attracted to him in all honestly, but she didn't know him, not yet anyways.
Isabella picked up her veil and put it behind her shoulders and looked up to Finn. Finn turned his head towards his brothers and sent them a quick smile. He was also attracted to her, and he was happy that the woman wasn't an ugly old bat which he first imagined he would get.
"Do you, Finn Shelby, take, Isabella Lopez to be your lawfully wedded wife, until the day you die?"
This was it, the moment which Isabella had been waiting for. Half of her hoped he would say no, so she could return home and murder her father, and to be in her safe place once more. But the other half hoped he would say yes, to get it over and done with.
"I do." Finn looked down towards Isabella, he was almost a head taller than her and he admired that he could look down on her. He felt like he needed to protect her from everything. She no longer had a father and was left with nothing in life, so he took the assignment of looking out for her and making sure she was safe.
"Do you, Isabella Lopez, take, Finn Shelby to be your lawfully wedded husband, until the day that you die?"
A million thoughts ran through Isabella's head. But she didn't hear a single one of them. She attempted to figure out how to say 'I do' but she had lost all train of though on the two simple words. She took a deep breath in.
"I do."
"Mr and Mrs Shelby, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Jerimiah smiled. He clapped his hands together. Isabella and Finn looked at one another, before leaning in and placing a short kiss onto each others lips.
The crowd all stood up and clapped their hands. A few whistles and 'woos' were thrown towards the couple. John came up to them and clapped his hand against Finn's shoulder.
"Congratulations, both of you." he said. Isabella smiled at him. She tried her best to keep a smile on her face for the rest of the day. She just wanted it to be over, for her to get into a bed and sleep for the rest of the day.
Finn linked his arm around Isabella's. He wasn't sure of how to start a conversation with her but he knew he had to as soon as he could. They both stood together, awkwardly, smiling and thanking all the people who congratulated them.
It was safe to say both of them had never been so uncomfortable in their lives. John's wife sent a smile towards Isabella each time they made eye contact, it made Isabella feel more comfortable than she was but it still didn't help. She was married to a man who she only knew the name of. It wasn't like she had expected her wedding day to go.
"We're going to the Garrison, it's Arthur's pub." Finn said. Implying that she had to come with, since it was a 'celebration'. Isabella nodded, happy that she could finally get something to drink.
Everyone walked through the streets of Small Heath. Finn and Isabella gradually began to make small talk as they walked. Speaking of their family and what school was like. They realised how different they both were. Finn had a large family who were loving and caring, he didn't know how to read but he could write well. Isabella had only her father, but he was gone now. Finn was highly impressed with Isabella's knowledge. Fluent in 5 languages, top grades in English, Mathematics and Science. As well as being perfect in History, Geography, Psychology and studied Ethics for a few years.
He was shocked that Isabella was never taught sewing or knitting like the girls who went to his school. Mr Lopez believed that it was a waste of time, he didn't raise his daughter to become a slave in a workhouse. Isabella was thankful for him for that. She had attempted sewing once but the friction between the thread made a funny feeling in her hands and she had never tried since.
Once they were inside the Garrison, Finn sat Isabella on one of the stools and stood behind her.
The man behind her bar served her a bottle of vodka, Isabella insisted she paid but he let her have it for free. Isabella instantly drank it straight from the bottle, she took a sigh of relief and pushed it towards Finn. Expecting that he would need a swig as well after the long afternoon which they had.
Finn shook his head, before taking a gulp of whiskey from the bottle. This made Isabella smile and chuckle to herself. Maybe they did have one thing in common, their love for alcohol. The sour taste which ran down their throats pained them, but it soon wore off as the full bottles became only half full.
Isabella looked up at Finn who was still stood behind her.
"Is there a toilet anywhere?" she said. She stuttered slightly as she spoke.
"Yeah upstairs, Esme will show you." he replied. He took her towards the stairs where Esme was stood and told her to take her. Isabella still had the bottle of vodka in her hands. Sipping on it as she pondered up the steps.
Esme pushed open a door at the top, letting Isabella slip in.
"I don't know what I'm going to do. I've just got married to a man who I have just met and I know I'll ruin it." Isabella slumped onto the floor, tucking her knees up to her chin and looking down at the floor. Esme felt sympathetic for the girl. She sat next to Isabella, shutting the door behind her.
"Don't worry love, it will get better as you get to know him. I felt the same at first when I got married to John. The family's fucked in every way possible but everyone is welcoming." She tried her best to reassure Isabella. She knew it wouldn't help though. Her father had left and she had nothing to live for.
"I've only spoken a few words to him, we are different in every way possible." Isabella tilted her head up and took another gulp of vodka. She offered it to Esme who took it within seconds, pushing it down her system straight away, then passed it back to Isabella.
"Come back downstairs, I'll introduce you to more people, properly. They will all love you." Esme said. She put her hand out to Isabella and pulled her up, dragging her back downstairs and sat her at a table with Finn, Ada, John, Arthur and Linda.
"Finn says you're very smart Isabella." Linda said.
"I had a lot of tutors growing up."Isabella said. She downed the rest of the vodka. She secretly begged that someone told her where she was staying tonight so she could go back home.
"I didn't even know you could learn Latin, I thought it was just an ancient language which was never really spoken about." Arthur slurred, which made Isabella smile.
Finn never took his eyes off her, he thought about how beautiful she was. Her hair was a dark brown and curly, flowing all the way down to the top of her waist. She had a few freckles dotted across her cheeks and bright blue eyes which stood out from a mile away. Her smile gave him butterflies. But he shook them away as John spoke.
"Shut up Arthur."
"What, I'm just saying I didn't know."
Linda shook her head at Arthur, feeling embarrassed and wanted him to 'shut up' just as John said.
Throughout the day, Isabella had drank a lot more than she had anticipated. But it was still not enough according to her brain.
Tommy had bought her and Finn a house, there was only one bed and an office upstairs, with the kitchen and dining room on the bottom. When Tommy told Isabella she clapped her hands together and thanked him, giving him a one armed hug and a pat on the back. Tommy chuckled to himself every time she spoke, within only 24 hours of knowing her she had now been more talkative to the family. But it was only the alcohol in her system.
Isabella and Lizzie danced together for the majority of the night, Finn kept checking on Isabella to make sure she was okay and not too drunk.
It was soon approaching 11pm, Isabella was now almost asleep at the bar. She had her head in her hands and her eyes were closing together slowly. Finn tapped her shoulder and pulled her to the side, indicating that it was time to go to their house.
It had been a weird day for both of them and they needed rest. Isabella wanted to get to sleep as quick as she could. Finn wanted to get Isabella back to their house so he knew she was safer indoors. But both of them still couldn't figure out if this was real or not. Perhaps a joke which John and Arthur came up with whilst drunk. Or Isabella's father messing around to torture her. Either way they made the most of the day. Trying to put aside any of their troubles and focusing on each other as much as they didn't know how to.