𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨
⁂
"𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞"
Lola was sitting at home alone, sulking.
Her brothers were at the fair and refused to let her come.
She begged and begged to no avail. Tommy said it was because she was still grounded but he'd taken her out when she was grounded before, so Lola had concluded that her family hated her.
Polly had gotten sick of Lola moping and left for church, Ada was god knows where, and so there she sat, in the living room watching the clock impatiently.
The silence was broken when the sound of desperate screams and yells filled the streets of watery lane.
Lola rushed to the window and pulled the curtain back to see coppers pulling people out of their houses and throwing things out of their homes.
Lola panicked initially and didn't know what to do but she remembered what Tommy had said about hiding specific things if anyone was to come into the house when she was alone and so she ran as fast as she could into the den and grabbed the main books before she shoved them into a small, hidden cupboard.
Lola wasn't sure of what she was going to do when the coppers eventually got into her house but she sat on the sofa, anxiously waiting for their arrival.
Sure enough, just minutes later the door was burst open and coppers began tearing the place apart.
Lola stood in shock for a few seconds before she began yelling at them to stop, which they didn't.
Before she could think, she felt a firm grip on her shoulder and she turned around slowly, praying that it was her aunt.
It wasn't. It was a tall man with a stupid-looking hat on with a mean look on his face. His eyes were cold and void of any emotion.
"Miss Shelby I assume" he spoke loud and confidently.
Lola didn't miss the Irish accent and began wondering who this was and what they wanted.
Then, as if all the dots started joining up, she figured this was the man responsible for the horrible beating her oldest brother received.
She remembered Arthur saying he was Irish and an inspector, clearly this was him.
"And who are you" Lola asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.
"I'm Inspector Campbell" he answered.
Lola didn't know if it was his accent or his cocky tone but something about him made Lola angry.
"Well, inspector can you tell me why you're tearing my house apart along with everybody else who lives here?" Lola asked, trying to appear as calm as she could while she was screaming internally.
"What do you know" he scowled.
"Well I know a lot about a lot you may need to be a bit more specific," she told him.
"You know what I'm talking about" he seethed.
"I can assure you I haven't the foggiest" Lola told him, deliberately trying to wind him up at this point.
The inspector's grip on Lola's shoulder tightened and Lola was doing her best at not showing the pain on her face.
He bent down slightly to the shorter girl and was now extremely close to her face.
"The robbery. What do you know about the robbery" he fumed.
"Sir, I'm not sure what you're talking about I haven't heard anything about a robbery," Lola told him, getting bored.
"Don't lie to me" he continued.
"Are you thick? I don't know what robbery you're talking about" Lola yelled, stomping on his foot as hard as she could.
The inspector's face became red, almost resembling a tomato, Lola thought, but any amusement the girl was feeling in those moments vanished in the seconds that followed.
Lola could hardly believe what happened as she brought a hand to touch her hot, red cheek.
This wasn't like anything she had ever felt. Lola had only been slapped a few times, all by her aunt and they weren't proper slaps and she could tell her aunt never really meant to hurt her but this was different. It was angry and Lola hadn't expected it.
Tears filled her eyes as she stared at the man in shock.
Lola felt that she had disappeared for a few seconds after that. She saw a copper come into the room and whisper something into the inspector's ear and within seconds they were gone and Lola was left with a burning cheek, a ruined house, and an extremely strong sense of rage.
⁂
By the time Tommy and the rest of her brothers had made it home and into the kitchen, Lola was sitting at the table with ice on her cheek.
Her aunt was furious when she returned to see that the inspector had also visited her niece as well as herself at the church.
The pair eventually got the house into some sort of order before her aunt got her situated with some ice for the bruise that was slowly forming on her cheek.
"The coppers told everyone Arthur had agreed to it when he was arrested," Polly told them all.
"I never said nothing to that copper about smashing up bloody houses" Arthur growled.
"Hang on what's that" John pointed to the cloth that his sister was holding up to her face.
"That bloody inspector did it" Polly fumed, taking the ice out of Lola's hand and moving her head to the side so they could see.
They all remained silent as they stared at the bruise on the girl's cheek. Tommy scoffed and shook his head.
"What did he say to you" John questioned.
"He asked me what I knew about a robbery and I told him nothing and he kept asking so I lost my temper and stomped on his foot. Then he hit me" Lola explained, flailing her arms around as if she was telling some sort of exciting story.
"Which pubs did they do?" Tommy asked.
"The Guns, The Chain, The Marquis. All the ones that pay you to protect them. The only one they didn't touch was the Garrison. Make sure people think we're in on it. He's smart, this copper" Polly sighed.
⁂
Tommy had given Lola and Finn a job to do, it was to collect pictures of the king for the bonfire they were having.
Lola didn't know why they were burning pictures of the king but she obliged anyway.
But first, she had to get Jack as after much begging and pleading, Tommy allowed Lola to bring the boy along as well.
So there she stood outside the door impatiently waiting for it to open.
When it did she was met with the comforting face of Mrs. Alexander, a petite woman who had a warm presence to her. Since Lola could remember Mrs. Alexander, or Edith as she insisted the Shelby girl called her, was a mother figure to her, she looked after her and was always a shoulder to cry on when Lola had nowhere else to go.
"Lola! What can I do for you?" she exclaimed.
"Is Jack in?"
"Yes, he is. Why do you need him?" the older woman asked curiously.
"Well I wondered if he'd be allowed to come for a bonfire with me, it's completely safe, I mean my brothers will be there so nothing bad will happen" Lola reassured her.
"Yes yes of course I'll go get him for you" the woman smiled.
⁂
The pair walked towards the fire and threw the pictures on silently.
Lola turned to look at Jack. The fire cast an orange hue on his face, a comforting sight to Lola.
The girl hadn't realized she was staring until Jack cleared his throat slightly and she quickly snapped out of it.
She turned back to the fire, praying the orange would mask the red tainting her cheeks but she could tell it probably wasn't so she excused herself quickly and made her way over to her brothers, trying to look as casual as possible.
Lola stood in front of John not saying anything, just hoping Jack thought she looked normal.
"What's wrong with you?" her brother asked, raising an eyebrow at his sister's unusual behavior.
"Nothing"
"You look a bit red, are you well?" he asked. The words made Lola gasp and widen her eyes slightly praying Jack hadn't noticed it.
She cursed herself mentally. She couldn't exist normally for just a few minutes, she always embarrassed herself or she'd act rashly and without thinking of the consequences.
Jack was her best friend. He always had been. She was just being stupid and boy crazy like all the girls her age.
John squinted slightly at his sister letting her know that he knew what she was thinking about.
"You and Jack then?" he chuckled, ruffling her hair.
"Me and Jack what," she said before slapping his hand away.
"You know what" he teased.
"Have you hit your head? What are you talking about?" she asked, feigning innocence.
"You better get back to lover boy over there he looks like a lost puppy" John turned her head to see Jack standing alone.
"Don't call him that" she said, pushing him back slightly before making her way back over to her best friend.
⁂
It was the next morning and Lola was sitting at the table next to her aunt, half asleep.
She hadn't gotten home until late the previous night as when she and Jack got bored Jack pulled Lola down to the cut and pulled out a bottle of whiskey he'd stolen.
Lola was now doing the best she could at concealing the raging headache and exhaustion from her aunt.
Ada entered the room, making her way over to the bread on the side.
"Good of you to join us" Polly sighed.
"Where have you been all day" she questioned, still staring at the paper.
"In bed. Couldn't sleep, then I couldn't wake up. Then I was cold. Then I had to go for a wee. Then I was with this bear on a boat but that was only a dream" she rambled, taking a seat next to Lola with her food.
"Then I was hungry" she added, simply.
"Don't think she asked for your life story Ada" Lola laughed.
"Why are you reading the paper?" Ada questioned, ignoring her sister.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Polly sighed.
"I've never seen you read the paper. I've only ever seen you light fires with them"
"BSA are on strike, the miners are on strike. IRA are killing our boys, ten a day." Polly informed the pair, while Lola just stared in disgust as Ada shoved the food in her mouth.
There was a silence that filled the room, making it feel tense and uncomfortable.
Polly looked at Ada with a sort of shocked, worried look.
"What?" Ada asked, licking the jam of her finger.
"Stand up," Polly told her, getting up out of her chair while Lola just watched in confusion.
"Why" Ada asked.
"Just stand up"
"Side on," Polly told her.
For Lola, the confusion soon turned to laughter as she watched Polly grab Ada's boob as Ada pushed her off.
"What are you doing?" Ada yelled.
"Ada, how late are you?" Polly asked, no trace of amusement on her face.
Lola soon realized what Polly was insinuating and the smile on her face dropped.
"One week," Ada said avoiding the pointed stare of her aunt.
"Five weeks, seven if you count weekends. I think it's a lack of iron" Ada said sheepishly.
"I got some tablets" she added.
"But they didn't work?" her aunt asked.
"No," Ada told her as she sat down.
Lola loved being included in family things but she felt extremely out of place in her current situation so she just sat there, eating her sister's bread and jam, watching the scene play out in shock.
⁂
Lola had ended up spending the entire day with Ada trying to comfort her in any way she could.
Really, Lola thought that she was more shocked than Ada was at this.
Lola was going to be an aunt.
Of course, she already was an aunt to John's flock of children but she was too close in age to hold it over them, this way, Lola had a new subject to make do all the things she didn't want to do when he aged a few years.
This was an opportunity.
Before Lola could give any more thought to her master plan to manipulate Ada's unborn child into becoming the girl's servant, Polly rushed into the room, handing the two girls their coats.
The three of them were going down to see if Ada was really pregnant, they all knew she was but Polly said it was best to go to a professional.
By a professional, she meant a lady in her house in a dodgy part of small heath.
Sure enough, the lady confirmed the pregnancy and the three were walking down the cobbled roads while Ada walked a few steps behind them, seemingly shaken by this confirmation.
"Keep bloody walking Ada. If anyone sees us here they will know" Polly said, in hushed tones.
"I'm not getting rid of it Aunt Pol" Ada said, her voice shaky.
Lola placed a hand comfortingly on her sister's arm and offered her a smile.
"Just come home and we will talk about it" her aunt hurried the girls along.
"You get off me or I will scream it. I swear." Ada shoved her aunt's arm off.
"All right you want to do this in the street, let's do it" her aunt began and Lola only sighed, looking around conscious that people may hear.
"Whose is it?" her aunt demanded.
"If I tell you, you'll tell them and they will cut him to pieces," Ada said, and Lola only looked down at the floor.
"Not if he marries you they won't," Polly told her.
Ada turned away and took a drag of her cigarette.
"Will he marry you?" Polly asked.
"I don't know where he is," Ada said, looking down.
Lola's heart dropped at the information, she wanted to comfort her sister and tell her it would be okay but having a baby with a husband on the run never worked out well for anyone.
"Jesus Christ, Ada" her aunt exclaimed.
"He went away but he said he'd come back," Ada said despairingly.
As much as Lola wanted to believe that Ada and whoever this man was were the exception she knew the chances of that being true were slim to none as the men that say they'd come back usually never did.
"But they all say they'll come back," her aunt said.
"He's not like that" Ada reasoned.
"He's a good man. He promised me." she carried on, beginning to cry as her aunt brought her into her arms.
"He will come back, Aunt Pol. I know he will." Ada said, as confidently as she could.
⁂
It was the next day now and Lola hadn't spent more than thirty minutes away from Ada since the previous morning, feeling an unexplained need to protect her sister now that she was having a baby.
Lola put it down to the fact that she needed to make sure her future servant was growing in suitable environments.
Ada was holding onto her sister for comfort and an escape from the whole situation she had going on but nevertheless, they were happy to be together.
Lola reached over to grab a handful of popcorn out of the bag, not moving her head from the cinema screen in front of her, completely immersed in the film.
Ada snatched it away from her, using the excuse that she was eating for two even though they both knew the baby inside of her wasn't even a baby just cells or whatever Mr Crane said in the science class from last year, but Lola let her get away with it anyway.
The moment was interrupted by a loud bang of the door and Ada shrunk into her seat as Lola turned to see who it was.
Lola spun her head around so fast that she swore she felt a snap, wide-eyed she turned to see her sister with her eyes closed, seemingly mumbling a prayer.
"It's Tommy" Lola whisper-shouted and felt her cheeks grow hot with anxiety.
"Thought as much" her sister sighed and sat up slightly.
He sat down on a seat behind the two and leaned forward.
"Tell me the man's name, Ada" Tommy ordered.
"Rudolf Valentino," Ada said, and Lola held back a laugh but was sure Tommy saw her shoulders move.
He didn't say a word, just stormed out of the room but the both of them knew he'd be back within minutes so they both sat and waited with bored expressions.
Sure enough, the screen cut off, the lights turned on and Tommy came in ordering everyone to leave.
When he was sure nobody was in there he stood in front of the two with an unimpressed look on his face.
"I said tell me his fucking name," Tommy said lowly.
"Freddie fucking Thorne" Ada seethed.
Lola's eyes widened and she was in complete shock for a few seconds before tuning back in.
"Yeah. Your best mate since school. The man who saved your life in France!" Ada yelled.
Lola shuffled uncomfortably in her seat and picked at the skin around her nails.
"So go on! Go on, cut him! Cut him up and chuck him in the Cut!" Ada continued yelling as Tommy walked out of the cinema.
Lola let out a sigh of relief when she heard the doors shut, not daring to look back.
"Oi, we're Shelbys too, you know. Put our fucking film back on" Ada yelled.
⁂
Over the days that passed, Ada had used Lola as her therapist, well that was a strong use of words as Lola never actually gave any advice, she just listened and told her that she should just fuck off to London or the countryside to get away from them and live the way she wanted to.
Lola had realized upon reflection that the advice probably wasn't the best as they were trying to get Ada to accept her family rather than run away from it.
Ada had told the girl that Polly was practically begging her to get rid of it, this opinion was likely heavily influenced by Tommy.
Ada had eventually come to the decision that she was going to get rid of the baby, much to Lola's dismay.
She didn't think it was right that her family could just make up her mind for her, of course Lola knew Ada was smart and could make up her own mind but when she has Aunt Polly telling her how awful her life would be if Freddie didn't come back and how her child would be bullied for being a bastard and she'd be called a whore, it's unlikely that they wouldn't change your opinions.
As well as the anger because of that, Lola, although she felt bad for thinking it, was in utter despair as she no longer would have a child to be her servant in years to come.
Eventually after hours of wondering around the house, annoying Finn whenever she could, Aunt Polly came home and told Lola all about Freddie and Ada running off together and refusing to leave small health, and keeping the baby.
Lola, of course, acted sad and shocked but she was jumping around with joy on the inside.
Ada and Freddie were going to be happy, they didn't let Tommy ruin their chance of happiness and Lola was still going to be able to have a trusty servant.
This chapter took me a week to write so much happened here I'm overwhelmed and I actually can't wait for Lola and Karl later on