Crown of a Prince (Finn Shelby)

6.

Everyone was summoned to the big house for a family meeting, but it was quite out of the ordinary. People were brought in one by one or in groups that Tommy had chosen. Ailbhe came to see Charlie and to help in whatever way she can. When they arrived Ada told them Tommy had decided to see people in a specific order, calling on Michael, Polly and Liam first. Esme and Ailbhe didn't appear on the list but Ailbhe didn't mind, she knew that Tommy had to deal with legitimate business and the Italians first.

Ailbhe watched as they left the room and John, Arthur and Niall grew more irritated. Family meetings were meant to be everyone, all together, not certain people first.

"It's a load of bollocks" Niall muttered, pulling one last drag from his cigarette and throwing it into the fireplace.

Rolling her eyes and swatting Niall across the arm, Ada offered him a cup of tea which he refused. They had been waiting for only five minutes but patience wasn't a virtue of Niall's.

"Just do as you're told for once Niall" she whispered strictly, as the doors swung open and Polly and Michael rejoined them.

Niall, Arthur and John went in next to see Tommy with many complaints from Niall and John. Ailbhe sat on the floor, Charles ignoring the toy horses and preferring to pull on Ailbhe's hair instead that she had left down, half of it pulled back in a black ribbon on top of her head. They were all in black, they mourned Grace still out of respect for Tommy and their family.

Finn had gone to the stables since he had arrived, checking on the horses and Ailbhe hadn't had a chance to see him yet. She didn't regret last night, nor any of the other moments they had shared or what it meant but she didn't want the family involved, not until they knew what they were doing and especially since Tommy's warnings were very clear. They were only turning seventeen soon, it was too early to be telling anyone, especially with everything the family was going through.

"Let's make something to eat" Polly sighed, knowing there was only so much waiting around they could do before the boys got restless and started arguing. There was a nervous tension in the air, like a gas leak that someone just had to put a match to.

Down in the servant's quarters, they mightn't admit it but they all felt more at ease. Tommy had reduced all staff to the bare minimum, a security measure to keep them safe and Polly asked the kitchen staff to make themselves scarce for an hour or two. Polly began boiling water for tea as the boys joined them, taking seats at the table or up on the work surfaces. Ada sat Karl down on the floor with some toys, mentioning that Tommy had wanted to see Charles for a while.

Polly came up beside Ailbhe, standing beside her with her back to the boys.

"How's your mother?" she whispered, continuing her work.

Finn hadn't been the only one to notice how tired Ailbhe looked, how distracted she seemed.

Ailbhe sighed. Polly always asked, but it was almost always the same answer these days.

"She was asleep when I left, there's no booze in the house and I've someone with her"

She replied, keeping her voice down. Niall and Liam didn't like discussing her, even with family. It was hard for them, maybe more so than Ailbhe. They knew what kind of a woman she used to be. They knew how strong she was, how clever and how intuitive she was. It was a gift Ailbhe had inherited from her. But now, now they were lucky if she remembered what year it was.

Finn came through the back door, shrugging off his coat and pulling a cigarette from the box on the table. While everyone helped themselves to tea or whiskey, he nodded in Ailbhe's direction, a shadow of a smile on his face when he thought about last night. She had been there, to pull him back from the edge.