𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧, Finn Shelby

- 07

- CHAPTER SEVEN -

- IN WHICH SHE ARRIVES
. . .

NOT LONG PASSED AS Nancy sat on a cream patterned seat in Rose Hill Manor, slender fingers toying with tea-stained pages of her book, chocolate eyes skimming along the rows of letters, written in the familiar font that decorated the inside of books that had cracking leather spines with golden calligraphy dancing across it.

She had arrived at Polly Gray's house where she was to walk down to the betting den with the two Grays. But just as Edward had mentioned, she had been left alone whilst he discussed multiple topics in another room.

"She's all yours." Nancy looked up to see Polly, Michael and Edward, the latter wearing a humorous smile as he leant against the brown living room archway, eyes scanning the various items on the bookshelves. "I believe I'm needed over at Charlie's, Vincente Changretta's coming to visit."

"You make sure those boys behave, " Polly wore a stern expression. "We don't need blood on our hands."

"I'll do my best Pol." The elder Irwin smirked, sending a nod Nancy's way and leaving the archway post, new shoes thumping along the wooden floor as he headed down the hallway and towards the front door, pulling it open carelessly and letting it slam behind him.

"Sorry about him - he's quite the personality." Nancy tucked her book into her bag, swinging it onto her shoulder and toying with the cuff of her jacket. "He's just used to being above everyone. Though he has been better these last few days.."

"That'll change with Thomas Shelby as his boss." Polly lit a cigarette. "Happens to us all. No one's above Tommy, even the government."

"That'll be a shock to his system," Nancy said with a sigh, palms pushing into the sofa and lifting her off of it, realising just how much she was revealing, the trio suddenly finding themselves bonding over the shared opinions on their hierarchy.

"We'll set off soon.. but Edward mentioned your lack of breakfast this morning does that mean you're hungry?" Polly scanned the girl, breathing in the cigarette smoke and moments later doing the opposite, ringing a small bell resting on the coffee table.

Michael had sat down, dragging the teenager down with him. "She's not going to let us leave until you've eaten." His voice was light and airy, but he shook his head, watching as their maid pushed open the living room door.

The Gray boy changed his expression in an instance, eyes switching between the girl and his seemingly oblivious mother. "Tea, please Mary, and a sandwich or something for our guest?" He shrugged, as Nancy smiled sheepishly. "Mum'll be happy knowing there's some food in you."

"Oh, you really didn't have to.." Nancy found herself comparing the two Grays to her own mother, feeling quite surprised by their kindness.

"Nonsense." Polly stumped out her cigarette, turning away from the case of China plates that she had been rearranging. "You could do with the extra energy, just like Finn and Michael, without it they become a grumpy mess, we don't need to clean any broken shards."

Nancy nodded, swiftly reaching for the chipped china plate containing a jam sandwich, filling the empty space in her stomach that had been gnawing at her since the earlier hours of the morning when she had left the dining-room - she had barely touched her dinner the night before.

She pretended to not be as hungry as she was, taking as much time as she deemed acceptable to not seem like some ravenous creature. Not that the two would notice anyway, they both seemed engrossed in other things.

But as soon as Nancy ate the last bite of her sandwich, the case doors enclosing the china plates were pulled closed and Polly looked around, letting Nancy know she had been watching out of the corner of her eye.

"It's a bit of a walk, I'm afraid," Polly said, leaving the case and slipping a pack of cigars into her purse, followed by a box of matches. "It's a nice walk though, pretty views and such."

She pulled on her coat, Michael placing a cigarette between his lips and offering one to Nancy who took it. "It seems to go on for a while, but it's relatively flat rather than hilly so pretty decent."

Nancy stared between the two for a moment, taken aback by just how much they reminded her of her mother once again. She would be lying if she said she hadn't expected the two Grays to be quite so outgoing and inclusive of her, expecting them to just ignore her and treat her as a stranger.

"You can speak you know, we don't bite." Polly patted her shoulder, smiling slightly, leading the two out of the living room and back down the hallway.

"Don't worry, I'm not afraid of that," Nancy replied as they set off, away from the dark double doors and down the pathway following the busy roads. "I suppose I'm not too much of a talker."

"I wasn't either, but you'll quickly become one," Michael admitted - another thing Nancy couldn't quite believe, just how transparent they were, dropping these details to their lives to someone who they had briefly spoken to.

"I'm starting to realise that." Nancy had objectively been in a similar situation, boarding at a school full of daughters from lawyers and doctors whilst she was the daughter of a gangster and slightly dishevelled mother. She wouldn't mention any of that to them yet, she didn't feel ready to.

And in the lapse of peaceful silence that had fallen, an abrasive breeze casting whispers of burnt ash all around them, just somehow louder than the various workers rushing about and children sat in a balcony, Nancy dropped her cigarette, stepping on it as they continue to walk.

"Let's hope you're prepared." Polly nodded towards a door where a crowd of men had begun to gather around.

"Because you'll need it working with these animals."

Nancy just smiled, brown gaze falling on the multiple fists colliding with the door.

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