𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃, ⁱˢⁱᵃʰ ʲᵉˢᵘˢ

9

"Right Finn, you've got two choices. Mild or mild?" John asked. Finn laughed, "Mild"

The door opened, Polly and Micheal walking inside. "Here he is, Look" Arthur said. They all cheered as he walked in. "Happy Birthday Micheal" Tommy said, shaking the boys hand.

"Eighteen years old. You're a man today" Arthur clapped. "Give him a drink John boy"

"Here you go lad" John passed him a beer.

"And after that, we will go find you a lady of the night" Arthur joked. "Arthur" Polly scolded. Florence laughed, looking at her feet.

"Micheal" Tommy cleared his throat, handing him a box. " What's that?"

He opened the box, looking at the pocket watch. "So you are never late to work" Micheal looked back at him, smiling. "Welcome to the business, Micheal" John said.

Micheal hugged polly, thanking her.

"Come on, let's get him drunk, whiskey" Arthur shouted. "No whiskey, he's got work tomorrow" Tommy stopped, "give him only dark mild"

"A toast, to Micheal,"

"To Micheal"

Florence sat in between Micheal and John who kept tormenting her. "Happy birthday, brother" she grinned. He nodded, giving her a hug. Polly walked out of the snug with Tommy for a moment.

"Here, have some of this" John whispered, handing the girl a whiskey. She widened her eyes. "Go on"

Florence grinned and took the glass, sipping from it and wincing as her throat burned. Arthur laughed. "Don't tell ye mum" he said.

Before John could take it back off her, she threw the rest of it in her mouth and Johns lips parted. "Fucking hell, Florence"

"All right that's enough" Micheal said, placing her glass back on the table.

-

Polly watched as Micheal spun Florence around in the middle of the pub. Florence laughed loudly as she grew dizzy. "That's enough, i need to sit down" Micheal breathed, letting go of her.

She threw her hands to the side in anger. "Micheal" she whined. Then she looked over to John. He shook his head. "No" he said.

"Please, John" the girl held her hands out. "Go on, John boy, dance with the girl" Arthur pushed him.

John groaned and let Florence grab his arms. "How much have you had to drink" he whispered to her as he spun her around. "What?!" she shouted. "How much alcohol have you snuck"

She looked up, thinking.

"I've forgot"

"Oh my god Florence" he laughed, shaking his head. She stopped, her eyes wide. "I think i'm going to be sick"

"Fucking hell" he pushed her toward the lavatory, pushing the door open. She fell to her knees and began throwing up. "Polly's gonna go mad" he whispered, grabbing her hair and keeping it back.

Florence groaned, sitting back and leaning against the wall.

"That's what happens when you drink" He sat on his knees in front of her. "It feels horrible" she sighed, rubbing her head.

"Come on" he cleared his throat, standing up and holding out his hands. Florence grabbed them, pulling herself up. "Tommy can walk you back to the house"

He placed a hand on her back as they walked back out.

"What happened?" Polly asked. "Just spun a bit too much didn't you Florence" John lied, Florence humming in response. "Tom, take her back to the house will you?" He stared at his brother.

Tommy nodded, holding Florence's shoulder and walking away from the pub.

"You been drinking Florence?" he asked. She looked down. "No"

"Don't lie to me, have you been drinking?" he asked again. "Yeah" she admitted. He licked his lips. "I won't tell Polly, but next time, just don't drink as much, yeah?"

"Yeah" she whispered, holding onto his arm as they walked.

-

"You all right?" Polly asked Tommy as her, Arthur and John walked into the house. Tommy grabbed three glasses, pouring a bottle of whiskey.

"What is it just us?" Arthur asked. "Just us" Tommy said.

"Are we celebrating?" Polly frowned.

"Just taste this" he handed them each a glass. They all drank it cautiously. "What do you think Arthur?"

"Yeah it's good, good stuff, really nice. Too good for the Garrison. I suppose we could shift it to the toffs at the Eden club" Arthur suggested. "Why, what is it?"

"That is part of an export drive. We now have a secure warehouse in Camden town, and secure passage to the Poplar docks. So Monday morning, we'll be sending out our first export crate, a crate of Riley car spares. Bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia."

"Where there is prohibition?" Polly looked at him. "Where there is prohibition?" he nodded.

"All over Canada and America, people are making their own booze, in bath tubs. But rich people in New York in Toronto and Boston, are still paying a lot of money for the real stuff. So on Monday, the first Shelby Company crate will contain 1000 Riley car carburettors but hidden in the packing, will be 500 bottles of the finest quality single malt Scotch whiskey"

John and Arthur looked at each other.

"We Shelby's have a license granted by the Minister of the Empire himself, which means our crates won't be searched"

Polly smelt the glass. "And Polly, all of the whiskey will be packed at the docks so Micheal can do the books without being involved. Like i've been telling you all for a year now, motor cars are the future"

-

"When we pull up outside this house, i need you to keep an eye on this pocket watch, track the time it takes until a copper approaches us" Tommy told Florence as they drove up the road.

She took the from his hand and looked at it once they came from a stop.

"What your business?" A nan in uniform approached. "Sorry, we're lost"

"Yeah well you can't stop here. Move on" he said. Tommy grunted and started up the car again, "How long?" he asked her.

"Twenty three seconds"

"What was it for Tom?" she asked. "It's all part of a plan, Florence, a plan."

Another part of that plan was that he was considering letting the young girl on certain aspects of business, without Micheal and Polly knowing. She could be useful.