𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

84

"I got to Harold French, refereeing
Liverpool. He just wants cash. "Tom the tatter, reffing Sheffield Wednesday, wants cash and a beating for a bloke who's screwing his wife." Billy spoke as Finn lifted his head from snorting a line of snow.

"The clap doctor said go easy
on the whiskey, yeah?" Finn teases as Billy grabbed a bottle. "Finn." he whispered

"You don't knock?"

"No, Finn. I don't knock." Arthur chimed in, walking into the room. "Right." Finn sighed, stepping away from the chair

"Hello, Billy. How are you, mate?" Arthur asked, sitting down. "Good, Mr Shelby."

"Yeah, you look good. "That's a nice suit.". Arthur nodded.

"Thank you, Mr Shelby."

"He earned that suit. We made more on the matches than we did on the races last Saturday. He's a good man." Finn said.

"Yeah, I know that. Mm. You're coming up in the world, I like it. How's the missus, hmm? The old trouble and strife, as the cockneys like to call it." Arthur grabbed his shoulder.

"She moved out." he said quietly.

"Oh, that's a shame. Mind if I join you, eh? Mind if I join the party? Look at
this, having some fun. Hmm?"

"You're a good man, Billy. You're a good man, eh? You could sing like a bird in a cage. And what did we do, eh? We opened that cage, and the real man flies out, reveals himself. The truth is young, Billy boy..."

"Yeah." Billy whispered.

"Here, look. What have we got here? Oh, look. Look at that, Billy boy, eh? Then there's some snow there, look. Oh, there's more. Look, snowflakes, Billy." Arthur grabbed multiple bottle from his pocket, dropping them to Billy's lap.

"Now, I know you like that, hmm?
Well, I do too. So, I'll tell you what, why don't we have a little line together.
Eh? Why don't we do a little bit of
snow together?"

-

"You're not eating right. You're not eating right. You're not getting the natural things in you, boy, that's what it is, always." Arthur said, walking into the back room of the Garrison with Finn.

Lottie let out a breath, sitting opposite Gina. She watched as Arthur purposely knocked into the back of Michael's chair.

"You bearing up, Arthur?" Polly asked.

"Bearing up for what? Bearing up to being free, Pol. Another glass, eh? Another glass of so what." Arthur grunted.

"Are you all right, Charlie?"

"Mad bastard Barney kicked me
in the shin when I woke him up." Charlie groaned, sitting in a chair.

"Where is the mad bastard?" Curly asked.

"He's tied to a lamp post outside
with three Lee boys, shitting themselves." Charlie said.

Tommy walked in. "First of all, an apology from Lizzie - she can't be here. Charles has a violin concert.Also, a welcome to Mr Aberama Gold. He and Polly are to be married in three weeks, with my blessing. From now on, Aberama will be welcome at our meetings. First item of business, a bereavement. Colonel Ben Younger, who may perhaps have become a member of this family, was taken from us, four days ago, by dark forces. We've made some investigations, and we think we know who planted the bomb."

"In the meantime, our thoughts are with Ada and the baby inside of her, who may one day sit at these meetings, but hopefully under happier circumstances. Let's drink to happier circumstances."