𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐑 ᵐⁱᶜʰᵉᵃˡ ᵍʳᵃʸ

017

TOMMY FOLLOWED TATIANA INTO THE CELLAR, where Alfie Solomons stood. "Your jeweller" She pointed. "I don't think they trust me, Tommy" he said.

"Mr Solomons is the only jeweller I trust in London" Tommy lied, knowing full well that Alfie was no such thing. "Yes, Trust, yes" Alfie nodded. "Might have to add that on the old invoice"

"As we agreed, your jeweller will now select items to a total value of £70,000" Tatiana said. "When you have selected your chosen items, they will be put into a box and stored"

"When you have fulfilled your part of the deal, the box will be delivered to you"

She stepped away, "May i just start, right, by saying that i may choose to stay here and just starve to death and choke on sapphires" Alfie joked. "I'd never go back to the fucking world again"

"The jew smells of rum" Tatiana's father said in Russian. Alfie looked at him. "There is a good reason for that, you know, little man" he said, understanding what he had said. "Because my shop, right, is just above a rum house, so all them.."

"You speak Russian?" Tatiana asked. "I do yea cause of me mum. Yeah me mother." He nodded. "You people, all right, you hunted my mum with dogs through the snow. Yeah"

"But, today right, is for forgiveness, isn't it" he rambled. "For selection. So, now, hello right" he picked up a necklace.

"I think it's fair to say, yeah, £1,500"

"£1,500?" Her mother, Izabella scoffed. "All right i will give you £1,800" he corrected. "I know the current market value, £1,800 it is" She nodded.

"That's very gracious of you" Alfie whispered.

-

Polly looked at the finished portrait with a smile, stepping toward it and reaching her hand out before stopping. "Oh, sorry, can i.."

"I insist" he nodded. She pulled the sheet from over it and smiled widely.

"There. A woman of style and substance." he said, "i'm a student of silence is this a good silence or a bad silence?" he asked.

"It's good"

She let out a laugh, admiring it. "I know it isn't saying much in the grand scheme of things, but, this is the best work i've ever done" he admitted. "I'll miss Sundays" she said.

"There'll be more Sundays" he assured.

-

The three Shelby brothers walked back out to the car, just as the sun began rising.

"You're quiet Arthur" John said, getting back in the car. "Yeah yeah fuck off" he whispered. "You got all your buttons back eh?" Tommy teased.

"Yeah all right fuck off"

"Yeah what's God gonna say about it Arthur" John asked. "Fuck off both of you"

"He tells Linda everything" John whispered. "Every single thing"

"Yeah well we will see" Tommy sighed, starting up the car. "Gonna miss you when you're gone now Arthur"

Arthur leaned back. "Just drive the fucking car"

-

"Come on, picture" Arthur said, forcing the family to stand beside each other.

The camera flashed and it was hardly a second before they all turned to continue walking.

The Grace Shelby Institute for Orphaned children.