The Knights Of Birmingham

In His Arms

We stood down stairs in the dinning room as Michael was upstairs being tampered with by Tommy's physician. Everyone stood around quietly ignoring the elephant in the room. Polly poured glasses of gin for everyone and placed them on the table to grab. I grabbed two; quickly washing them down in a matter of sips. I could feel their eyes on me, especially Tommy's.

I sat down to light a cigarette. When I pulled out one of the cigs, three matches were presented up to my face by Finn, Arthur, and Tommy. I took Tommy's as a sign of respect. Leaned back in the chair and kicked my feet up.

"May I have a second with...Melvina, boys?" Tommy second guessed himself. The guys briskly left the room without another word. "That means you too Pol." Polly scolded him and left slowly dragging her feet. He waited until he saw her reflection through the door leave. "We should talk, get to know each other."

"You know me Tommy." I placed my cigarette in the ash tray beside me.

"Well I don't think I actually do." He laughed to himself. "I thought you were Mamie, then Majorie, now Melvina. Are there any other names I should know about?"

"I have to give Polly cudos for figuring out the whole Majorie thing. She's got some spunk in her." I kicked my feet down off the table. "Just not good enough, you see I always knew she'd never find my birth name since there's no documentation of it."

"Are you even from Cork?"

"Sadly, another poor daughter of a fisherman and a mistress."

"Tell me about your childhood, how did you get to where you at now? I've got all day."

"I don't know." I questioned timidly. "It's Not something I talk about often."

"How am I supposed to trust you?" He leaned closer. "I know everything there is to know about my men."

"Fine..."

Before I was born a young George Bellingham married an older woman in town he fell for straight out of school. He followed in his father's footsteps and became a fisherman to support her. Problem was she could never bare a child. Failure, after failure, George finally gave up on his wife. He soon met a new girl in town by the name of Allie Belfour. She moved from Nice, France to escape her domineering father. She quickly fell for the rugged George. But unexpectedly she became pregnant. A shock to George, though he was happy about her pregnancy in order to carry on the family name, George couldn't possibly tarnish his reputation. As soon as he found out it was a girl though, he could care less. He tried staying in the child's life, mostly because Allie threatened to let out his secret. By the time I became of age my mother took me out of school to help with funds. By this point my mother already birthed four other children, only one fully related to me. A younger brother named Paolo. I felt like I needed to protect him at all costs like he was my own child. But we were going to be separated.

At sixteen, a lord traveled into town to spend the winter at his family's country cottage. He saw me through a glass window at a store and immediately demanded my hand in marriage. He only admired my delicate looks. My long blonde curly hair, wispy frame, and striking bone structure. Not even being poor stopped him from having me. How could my parents say no to him? He's rich and good looking.

I was dumb then and took his abuse as love. Weren't all men like this? Mum loved George after all. So I married him on the fifth of April. I wore a long beaded white gown he bought me. I never felt more beautiful in my life.

I tried everything to gain his love, yet nothing worked. I even tried getting pregnant but not even God allowed me to have that. I hated myself. Maybe I should've been hit. I wasn't good enough to fulfill my womanhood. I felt like I deserved all of it, as well as his cheating. I gave up on life after awhile. At eighteen I planned out my own suicide. We were out in London over business matters. While Fredrick was gone, I stood on top of the hotel building, my feet planted on the edge. I spreader our my arms ready to let go, when a pair of strong arms pulled me back. I was drunk, I gazed up at the man who saved me. He introduced himself as Alfie. He carried me back to my place that night and waited until I was fully asleep. When Fredrick came back he found me lying drunk on the bed as a surprise. Not knowing at the time Alfie was still in the room he tried to take advantage of me, Alfie ended up almost killing him. As he laid knocked out on the floor bleeding, Alfie took me to his place.

He helped try to start a new life, I chose the name Majorie Belfour, my grandmother's name. I lived in London for about a year when I met Capone. I always felt Alfie hated him for taking me. Not that Alfie ever professed his love towards me, I could feel it. I lived in Chicago for awhile with him. We lived everyday to the fullest, I never felt more alive. Helping with deals and money. Yet, I secretly despised myself. I was my worst self. I killed multiple people, scammed more. I had gotten too deep. I needed to leave. That's when I made up Mamie Burke. A small town girl with big dreams. Maybe I could be normal again. No more crime. It still seems to find me though. I tried everything in my power to just be me again. Problem is I don't even know who I really am? Maybe it is in crime. Maybe I was meant to meet the Shelby's. It was all part of my Fate. It's not totally curse, on the other hand this could be my chance for revenge...