BABY, YOU'RE A RICH GIRL ⇉ ARTHUR SHELBY

FOUR

DIANA HAD SLOWLY BEGAN GETTING USE TO SMALL HEATH BY THE END OF HER FIRST WEEK HERE, she became accustomed to the people that came into the pub day in and day out. She had even gotten used to the Shelby men coming in, though they were not very talkative, especially the eldest brother she knew as Thomas, she figured that was because of the heartache she had been told about with the barmaid before her. John Shelby was nice enough to her as well as his wife who spoke to her a few times, who she knew as Esme. But it was Arthur that was the nicest to her, which she knew many found strange from the looks people gave the pair when they were talking.

Luckily though, nobody asked about her past, where she was from, or what her family was like. But she understood certain people would still be suspicious of her, she still looked how she did when she first arrived, wearing clothes that flattered her, her hair done beautifully, and a smile that never seemed to leave her face. But she was beginning to feel as though one day, she could fit in.

In the days passed since she had arrived at Small Heath, the young girl had received a letter from her father, informing her that her mother had told him of her desire for a new adventure, and whilst he had wished she had told him, he understood why she hadn't. He had also stated in his letter of her location, and the things he had heard going on in that place, he was worried for his younger daughter and assured her if anything were to happen to her, he would come and collect her immediately. Reading that, Diana smiled and shook her head, knowing her father's protectiveness was shining through, but she really couldn't understand what was so bad about Small Heath. Nothing that she had witnessed was yet to show Diana any signs of violence or ruthlessness in the place she was living.

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Men were crowded around the bar, Diana was told by Harry this was normal for a Saturday night, the men dressed in their best clothes and the smoke hang around the air, lingering for everyone to see that blew it from their mouths. Diana wasn't one to smoke, although she knew mostly everyone in England was a smoker, but she only did it in times of anxiety, other than that, she kept to how she was brought up, 'a mature woman never smokes when not needed'. She was told this by her mother, who although allowed her daughter to smoke when they were in private, which they both did sometimes when anxious about their balls and guests, knew the women of the wealthy family had to keep up an image.

Ashtrays filled the bar as well as the many glasses that were empty of the alcohol they had once been filled with. Diana got the feeling she would rather enjoy Saturday nights at the Garrison. In the week she had soon discovered that the men of Small Heath came to drink their sorrows away, whether it be for work or the memories of the war lingering in their mind, but their demeanor seemed to change at the weekend, they seemed genuinely happy to be alive, and Diana enjoyed being surrounded by them.

It wasn't late into the evening when two of the Shelby's arrived in the pub and went into the booth next to the bar. Harry had scurried Diana off into the room holding the alcohol they usually ordered. It was only Tommy and John seated in the booth, and Diana couldn't help but wonder where Arthur was. Diana didn't understand why, but she had become quite curious about the man who owned the pub, there was something about him that she couldn't quite understand. The older man looked so lost, so broken, and yet, he seemed so proud that he didn't want people to see through his cold, hard demeanor.

The young blonde girl had figured this façade ran through the family, she could see it in Tommy and though she had not even had a conversation with the man, it didn't take a genius to see right through it, but Diana knew better than to say anything. She had seen this type of coping mechanism before, the hard exterior covered up what was underneath, what broke them during the war, and it hit her close. Diana had seen people in pain, mothers, children and so many more, she had seen the people that tried their hardest to stay alive let go, and she could never erase the faces of their loved ones away from her mind. But society expected them to all move on, and what else were they meant to do?

Britain was known to be 'proud' to put a smile on their faces and carry on, and so they did. But deep down, everyone was and would still be affected, and Diana could see that in Arthurs face as clear as day. Especially that night that he had sat down at the bar and talked in front of Diana, and now she was unable to get his face out of her head.

Walking into the booth, knocking on the door beforehand, Diana smiled gently at the men as she began pouring their drinks, as they stayed silent, just looking at the girl curiously. Diana swallowed before looking at the two men, "No Arthur today?" She asked, still wearing the smile on her face as Tommy took s swing of his drink.

"I'm afraid not love, don't know where he is, but I'm sure he'll be available tonight." John chuckled, raising his eyebrows at the beautiful girl in front of him. Diana looked confused for a moment, but seconds later, she knew what he meant. She just shook her head, gathering the alcohol that was not needed for the pair, "I don't know who you think I am Mr. Shelby, but I am in no means a whore." She told him sternly, as she turned ready to leave.

The two brothers just looked at each other, before Tommy turned to look at her, stopping her before she walked out the door. "You're right," he said in his strong Birmingham accent, "we don't know who you are, but our Arthur can't seem to shut up about you."

Diana just bit her lip, unsure of what to say to the two men in front of her. Tommy though, carried on, "he's quite curious about who you are and where such beauty would come from, and we're all thinking the same thing." He told her, looking at her seriously. Diana knew this was the moment where everyone's suspicions' would be asked, but she stood up straight and shrugged.

"Like I told Mr. Shelby, I come from London, and I came to Birmingham for a change of scenery, that's all there is." She tried to tell the two men sweetly, but before they could answer a loud crash came from the front of the pub, with shouting coming along with it.

Running in, a man looked at the Shelby's, "Arthur's having an episode and a bad one." Diana knew what this meant, his mind was in a different place and was unable to get out.