Silence rang throughout the Shelby house and the betting den. There was no more counting of coins or scratching of chalk on the chalk board. Nothing.
Estelle's breath clouded her hearing, and her ribs constricted her lungs crushing them beneath her own weight. Her eyes stayed focused on Polly's spot on the stairs despite Polly stepping into the kitchen and starting shout at Arthur.
Arthur did not even gain a chance to defend himself as Polly went full mother bear.
"What does that fucking mean Arthur? Are you hurting her? You're hurting a woman?Answer me! Tell me I didn't just hear Estelle say you were hurting her" Polly had gathered the attention of the whole betting den by now. Advancing fast towards her nephew Polly looked murderous. Her hands flew in the air as she spoke, her eyes narrowed, lips curled up in disgust as she slammed her hands flat against his chest over and over again.
Estelle couldn't move her feet were as heavy as bricks, no matter how much she wanted to run, to scream at them to stop, to tell them it was all just a misunderstanding she couldn't. Her feet wouldn't move and her mouth wouldn't form any words.
She heard commotion but her eyes couldn't move from that spot on the steps. It was as if someone held her back but no one was there.
"Polly" Estelle croaked out finally, she didn't know how long she had been standing there but all she knew was when she looked to where Polly actually was John was between Polly and Arthur.
"Sit down now!" Polly yelled pointing to the chairs, "Family only, everyone else out!" The command in her voice had the betting den quiet down within moments as everyone scurried away. No wanted to be on the wrong side of Polly but Estelle couldn't get herself out of this one.
Ada came running down the stairs, "What's going on?".
Finn came trailing after her hugging on her waist as they entered the tension filled room. What a sight they must have been, John suddenly having to take the mediator position and Arthur looking horrible but getting it worse verbally from Polly.
John pushed Arthur into the chair opposite of Estelle as he stood shaking his head, "Fuckin no idea, Polly's screamin' bout Essie being hurt"
Ada placed a gentle hand on Finn's back taking him along with her as she went to Estelle's side, "What's going on Elle? Did someone hurt you?" Her voice was hushed but it's not like the rest of the Shelby's couldn't hear her.
Putting her own smaller hand over Adas Estelle tried to call her friends worry for her, "nothing nothing just a simple understanding, I'm not hurt, no ones hurting me"
"Estelle! I heard what you said, you'd said that Arthur was hurting you!"
"Now listen here woman!" Arthur started to interject trying to explain everything away.
"Exactly! A woman that's what Estelle is, ya bloody lost it! Putting ya hands on a woman!" Polly cried, she had always said Estelle was like her very own daughter, Estelle wanted to reach out and comfort Polly as this must have been heart breaking to find out about your essentially adopted daughter.
Estelle sat forward in her chair putting her hands in her hair, trying to figure out what to say. This is not how Estelle wanted this to go, she only wanted to talk to Arthur about it, not involve everyone.
"Polly just let me explain!" Arthur shouted back at her.
"You better have a good god damn reason why ya abusin' the girl you swore you'd protect!" Polly picked up a dish from what Estelle figures was left over from lunch and launched in at the wall behind Arthur.
"Woah woah woah! Aunt Pol please please calm down! What's going on here?" Tommy roared as he came to stand in the door way between the betting shop and the home. His hands clinging to Polly's arms trying to get her to calm down.
"Arthur has been hurting my Estelle! I hear her admit it!" Polly was full blown hysterical, tears poured down her cheeks and she went to Estelle's other side caressing her hair. Estelle still had her head down in her hands she couldn't look at any of them in the eye.
"Explain yourself Arthur-" Ada snapped, it was clear she too was about to burst out in tears as Polly had.
Arthur looked between John and Tommy as if he was unsure he was actually supposed to do as Ada told him.
John took one hard step toward planting hands on the table hunched over glaring at Arthur, "Speak".
"For the record I didn't mean it, just my... me mind take over at night and I'm back in France" Arthur started slowly, it was as if saying such things out loud made it true.
"It's not like he means it" murmured Estelle. If anyone heard her they didn't indicate such
"You know you have a problem and yet you don't do anything to protect her!" Polly yelled, "under my own nose oh fuckin hell!"
Ada who might have heard Estelle, Estelle wasn't sure started to cry silently as she held Finn closer.
"How bad has it got? Tell me it hasn't gotten that bad" Polly begged as she tried to lift Estelle's face as she moved the girls hand away.
Estelle sucked her teeth in pain as Polly tried to gently move her hand by the wrist from her head to see her face. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment and shame.
"Estelle" Polly cooed as she pushed back the sleeve of her dress to display the nearly black hand print wrapped around her small wrist.
"What are you gonna start handling Ada like that too? Fucking hell Arthur" John said unbelievingly pointing to Estelle's wrist as he started pacing the kitchen.
"Please I'm sorry I know this must hurt lemme look at it my dear" Polly said as she cradled her wrist gingerly as she could touching it to see if anything was broken.
"Essie! What happened to you?" Finn exclaimed noticing her wrist, it was clear from his surprise and scrambled to her side hugging her.
With her free arm she hugged him back, "it's okay Finn I'm okay" Estelle comforted.
"Tell me it didn't go farther than this..." Polly defeatedly asked Arthur and Estelle.
"God fuck no! She's like my kid I-what-no never!" He shouted standing.
"No nothing like what you're thinking no!" Estelle's faced redden further making her as crimson as could be. It was in that moment that Estelle was very happy she had kept her head down, she couldn't believe she was just asked that question.
"Tommy..." Polly dragged out standing, "Why are you so quiet?"
Tommy's cold eyes glanced at Estelle who would finally looked up from staring at the table in front of her, "you knew didn't you?" Polly shouted letting Estelle hand fall as she walked over and slapped Tommy.
He didn't even have to answer Polly his steel eyes and lack of response to the conversation that had just occurred told her everything she needed to know.
"Oi! He only found out last night and I asked him to give me a day to sort it out!" Estelle shouted standing up, she might have too much of a coward to say anything before but Polly had no right to hit Tommy for her lack of bravery.
Tommy's eyes glazed over and his jaw ticked shut as he bit back a remark letting Polly act out.
"John take these boys, not men because men don't allow abuse of women, but these boys out of my sight, I aint stand the sight of em right now. " Polly commanded as she turned her back to Estelle.
"I'll go get the first aid kit for that wrist" Ada somberly announced leaving the kitchen but not before throwing a glare Arthur's way.
Arthur was the first one to leap up, he walked towards the door pressed a kiss to Estelle hair, whispering "I'm so sorry my little girl, I... I made some mistakes, I'm sorry"
Estelle nodded as she whispered back, "things happen, the war did 'tis not ya". Her small hand came up to ruffle his hair back out of his swollen face from his own fight earlier in the day.
Everyone else looked on somberly, it was true, the war had done this. If only there was a way to undo it.
After the boys had left Polly had tried to coach out the story from Estelle.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Polly brokenly asked, as she helped Ada wrap the girls wrist.
"It's not him but his night terrors from da war. Besides he always made up for it, he wouldn't even know until I told him the next day" Estelle explained trying to show the reasoning and how this was more complex than anything.
"Things are about to change in this house, I swear it nothin like that happen again here, unacceptable and not allowed in"
"I understand, I'll pack my things, I didn't want to create a divide in your family I'm so sorry, I'm really sorry Polly" Estelle said as they finished wrapping her wrist.
"What?" Ada asked in disbelief, "were not kicking ya out! Are we Pol? We're not doing that!"
"What? No no I meant Arthur isn't coming back into this house, he's gonna find somewhere else to stay for a bit-"
"No polly he's family and hurting too don't do that to him please I beg ya!" Pleading Estelle's hands came to grasp Polly's between her own as the older woman stood.
"You're family too Estelle, you may not have the Shelby name but you are a part of dis family, you're my sister" Ada cried wrapping her hands around her friends waist as if trying to keep her in the home by will power itself.
"One night he is, just so I can figure some things out. I'll go ring the pub no doubt that's where those hoodlums are and you two well we're going to have some fun and put this all behind us" Polly said taking a long drag from her cigarette, it was clear this whole situation was eating her up inside.
It was quiet late when the Shelby boys minus Arthur returned. The girls on the other hand appeared to just have started the night, they sat in the kitchen surrounded by whiskey and rum while an old gramophone played dancing music. The girls were up swaying to the music drinks in hand as they giggled forgetting the events of earlier in the night.
"Woah looks like the party is in here!" John said loudly over the music, causing the girls to take notice of the two men who had just come in.
"Come dance with us!" Ada smiled extending her hands to both boys but she stumbled before John could take her hand.
"You're drunker than Arthur when we left em" John slurred out as he helped stabilize his sister. Estelle's face reddened at the thought of Arthur getting drunk over his mistakes, over her.
"Oi, if ya lot home it's probably time we go to bed eh?" Polly asked as she started cleaning stacking their used glasses together.
"Come on Pol well clean it up in the morning, that is it ya can get out of bed ya drank half of our stock" John accounted looking over the nearly dozen bottles on the table.
Tommy finally spoke commenting, "well this is better than finding you all crying on the floor I suppose"
"Oh please! We're not drunk!" Ada shouted as she stepped out and away from Johns hands letting her plop down on her butt on the floor. "Okay maybe we're drunk"
Estelle giggled at drunk Ada stumbled up the stairs as John helped her throwing the room a glare, "this ain't what I thought I'd do when we came home" John muttered more to himself.
Polly laughed out loud before sighing and saying, "I'm too tired eh Tommy don't think you're off the hook for earlier but do help Estelle up to her room, she's drunk too"
"Oi! I'm not drunk!"
"You had two glasses, for one who ain't drunk often you best be drunk" Polly informed her as she turned and started off to her own room.
"I resent that comment in no light weight! I just don't think it tastes good!" Estelle whisper shouted after Polly's retreating figure who just waved her off at her words.
"Come on let's get you to bed" Tommy said walking over to Estelle who looked down at the floor as he walked closer. His stature, a good six inches taller than her, loomed over her as he stood.
"I'm sorry ya know?" Estelle said softly looking at him turning her face to meet his gaze.
"No apologizing nothing done" His face was stoic as he just looked at her, no emotion or indication he really accepted her apology.
"I put ya in a horrible position, I shouldn't have done it" Estelle finished, Tommy returned her nod as she started walking towards the stairs. She heard the clinking of whiskey bottles telling her that Tommy was cleaning up.
About half way up the stairs Estelle must have missed a step and started to fall backwards but before she could hit the stairs on her back she felt a strong body come up behind her.
"Looks like ya little drunker than ya thought eh?" His hands were settled on her waist his thumbs pressing into her back right about her butt as her back came to fall against his chest. His breath was warm against her neck as her hair was messily put up allowing his own cheek to touch hers.
"Sorry-"
He let out a harsh sigh, "Fucking stop saying that would ya?"
"My bad" Estelle mumbled as Tommy pushed her to standing up right no longer leaning against him as he placed his hand on her lower back. Her hands graced the railing suddenly realizing how dizzy she was as they started up.
"Now let's get you to bed" he urged as they started to walk up the stairs, Estelle could feel his eyes on her every step of the way.
His hand didn't fall from her lower back as they made it up the stairs but he continued to hold her there as they made it to Ada and her bedroom door. Twisting so her back was flush against the door and her hand on the doorknob she looked up at Tommy in the dark.
"I have a question Tommy"
"Ask it then"
"What would you have done if I let you handle it?" Estelle wasn't sure why she had let that question slip out but she had been wondering that since the prior night when he said he'd handled the situation.
The hallways was filled with silence as Tommy didn't answer right away. His chest puffed as he chewed his lip.
"That wasn't right of me to ask-" Estelle backtracked realizing that perhaps Tommy wasn't going to answer.
"I would have beaten him to a pulp, I would have protected you" Tommy cut her off his hand coming to plant itself on the door beside her head.
"You accused me of bein Arthur's whore, some how you protecting me I find 'ard to believe" Estelle choked out before turning the doorknob and slipping in.