Chapter 17) Masseto from Tuscany
.-.-.
"I hope you are very pleased with yourself!"
Maria woke up in a flash, blinked a few times to clear the fogginess from her head and searched for the person whom the voice came from.
"Two of my brother's have hurried off, one is brooding downstairs and ruining the carpet with his pacing. Meanwhile, Aunt Pol is drinking her panic away and I'm forced to babysit Finn and I'm missing my afternoon movie!" A teenage girl, a little older than herself snapped at her. She leaned against the doorframe at the doorway and her hands crossed at her chest, amplifying her sulky expression.
"And of course nobody will tell me anything. Silly little Ada, too young to deal with family business. Well I am part of this bloody family!" Sighing deeply she pushed herself off from the wood and walked towards Maria. "Hi, I'm Ada. Ada Shelby."
Groggy and hesitant, Maria took the other girl's hand and stammered. "Maria Lehman."
"Maria," Ada repeated her name solemnly and hummed, "don't tell me you're Tommy's new fling." Eying her up and down almost as calculated as her brother she continued. "You are definitely not his type." Ada didn't seem to care about Maria's personal space and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Are you a whore?"
"I am not a whore!" Maria growled aggravated. Tears pricked in the corners of her eyes and although she tried to keep it all in, her lip started to quiver. Honestly, why did this entire city mark her as something so vile and tainted? Ever since she'd set a foot in Small Heath her reputation had been spoiled.
"Well, you sure do look like one." Ada pinpointed cattish.
That was the final straw. A floodgate of tears started to poor down Maria's cheeks and she buried her face into the pillow. Grief, sorrow, pain, betrayal, fear, every emotion she'd desperately tried to keep down for weeks came pouring out.
It wasn't fair, her life had turned into hell and every time she thought it couldn't get worse there was a new rock bottom. Every time she'd turned her cheek and prayed for a simple bit of comfort reality found another way to beat her down again. In the course of months she had to bury her brother and father. Her home burned down and she had to leave her hometown to live in a cramped up house in the middle of this godforsaken city. The first positive thing that happened to her, finding a too-good-to-be-true- job had haunted her from day one. She'd been terrorised for weeks by her uncle for simply being a good worker. And all for what? Why didn't she simply vanish into thin air, she was letting everyone she cared for down anyway. She recalled switching the revolver from Tommy to herself because in the spur of the moment she didn't see a better way out.
"Hey, I'm sorry ok?" Ada awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, "you're not a whore. Not that it would matter anyway. Stop crying."
"I wish I could just disappear!" Maria finally exclaimed her heartfelt feelings, "I can't take it anymore! Everywhere I go I make everything worse!" Sobbing hysterically into the pillow she tried to get her breath under control. "I thought running away would fix everything, but it just doesn't, it doesn't!"
"Hey now, don't ruin Tommy's pillows. Not that it matters much, he doesn't sleep at the house anyways," Ada added under her breath and pulled the pillow away from Maria's face. "Why did you run away in the first place?"
With a little quiver Maria started to speak. "My uncle wants me out of the house but couldn't simply kick me out without failing his Christian duties," she spat with as much venom as she could muster. "He told me he was arranging a marriage, ready to sell me off to the highest bidder so he would be rid of me … Not that he would earn much, given my reputation..." She paused for a moment, fighting back the hiccups. "I made my father two promises before he went to France. The first one was to take care of my mum and sisters. And the second one was to marry a man he would be proud of … I highly doubt my uncle has the same standards," she added bitterly and sniffed. "I just let everybody down, my mum, my sisters. Everything I do only makes things ten times worse. I just wanted to escape. I thought that maybe if I disappeared my uncle would be kinder to my mum and threat my sisters better. I didn't know what else to do!" She gulped. "My entire family thinks that I'm earning my fee by laying on my back...My uncle even spat on me."
For what it was worth, it felt good to get everything off her chest. Maybe the sister of her abducter wasn't the finest pair of ears, but Maria wasn't in the position to be picky.
Ada hummed and quirked her nose up, ruffling a few wrinkles out of the tear stained pillow. "I think you could use some more of Arthur's coughing medicine."
Before Maria had time to disagree Ada poured her a tablespoon full of thick sticky liquid.
"It'll take the sharp edges off," Ada told her firmly and tapped the spoon against the tip of her lower lip. "Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside."
Maria did vaguely recall falling in a deep and relaxing slumber after her previous intake of the substance. Reluctant she opened her mouth and swallowed the bitter syrup.
"What on earth did you do to your hair?" Ada asked and pulled softly at her butchered locks.
"I dyed it with henna and cut it off." Maria informed her awkwardly pressing a few loose strings behind her ears. "I figured your brother would try to find me so I changed my appearance."
"Drastically, I'd say…" Ada huffed. "Did you use a butchers knife or something? Honestly even the girls in the poorhouse have a better haircut."
"No, I bought a pair of scissors." Maria answered. "But I didn't have a lot of time." Running her fingers through her uneven hair made her realise the extent of her hasty decision. The city truly did take everything away from her, even her treasured long hair.
"I can cut it for you, if you'd like." Ada mentioned trying to unknot a tangled lock. "I'm learning to be a hairdresser, I've even cut all my brothers."
Maria debated if that was actual good advertisement but was also painfully aware her hair couldn't look any worse than the current state it was in. "If-... if you wouldn't mind," She mumbled to the strangely energetic girl. She knew Tommy's had brothers, but he never mentioned having a sister.
"I would not!" Ada clapped her hands and pulled the blankets off of her. "But you should shower first, you reek of hangover and regret. C'mon let's make a real flapper girl out of you!"
.-.-.
As convicted men walking to the gallows, Tommy and Arthur dragged themselves towards the Garrison. They'd had an argument with John, who'd been dead set to accompany his older brothers towards their local bar and possibly to their death. But Arthur and Tommy had both agreed that it should be them and only them to meet the Italian as the Garrison. First, because it was them and only them who'd been so insanely stupid to cause a fight. Second, if all hell would break loose and they would be ripped to pieces by a machine gun… well then their house at Watery Lane would need a new head of the pack.
John would take over business and look after their inheritance and family. Finn still needed an example, Ada still had too much of an attitude and wouldn't make it without any protection of an older brother. Pol had the brains but the disadvantage of being a woman and would eventually be overruled.
It was half past three when Tommy and Arthur settled down at one of the booths across the bar, trading their normal hangout in the snug for a place in the wide open. Scudboat was nervously polishing glasses and Johnny Dogs kept a firm eye on the door, keeping his revolver hidden underneath his jacket but ready to fire within a second.
Tommy feared two things, one; they would be shot and killed. Second; they would shoot both Italians and would wind up in an endless loop of killing or being killed. What plagued him most was that he couldn't come up with a third and better alternative. Keeping his notebook ready on the table and his revolver hidden underneath his coat, he nervously lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply, who knew, it might be his last one.
Arthur squeezed his shoulder tightly when Russo and Changretti neared the Garrison. Fuck, Russo was carrying a large wooden crate, what where they up to?
"You don't think they are bringing in a bomb now do ya, Tom?" Arthur leaned in and whispered baffled.
Tommy did not respond, he honestly didn't know what to expect from the Italians. They did have a very strict honour code and family came first, on that regard they weren't so different from the Peaky Blinders after all.
Or the two Italians did not care about their safety or they were extremely well prepared. Without another glance, Russo and Changretta walked into the Garrison.
"Mr Shelby," Vincent Changretta greeted both Blinders. The old gangster tapped his fendora hat back and straightened his navy blue scarf before sitting down. His younger cousin didn't seem too eager to start their meeting and parked the wooden crate underneath their table.
Tommy held his breath for a moment, Arthur's question still fresh in his memory. He could not hear the soft ticking of a clock and as far as he could tell didn't sense the smell of gunpowder.
"Mr Changretta, Russo," Arthur responded short and hinted to Scudboat to serve them drinks.
"Signores, I think we can keep this very short," Changertta spoke bluntly, "my cousin Russo has something very important to tell you."
And that was it then, Russo was going to fuck them over, shoot them to bits. Tommy remembered his aunt Polly's first rule when it came to their dirty business, rule one, don't push above your weight. Instinctively he knew Arthur's fingers where twitching over the shiny metal of his revolver. Scudboat came to their table and slowly started to place glasses down, ready to mingle within the first gunshot.
Russo ran his thick fingers through his slick hair and exchanged gazes with his older cousin before directing himself to the two Shelby's.
"Gentlemen, I can honestly speak from the heart. I didn't know about your relationship with the bella donna," Russo said and looked at Tommy with a wry grin on his face, "I did a little background check and many of my contacts confirmed that the bella had been seen with you. I'd like to apologize to you, although I must say you should keep an better eye on your womenfolk, Mr Shelby."
Russo received a stiff nudge from the older gangster and pulled the crate on their table.
"As a token of our deepest respect my cousin brought a dozen of our finest wines," Vincent informed them, "Italian of course, red. Shipped straight from our family."
For a moment Tommy met Arthur's completely stunned gaze and pinched himself. Apologies? Was this all one big twisted joke or where they actually dodging this bullet?
"Once again, my deepest apologies," Russo pressed when he didn't receive any reaction from the two Blinders. "Do you accept?"
Where they honestly letting them of the hook? The pair of them wrecked the Shepherd, sure Arthur paid for a great amount of the damage beforehand, but still it didn't give them the right to bombard into their place and trash it.
As Arthur remained gobsmacked, Tommy quickly started to scribble lines down into his notebook and shoved it in front of his brother's face.
"Of course we accept your apologies, Mr Russo, Mr Changretts, and we would be honored to toast with you," Arthur read Tommy's note out loud and quickly got a glass shoved in his hands.
Tommy rapidly poured in the finest Whiskey within arms-reach and served their guests. Throwing a very frustrated glare at Arthur and his glass he raised his own, cocking his head to his brother to do the same.
"And… A toast to our restored bond," Arthur stuttered blankly eying Tommy. Four glasses clashed together high up in the air and Whiskey numbed their tongues.
Tommy drained his glass in a flash, still half expecting a bomb or gun to go off.
But surprisingly the Italians patiently drank their Whiskey, made a few kind comments about their bar and were interested about their local boxing rings.
After half an hour of chit-chat the two Italians walked out of the Garrison unarmed and slightly tipsy.
"Tommy, what the bloody hell just happened?" Arthur muttered still godsmacked. "Did those two Spaghetti-eaters just walk out, giggling?"
Both brothers stared at each others in disbelieve and suddenly burst into a laughing fit. The tension escaped through hiccups and sniggers.
"They actually asked your forgiveness, for the inconvenience with you and your little bella donna!" Arthur roared with laughter.
The pack of Blinders that guarded the inside and outside of the Garrison looked puzzled at their bosses, clasping each others shoulders and laughing like two mad men.
"They even bought you a present!" Arthur shouted, rubbing his teary eyes. "Jesus I thought they'd blow this place to bits, us included!"
Tommy sniggered and raised on of the italian wines and uncorked the bottle. Instead of blood, expensive Masseto from Tuscany poured and although Tommy wasn't a fan of Merlot, this one tasted phenomenal.
.-.-.
The home of the infamous Shelby family wasn't quite what Maria had pictured it to be. Not at all. Although the house was at least twice the size of her uncle's it did not represent any form of wealth or luxury. As Maria had been a speaker for Tommy at the smoke clouded snug in the Garrison, her employer beamed status and affluence. His three piece suit was probably worth more than a year of her salary and with his immaculate hair and stoic appearance no-one would doubt Tommy Shelby belonged to the upper class.
This house and all it's decorations screamed something entirely else. Broken through brick walls were decorated with colorful wallpapers. Drapes, carpets and rugs where chaotically places all across the upper floor. The rooms had a musky scent to it and the smell would probably be worse if it weren't for all the cigarette smoke clouding the air. Clearly no-one bothered to ever open up a window, nicotine staining the ceilings and some parts of the wallpaper, it blistered down yellowed and disheveled.
Downstairs it was buzzing with people although Maria couldn't make out where all the voices where coming from. She'd been foolish enough to take a few steps down the stairs in which John jumped into direct action, blocking her exit and startling her. Although she didn't know precisely what she'd done to get on John's wrong side, she must have done something very bad because he gave her a very nasty snarl and ordered her to stay upstairs.
Ada shouted something back at her older brother so vulgar it would make a sailor blush and had pulled her along into a cramped molded bathroom.
A pair of towels where shoved into her hands by Ada who rabidly pointed out which soap she could use.
"You can give your clothes to me, I'll throw them away for you." Ada announced scrunching her nose up disapprovingly. "Well, c'mon I ain't got all day," she told their kidnapped guest when Maria didn't jump into direct action. "Don't tell me you're prudish, not while wearing that dress."
With a face slightly reddening Maria discarded herself from the last bit of her harlets wear. Ada took all of it holding only the tips of it in her fingers and left her to herself.
The water was lukewarm and the flow went on and off, but it felt clenching as all the filth and shame started to wash off of her. Scrubbing her skin red and raw Maria had to confess a part of her still felt cheap and dirty. A small part of the depravity remained, it had pierced through her flesh and bones into her soul, mark her as a tatouage.
How could she have been so foolish to believe she'd been able to survive on her own in this monstrous city. Naivety and the cunning manipulation of Russo had blinded her judgement and had her pinned down into a mattress a fortnight later.
By Tommy.
And she still hadn't found the courage to figure out what to make of that.
"Hurry up will you, you are hoarding all the hot water!" Ada moped from the hallway and knocked on the door. "John refuses to let me go downstairs, has something to do with you and Tommy and Arthur's whereabouts." Ada rattled on and guided her back in Tommy's room.
Now that the nearly narcotic coughing syrup was no longer fogging her brain she gave the cramped room a quick scan. It lacked character, by all means it could have been anyone's room. A chrome single bed decorated with a green and grey patched blanket and a matching pillow. In the corner stood a narrow wooded closet and next to it was just enough space for a neatly organised secretary.
She'd been handed a bundle of clothes; a simple beige waist dress, underclothing and a pair of long socks.
"I'd give you a prettier one, but since you've lost my new salour blouse…" Ada snarled, unable to hid her accusation and set a stool in the middle of the room and held a broom and a pair of scissors.
"I'll need to cut it short-er." Ada told her with a frown and pushed her down on the stool by her shoulder. Giving her a light squeeze she pushed her head up and ran her hand over her scalp. "Very short, but it will look lovely!"
Combing through her hair Ada continued her Spanish inquisition. "So if you are not sleeping with my brother, then why are you of importance? I can't recall Tommy ever being so spirited to trace anyone unrelated. And you don't strike me as a damsel worth kidnapping, no hard feelings."
"I know sign language," Maria answered truthful, regretting her fluentness more by the day. "He uses me as a speaker."
"Of course," Ada sighted frustrated, "Tommy found himself a new voice and doesn't bother to tell me, that's so Tommy."
"Actually, Polly was the one to find me," Maria revealed and nearly jumped when Ada started cursing like a sailor again.
"This bloody family doesn't care to tell me anything!" Ada snarled in spite and nearly cut Maria's ear. For a while the only sound in the room where the cutting of the scissors and Ada's muffled curses.
"All done!" She suddenly bubbled and held a hand mirror in front of Maria, "you'll catch lots of whistles walking down the street with a bob like this!"
Ada's cheerfulness was not shared. Although Maria's hair looked better then before it was very short and striking.
"I'd rather not catch anyone's eyes," she told her hairdresser honest and ruffled through her bangs.
"Nonsense!" Ada huffed and captured a few loose strings with a clip and continued on a much more serious tone. "Let me give you some advice about this city, girl to girl. Don't be a wallflower, or you will be downtrodden. Let them judge you, let them misunderstand you. Hell, let them gossip about you. Their opinions aren't your problem. You stay committed to your kin and be free in your own authenticity. No matter what they do or say, don't you dare doubt your worth or beauty or your truth. Just keep shining like you do."
It was the kindest most heartfelt lesson anyone had told her ever since she came to Small Heath and the lump that had settled deep inside her stomach suddenly didn't feel so heavy.
"That's what aunt Pol always used to tell us." Ada gave away with a small sincere smile. "She also told us to kiss a frog at midnight to cure a toothache, but hey, free advice is always welcome." She leaned in a bit and whispered in her ear. "Doesn't work though, kissing the frog."
.-.-.
Tommy sat at their dinner table, twirling a half empty glass of masseto between his fingers. It was something past two in the morning but he couldn't sleep. He felt trapped inside their house and longed for the soothing company of his horses to clear his head. But fleeing Watery Lane as a thief in the night felt like another failure.
Of course there was another reason for his recent insomnia; his bedroom was occupied. And that reason had kept him twisting and turning on their sofa up until he gave up and reached for Russo's expensive taste.
Upstairs sounded soft rumbling and moments later footsteps creeped downstairs.
Maria came into view and the girl visually shrunk when she spotted him sitting at the dinner table.
Did you pick the lock? Tommy signed impressed by the mixture of skills and bravery his stablemaid recently gained.
"I just wanted some water," Maria responded, it was such an obvious lie Tommy chuckled coldy and drilled his piercing blue's into hers. She remained eye contact for a few seconds as she slowly headed down the stairs. Very reluctant she headed into the kitchen and silently filled a glass with water.
Tommy studied her observative from aside and noticed her tense frown. His fingers stopped toying with his glass and he gently pushed it into her direction and motioned her to grab a chair. Indecisive she stared at the chair.
Ada told me that your uncle wants to ring your wedding bells, he signed to her and used his feet to shove a chair back, giving her another nicely wrapped order to park her ass down and listen to what he had to say.
Maria glanced at him through her lashes and took the seat. Tommy wasn't sure what to make of her expression, anger, fear, disgust? The girl had been brought up with such different morals and bounded by her Catholic chains Tommy wondered if she'd ever do something else then turn the other cheek.
I want to make a deal with you, he signed to her and pour himself a new glass.
It was her turn to study him, her eyes ran over his face, searching for either kindness or cruelty.
He smirked, he would show her both. You will work for me. In return I will keep you and your kin safe. Away from your uncle.
She did not respond, instead she finally sat down and switched her glass of water for something stronger. The massetto seemed to spark up some courage and hesitant she said.
"I do have some demands."
Tommy almost laughed and raised one eyebrow. You think you are in the position to bargain with me?
"You sent every man available to trace me down. You've brought your family in danger to get me back. You're letting me sleep in your bedroom while you're stuck here on the couch," Maria stated matter-of-factly, "don't deny it, Tommy, this is not a one way street. You need me too."
Tommy's jaw twitched, somewhere deep down a tiny part was somewhat proud that his fine taste of negotiation rubbed off on her. But it didn't help him at all if she held cards on her own. He made a mental note to inform his beloved sister to keep her babbling mouth shut next time he'd bring home a kidnapee.
Fine, what did you have in mind? He signed with clenched teeth.
"I want a home for my mum and sister's, not another filthy attic or a room in the poorhouse. I want a decent place," She stated pragmatic and continued. "And I don't want you ordering me around like I'm your dog. If I'm your speaker, please treat me with a degree of respect."
Will that be all, or do you want more on your silver platter? Tommy signed sarcastic.
"I don't want to be part of anything wicked," She added to her list of demands.
I never give a promise I can't keep, Tommy signed darkly then added, but I will try to keep your fragile Catholic soul away from the worst bits that come with the job. Deal? He raised his glass and stared intently at her.
"There is one last thing."
He frowned and sighed annoyed, did she grow a pair of balls over night? He held his hand up horizontally and stirred the air with two fingers, ordering her to hurry up.
"I don't want you to ever touch me again like the way you touched me when we were in The Shepherd."
Her soft yet venomous words hit him below the belt and unlocked the sick feeling of shame.
That's a promise I will keep, he signed to her and pressed his right hand on his heart.
Biting her lip her fingers clenched around her drink, she didn't like the fact she was making a deal with the devil, that was very clear. But the thing was, in order to keep your family safe you are willing to cross all your boundaries and principles. Hell, Tommy knew first hand how easy it was to shake hands with the devil if your kin dangled on a thin thread above hell itself.
"Deal." Her glass ticked against his and she quickly took another small sip.
Tommy mimicked her and signed, No more running away.
"I won't. There isn't anything to run to," She bitterly added.
They drank their wine in uncomfortable silence and when Maria stood up to bring her glass to the sink, Tommy tossed keys across the table.
You can lock the door inside out, if you don't trust me. He informed her when she blankly took the keys. Sheepishly she nodded and buried the keys inside her pocket.
Arthur and I will pick up your mother and sisters first thing in the morning.
"And what if my uncle forestalls you?"
Then he'll be missing an awful lot of teeth, Tommy declared with a calm emotionless glance in his icy blues.
.-.-.
Well, Tommy and Maria don't seem to see eye to eye. But they made a step back to recovering their damaged relation although I think they still have a long way to go. And nobody got shot to pieces, I call that another victory. I simply love Ada, we'll be seeing more from here, she's such a great character to write about.
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Many thanks to Comet96 for being my betareader^^
Xoxox Nukyster
