London, England.
Time:
TOO BLOODY EARLY
It had been some hours since the train from Birmingham into London, the whole purpose was business. Arthur wasn't quite sure what shook him more: The chilling temper his brother had about his foreign correspondence or the chilling manner his old war friend had towards business discussions at such a time. Walking through the cool streets of London, he saw a flock of all types and classes of people. Yet, no motion or movement slicked over to him unlike in Birmingham where people avoided the very path he walked. It was strange not being in his area of comfortable quivering in fear and weeping.
"Right, time to find those bastards." The eldest Shelby brother proclaimed in a regular gruff tone. Lips eagerly scratched by his moustache when he spoke loudly to himself. He wasn't about to jump for joy, nor exclaim his excitement towards seeing the old pals he found during the war. It made the business side of things awkward and almost hard to think about.
Mid-morning sun was warm on the back of his neck as he walked, but it didn't seem to bring a comfort to the dwelling nerves. These men had two different stations and a background completely unknown to the Shelby that came home to an almost normal life.
Their little sister was missing when they came home, and their other brothers were now long buried and rotted away. Arthur thought grimly continuing on his way towards the distinct address given to him the night before over the telephone in the betting shop. It wasn't too far from the station, nor entirely close at all. Somewhere in the middle of everything, but discreetly placed.
After a good ten minutes walk he found himself there by the doors of the establishment. A brothel, and a fancy one at that: which caused Arthur to question the fortune of these Australians. In a swift little knock a petite young beauty opened the door, and swept him inside by the arm.The woman no more than twenty spoke with an accent so fine it made him think of a French woman, or even another country that had words almost lacy when spoken. Although well grasped at the English language, Arthur fell short of understanding her and what she was trying to stay. So, instead he simply followed her to a library with wary eyes.
Eugene Townley sat quietly listening to the gramophone and reading the morning's paper when the sweet speaking courtsean led Arthur Shelby through the nicely polished doors. The third Cut-Throat brother stood promptly at his arrival and straightened his suit upon walking over to him.
"Long time Arthur, almost a year mate. Seems longer." Eugene expressed with the extension of his hand which was met with another gruff hand. A strong shake, then pat on the shoulder caused both men to laugh in a manner of shock. Neither expected to see one another again. It was a moment for Eugene to collect himself, before the discussion of business and matters between their two respective gangs. Sitting back down at a table where a number of manilla folders were collected and compiled in a respective order. Each file had their respective topic, and one was for Arthur about their missing sister.
Arthur settled in his seat and graciously accepted a drink from the decanter, and into a glass on the nicely organised table. His trademark Shelby blue eyes scraping over names on files before finding the one with a name of a young woman scribbled into it. Something made the man pity his friend before him, he wouldn't have known how to react if he came home to find Ada nowhere to be found. Giving a gruff look of sympathy, Arthur reached for the millna folder hoping for a photograph or anything to go on about the mystery girl lost somewhere in England. But, before he could even let his brain to put the pieces together from the dated photograph on the front page, Gene spoke up.
"We've located her to an address in Birmingham, with further research its a bar named the Garrison. Her name that she often goes by now is: Dorothy Edward." Eugene spoke in a low yet stern tone of voice.
"Dot, she's young in this one." Arthur spoke absentmindedly looking at the recognizable part of the Garrison staff. It had appeared right then and there that there was so much more to the young woman's story.
Dorothy was much younger, holding a gaze of gentleness instead of the eyes of someone protecting themselves from pain. Her hair was long and in a braid down her shoulder. A small of a proper troublemaker, and dressed in a farm like attire: flannel shirt, worn work pants, slouch hat and gruff looking boots. She was sitting on a beautiful mare, that even the photograph caught the gleam of health in its coat.
The Australian counterpart caught a glimmer of interest in his eyes while sorting through files and contracts as the eldest Shelby's eyes draped over the detailed report. A gruff curse of disbelief catching him by surprise of the detail the apparently meek barmaid had been and done.
In a throat clearing cough Eugene indicated he wanted to go down to business. The topic of interest: Alliance Building, International Tobacco and Liquor Trade, and lastly the interests of Dorothy Helen Townley his only sister and pride. With detail Eugene explained things, sometimes too tactfully for Arthur to merely understand. In which things were further broken down into steps of easier understanding, it wasn't rudely done either because Eugene Townley considered his work and business arrangements of the utmost of seriousness thus. Everything had to be in a nature of understanding.
"A'light I think I understand everything now," Arthur huffed in an exhausted and almost drunk manner. His mind and body actively affected by the recent intake of so much information. But it appeared that Gene was gladly giving him a break.
"Arthur, you're exhausted now. I understand such arrangements are organised by your brother. Don't worry, you've got all the information that is needed for now. Various proposals are here for your brother to see and get an insight to the family business, and offers we wish to grant." Taking a swift pause in his words and speech allowed himself to catch his own breath about another proposal not made by him but the eldest brother Frederick. Lightly reaching up and pinching his nose, Eugene collected his thoughts about what Fred wanted for Dot if she wasn't married. "The final proposal left in the file regards the marital status of my sister when found, if she's not married my elder brother would like to propose that one of you Shelbys marry her in form of a firmer alliance." He spoke Frederick's wishes in a restricted tone, not allowing his words to filter through and pass any emotions.
Arthur Shelby, though had surprisingly read the man's feels pretty impressively. Even in a drunken haze he saw the irritation in the Aussie's words. "S'pose you're not thrilled on the idea? Goin' against somethin' or do ya not think us Shelbys good enough?" Arthur spoke in a more aggressive tone, standing from his seat slamming palms down roughly against the table. Yet, is sparked nothing, not even a reaction from the man before him.
"Nothing of the sort, just my sister has always been rather a tough shell..Incidences happened and I still feel a guilt towards it. She was forced to join the war effort, and forced to do so many things in the past. I don't want to force her with this." Eugene admitted. "Though, I won't offer myself if you have a sister because I know, I could never make a woman happy. Because of a little no understanding of them, and strict displeasure at the thought of being stuck in a marriage." Eugene spoke in a composed tone, reaching to pour himself a drink. His swig was rough and he felt the burn from the high-class whiskey. "Take my opinions how you wish it Arthur, just know this that I have spoken them in confidence as you a former conrade."
With that the air was left in a stale manner, and Eugene excused himself quietly. Arthur left not long after collecting his things, and stuffing the old photo of the barmaid into his suit pocket. It was going to be one of the many things he showed Tommy upon coming home for reports on the meeting. All alone he walked down the road in a slightly confused manner, rather taken aback by the last of Eugene's interactions with him. He was so quick to shut down anything that would cause an issue, yet the topic of the final proposal truly caused an internal issue.
It sparked the question:
What the hell happened the last time they saw her? Arthur thought with a manner of confliction. But, he wasn't about to ask the bar maid outright, maybe it was something that Tommy could use, whatever it was. For now, it was time to get on the next train out of London. His job was done, and now the vivid memories of the Australian soldiers or ANZACs as they affectionately called themselves lived within memory. A war torn family was left in the place of their normal larrikin personality, chasing after whatever lead for a sister that very clearly didn't want to be found.
Boarding the train once more around lunch time, Arthur found himself staring down at the stolen photograph.It was of a young woman that saw so much before a war that destroyed so much, and gave so little. Then, happened to find herself in Birmingham of all places as if it was the only place left to go. So sitting back in his cabin, the eldest Shelby listened to the calling of the train's whistle. Something about it and the train's roar remind him of the hellish war and fields of corpses he came back from. Even when an unsettled sleep came over him and was taken away so wicked by the roaring of the whistle once more. Arthur grumbled kicking the seat in front of him. "Fork," he cursed in a grimacing tone before looking back out the window. Waiting stubbornly for the familiar sight of Birmingham
