It's the tone that catches her, not by surprise - she isn't in the least - but it's interesting nonetheless. The kind of interesting that she can understand, or that can warn of more serious, better hidden problems.
But mostly, nodding in acceptance of the rest of the terms, of the explanation, she settles her arms on the edge of the table and turns her teacup a little more with her fingers, idly.
Despite himself, warmth always seeps into his voice when he talks about his family. He twitches a smile and raises his cup to his mouth, takes a sip before he speaks.
"I have two brothers who were in the war, and one who was too young to go. A sister, who thinks she's a nurse but barely knows how to apply a bandage, and our aunt Polly, without whom we'd all be homeless. And John has his four children he takes care of as a widower."
"The brothers that were in the war: they were in a separate unit, from you and your friends?"
The rest of it tells more of an interesting tale: an aunt but no mother or father or uncle, a brother who is a single father of four, and an assortment in between, to say nothing of Tommy himself.
She nods in agreement: yes, they were. It's all she's willing to give to that for the moment, unwilling to give more, unwilling to take more from his family.
"I look forward to meeting them, then. And to learning if this arrangement can indeed be as happy as it sounds at the moment."
He nods, satisfied. That'll do, for now- he's happy she's decided to try it, he's happy with the prospect of another capable employee. He exhales, sits up straight.
"Very well, then. I suppose you'd like the weapon back now?"
Letty isn't entirely sold on the agreement, but she's at least willing to give it more than a fair chance. She's under no illusions that she has a better option, of course, and much, much more of herself wants to trust him than doesn't. The rest barely makes a dent when these two points are considered.
Besides, she has never had a problem extracting herself from situations she finds intolerable, so she nods and sets her teacup down, mostly empty.
"I would, yes. I trust you found it useful while in your possession?"
"It saved me then, but I've kept it safe since returning. Come on," he urges, standing up and opening the doors back into the betting shop. It's up a flight of stairs, first, and he takes his time, lets her look around if she wants to again.
She's quick to fall in behind him, folding her coat over her arm and smoothing her skirts a little as she stands. She's ready for the noise and the movement of the shop this time, more familiar with the layout, so her gaze the second time around is more strategic: she looks at the boards, then at the men accepting bets, then at the customers coming in, and picks up an empty slip to look at while they walk, hands it off to one of the bettors as they pass through when she's finished.
When it's quiet enough again that she doesn't have to yell to be heard, she asks, "Do you still have ammunition for it?"
"I got some when I came back here," he says, as he goes to his knees in front of his bed. It takes some digging, with his uniform being underneath there as well, and some other things besides.
"Might as well take advantage of living right next to the bloody Small Arms Factory, eh?"
That makes her smile, even as she finds herself looking around again, this time more furtive. It's his personal quarters, after all, and she's curious but not interested in being outright rude.
"As well as any other advantages that present themselves, yes, although that seems to be one of the better ones."
His eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles at her, and then straightens
up, holding a dusty but well-cared-for box. The wallpaper in his room peels
at the corners, but there are frames on the wall, dried flowers on the
sill, and the sheets are fresh. Like the rest of the house, it's old but
clean and cared for.
"There we go. Thank you for letting me keep it this long."
She notes all of it with a satisfied air, but she's also quick to refocus on and accept the box back into her possession.
She's also quick - not rushed, but prompt - to set the box on the nearest horizontal surface so she can open it and pull the pistol out, mindful even with it too light to be loaded that the muzzle points either straight up or straight down rather than at either herself or Tommy.
Letty still handles it with familiar, efficient ease as she checks it over, not in doubt, but merely as good practice and to reassure herself. The smile that takes her expression when she's satisfied is, with leverage once more in her hands, notably warmer.
"To say nothing of your patience in minding it while it took me this long to come 'round and collect it, yes?" she replies, fitting it back into place, closing the lid again. Then and only then do her dark eyes switch over to Tommy again, and her typical crisp, astringent form of teasing evaporates when she says sincerely, "Thank you, Mr. Shelby."
He'd had no doubts that she would know how to handle the pistol, both
because of where she was when she gave it to him and because of the person
he's come to know her as in this short time. Still, he's glad to observe
how carefully she handles it, even moreso when he sees how satisfied she is
when she handles it. It's a good look on her, and he can't deny that it's
pleasant to watch her.
"Tommy," he says, nodding, his hands in his pockets. "Please. I'm glad you
made it at all."
"Tommy," she repeats, confirming and acknowledging, picking her coat back up from where she set it to deal with the gun. The box under her arm now, she raises her chin a little, becomes more serious as she turns to face him.
"I should go and see about lodging, and give you time to speak with your family, then. When shall I return to learn if there are indeed any duties at all for me to perform, and what those should be?"
Polly and John, she repeats to herself, nods for him as she follows.
"I think that will do nicely, exactly as you say. I look forward to meeting your kin." She isn't surprised, as Roma, that Tommy's family puts love in his voice and his eyes. She's still curious about them nonetheless.
He lets her leave, gives her some advice about which direction to go in,
and then closes the door behind her.
He gets dragged right back into the business, like a river swallowing him
up, but he manages to tell his family members that there's a meeting later
on. They meet before dinner: John, Ada, Polly, Arthur, all together. He
tells them the story, and John and Arthur immediately agree: a nurse like
that, every soldier knows the worth of. But Polly is more paranoid about
bringing people in, and has a better eye besides, and she demands a private
conversation with her before they decide on anything.
Which is why, when Letty knocks on the door that evening, it's just Polly
and Tommy in the kitchen. There's tea in a pot on the table,
and Tommy clear his throat.
Letty uses her time as wisely as she can; she uses the last of the money she'd been saving back for when she struck out for home to buy herself a room for the next week, indeed in one of the businesses Tommy suggested for one reason and one reason only: she has to be able to trust the gun being left behind there, and if she's gravely misjudged this entire situation, it won't help her anyway. She hides it, scrubs off in a small basin, and does her best with what she has - which isn't, after everything, much.
And she's still not quite sure what to expect when she turns back up at the house on Watery Lane, but she's wearing a different dress anyway and her hair is combed and knotted back more neatly than it was earlier, and she's been careful not to worry her lip. She's never put stock in appearances over substance, but she's very much interested in earning the job that Tommy has offered, and that means showing pride in herself. So she does the best she can, and then she's being introduced to Polly - just Polly, which she doesn't know what to make of until she really takes a look at the woman and she knows right away that however Tommy had spoken earlier this meeting is every bit as important as the one with him had been.
She smiles, an expression she's not skilled at calling up out of nowhere and it shows; she can laugh and she can tease and she can be affectionate or fond or pleased, but she is not good at smiling to be polite. She nods deeply enough to be a shallow bow of her head, but her back is straight.
"A pleasure, ma'am. Tommy has spoken well of you to me."
Polly doesn't stand up to greet her; she's sitting at the table with a cup of tea, a cigarillo burning steadily away between her fingers. She looks cold, and stern, and like this Letty might wonder why Tommy's voice goes warm when he speaks of her.
"It's only because he knows I'll make him pay if he doesn't speak well of me," she says, her voice just as thickly accented as Tommy's. She nods at the chair on the opposite side of the table.
"Sit down, girl. Thomas- you can go now." And Tommy sends her a faintly annoyed look, but shakes his head and leaves, closing the doors behind him.
"Well, he does seem the type to do well before very clear consequences."
She wonders a lot, honestly, but she's never been a timid woman. She does take the seat, both because it's polite and because it's what she's here for, and she doesn't look away from Polly when Tommy leaves.
She actually bites her tongue to avoid correcting the girl, allowing it here, now, from her elder and potential employer. It won't stand in the long run, but Letty knows to put her work before her mouth.
And then there's what she learned from being around soldiers: after the brisk dismissal of formalities, Letty expects anything she has to say or ask to be brushed aside as well, and she's not willing to step out as a fool. So instead she says nothing, and waits expectantly, chin raised.
"He told me you were gypsy," she says, archly, bringing her cigarillo back up to her mouth now. "I shouldn't have wondered if he was right. You're darker than anyone we've ever had around here."
Which isn't a bad thing, and her voice certainly doesn't indicate that she thinks it is. But it will make things harder for her here, where so few people are. Even the Shelby's are fair-skinned, light-eyed, especially Tommy.
She almost laughs, for all that it isn't funny; she hears the unspoken point loud and clear, because it's one she's intimately familiar with. After all, she's lived with this skin, and this hair, and these eyes her entire life, and Small Heath is not notable for having this particular obstacle for her.
"I find it quite useful," she says instead, because they both know Polly's side, but Letty has discovered this: she can be angry and resentful about it or, like so many things, she can use it to her own advantage. "No one looking at me ever has to wonder, and so I never have to wonder what, in turn, they'll hold for me when they find out. Easier to dodge the kick you see coming, wouldn't you say?"
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But mostly, nodding in acceptance of the rest of the terms, of the explanation, she settles her arms on the edge of the table and turns her teacup a little more with her fingers, idly.
"Tell me about them? Your family."
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"I have two brothers who were in the war, and one who was too young to go. A sister, who thinks she's a nurse but barely knows how to apply a bandage, and our aunt Polly, without whom we'd all be homeless. And John has his four children he takes care of as a widower."
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The rest of it tells more of an interesting tale: an aunt but no mother or father or uncle, a brother who is a single father of four, and an assortment in between, to say nothing of Tommy himself.
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"I look forward to meeting them, then. And to learning if this arrangement can indeed be as happy as it sounds at the moment."
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"Very well, then. I suppose you'd like the weapon back now?"
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Besides, she has never had a problem extracting herself from situations she finds intolerable, so she nods and sets her teacup down, mostly empty.
"I would, yes. I trust you found it useful while in your possession?"
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When it's quiet enough again that she doesn't have to yell to be heard, she asks, "Do you still have ammunition for it?"
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"Might as well take advantage of living right next to the bloody Small Arms Factory, eh?"
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"As well as any other advantages that present themselves, yes, although that seems to be one of the better ones."
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His eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles at her, and then straightens up, holding a dusty but well-cared-for box. The wallpaper in his room peels at the corners, but there are frames on the wall, dried flowers on the sill, and the sheets are fresh. Like the rest of the house, it's old but clean and cared for.
"There we go. Thank you for letting me keep it this long."
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She's also quick - not rushed, but prompt - to set the box on the nearest horizontal surface so she can open it and pull the pistol out, mindful even with it too light to be loaded that the muzzle points either straight up or straight down rather than at either herself or Tommy.
Letty still handles it with familiar, efficient ease as she checks it over, not in doubt, but merely as good practice and to reassure herself. The smile that takes her expression when she's satisfied is, with leverage once more in her hands, notably warmer.
"To say nothing of your patience in minding it while it took me this long to come 'round and collect it, yes?" she replies, fitting it back into place, closing the lid again. Then and only then do her dark eyes switch over to Tommy again, and her typical crisp, astringent form of teasing evaporates when she says sincerely, "Thank you, Mr. Shelby."
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He'd had no doubts that she would know how to handle the pistol, both because of where she was when she gave it to him and because of the person he's come to know her as in this short time. Still, he's glad to observe how carefully she handles it, even moreso when he sees how satisfied she is when she handles it. It's a good look on her, and he can't deny that it's pleasant to watch her.
"Tommy," he says, nodding, his hands in his pockets. "Please. I'm glad you made it at all."
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"I should go and see about lodging, and give you time to speak with your family, then. When shall I return to learn if there are indeed any duties at all for me to perform, and what those should be?"
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He opens the door for her, politely, to let her out of the room as he escorts her downstairs.
"Polly's at the market now, and we've a meeting later on today- if you'd like to share supper with us, we can talk about it beforehand. Say, six?"
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"I think that will do nicely, exactly as you say. I look forward to meeting your kin." She isn't surprised, as Roma, that Tommy's family puts love in his voice and his eyes. She's still curious about them nonetheless.
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He lets her leave, gives her some advice about which direction to go in, and then closes the door behind her.
He gets dragged right back into the business, like a river swallowing him up, but he manages to tell his family members that there's a meeting later on. They meet before dinner: John, Ada, Polly, Arthur, all together. He tells them the story, and John and Arthur immediately agree: a nurse like that, every soldier knows the worth of. But Polly is more paranoid about bringing people in, and has a better eye besides, and she demands a private conversation with her before they decide on anything.
Which is why, when Letty knocks on the door that evening, it's just Polly and Tommy in the kitchen. There's tea in a pot on the table, and Tommy clear his throat.
"Letty, this is Polly."
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And she's still not quite sure what to expect when she turns back up at the house on Watery Lane, but she's wearing a different dress anyway and her hair is combed and knotted back more neatly than it was earlier, and she's been careful not to worry her lip. She's never put stock in appearances over substance, but she's very much interested in earning the job that Tommy has offered, and that means showing pride in herself. So she does the best she can, and then she's being introduced to Polly - just Polly, which she doesn't know what to make of until she really takes a look at the woman and she knows right away that however Tommy had spoken earlier this meeting is every bit as important as the one with him had been.
She smiles, an expression she's not skilled at calling up out of nowhere and it shows; she can laugh and she can tease and she can be affectionate or fond or pleased, but she is not good at smiling to be polite. She nods deeply enough to be a shallow bow of her head, but her back is straight.
"A pleasure, ma'am. Tommy has spoken well of you to me."
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"It's only because he knows I'll make him pay if he doesn't speak well of me," she says, her voice just as thickly accented as Tommy's. She nods at the chair on the opposite side of the table.
"Sit down, girl. Thomas- you can go now." And Tommy sends her a faintly annoyed look, but shakes his head and leaves, closing the doors behind him.
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She wonders a lot, honestly, but she's never been a timid woman. She does take the seat, both because it's polite and because it's what she's here for, and she doesn't look away from Polly when Tommy leaves.
She actually bites her tongue to avoid correcting the girl, allowing it here, now, from her elder and potential employer. It won't stand in the long run, but Letty knows to put her work before her mouth.
And then there's what she learned from being around soldiers: after the brisk dismissal of formalities, Letty expects anything she has to say or ask to be brushed aside as well, and she's not willing to step out as a fool. So instead she says nothing, and waits expectantly, chin raised.
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Which isn't a bad thing, and her voice certainly doesn't indicate that she thinks it is. But it will make things harder for her here, where so few people are. Even the Shelby's are fair-skinned, light-eyed, especially Tommy.
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"I find it quite useful," she says instead, because they both know Polly's side, but Letty has discovered this: she can be angry and resentful about it or, like so many things, she can use it to her own advantage. "No one looking at me ever has to wonder, and so I never have to wonder what, in turn, they'll hold for me when they find out. Easier to dodge the kick you see coming, wouldn't you say?"
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