Chapter Text
Marriage. Who knew a single word could have so much power? It could unite families but it could also tear them apart. It could bring people the utmost pleasure but also bring complete hopelessness and despair. You were in the latter category. Hopelessness and despair. Only a week ago, you had been notified by your father that you would marry the notorious Camden Town gang leader, Alfie Solomons. When asked why, your father simply brushed your questions aside and locked himself in his study to drink.
It was your mother who explained why. Your father had done some sort of deal with Solomons concerning money, Solomons had not been able to pay back in time so your father offered to forgive the debt if Solomons married you. Your father was desperate after the shame your brother had brought upon your family. Two years ago, your brother had run off with a Christian woman and converted to Christianity. Your father cut all ties to your brother after that. Your father must have felt that this was the only way you would get married was if the man had no choice because no right minded Jew would marry a girl whose brother did something that horrific.
You had begged and pleaded with your father, urging for him to reconsider, that there must be some other way. Your father’s mind was made up and the wedding was promptly scheduled, the temple booked, food ordered, and a dress created. The gown that had been picked for you was stunning. pure white with lace shoulders and long lace sleeves. The front curved down in a v shape and around your neck rested a silver chain with a blue topaz on it that had belonged to your grandmother. The dress touched the floor and at the bottom, it was covered in white lace as well. When you had tried the dress on in the shop, it took all your self-control not to break down in sobs.
Your whole life had been preparing you for marriage. You mother taught you all the skills that every wife should know. How to knit, how to make the best challah, how to cook, clean and so on. While you had always wanted more from life, you never had the chance to go out and truly learn. You had been told that you would be a good, obedient wife so that was what you would be.
You had sometimes dared to envision what married life would be like, married to a wonderful man who was warm, gentle, considering and who loved you with all his heart. Your daydreams never included being forced into a marriage to a man you did not love or even know. The thought of running away had crossed your mind but where would you go? You lived with your parents and had no real money to your name. Plus, if you ran away, you would bring more dishonor to your family and would never be able to see your mother and father again, something you were unwilling to risk.
So here you were, wearing your wedding dress, walking down the aisle to where at the end, stood Alfie under the chuppah. The chuppah was a large piece of cloth that had 4 poles attached to the corners and the poles were held by powerful men in the temple. This was where all Jews would get married for it represented the house that the two would share and had been passed down through generations. This particular chuppah had belonged to your family for 5 generations.
You reached Alfie and the two of you faced the rabbi who would be performing the ceremony. The rabbi said the first prayer and you turned to face Alfie as the rabbi then told a story about Rebecca and Jacob from the Torah. When Jacob first met Rebecca, she had her face covered and it was a modern-day symbol that the man was marrying the woman not for her beauty but for who she truly was. Alfie reached forward then as directed and lifted the veil smoothly off your face, settling it behind your head. When your eyes met, Alfie gave a half-hearted smile which you returned meekly. As you turned to face the rabbi once more, you continued to glance out of the corner of your eye to gaze at Alfie. He seemed to have a nice enough face but all you really could see was the profile. He had a beard and mustache which were trimmed back (probably for the wedding) but other than that, you could not see much of his face. His body was well built and almost appeared that his suit was too tight for his large muscles.
The ceremony was a simple one and made up of close friends and family. Promises were exchanged and vows were made. As the ceremony drew closer to the end, your stomach began to twist itself into knots. It was almost done. You were almost married to this complete stranger. When it came time for the kiss, you and Alfie turned to face each other. This was not your first kiss but you still felt just as anxious as you did with your first kiss. Alfie leaned forward, cupping your cheek as gentle as a lamb and his lips connected with yours. You weren’t quite sure what you were expecting but the kiss was brief and tender which you were grateful for at least. The rabbi said the final blessing and gave Alfie a shot glass. Placing it on the ground, Alfie stomped on it, shattering the glass. In Jewish tradition, this represented good luck. “Mazle tov!” People roared as they stood, applauding and cheering. You didn’t know how they could be so happy. Didn’t they know that this was the last thing you wanted?
Alfie offered you his hand which you took silently, forcing a thin smile. Alfie’s hand was massive and it engulfed yours as he led you back down the aisle. The photographer was there and demanded a photo of the two of you. You stepped next to Alfie as his arm softly snaked around your waist, the two of you putting on a smile as the photo was taken.
The reception was held in the temple so everybody simply had to make their way over. As people shuffled in, you and Alfie stood at the door, greeting them and thanking them for the good wishes. Men shook Alfie’s hand while the women kissed your cheek, everybody congratulating you on the ceremony. Once everybody was inside and at their assigned seats, you and Alfie went to the front of the room where the table was set for the bride and groom and their immediate family. Alfie only had one nephew who sat next to him while you had your mother and father. Your father stood then, raising a glass of champagne
“L’Chayim!” Your father toasted, meaning “to life”. “May the two of you have a blessed and happy marriage. May you never know what hunger is or what sadness is. May God bless you and your children to a ripe old age. To Mr. and Mrs. Solomons!” Everybody raised their glasses and toasted you and Alfie. You took your glass and lightly clinked it to Alfie’s before taking a meager sip. “Now, let’s have the bride and groom dance!” Your father declared. Alfie offered you his hand which you took and the two of you moved out onto the dance floor. A simple slow song started up and your hand slid into Alfie’s grasp while his hand slid around your waist once more. When you were ready, Alfie led you in a simple box step.
“I’m ‘fraid I don’t do much dancing. Bad leg.” Alfie murmured as the two of you moved about the dance floor.
“That’s alright. I don’t do much dancing either.” You answered, eyes focusing over Alfie’s shoulder so you didn’t have to stare at him. Looking at him would make this all real. Perhaps you could pretend this was all just a bad dream.
“Are you alright?” Your eyes flickered to Alfie’s face when he asked this question and you were unsure if you read concern or if you were imagining it.
“Yes.” Was your simple reply and your eyes moved back to look above Alfie’s shoulder.
“I know that this isn’t exactly the best situation, hell, it’s a fucking bad situation but I’ll treat you good. I promise. It’s the least I can do since I’m the bastard who got you into this situation.” Alfie said a minute later.
“Thank you, Mr. Solomons.” After that, Alfie gave up speaking and when the dance finished, the two of you went back to your seats. More toasts were made, dances were danced but neither you or Alfie said a word to each other.
Eventually, you excused yourself and went to the library in the temple. You had grown up in this synagogue and you had always loved to come to the library after prayer. Starting you, you would look at the pictures for hours then once you learned how to read, you would read the bigger books. You had always loved reading and the books brought you solace throughout the years.
This was where you finally allowed yourself to cry, to really truly cry. You were now married to a man you hardly knew, having only heard rumors about how fierce and terrifying Alfie was. This was not the first time you had met him, however, now that you thought about it. You had met him once, about five years ago, when Alfie came over to the house to talk business with your father. You knew your father worked with alcohol and drabbled in other illegal activities but you had never been allowed to know that since your father wanted to protect his family. You had tried to listen in on the conversation but the two men had gone into the study and there was only the murmur of voices. That was the one and only time you had seen Alfie Solomons.
Thinking of your father brought you back to the present. Damn him! Damn my father and his greed! You thought bitterly as your tears slid down your cheeks. Your head fell into your hands as tears slid down into your hands.
Unbeknownst to you, Alfie had been looking for you and entered the library upon seeing you. He sat down next to you, reaching out and touching your shoulder. You looked up at the man who was now your husband. “Sorry,” You mumbled as you seized the tissue box from nearby and began to wipe your tears away swiftly.
“Let me.” Alfie tenderly took the tissue from your hand and began to wipe your face clean of tears. “I’m sorry to be the cause of those tears.” He told you as he wiped the mascara that had gotten smudged.
“How much did you owe my father?” The question had been bugging you since you had found out about the whole situation but your father would not tell you.
“Owed him 25,000.”
“Glad to see I’m worth 25,000 pounds.” You muttered, giving a weak chuckle as you took back the tissue and finished wiping your cheeks. “Is it obvious that I’ve been crying?” You asked and Alfie shook his head.
“No...you look quite beautiful.” He murmured and you gave another half-hearted smile.
“We should go back.” You announced and stood, leading the way out of the library and back to the reception room.
Time passed and the night gradually grew to a close. People began to leave, wishing you the final congratulations before heading out. Once it was just your parents left, it was time for you and Alfie to bid farewell to them. You got changed out of your wedding dress and into a simple blue dress and black flats. Your things had been packed into Alfie’s car that was waiting and your mother gave you a final hug goodbye. “I love you so much, Mother.” You whispered into her ear as she clutched you close to her.
“I love you too, my sweet thing. I am so very sorry about what is happening.” She pressed a kiss to your cheek then and pulled away. You waved goodbye a final time, ignoring your father, as you climbed into the car with Alfie and he drove off.
Staring out the window, you watched the night fly by. You were going to be living in Camden town in part of London. You had been to London before but never to Camden. Alfie lived in a modest enough house, you had been told but that was it. “Are there a lot of Jews in Camden?” You asked after a bit.
“Huh? Oh yeah, tons. There’s a temple real close to the house too if you want to go there.” You nodded, pressing your cheek against the chilly window. A new temple. That would be a new experience for you since you had always been at the same synagogue your whole life. You knew the whole congregation and they knew you. Now you would have to start from scratch.
“Do you go to services often?”
“Not really. Don’t have that good of a relationship with God, y’know. That’s what happens when you fight in the fucking war. Makes you question how there even is a God when you see kids being blown up and screaming in pain. How could any god let that happen?” Alfie shook his head. “Do you go often?”
“Yes, I find that it brings me comfort.” You answered.
“Ah...well, as I said, the synagogue is close by so you can go whenever you want.” The conversation lulled then and the car stayed soundless till you reached Alfie’s house. The two of you got out and went to the trunk, pulling out your three suitcases. “Didn’t bring much, eh?” Alfie asked as you grabbed two and he got the other.
“I didn’t have much.” You admitted as you followed him up the steps. “I just have my clothing, some books of mine, and a few other personal things.” As Alfie let you in and he flicked on the light, you looked about this new place that would be your home. The first thing your eyes landed on was a staircase leading to the second floor. Down the hall, you spotted the kitchen and to the left of the stairs was the sitting room. You heard the sound of claws on the hardwood floor and the next thing you knew, a massive dog was running at you. The dog jumped onto you, causing you to stumble back into Alfie who caught you before pulling the dog off.
“Cyril! Off, you fucking dog!” Alfie said as he pulled the dog’s collar to get the beast off of you. “This is Cyril. He’s a big fucking baby but he’s a good boy. Very loving as you can see. I hope you don’t mind dogs.” Alfie said as you knelt down, shaking your head no and then offering your hand to the dog. Alfie let go and Cyril trotted over, sniffing your hand for a moment before he began to lick your face. As you greeted the dog, Alfie locked the door behind him then seized your bags and made his way up the stairs. You had no choice but to follow.
As you followed Alfie upstairs, your eye fell upon a modest enough second level. You spotted a bathroom as well as a bedroom as Alfie led you to his room. As your husband opened the door to his room, you stepped into the place that would be your home, looking around. In the center of the room was a great bed which had a dog bed at the foot of it on the ground. Scattered about were dog toys, some with stuffing missing that Alfie had never bothered to really put away. Cyril ran in and grabbed a squeaky toy and brought it to his bed as he began to chew on it, complete oblivious to the awkwardness that filled the room. Next to the bed was a nightstand and a lamp though there were no books or photos there, leaving it rather naked looking.. Against the wall, there was a dresser with a mirror hanging over it, a bookshelf with books thrown about in it and then a closet. On the dresser, you spotted a framed photo of Alfie and Cyril. Besides that, the room was plainly decorated.
“I know it ain’t much but I hope it’s alright,” Alfie commented as he set down your suitcases. “I emptied the closet so you can put all your shit there if you want. Then you saw that the bathroom is down the hallway too.”
Alfie made his way over to his dresser and pulled open a drawer, pulling out a pair of pajamas. Was he going to get changed or would the pajamas be after...it? As per tradition, a marriage needed to be consummated on the first night in order to be seen as true marriage in God’s eyes. Your stomach began to twist itself into knots once more at this realization. You had never had sex before and while your mother had told you about it, she had made it sound like a horror story, an experience filled with pain and blood. But it had to be done. As your hands began to shake, you began to unbutton your blouse, struggling with the buttons due to your hands trembling. Alfie turned around as you were doing this and his face turned into a face of confusion.
“What are you doing?”
“I...I…” Your words failed you and you sort of just motioned to Alfie and then to the bed. Realization dawned on Alfie’s face and he immediately shook his head, making his way over to you. “No, we aren’t going to do that night, (Y/N).” It was the first time Alfie had said your name. “I know that this isn’t what you want but we gotta try to make the best of it, yeah? But I would never force you to do somethin’ like that...especially somethin’ that personal, alright?” Your hands fell to your sides as relief rushed over you.
“Thank you.” You whispered then, looking down at your feet.
“Don’t thank me. I’m just trying to be a decent fucking human being. I’m going to go sleep in the guest room for tonight, yeah? Then tomorrow we can talk about this all and get things sorted. How does that sound?” When you nodded, Alfie whistled for Cyril and the two headed to the door.
“Goodnight!” You called to Alfie as he left. He paused, giving you a faint smile before closing the door behind him. Now that you had calmed a bit, you spent the next hour or so, unpacking your things. Dresses were hung up, shoes organized, books carefully set up. After this was all finished, there was nothing more you could do to procrastinate sleep so you washed up and climbed into pajamas then into the bed.
The bed smelled like Alfie which wasn’t necessarily a bad smell, a mixture of cigarettes and rum. It was just unfamiliar to you. Turning the light off, you pulled the blankets up around you as if they could protect you from the days that would come. Sleep did not come easily to you but your tears did. Your pillow was soon damp from tears. Eventually, you were just too worn out and anxious to sleep and you gave up. Climbing out of bed, you turned on the lamp before getting a book. At some point, sleep did come and you fell asleep, book clutched to your chest.