𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, ᵗᵒᵐᵐʸ ˢʰᵉˡᵇʸ (REWRITING)

𝟎𝟎𝟐

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐
𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧, 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝

There was an awkward silence among Adeline and her family whilst they sat at the dinner table. She looked between her parents, waiting for someone to say something.

"Tell me about the Peaky Blinders," she finally said. They both looked at her and stopped eating their food.

"I'd say they're quite the characters." James spoke. Anne bit her tongue, clasping her hands together. "Thomas Shelby— He's the devil." She said bluntly.

"What?" Adeline asked.

"I said he is the devil," She repeated. "No, I know what you said, mother. But explain." Adeline leaned forward, intrigued. "It's an explicit sentence, it means what it means. He is the devil. The devil in human form."

"What are you talking about?" Adeline pushed, desperate to get as much information as she could.

"I'm not having this conversation with you." Anne shrugged.

"Now that we are on the subject of the Shelby's, the Cheltenham races are next week. You'll be going," James pointed a finger at her, not listening to a single word she'd just said.

"You're a joke, honestly." She shook her head and allowed a laugh to fall from her mouth before pushing away from the table and excusing herself.

"Adeline sit back down." James scolded. She let out a frustrated breath and slowly sat back in her seat. "The  Cheltenham Races—" he began, "you get yourself invited there by one of the Shelby's."

"How am I supposed to do that?" She asked.

"Well you danced with two of them last night and you'll be getting a job in the pub that they practically own. You'll be seeing them quite frequently so surely you're not completely incapable of forming some sort of loyalties with one of them." James explained.

"You say this as if it's a normal every day task to be completing." Adeline said. "I think you forget you kept me within these walls my whole life. Last night was the first time i'd ever spoken to anybody who wasn't you two or my own maids and guards." Adeline leaned forward, smashing her fists onto the table.

Anne jumped. "That is no way to behave." Anne told her. "I do not care for your input, mother. Ever since you turned a blind eye to what father did to William, I lost my respect for you." She admitted. "Now— i'm excusing myself from the table. I need to get myself ready before you send me off to Birmingham."

-

The moment Adeline stepped out of her car and onto the cobble, her senses were filled with the awful, polluted air of Small Heath. She scrunched up her face and lifted her dress from the floor.

She set her eyes upon the pub that sat on the corner. The Garrison Tavern it said. Due to her father's instructions, that was the place she'd be working from in hopes to complete the so-called mission.

"Hello?" Adeline called out, pushing the door open and revealing the empty pub. A man looked up from his bucket and frowned. "Can I help you, love?" He asked.

"My names Adeline— i've came for the barmaid job." She spoke confidently, extending her arm to hand him her papers.

The funny looking man glanced at the papers and then back at her. "The jobs taken." He lied. Adeline looked at him strangely. "It was still in this mornings paper. Said you still needed a barmaid." She argued.

"I'm sorry but you can't work here, they'll have you up against the wall." He said. "Look, i'm just trying to look out for ya, love." He added.

"Look out for me?" Adeline questioned. "How do you know what's best for me? I need this job. I have experience." She practically shoved the papers into his hands that had false information about where she'd came from.