It's the roaring twenties in Birmingham, the Peaky Blinders exist alongside God but they were much, much closer at hand than Him. Mercedes de Silva, thornless withered rose, petals filled with sorrow. Thomas Shelby, ruthlessly ambitious, conflicted...
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MERCEDES WAS A DEVOUT. As a child, she was devoted to the Virgin Mary. She even inspired to be like her one day, to become the blessed and chosen woman. Every night, she and her family would go to their oratorio to pray the rosary. She always prayed about how she wanted Gabriel the Archangel to visit her, to bring her the good news. Every Sunday, using their caritela they would go to their local church to connect with the Lord. But, she soon realized that it was just a phase for her. She understood that she was forced by her parents to have these beliefs, like how her ancestors forced the indigenous people of her homeland to converse religion. Gone the ambitious girl she was.
Wearing a black lace veil, she knelt in front of the church's altar before making a sign of the cross. "No offense, but I never took you to be the Catholic type," her heart almost jumped out of its ribcage when she heard someone spoke from the back.
She pushed her veil back over her shoulders to catch sight of the mysterious person, the church was dark and only candles illuminated the place. Then she noticed the woman wearing the almost similar veil to hers, sitting on the back pew. "None taken, but do I know you?" she asked as she walked closer to the woman.
"You don't, but I do. Are you Thomas' whore?" Mercedes fought the urge to roll her eyes, she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "You must be John's mother, I guess it runs in the blood eh, Mrs. Shelby?" she hissed at the middle-aged woman who just smirked at her.
"Oh, I'm no Shelby. I am Polly Gray," she put forth as Mercedes now sat beside her, "What do you want from me, Mrs. Gray?" she asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"Why are you here?"
"Can't I be here in the Lord's house?" she replied sarcastically before batting her long eyelashes.
"What are you doing here in Small Heath?" Polly scoffed, her gaze is still in front, and there was silence. Like Mercy was looking for an answer. For several seconds, her mouth opened but no words came out.
