Savage Beast-A Peaky Blinders retelling of Helen Keller

10.

 It had been a few days since the cocaine incident. Athur had felt horrible-bringing Lily extra treats after he dropped by the flat each afternoon. todays treat was a hot, buttery biscuit-with sugar sprinkled on top, the way she liked it. Grace had not been back in a few days, Tommy telling her to take a break while they allowed Lily a few days to play and run amok, as she did. But now, this morning-there was a knock on the flat. she was here. It was if Lily knew-when she felt Grace's footsteps in the flat and caught her scent in the air, she wrinkled her nose as if disgust, and she stood, running smack into john, who caught her by the shoulders. "Careful there, wild thing." he laughed, patting her shoulder.

 Lily took this opportunity to search his pockets for candy, instead finding a sharp razor blade hidden in one of the pockets. John jumped forward as she tried to run away with her sharp, glinting treasure, grabbing her wrist and prying it from her, as it caught on her finger. A small incision was visible on her pointer finger, and she sucked it as she fell to the floor, already kicking her feet and shaking her head, hair flowing out behind her in a mess of unbrushed tangles. Polly clucked, shooing John away. "Keep your razors and violence away from her, John." She chided. "The child practically frisked me. She was looking for candy-you know how she does." John motioned toward the girl, who was making unintelligible noises on the floor.  Polly fished a candy out of her skirt pocket, waving it in front of the child's nose for her to catch it's scent, before putting it to her lips. 

Lily froze, and opened her mouth, sucking on the sweet candy and quieting from her tantrum. "Why does she get a reward for behaving that way?" Grace's soft accent filled the flat, and Polly looked up from the girl, an astounded look on her face. "I...I don't know. I suppose it's one of the only ways to calm her." She answered honestly. "I've been researching. There's this alphabet, for deaf children. I want to try and spell the words to her, and see if I can somehow reach her mind-teach her that things have a name." Grace spoke. John looked at Grace with interest, before letting out a laugh. "Teaching her anything is just about impossible. She only does what she wants-unless Pol smacks her on the hand, that is." He chewed roughly on his toothpick, the way he always did. Tommy breezed into the room, having overheard the conversation from the kitchen. "I think it's a fine idea. She needs some kind of discipline and teaching-and we need some peace and quiet around here. We've got business." He cleared his throat, nodding at Grace. "You can start working on it with her." He decided, causing Grace to break out in a small, dimpled smile of success. 

"Thank you, Mr. Shelby." She brushed a hand through her own golden waves as Tommy's eyes set on her. "You've seen the girl-she's a little hellraiser. Don't thank me until you've tried it and get it through her head successfully. You might find that all it does is further irritate her. Pol has ended up with a good few smacks that way, haven't you?" He formed something of a cold smile himself, before putting on his cap and heading out the door. 

"Well, then. I guess we'll have to start with something. How about doll?" Grace said, settling down on the floor next to the small girl, picking up one of her dolls and setting it in the girls lap. Lily straightened, sitting up as if she were alert now. Her hands roved over the cool porcelain of the doll, and she began to touch the dolls mouth, before touching her own, and again with the eyes, and the ears. "Yes, good. Mouth, ears, nose." Grace laughed, already seeing the brightness that was locked inside her mind. It would be a lot of work, but that didn't mean impossible. 

*authors note: Aww so sweet! In this chapter we get glimpses that Lily does have some basic knowledge-like she recongizes through touch that the dolls body parts are like that on her own body as well. She is also clever enough to make up her own signs to show her family when she wants certain things.