METHOD OF MADNESS ━ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐲 ¹

𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓮:

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : flawless - the neighbourhood

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❝PREFACE ❞

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Small Heath, Birmingham

In the austere streets of Small Heath, Marianna James blossomed amidst the humble abode of her gypsy parents. Her mother, a scent-savvy gypsy woman, and her father, a rugged yet compassionate soul, forged a sanctuary amidst the biting chill of winter with their unwavering love and the enchantment of tales spun by firelight.

Despite the harsh realities that often besieged their meager existence, Marianna found solace in the warmth of familial bonds, woven with threads of devotion and whispered lullabies, albeit tinged with the shadows of her father's perilous ventures.

Her elder brother, Mal, a stalwart guardian five years her senior, adorned her with the tender affections befitting a cherished princess.

Sensing her penchant for artistry, Mal toiled tirelessly to procure the simplest of materials—crimson hues of paint, sheets of paper, and a solitary brush—to nurture Marianna's creative spirit.

He affectionately dubbed her Mar Belle, an endearing epithet whispered with reverence, its French origin imbuing her with an aura of ethereal beauty.

As Marianna ventured into the realms of academia, she encountered a jovial lad whose countenance bore the innocence of youth painted upon his freckled visage. John Shelby, with his winsome grin and amiable demeanor, swiftly ensconced himself as Marianna's steadfast companion, his words a comforting refuge amidst the tumult of adolescence.

And it was through John that she crossed paths with him.

A youth five winters her senior, his pallor mirroring John's, yet cloaked in an icy veneer that sent shivers down her spine. Beholding him within the confines of the Shelby estate, Marianna's tender heart whispered a single word, laden with apprehension and curiosity, Chilling.

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Amidst the innocence and exuberance that danced through the cobbled streets of Small Heath, Thomas Shelby first encountered her at the tender age of fifteen.

Introduced through the labyrinthine connections of his elder brother Mal's endeavors, he knew her only as the younger sister of a gypsy comrade—her name and age shrouded in the mysteries of their shared neighborhood. Yet, even in his fleeting glimpses, Thomas found himself ensnared by the ethereal beauty of her gaze, an iridescent beacon amidst the shadows of their humble surroundings.

In the throes of youthful camaraderie, Thomas found himself drawn to her presence, a whimsical specter that graced their modest abode with laughter and mirth. Whether she frolicked with John and Ada, or lingered to listen to Arthur's embellished tales, her presence cast a spell upon the Shelby household, her laughter mingling with the echoes of childhood innocence.