YOUNG & BEAUTIFUL - peaky blinders

prologue

1910

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"OH PLEASE, TOM!" The five-year-old girl whined. Her hands grasped at his shirt in a haphazard attempt to keep her brother sitting beside her on the cosy red sofa. Her eyes were wide and bright, the flames of the fire reflecting a warm glow over the two siblings. "Please, just once more, I promise I'll go to bed then, please?"

"You promise, do you?" Tommy hummed in amusement as Eleanor nodded rapidly, her little head shaking relentlessly. "You'll hurt yourself if you keep that up." The girl immediately halted her persistent nodding as she gazed pleadingly towards her brother.

"I wanna hear it just once more!" She begged again, her lower lip jutted out as she batted her eyelashes at her older brother. "Oh, please!"

"Fine," Tommy huffed playfully as he sat back down on the couch. He subtly checked his pocket watch so as not to show the girl how little time they had. "But only once more and then I really have to go."

"To meet Greta," Eleanor sang through giggles, her rosy cheeks round and protruding as she grinned happily.

"Yes, to meet Greta," Tommy smiled as he tickled the young girl's sides. He slung his arm on the sofa behind the girl's head. "Now, are you going to let me tell you the story?" The girl beamed as she nodded and placed a finger over her lips. Eleanor leaned into her brother's side, as he grabbed a book with one hand whilst the other remained on the back of the sofa.

"Once upon a time...long ago," Tommy paused as he rolled his head to face her. "Long, long, long, long—"

"Tom, say it properly!" Eleanor burst into a fit of giggles as her brother drawled. Tommy mouthed her words silently, his hand over his heart in surprise. His lips were drawn back into a small smile at her laughter. "Don't be silly!"

"Alright, alright," Tommy surrendered, his arm dropping from the sofa to encase the girl beneath his hold. "Once upon a time, there were two households in fair Verona. A pair of star-crossed lovers meet for the first time."

Eleanor's wide eyes watched her brother speak, the visions of love and romance enthralled her, her eyes glinting with adoration as Tommy diluted the story for her childish mind to comprehend. The two sat there long after Tommy was supposed to leave, simply basking in the simplicity of the tale told.

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August 13th, 1914
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A NINE-YEAR-OLD ELEANOR SHELBY SAT on the bottom of the stairs of number six Watery Lane. Her head was propped up on her hands as she hummed ever so quietly to tune out the sound of her aunt yelling. Pol had been yelling for a while now, and so had the rest of them, Martha, Arthur, John and even Ada. Eleanor wasn't. Eleanor sat on the steps quietly until the grown-ups were finished talking. Finn was presumably upstairs fast asleep, oblivious to the turmoil the family were facing.

The doors beside her flung open as Arthur stormed out. He didn't even stop to take notice of his startled little sister, Eleanor wasn't surprised, but yet a part of her heart yearned to go after Arthur and comfort him. Hugs were a solution to everything she found. The girl remained on her step until John and a swollen-bellied Martha glided past her. John faltered in his steps as he glanced towards Martha as she walked towards the door. He bent down in front of the young girl and ruffled her hair teasingly, his cheeky grin less bright than usual. The girl giggled innocently at his antics and smoothed out her hair as he withdrew and followed after Martha.