𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐

Maeve waltzed into the Garrison and looked about. She looked at the barman who nodded toward the snug. "Thanks Harry," she said, twisting the door handle and entering.

"The bloody bell are you doing here?" Arthur looked away from his playing cards. "Got bored, thought i'd join youse. You should be thanking me
really because John and Tommy are awfully boring," she insulted, sitting beside John who threw his arm around her and ruffled her hair. "I'll let that one slide," John muttered.

"What ya's playing?" Maeve asked, tapping the floor with her feet. "What's it look like, eh?" Tommy said sarcastically, tapping his cigarette on the ashtray.

"All right Mr 'I think I run the place', I was only asking." She rolled her eyes. Arthur practically burst out laughing and pointed a finger at Tommy, "she's got you there, she really has!"

"All right, Arthur just play the hand." Tommy said, staring down at his cards. John angled his own cards toward her and she stared at them for a while before giving him a slight nod to keep playing.

If anybody was good at playing poker, it was Maeve.

They continued playing and with her help, John ended up winning, leaving Arthur to strop as if he was a child who'd gotten his sweets taken away.

"That's not fair! He was cheating, he had help off Maeve!" Arthur drunkenly slurred. "Oh come on, Dad. Don't be such a sore loser," she tormented.

"Shut up you or i'll send you home." He pointed a finger at her. "God maybe it isn't just John and Tommy who are boring, maybe it's you as well." She said, crossing her arms. John whistled at her time. "Grown a pair of balls have you?"

"Well, John, you have missed four years so you've missed quite a bit." She reminded him, picking up his glass and swigging the rest of his whiskey. "Oi!" He scolded, "that's mine!"

"Not anymore it's not."

"Arthur, bloody tell her will you?" John argued. Arthur shrugged and shook his head, "she's my daughter, John. Next time don't leave ya whiskey unaccompanied."

John was shocked at his lack of anger toward his daughters actions. He slouched in his seat and threw his cards down.

"Not playing anymore,"

Maeve's eyes diverted to the door of the Garrison that had opened once more, Theadosia Roberts walking in alone, a white dress clinging to her body, a red ribbon around her waist.

"Oh my god!" Maeve squealed, standing my quickly and rushing away from the snug. "Thea!" She shouted, practically jumping into the brunette girls arms. Theadosia stumbled backward slightly and laughed.

"Maeve," she whispered, hugging her. "When did you get back?" Maeve asked, stepping backward. Thea thought for a moment, "last night."

Over the last couple months, Theadosia has went to live in London due to the fact her grandmother had fallen ill. So her and her mother had picked up and move down to London for a few months, leaving Maeve to be around the Montgomery brothers alone.

Which of course she didn't mind because they weren't half as repulsive as the other boys in Small Heath.

"Come, dad and the boys are drinking in the snug." Maeve grabbed her hand, dragging her into the separate room where her family sat. John and Tommy looked up from their cards. "When the bloody hell did you get back?" Tommy asked.