☆

ELEANOR CHARLOTTE SHELBY SAW HEARTS EVERYWHERE SHE WENT. No, not the anatomical type, that was far too grotesque to be seeing every second of every day. Instead, she saw the juvenile love heart shape. The kind that were often in cards or carved into the trunks of trees. Eleanor saw them all around her. They peaked out from behind the fluffy clouds above, she saw them painted on the rosy cheeks that the cold air delicately kissed, she saw them in the puddles filled with water to nourish the land, she saw them in the conjoined hands of love-struck couples walking side by side, she saw them in the glints of sunlight that pooled from the heavens and she saw them in the eyes of the children that chased after one another down the streets of Watery Lane.

Eleanor Shelby kept to herself as she flounced down the streets of Small Heath. The streets felt busier, now that all of the men had returned from the war. They now repopulated all of the factories and all of the businesses, their presence rather overwhelming. Don't get her wrong, Eleanor was happy the war was over. It meant that her brothers could come home safe and sound. It meant she was able to laugh with them and hug them as she pleased rather than just writing about it over letters. The men returning had been great but would've been even greater if they'd been okay.

Eleanor knew they weren't and even she couldn't romanticise their time away.

Tommy still had nightmares, horrible ones, ones that woke her every single time. Finn often woke up too but the two youngest Shelbys remained in their respective rooms, too afraid to move from the safety of their beds. The nightmares were usually followed by a rancid smell wafting through the walls, and Eleanor didn't want to imagine what substance created such a foul stench. Arthur, upon his arrival home, was angrier and sadder and although Eleanor had never been the brunt of his rage or his sorrow, she knew just from looking at him that they were deep-rooted, so entangled in his soul that it enraptured him completely. John had been the only one to return anything like himself but even Eleanor couldn't miss the way her older brother had begun to subtly flinch at every loud factory bang. He supposed nobody noticed but Eleanor did, she always did.

The girl hummed to herself as she weaved in and out of the crowd forming by the factories as workers ran back and forth as controlled explosions rang around the street. She stood out like a sore thumb, her spotless pink dress distinctive amongst the muted colours of the subdued Small Heath. Her hands were tightly wrapped around her schoolbooks which were loosely held together by one of John's old leather belts, her lips pressed into her signature giddy smile. She felt like a fizzing sweet, bouncing and ready to burst as she walked down the streets of her home town.

It had been a wet day, the rain had poured down from the Heavens in drops of vitality and gave life to the driest of mud and the most defunct flowers. Eleanor quite loved the rain, especially when she could skip around in it without her Aunt calling her inside. She knew it wasn't good for her health to be out in the damp and the rain whenever possible and getting soaked to the bone every time, but something about the rejuvenation rain brought and how freeing it was to twirl and dance and simply thrive was an experience she would never trade for anything ever.

The young girl was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts as her body stumbled backwards and her books dropped heavily onto the dirty floor. Her face momentarily fell into a frown as she struggled to balance whilst two larger figures towered above her petite frame, their dirt-smeared faces laced with smirks that could rival the devil's menacing leer. Eleanor's face scrunched up as she tilted her head towards the two unfamiliar boys. Her freckled cheeks with tinged pink from the cold wind, and her soft lip curled in displeasure.

"I'm sorry," Eleanor immediately apologised, her voice as light and soft as a whisper. She bent down to pick up her books, the lining of her pink dress skirting the gravel ground. "I wasn't watching where I was going." She stood to her feet carefully, keeping the dirtied books away from her clean dress.

"You should watch where you're going, princess," one of the boys sneered. Eleanor recoiled at his harsh tone, her eyebrows furrowing together.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to hurt the baby now, George, would we?" The other chimed in as they both stepped closer to the girl.

"Yeah, who knows what her brothers would do," the recently discovered, George taunted, "maybe they'll get another Chinese girl to perform a magic trick on us."

Eleanor found herself rather lost in this conversation.

"Magic trick?" She asked meekly, Eleanor did quite love magic, especially within the stories she got lost in. She wasn't dumb however, she knew that the magic the boys were referring to wasn't one from the comfort of pages printed, their malicious words only evidence of such.

"Is she deaf, Ed?" The boy turned to his friend whom she presumed had to be the aforementioned 'Ed'.

"Are you deaf?" Ed questioned, pushing one of her shoulders back as she stumbled in her step. "Or are you just stupid like your brothers?"

Eleanor didn't say anything as she tried to sidestep around the boys. She didn't think her brothers were stupid and besides, she was meant to be home by now, she didn't want to worry Pol. Her pink lip found its way between her teeth, and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. Both of the boys persisted, as they pushed her back, each of them on either side of her body, caging her in.

"Please may I pass?" she tried, her voice coming out more of a squeak than a question. Her head was bowed, her eyes cast downwards to avoid the menacing glares of the boys above her.

"No...I don't think you may," George snapped mockingly as he stepped closer to the girl, bending down to meet her scared eyes. His eyes were narrowed and pointedly shooting knives to permeate the oceans of blue that swam within Eleanor's. "You Shelby's think you're royalty. You think your lot runs Small Heath, but in reality, you're all just scum on the streets and shit on my shoe."

Eleanor physically shrank away from the boy and his harsh words. Her body flinched as the boy stepped closer again. All she wanted to do was go home. She wanted to tell Pol about her day and perhaps read away the rest of the evening hours. She didn't want to listen to their cruel words anymore. She knew her family weren't royalty, heavens, they were far from it, of course, she'd heard whisperings of the terror the Peaky Blinders instilled but the brothers she knew weren't them.

They were simply Tommy, Arthur and John.

They weren't scary by any means; They were kind and caring and they ensured that Eleanor was safe. She didn't think they were scum. She didn't think they were capable of being scum.

"Are you mute now too?" the boy named Ed pushed her back, Eleanor had been so caught up in her thoughts that instead of stumbling as intended, she fell straight to the ground. The girl cried out in shock as the vicious sting of gravel embedded itself into the palm of her hands.

"Woah! Hello," Eleanor looked to the floor tearfully as someone else joined the conversation. It was another boy, his voice was light and almost carefree yet it held a hidden sharp edge. She envied it. "That's no way to talk to a girl."

"Who do you think you are?" George asked as he stepped away from Eleanor and towards the newcomer. "Back off and get out of our business."

"And your business is...what? Threatening her?" The newcomer tried to understand. Eleanor shook silently from her position on the ground, not daring to speak up or even look toward the newcomer or even move as the mud soaked into her dress. "Just let her go and we can all be on our way."

A few seconds of silence passed as the three boys sized each other up. Eleanor wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear as the tension grew and grew by the second. She just wanted to go home. She wanted to go home to Pol and Finn and to read. She wanted to feel the comfort of her home and for her dress to not be muddy and for her books to be clean and for these people to just leave her be.

"Fine," one of the boys spat, he kicked the stack of books on the floor, scattering them across a puddle. "But this isn't over, Shelby." They walked passed her, muttering profanities and curses that Eleanor would never even be brave enough to repeat.

The girl immediately moved to kneel on the ground, she was no longer worried about her pristine pink dress and the mud that had splattered onto it. Eleanor felt the bitter sting of tears well in her wide eyes as she slowly picked up each other her books one by one. She was acting like a baby. At least that's what Finn would say, (even though he was a baby himself), but surely this warranted some level of upset? Pol had always told the girl it was okay to cry. She said that crying was natural and despite Eleanor trying her hardest to hide her tears from her family, they could always tell when she was miserable and pushing back her tears.

Her trembling hand went to grab the last book while another shot out to collect it. The two hands clutched the book, their fingers just a mere few millimetres apart. Eleanor let out a startled gasp at the closeness as she jumped to her feet, the unfamiliar hand still on the book. The newcomer boy faltered as he held the book before he loosened his grip and allowed the girl to grip it.

"Thank you for your help," Eleanor mumbled shyly, refusing to look at her saviour as she held her books tightly to her chest. "I should be going now."

"It was no problem really, I'm M—"

Before the boy could continue, Eleanor hurried away, her dirty blonde tresses covering her reddened cheeks and blurry eyes. She allowed her mud-caked boots to carry her all the way to Watery Lane. She'd have to craft a tale to spill to Aunt Pol who would question her dishevelled state and stained dress. Eleanor found her lip quivering at the thought, oh how she hated lying.

Lying was the root of all evil, she was sure of it, and whilst many could correct her and claim that is was actually money, in accordance with the old saying, it was blatantly obvious that they'd never been ensnared in a web of lies so hurtful and deep. Lies brought even the most powerful empires down to the rubble of their foundation. They were destructive and evil and Eleanor Shelby highly disliked them.

The girl was slow to enter her home at number six Watery Lane. Her fingernails had dirt beneath them and the muck from her books had now dripped and dried onto her clothing. Eleanor allowed her signature sweet smile to plaster across her face, as she entered the home. All sadness seemed to rid from her face as she wiped her boots and entered the kitchen of her home. Pol was sitting at the kitchen table, the day's newspaper sitting between her fingers as she read.

"Boots off," Pol chided with a knowing smile as Eleanor paused in her steps. The girl retreated towards the door before she bent down and undid the laces, tucking them back into the boot as she moved them out of the way. The girl bowed her head as she re-entered the kitchen. Pol's warm eyes flooded Eleanor's senses, the older woman watched as the girl quietly placed her muddied books atop the counter, her body hunched in shame.

"What happened to your books?" Pol asked kindly but even Eleanor couldn't brush past the protective snarl that threatened to break free from the older woman's lip. Pol placed down the newspaper worriedly and focused solely on her youngest niece. Eleanor immediately felt like bursting into an inconsolable wreck, however, she plastered her brightest, most genuine smile across her face.

"I was playing on the way, Aunt Pol, I was a princess running from a dragon, you see," Eleanor gushed, now this wasn't truly a lie. She was merely telling Pol what had happened on the way to school rather than on the way home. "I tripped over a rock and my books fell, I'm really sorry, Pol." Polly grimaced at the sight of the girl's stained dress and books before she let a soft chuckle escape her lips.

"You my dear, need to learn when to stop dreaming and when to join the real world," Pol chided as she picked up the newspaper once more. Eleanor almost let out a relieved sigh, her burning pink ears hidden behind the tresses of her hair, hiding all evidence of the horrible lies she had just spewed. "How was school?" Eleanor brightened at the change of topic, her grin grew in size as her aunt resumed her reading. She let her wringing hands jolt into the air excitedly.

"Oh, Pol, it was great!" Eleanor cried out, "We were reading today for the most part. We got to take turns reading. It was awfully brilliant but others thought it was quite boring."

"And you didn't?" Pol hummed,

"Of course not! How could I?!"

Pol smiled knowingly at the younger girl's excitement, her eyes flickering from the newspaper to Eleanor. The young girl was amid an elated ramble about the book they'd read and all its so-called 'glory'. She watched as the girl paced and waved her hands in despair as she retold a tangent tale of the two girls who had mocked a boy for stumbling over his words. She stopped every few minutes to double over a giggle as she fumbled to find her words. Pol always loved watching the girl talk. She spoke so innocently and so animated that it almost reminded the woman that the world wasn't just cruel men, miserable women and everything deluded in between.

"-but Pol, it truly was incredible and the story was ever so creative," Eleanor sighed dreamily as she fell carefully into the wooden chair at the table.

"I believe you," Pol reassured the joyous girl. "Now, go on, I'm sure Finn's in the living room." Eleanor hummed and jumped up from her seat before she straightened out her dress. "And go change out of the dress and soak it! Lord knows I don't want to be scrubbing it at all hours!"

"I'll clean it!" Eleanor pushed a smile onto her face despite the gnawing guilt, "Don't worry about it! Thank you!" Before Pol could reply, Eleanor bounced out of the room, her dirty blonde tresses flowed out behind her as she turned sharply and disappeared out of her aunt's sight.

The girl clutched her torso as soon as she exited. Her stomach was knotted with the most gruesome guilt from her lies. She was repulsed that she'd lied to Aunt Pol, all the woman did was look after her, it felt like a dishonour to lie to the woman. Her lips trembled as they fell into a pout, the tears in her eyes reforming. Eleanor took a few heavy and quick breaths in as she stopped to collect herself.

She took a final large and shaky breath in before she continued into the room where Finn sat idly by the fire. The girl smoothed down her dress as she watched her youngest brother take a long draw out of a cigarette. Eleanor gasped at the sight, her mouth falling open as Finn turned in panic.

"Finn, what on earth are you doing?!" She implored, her wide eyes going between the cigarette in his small hand and the boy's shocked expression.

"Found it in the den," The young boy commented smugly. He raised it to his lips and puffed out a mouthful of smoke through a cough. "Want some?"

"Put it out!" Eleanor begged as she crouched beside Finn, her hands gripping the wood of the stool he sat on. "You're not allowed to smoke, Pol said so."

"Pol isn't in here," he grinned madly. The girl's face scrunched up in dismay, it felt as if the young boy was tempting fate. Eleanor wasn't a fan of it at all. Her worried eyes were restless as they darted between the main door, the cigarette and Finn, who chuckled childishly. The girl let out a sigh of concern as she kneeled by the fire. "Want some?"

"No, I do not want some!" She practically cried out, her eyebrows raised in alarm at the mere idea. "It's not allowed!"

As Finn went to respond, the door to the room clicked and was swung open. The boy was suddenly shaken as he glanced towards the entrance before he turned and blindly threw the lit cigarette near the fire. Eleanor squeaked as she jumped to her feet at the noise. Tommy Shelby held his hat in his hand as he entered the room. His amused eyes glanced from Eleanor to Finn before he tutted and concealed a smile.

"Eleanor? Finn?" Tommy strode towards the pair, Eleanor shook where she stood, too guilty to meet her brother's eyes. The older man stopped in front of them as he balled up his hat tighter in his fist to hide it from them.

"Arthur's mad as hell," Finn commented, Eleanor's lower lip trembled. Despite not even partaking in smoking, she was terrified. She didn't want to be sucked into another lie, one would be enough to last her a lifetime. She continued to look at her feet, her gaze suddenly drifted up as Tommy crouched beside her, meeting her eyes ever so briefly. Two fingers lifted her chin endearingly as he stood with Finn's half-smoked cigarette in his other hand. The girl's lips pressed into a line as her wide eyes followed Tommy's movements.

"What does a ten-year-old know about hell, eh?" Their older brother chuckled as he tossed the cigarette into the flames and tapped Finn over the head with his hat.

"I'm eleven Sunday," Finn moaned as Tommy laughed once more. The man stood to his full height once more and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Eleanor, walk with me?" Tommy gestured for the younger girl to follow. The girl nodded and followed her brother as he approached the teal curtains hiding the betting den door. "I need you to be in the den tonight at eight, word has it, Arthur's calling a family council and I want you there."

"Family council?" Eleanor asked in disbelief, her eyebrows scrunched up as she looked at her brother, "But Tommy...are you sure? What could I ever bring to a family council?"

"Fresh set of eyes and a brain that works," Tommy halfheartedly teased as he ruffled her hair. His gaze flickered towards her uncertain eyes that fell to the floor. "You'll be fine, you don't have to speak. Just sit and listen, eh?" His hand patted the top of her head as she nodded solemnly.

As he went to leave, Eleanor contemplated telling her brother of the incident on her way home, but instead, she called out for him. Tommy turned to look at the girl at the sound of his name slipping through the younger girls lips as if it were a gloried name; one of a saint or a king rather than the 'ruthless' gangster he was.

"Did you get a girl to do magic tricks?" She asked rather childishly as she repeated the cruel boys' earlier words to her. Her gaze remained on her fingers in anticipation to be mocked. Tommy tilted his head and crouched down in front of her.

"Can you keep a secret?" Tommy whispered as he glanced to Finn who paid no attention to the pair as he sulked by the fire. Eleanor nodded quickly and very solemnly. "I got the girl to perform a magic trick on our horse."

"Why?" Eleanor softly whispered back, her nose scrunched up in confusion. Tommy faintly chuckled at her puzzled look.

"So the horse would win...that's why Finn said that Arthur's angry," Tommy let a small grin slip across his features as he stood up once more, his hand gently and momentarily cupping his younger sister's face in an affectionate act. "Don't worry your little head about it, it didn't hurt the horse and Arthur's only angry because he didn't think of it first."

Eleanor remained quiet as her brother whipped open the curtains and pushed the double doors open to reveal the betting den. The raucous noise of men taking bets and the shouting of odds filled Eleanor's ears as Tommy entered the den. The girl shut the doors behind him, allowing the serenity of number six Watery Lane to engulf her once more.

Magic tricks on a horse? That didn't seem rather fair, Eleanor had thought. She brushed those thoughts aside rather quickly, surely her brother knew what he was doing, he was far older and far wiser. If he believed it was okay, then Eleanor trusted him. She rolled her shoulders back slightly and turned to face her youngest brother. Finn glared childishly at her from his seat as his lip jutted out in discontent.

"Why are you upset, Finn?" Eleanor asked meekly while she wrung her hands together. A part of the girl rimmed with excitement at the mere prospect that she was even allowed to listen to the famed Shelby family meeting but her brother's fallen features made her heart twist in dismay.

"'s not fair!" The young boy suddenly bellowed as he stood to his feet. "You don't even like the Blinders, how come you get to go!"

"Finn, it's not a 'Blinder's' meeting," She reassured softly, "If it was I wouldn't be there. It's a family meeting and probably just about the business side of things, don't worry!"

The girl's eyebrows furrowed deep as she wrapped her arms around her middle to quash the rising dread that had pooled. Finn's voiced thoughts had begun to resonate. Was this a Blinders meeting?! I mean by default it probably was, in fact, it probably had to be considering most of the family was a part of the feared Peaky Blinders.

The girl's small face contorted in thought as she sat down on the seat beside the fire while Finn slumped down onto the floor beside her. He slouched against her legs letting out a series of incoherent complaints. The girl's small hand reached down and squeezed Finn's in reassurance yet her eyes never strayed from the burning flames that flickered relentlessly.

☆

HELLO, MY STUNNING AND MOST KIND READERS, this took far too long to publish than I would've liked, so I apologise!

I'm struggling to juggle various things right now, so updates will be slow, but I promise they'll continue!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed Eleanor and this chapter and I will very hopefully see you soon <333

(Here's a meme as an apology)