CHAPTER 1

Isiah and Finn walked into the empty betting den, slamming the door causing Matilda to jump. "Ello, Tilly." Isiah greeted, taking her glass of whiskey and finishing it. Matilda scoffed, snatching the empty glass off him. "That's mine!"

"Was," He corrected, sending her a playful wink.

Matilda rolled her eyes and took her feet off the wooden table. "Did you finish the count?" Finn asked, opening the large book and scanning the pages.

"No." She said bluntly.

"Tilly, I told you to finish it whilst me and Isiah went out." Finn reminded her. Matilda stood straight, crossing her arms. "Finn, I can't count." She said angrily, annoyed that she had to bring up the subject again.

His mouth fell open slightly as he realised his mistake, "oh yeah.." he trailed off, closing the book.

Matilda stood awkwardly, waiting for somebody else to say something. "So," Isiah began, sitting forward, "Anyone want to go to the Garrison?" He suggested, tapping his fingers onto the table.

She shared a glance with Finn and shrugged, "only if you'll buy me a drink," she bargained.

"Matilda, I always buy you drinks, what are you on about?" He shook his head, standing to retrieve his coat. "I know," she smirked, "just wanted to hear you say it."

Isiah scowled and Finn held the door open, trying not to laugh at the pair's behaviour. Matilda forcefully linked her arm around Finn's as they all walked up Watery Lane.

"Oi, Billy." Finn called out, not removing his arm from the girl. "Billy, are you coming?" He asked as they got closer to the Garrison. The dark haired boy looked over, pulling his peaky cap over his head. "Yeah, i'll come in a bit, need to see ya brother, called me into the office." He said, quickly rushing down the road.

Billy Woods, Matilda's boyfriend who she'd been with for a while. He had dark hair and dark eyes which look as though they held secrets and anger. Secrets and anger that Matilda did not wish to reveal.

"What do you reckon Tommy wants with your precious boyfriend, Tilly?" Isiah questioned, taking a cigarette from the pack and lighting it "Hopefully taking his job away from him," she whispered, withdrawing her arm from Finn as they entered the pub.

"I seriously don't like him working for the Blinders and don't know why he is so eager to be involved with them." Tilly spoke, taking a seat in the snug.

"You've made that clear, many times, Til." Finn said, knocking on the small window that separated the snug from the bar.

"You're just jealous of the attention he gets because of his job," Isiah tormented her, accepting the bottle of whiskey off Finn and leaning backwards. She frowned, crossing her arms. "I'm only joking, Tilly." he added, pushing her slightly. "Fuck off," she hissed, moving away from him.

-

Billy entered the snug, a pint of beer in his hand. Finn lifted his arms up in relief, letting out a breath. "Thank fuck, these two argue like fucking children." The Shelby boy insulted, moving over to let Billy sit.

"Such a miserable look on your face," Billy observed, draping his arm over Matilda's shoulders. "Fix it." He trailed off.

She stared down at her shoes, allowing them all to indulge in conversation.

"Av youse seen Victoria Riley?" Isiah spoke, suddenly catching Billy's attention. "Which ones that?" Finn asked, placing down the empty glass.

"Oh come on, Finn boy, you know who Victoria is, you must do?" Billy began, "she's the one with blonde hair, y'know-" he lowered his voice enough so that Matilda didn't hear the rest of his sentence.

But whatever he said caused Finn to raise his eyebrows and look at Matilda.

"Give me five minutes in a room with her and.." Billy whistled, a wide grin on his face.

Matilda heard that.

She snapped her head toward him, a disgusted look on her face. "Thanks, Billy, really nice." She scoffed, pushing his arm away from her and standing.

Finn pursed his lips into a line, also finding Billy's words disgusting, considering his girlfriend was beside him.

"Matilda, come on I was kidding-" Billy argued, standing and following her.

"Yeah, it was hilarious." She said sarcastically, pushing the door open.

Finn sighed, following after the two. "Tilly, come back inside," he said as Billy had stopped at the door, allowing her to walk off.

"She can fuck off," Billy cleared his throat, shoving past Finn, returning to Isiah.

"Tilly," Finn shouted, walking quickly to catch up with her. "Til, it's raining just come back." He said, finally getting to her.

She shook her head, folding her arms as she grew cold. "I'm fine," she huffed.

He looked to the side, thinking. "Tilly-"

"Finn, i said i'm fine!" She shouted, growing frustrated. "My mum probably wants me home anyway."

Finn stopped walking but she continued. "See you tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yeah, whatever."

Finn Shelby had always
cared for the girl, ever since they became friends. Although, she
never seemed to look in his direction when he wanted her too. She
always looked at Billy or Isiah.
He wasn't jealous, because he knew he'd never get the chance to be with her. She was Matilda Willows and
he was the youngest Shelby brother. A Peaky Blinder. That was something no amount of feelings could ever change.

-

Matilda carefully walked through her house, gently pushing the wooden door open. "Mum?" she whispered, searching the room.

Silence.

Once Matilda knew her mother wasn't in the house, she opened the drawers, pulling out tiny bottles of cocaine and stuffing them into her pockets.

Matilda's mother was a drug
addict, thanks to Arthur Shelby who
decided to introduce the woman
to cocaine without knowing she'd never be able to come away from the drug.

Matilda jumped when she heard a floorboard from the hallway creak. She turned when her mother appeared at the doorframe. "What're you doing home?" The older woman sniffed, sitting in a chair.

"I was..out with Billy, he needed to go home so I thought i'd come see how you are." She lied.

Janice, her mother, snorted, finding her daughters sentence hilarious. "That's funny, Tilda, really funny."

"What? What's funny?"

"Just you and that Billy lad, he's no good, i'm telling you." Janice slurred, pushing her hair behind her ears. "But eh, i'm just your mother, you don't listen to me." She shrugged, leaning forward.

Matilda frowned, confused. "What's made you say that?"

"Saw him sneaking around with that girl from up the road, didn't i."

Matilda's heart pounded. "You don't know what you're talking about." Tilly refused, placing dirty dishes into the sink.

"Oh but i do. She was beautiful, really beautiful. She had blonde hair, looked as though she was some sort of angel." Janice said, thinking back to the girl she'd seen Billy out with.

"When?" Tilly asked. No response. "When did you see him with this girl?"

"Wednesday night."

Two days ago.

"Were you off your head on snow by any chance?" Matilda taunted, not wanting to believe her mothers accusation. Janice shrugged. "Might've been."

"Exactly, you don't know what you're talking about."

"Speaking of," Janice stood, making her way to the drawers behind Matilda. "I've got someone coming over tonight, so you best be out of the house by nine. Your peaky friends will probably be out drinking, go whore about with em,"

Matilda waited for her mother to realise the cocaine was gone.

"Tilda," she began, "give me it back." She huffed, holding her hand out.

"Give you what back?"

"The fucking cocaine." Janice raised her voice.

"I don't have it," Matilda lied, turning to face her mother. "I swear, i don't have it. I've only just got here."

"Give me the fucking snow, Matilda."

"You don't need it anyway, it's bad for you. Just drink some whiskey or something, I got you a bottle of Shelby Whiskey the other day."

"Fuckin Shelby whiskey," she mumbled, looking down. "Tilda, i won't ask you again, give me my stuff."

Matilda stared her straight in the eyes, shaking her head. "You don't need it."

Janice scoffed, lunging forward and grabbing the younger girl by her shoulders, dragging her forward before slamming her into the wall, her head thudding against the wall. Matilda's breath quickened. "Let go of me you psycho," Tilly hissed, holding onto her mothers wrist.

Janice let her hands press against Matilda's neck.

She let out a gasp, her hands over her mothers as she pleaded for her to let go. Matilda's eyes grew glossy as Janice spat words at her. "You're..hurting me," Matilda choked.

Janice bit her tongue, letting her go.

Tilly doubled over, holding onto the wall as she regained her breath. "You're psychotic-" she insulted, pulling herself up to her feet. "Fucking psychotic."

Janice laughed at her, grabbing a bottle of liquor from the counter. "You'll end up like me one day, you're my daughter after all."

"Yeah, and i fucking wish you died instead of dad." Matilda shouted, slamming the front door once she'd walked out.

When the men were drafted
off to France in the war, Matilda was only young and loved her father more than anything in the world. He was her best friend. At the time, her mother struggled to commit to her job of looking after the young child which resorted in Matilda practically living with Polly Gray and her niece and nephew: Finn and Ada Shelby. The day that Matilda's heart broke was the day all the men returned home. All the men but her father. He'd died in the trenches, the only thing on his mind as he breathed his last few breaths was his daughter.

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