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When Polly-Anna had asked Thomas Shelby for a hand, she hadn't expected him to agree. On both Friday and Saturday, he said he was free to make sure Amber-Jack didn't get into any trouble, and whether or not she trusted the man-- well... she'd just have to wait and find out.
Friday had gone by smoother then she had originally expected.
Having spent the previous night cooking and baking in small batches, from Shepard's pie to soups— and the Shelby's cake that Amber had been badgering on about for weeks, Anna was tired.
It, the Shelby's cake, wasn't much of a cake, a small one tiered round little thing- vanilla since chocolate was still too far out of the Wallace's budget- but it made the whole house smell of what she thought the rich smelled every waking moment. If she could, Polly-Anna would have the house smelling like that every day of the year. Not only was it pleasant, but it made her feel... happy? Uncontrollably happy.
Uncharacteristically happy. Even the sisters mother noticed the change in emotions from the eldest girl, not that she'd be around much to see it though. No, in fact, the very second Ester Wallace saw her daughter and stepdaughters happy faces, she sulked back off into the back room. Pretending that neither of them existed.
The baked good smell lasted all the way through to the afternoon, when Polly-Anna had to leave for school collection. Having left in the morning to drop Amber off and start work, the smell had clung to their clothing, only wearing off as they walked through the windy streets. The same couldn't be said about the return trip, though. Despite it lingering in their home, sadly the smell of slightly burnt vanilla could no longer engulf Polly-Anna as she walked.
Arriving early, Polly-Anna found herself a little wall to sit on, none of the three school bells had rang yet- too many people were still around for that, but it was... nice to see so many new faces. So many new faces she wouldn't be seeing again.
Whilst waiting for her class to pile into the playground, she had failed to notice the Shelby boys- two, approaching her. For a moment, she had played it off, ignoring their incoming presence into her space, until the older one began to speak.
"You Anna?" His gruff voice broke the silence that she didn't really want broken.
She shrugged, turning slowly on the balls of her heels. For a teenager, he sure had quite some stubble growing on his face- there was no way he was anywhere near her age! Maybe it was his cousin, or-- God forbid, his father.
"Yes, or no, lady." He added, brows beginning to knit together.
A short burst of uncontrollable laughter rippled through her body. Thomas struggled to keep a scowl on his face like his brother, who probably thought the girl had just escaped the local institution.
"This is Arthur, he's my older brother." Thomas spoke, knocking Arthur gently on the back.
Based off of first impressions, those two couldn't have been more dissimilar. Arthur looked older, more stern— but like he hadn't an idea of how the world was going to form around him. Whilst Thomas looked like a child, who had the world already sussed out— like he was the one to rule the world, no matter what was thrown at him. A psychic or something.
