𝐌𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐲 | 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐁𝐘

Chapter 5 | Five

'Chapter 5 | Five | Hope'

•••••

"Don't tell me you're pregnant, because God almighty there is no way I'm gonna let you hold my hand through it, you're the biggest wimp I know." I lightly joke, walking up to mine and Mariette's vardo to find her sat on the steps, admiring the sunset.

"No, I'm bloody not." She says quietly, a small smile visible along with some blushing cheeks caused by the topic.

"Well then why?" I gently ask, sitting next to her.

"What do you mean why? Why what?" She throws her hands up in exasperation.

"Why the rush?"

She doesn't answer.

"You're young and beautiful Mariette, a girl of 17 doesn't need to settle down, especially with the likes of someone like Jackson Lovell." I softly profess.

"Because I love him, Evangeline, I love the Jackson that I know, that everyone else doesn't get to see." She reasons.

"When?" I enquire.

"Soon, we wanted to tell Pa, honest we did but Jack said that with the Shelby's and everythin' that it wasn't the right time just yet." Mariette proclaims, I can see in her eyes she is pleading for my approval.

"But Mariette he didn't even ask for Pop's blessing!"

"Oh because he would have definitely given it." She says sarcastically.

"I suppose you're right." I giggle.

"Always am." She winks proudly, before standing up to go speak to Pop as he nods for her to go see him.

However, I stay sat on the steps, staring in awe, in envy at the beautiful and confident, soon to be married young woman my little sister has become. I can't help but feel a small hole within my heart, a hole that I desperately want to fill, a hole that can only be filled by love. Not love from my family, I have plenty of that. Not love from my friends, even though that only really consists of Esme and her cousins. Love from a man, a man that wouldn't mind spending his life with me, love from a child that I would give up the whole world for.

Love love.

Now my own little sister, like many others younger than me, has beaten me to it and I can't help but lose a bit more hope.

|| Time Skip ||

•••••

"What the hell was that?" Mariette asks, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she lay beside me on her half of the bed.

"What was what?" I reply groggily, shoving my head further into the pillow.

"Listen."

Faintly, I can hear some laughing, singing and thumping.

"You've gotta be joking." I huff irritated.

"What?"

"They've been out on the piss, that's what."

Shoving back the covers, I wrap my black, flowery robe around me over the top of my nightgown.

I make my way over to the other side of the barn that separates mine and Mariette's vardo from the others, allowing us girls some privacy. Turning the corner I attempt to start tonight's lecture.

"Pop, I'm glad ya have had a good time but fo-," My eyes widen. "Mr Shelby." I gasp, surprised, wrapping my robe even tighter now.

"Thought I'd bring ya old man home in one piece, eh?" The oldest Shelby deeply chuckles, hauling along a very drunken Vinnie Harrison although slightly staggering himself.

"Seems like you needed eachother." I laugh as he almost falls forward onto me, Pop now catching him, the pair giggling like little lads.

"God sake boys." I laugh to myself.

"I'll have you know we're men." Pop points to himself and Mr Shelby in what is supposed to be a dominating tone but just comes out all slurry.

"Yeah." The Peaky Blinder backs my father, before yet again stumbling, his cap now falling off and a few strands of his hair trickling down infront of his face.

"Need help?" Ma calls from the door of her and Pa's vardo.

"Please." I chuckle and she sleepily makes her way over, detaching the two new drinking partners and dragging Pop off.

"Hello, darlin'." I hear Pop say to her.

"Fuck off, Vin." Ma playfully returns, taking him inside.

"Evangeline." Mr Shelby sings loudly as I steady him, my hands placing onto his waist, Mr Shelby leaning on me.

"Shhhhh." I gently hush him through laughter as he nods enthusiastically to my suggestion. "You'll wake up the whole bloody camp."

"Sorry, luv." He apologises, accent thick while placing a hand on each of my cheeks, squashing my face slightly.

I shake my head playfully, still giggling and pick his hat up from the floor.

"Come on."

Dragging him into the barn by his wrist, I guide him over to the corner that's filled with hay.

"Will this be alright? Sorry, haven't exactly got any spare beds considerin' we're in vardos." I say shyly while helping the tipsy man to sit on a bale.

"Perfect, sweetheart, absolutely perfecttttt." He takes my hands in his dragging me closer to him, closing his eyes as he drags out the 't'.

"I'll check on you in the mornin' alright?" I reassure him, taking off his jacket and shoes as he undoes a few of his top buttons. Once comfy he flops himself down into a laying position.

"I bloody love horses." He randomly claims, trying to sit back up as I push him back down, sitting beside him.

"It's a good job you'll be sleepin' in the same room as them tonight then, eh?"

I begin to admire Mr Shelby, the way his hair falls down, how I can still picture those piercing eyes even when they are closed, my hands rested on his chest as it slowly rises with each breath. I imagine falling asleep next to him, my cheeks going rosy at the thought.

"You're blushing." He proudly states, opening his eyes slightly.

"You're hammered." I quietly fireback, flustered, stroking his hair as I sit on the bale, beside his body as he begins to dose off.

I smile as he grabs my hand and lightly kisses my knuckles.

"No shit." He whispers.