By Order Of The Peaky Blinders

Chapter One

"Papa" Viola pleaded "I really want to do this!"

"But Viola, you are a Lady, this is below you" her father the Lord Robert Crawley frowned at her in concern and she resisted the urge to scream.

"I wish to learn Papa, should I not be given this opportunity? Mary gets to ride and hunt a past time considered more for the gentleman and yet, Lady Mary gets to do so!" Viola widened her doe brown eyes at her father who huffed and tossed aside the letter he had been working on.

"Your older sister's fiancé, does not mind her pursuits and while it is...modern, it is within our status but changing bedpans and wrapping bandages, that is beneath you, darling girl, I say this as your father, your protector, it would be unseemly" Her father told her lovingly and she did indeed, adore her Papa but he was just so...stubborn!

"Granmama" Viola turned to her namesake, Lady Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham who was an aristocrat in every single sense of the word, she was stern, blunt and superior. Confident in her superiority by right of birth and blind to the way of the common man but the woman adored her grandchildren fiercely, and while she didn't always understand why they would follow such pursuits, she strove to give them whatever their hearts desired.

"Oh, don't be so hard on the girl Robert" Violet immediately jumped to the defence of her precious granddaughter "remember your aunt Roberta...She loaded the guns at Lucknow. I don't suppose...nursing is any different, though why Birmingham of all places"

"Yes, why Birmingham?" Robert asked in confusion "I've heard things about Small Heath you know"

"Papa, Birmingham is up and coming and yes, I know Small Heath doesn't have the best reputation but I want..." Viola trailed off with a small frown how to explain that she wanted to see how normal people lived? To come to the understanding of just how privileged she was? Honestly it was Papa's fault she was doing this! He had mentioned The Great Manchurian Plague that had killed more than 60,000 people, and all the plagues that had followed, children starving all this talked about over pre-dinner cocktails and then completely ignored while they feasted on a nine-course meal that was barely touched! It had truly sunk in then for Viola but how to go about doing...something?

After thinking it all through, Viola had settled on nursing, one of the few pursuits a woman could follow, without tarnishing her reputation or being scorned by those in her social circle.

"Want what, Darling Girl?" Robert asked her gently, for all that he could be elitist, her Papa was truly wonderful, willing and eager to connect with his daughters, and while he lamented not having any boys, he did truly love them with all his heart, prepared to move heaven and earth.

"I just want to see how the other half live, to be able to do something for myself, by myself" Viola admitted shyly, falling back to her old childish habit of fiddling with her fingers.

Robert Crowley stared at his beloved youngest daughter, the one that had caused so much trouble born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and silent for two eternally long minutes until she had coughed and screamed, he could never regret the sound of her screams after that even at three in the morning when he had a meeting in five hours.

"You're only sixteen" he frowned "You have your entire life to build something for yourself, charitable pursuits, finding a husband and building a family"

"Yes, those things can come later but they would forever be connected to others, I want something for just me" Viola said "please, papa"

Robert stared at her for a moment before groaning "Very well, when does the course start?"