𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏

Maeve carefully slid her window open, gripping onto the drain pipe tightly and pulling herself up. Her hands burned from the friction and she let out a breath of relief when she finally reached her bedroom.

She fell backward onto the bed and closed her eyes, trying to regain her breath. She grabbed the golden time piece from her desk, the one that her father gave her before he went off to war, and checked the time. 12.47.

"Shit," Maeve quickly swung her legs around the side of the bed and changed out of her trousers and into her white dress.

"Maeve Lillian Shelby, you told me you'd be ready by now!" Polly called from down the stairs. "I'm coming!" Maeve explained, using her hands to flatten her hair before rushing down the stairs.

"When I told you that the boys were coming back, i'd have expected you to be a bit more eager to get to the station!" Polly said, buttoning up Finn's coat.

Ada glared at her from the corner of the room, knowing exactly where she'd been. Maeve shook her head slowly, begging Ada not to say anything.

"Sorry, Pol. Lost track of time, I suppose." Maeve hummed, taking her own coat and shoving her arms into it.

During the years that her father had been away at war, she took it to her advantage that she'd have nobody looking over her shoulder every five minutes and began sneaking around with the Montgomery brothers: Max and Cameron. And occasionally their cousin Theadosia Roberts.

They were both a few years older than her and saw her as nothing but John Shelby's niece. Which infuriated her considering she fancied the fuck out of Cameron. Theodosia on the other hand was the same age as Maeve and saw her as a best friend.

Maeve rolled her eyes when Ada began dragging her toward the station. "So, what did Cameron and Max have to say today?" Ada whispered, linking arms with the younger girl. Maeve sighed. "It was just Max today, Cameron is helping their mum at the bakery."

Ada hummed and looked forward. "I personally think it's stupid that you prefer Cameron to Max. Max is so much nicer, Maeve."

"Do I look like I care?" Maeve raised an eyebrow. Ada scoffed and walked through into the packed station.

The platform was filled of families who were too waiting for their loved ones to return, if they were still alive of course.

Something about Maeve was that she tried to see the brighter side of everything, she hated being negative. That was the only thing that kept her going whilst Arthur was away at war, that was the only thing that made her believe he was still alive.

"Can you see them?" Polly asked, searching the crowd of people. Maeve said nothing, she knew where they were, she knew exactly what carriage they were on.

How? That's just how she worked, she knew everything, all the time.

The last carriage doors slid open and men began pouring out of them, going to look for their families. That's when Tommy, Arthur and John stepped onto the platform, bags in hand.

Before anybody else could spot them, Maeve had already taken off running. "Dad!" She shouted, catching his attention. Arthur's face lit up and he dropped his bags, lifting Maeve up from the floor. His hand rested on the back of her head.

Tommy smiled slightly at the sight of them and looked over at Polly and Ada who were approaching with Finn at their side.

Arthur eventually placed his daughter down and held her face. "My little girls ain't so little anymore, eh?" He asked, moving her hair out of her face. "Yeah an you look old," she teased, pushing him away gently.