Devils Inheritance | Peaky Blinders

03.

The following day Matilda, as well a few other of her family members, were all crammed in the kitchen watching the scene unfold in front of them.

Arthur was left bloody and badly bruised after some ordeal with the copper he was speaking of the previous morning, and Ada was there to assist him in cleaning up his wounds.

John and Polly were present too, though John was really only there to have a bit of a show, and Polly was present as she was worried about what could possibly happen next.

What this might been for the family.

"John, wipe the blood out of his eye," Ada ordered, as Arthur sat in the chair groaning and squirming around.

John chuckled, looking his sister up and down, baffled by her sudden bossy mood. "Since when did you give orders?" He asked.

"I'm a trained nurse." She argued back.

A loud laugh fell from Matilda's lips, "trained? Oh, please, Ada, if you're a trained nurse then i'm the Queen," she said, sarcasm rolling off her tongue.

"She's right out, Tills. Don't make me laugh, Ada, it hurts 'me face." Arthur added— his breathing heavy.

"I bloody am!" The girl argued, pacing around the kitchen trying to find bandages and whatever else she may need to prevent an infection.

John scoffed. He was leant against the doorway looking down on both Arthur and Polly, who appeared to be wrapping a bandage over his hands. "You went to one first-aid class in the church hall and got thrown out for giggling."

"Sounds like our, Ada," Matilda added— taking a seat beside her eldest brother. "Are you going to be alright, Arthur?"

The man winked at the young girl in a playful manner, "ah, of course I am, love. Always am aren't I? It's just a few cuts and bruises, nothing I can't handle."

Matilda rolled her eyes, "yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."

"May have got thrown out for giggling but not before I learned how to stop somebody from choking." Ada groaned, still making her rounds around the kitchen.

"I'm not bloody choking, am I?" Arthur said, his voice low.

Ada snickered, "you will be when I wrap this cloth around your neck."

Matilda raised her eyebrow and let out a small chuckle, "you do have a way with words."

Everyone's heads snapped towards the door at the sound of footsteps, Thomas came hurrying in, a cigarette placed perfectly between his lips, and a large bottle of alcohol in his hand. "Let me see him."

Tommy stopped before his older brother and Matilda looked up at him with a sigh, "since when were you so bloody bothered by whatever goes on in here."

"Leave it, Tilda." Thomas ordered, his eyes narrowing as he glared at his younger sister. He turned his focus back to Arthur and passed him the bottle of alcohol, watching as the man opened it almost immediately. "Here, have this."

Thomas then grabbed a nearby cloth and soaked it in the water— before snatching the beverage from his groaning brother, soaking the already wet cloth in the liquid. Matilda was watching his every move.

She loved her older brother dearly, how could she not? He always looked after her, yet he wasn't a man of affection, but she knew she couldn't blame him for that considering they were all abandoned by their father and their mother was dead.

They had nobody to teach them how to properly love someone except their Aunt Polly, and even she was difficult at times.

Still, Matilda did feel a small amount of hatred for the man deep down, he hurts people, he lies, he tortures others, and she hated him for it.