Arabella || Peaky Blinders [Michael Gray]

twenty eight

Chapter Twenty Eight
"In the bleak midwinter."

Arabella and Arthur sat silently on the mortuary steps.

Arabella's head rested against his shoulder. She stared despondently at the stone coloured wall ahead of her, dried tears streaked against her face.

The last time she was in that room was when her brother died. She'd sat on those very same steps, between John and Arthur, all three of them broken hearted. She never expected to be there again so soon, and she never expected John to be the one in the mortuary, not the one sat on the steps. Now there were only two broken hearts left.

"Is it him?"

Arabella didn't react to the sound of Tommy's voice, though she did lift her head from Arthur's shoulder as he shifted to face his brother.

"Yeah," Arthur replied thickly. "On his own doorstep. His own fucking doorstep."

"All right, get out." Tommy indicated towards the police officer in the corner of the room, pointing towards the doctor. "And you, out."

Arthur slowly began to stand, wiping underneath his eyes, whilst Tommy moved towards John, stopping a short distance away as he watched over his brother's lifeless body. Arthur swiped his hand against a stand of metal bowls, knocking them to the ground in frustration. The loud clanging sound jolted Arabella, snapping her from her stoic state.

"In the bleak midwinter." Arabella's chest felt heavy as she looked up at Arthur, who hadn't moved an inch. "We promised, Arthur," Tommy reminded his older brother.

"No," Arthur shook his head, unable to even look in the direction of his brother's body. "I can't."

"In the hole, we promised," Tommy pushed.

Arthur turned away, gaze towards the wall. "I can't look at him," he choked out.

"Come here, brother," Tommy said, gesturing him forwards. "Come here. Come on, come here."

A strangled cry escaped from Arthur's lips as he finally glanced down at John. "Oh, man."

Arabella watched from the steps, unable to even find the strength within her to move. After her emotional break down in the hospital corridors, it was as if shutters had suddenly come down, walling off all and any emotion on her face. It was the only way she thought she could cope, and the only way she knew how.

"Now, say it," Tommy prompted his brother. "Say it, brother."

"In the bleak midwinter," Arthur eventually managed to get out.

Arabella sat silently as the two brothers stood together, eventually closing her heavy eyelids as she leant her head against the wall. She didn't know how she was supposed to get over the fact that John was gone.

John Shelby. Her brother's best friend. Someone she'd known her whole life, who'd got her into trouble so many times. One of the only person she ever felt she could turn to. Her family. And now he was gone.

The sound of the door viciously bursting open sent Arabella's heart racing. Her eyes snapped open, head turning over her shoulder. She'd barely had time to look up in the direction of the entrance before Esme came flying down the stairs, her finger pointed towards Tommy. "You're cursed, and I curse you again! And again! And again!" She shouted between soft cries, thumping her hands hard against Tommy's chest.

"Esme, no!" Tommy grabbed her wrists, halting her from doing anything more. "Come on. Come here. Come on." He pulled her into his chest, holding her tightly against him, until Esme roughly pushed him away.

"Leave me with him," she said firmly, jaw tightening as she looked up at him. "You've spoken to him. Now it's my turn."

"Arthur," Tommy nodded over to his brother. Arthur cast another heavy glance towards his brother before following, the two men beginning to head towards Arabella on the stairs.

"No peace for either of you, ever!" Esme shouted after them. "Our stuff will stay with me." She began frantically sliding the rings from John's fingers. "I'm taking the children on the road, to live with decent people. They'll never know the cursed side of this family."

Arabella slowly began to stand, swallowing thickly as she turned to follow Tommy and Arthur. Her chest ached, the pain seeming to grow tighter with every second that passed.

"Arabella."

She came to a stop, slowly turning back to Esme. The woman's bottom lip quivered, and Arabella tentatively moved down the steps, holding out her arms as she approached her.

Esme gripped onto her tightly, her shoulders beginning to shake into Arabella's arms. She tightened her arms around Esme's back, lowering her head against her shoulder, feeling as if her heart was breaking.

They held each other for a few minutes, Esme's cries the only sound in the otherwise quiet room.

"Here." Esme pulled back, sniffling slightly as she held out her hand. One of John's silver rings rested in her palm. "Take this."

"Esme–"

"Please." She grabbed Arabella's hand, placing it atop of hers. "He adored you, Arabella, loved you to places." Tears began to brim in Arabella's eyes, a soft cry catching in the back of her throat. She closed her eyes, lowering her head as tears trailed down her cheeks. "I know you loved him too."

Arabella's bottom lip trembled as she glanced tightened her hand around the ring. "So much. So much."

"This way he'll always be with you."

Arabella glanced down as she opened her hand, staring down at the ring, breathing in deeply to compose herself. "Thank you."

Arabella lifted her head, catching Esme's eyes. She responded with a watery smile, pulling Arabella into another hug. "Take care of yourself."

"And you."

"I'll be in touch," Esme promised. "I'll write." Arabella nodded her head as she stepped away from Esme, taking one last look at John. "I love you, Arabella."

Arabella breathed out, meeting her eyes one last time. "I love you too Esme."

She turned away, moving back up the too familiar staircase, John's ring still held tightly in her delicate hand.

A/N

I miss John and Esme so much