𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

39

"Look Aurora, here's your dad" Lottie grinned, walking the small girl over to Isaiah, "we need to go sit, Siah, come" she said, Isaiah picking up Rory.

The took a seat at the table near John and Arthur's new wife Linda.

"Now you" Isaiah jokingly pointed his finger at Aurora, "behave at this table, okay" he nodded. Rory nodded, grinning. "Promise me" he said, holding out his pinky finger. "Pinky promise, Rory."

Aurora grabbed her fathers finger, laughing as she did so.

"Where the fuck are they" John groaned, leaning back in his chair. "Fucking hungry i am" he added, Lottie slapped him round the back of the head.

"No swearing, John, kids at the table"

He raised his hands in defence. "Sorry Rory" he said, he smiled at the brunette girl. Aurora reached her hands out to John.

"Go on then" Isaiah sighed, handing her over.

John smiled at her.

Some time had passed and John still had hold of Aurora, somehow keeping her calm.

"What do you call an animal with a prick halfway up its back" He asked the man across from him. Esme scoffed, taking Rory from him.

"A cavalry horse" John finished, laughing loudly.

Aurora laughed at her uncles behaviour and he looked at her. "He got it, he gets it. You get it don't you Rory" he pointed.

"Fuck it, fuck it" Arthur whispered, placing the paper that contained his speech in his pocket. "Where the bloody hell are they"

"Your best man, Arthur, go find them" Linda told him.

Linda was his new wife, extremely religious, hated by Lottie, Finn and John. Extremely disliked by all three of them.

They'd chat shit about her whenever they got the chance.

-

"Hold on wait a second" Lizzie followed after Micheal. "So you're saying i'm not allowed a man.."

"It's about your choice of man" he cut her off. "I'm not allowed a man on my arm?" she asked. Arthur stopped, hearing their arguing and going to find the two.

"Thomas says there are rules, Lizzie"

"Fucking parish bastard" she scoffed, crossing her arms. "Micheal, speeches, come on" Arthur appeared before them, stopping in his tracks. "Arthur. You know why he didn't come, don't you" Lizzie stopped him.

He grabbed a bottle of wine from a passing maid, examining it. "Why who didn't come?"

"My bloody man" she hissed. "Oh you mean the wop?" he asked, opening the bottle. Micheal stepped forward, standing in front of the mirror.

"I just heard there was a fire at his restaurant midnight last night" she told him. "And a smashed back window and a smell of petrol"

Lizzie's voice began shaking.

"Lizzie, we tried to talk some sense into you," Micheal sighed. "We did checks on him"

Lottie slowed down as she ran into the three, Aurora in her arms, on her way to find Arthur. "What the bloody hell are you lot doing" she asked, only to be ignored.

"We did checks on him," Micheal continued, "he's had five different names in the last six years, and he's got connections with the Naples boys"

"Who does?" Lottie asked, looking at her daughter who was pulling on her dress.

"Come on, Micheal" Arthur said. "What do you know about love" Lizzie gritted through her teeth, staring at the boy. "About when lightning strikes?"

"So, it was lightning, hm? Not petrol" Arthur mocked.

"I suppose you knew about this, Lottie?" Lizzie suggested. "Don't you be fucking accusing me of something Lizzie" Lottie warned, looking over at Arthur.

"I thought you were off the whiskey, Arthur" Micheal said as they began walking away. "Yeah i am, having a couple now and again to remind myself why i don't drink it"

"You set fire to his restaurant to stop him coming, you have no right to chose who i step out with in my own time" Lizzie shouted after them. "Oh give it a rest" Lottie scoffed.

"Be quiet Lottie" She hissed. "Watch you your fucking talking to or i swear to god-" Lottie began.

The boys stopped, turning back to them, Micheal walking to them.

"Lizzie, you now have an important position in this company. You got the order same as us" he said "You can do it"

Aurora wriggled around and Lottie groaned, placing her too the floor only for her to attempt climbing up Arthur's leg.

"Come on, you" he whispered, lifting her up. "You want some?" he joked, tilting the bottle to her. "Arthur" Lottie scolded.

Lizzie looked down.

"Until further notice, not fraternising with the foreigners" Arthur breathed, turning away alongside his sister.

"Yeah well you can tell Tommy from me all the girls in the office think he's losing his fucking mind"

Lottie turned.

"Don't you fucking talk about my brother" She hissed, Micheal gently grabbed her arm, pulling her back around. "Fucking whore" she whispers.

All they could hear was the sound of Lizzie's heels as she walked the other way.

-

"To the bride" Tommy began, raising his glass. Everybody stood, repeating his words. "And now according to tradition, my best man will say a few words"

Everyone returned to their seats.

"Go on! Here he goes! Go on, Arthur" John shouted. "Right um..i'm not one for speeches" he said nervously. "Sing then" John shouted.

"I will later, John"

"But, uh, I do..i do have some words written down here" he nodded, pulling the paper from his coat. "This doesn't include everything i want to say"

"Arthur just, just read what we wrote down, eh" Tom interrupted. "Your alright, Arthur, go on" Lottie whispered.

Arthur nodded at her slightly.

"First a few words from..from the heart. This man here, my brother Tommy, helped me survive through some of the worst times" He stuttered. Tommy cleared his throat loudly, stopping him, earning a hard glare from his younger sister.

"It's a wedding, Arthur, tell a joke" Micheal said. "Yeah tell a joke" John nodded. "Will youse just fucking leave him alone" Lottie scolded them.

"What i'm trying to say is that, my brother and the love of a good woman, pulled me through that time. Now tommy also has the love of a good woman, her names Grace. Like the Grace of the good Lord"

Both Lottie and Grace smiled softly at the older Shelby.

"And even though, the circumstances of their union was tragic.."

Tommy slammed a hand on the table, standing. "All right. Let's uh, Arthur. Let's raise a toast eh? To uh, to love to peace to marriage"

Arthur stood, seeming defeated and upset.

"Well done Arthur, beautiful speech, really nice" John said. Arthur grabbed his jacket, walking off. "Really nice"

"God John" Lottie shook her head, going after Arthur.

"Arthur" she stopped him at the door, holding his arm. "I think i messed it up, Lott" he shook his head. She sighed. "No Arthur, you had good intentions" she smiled. "Ignore John and Micheal, yeah?"

Before she could say anymore, Linda turned up, resulting in Lottie rolling her eyes.

"Could you not have gave me one fucking minute without my brother before you start harassing him about God and how much he loves my brother" she said, walking away. "Did well Arthur, proud of you, Brother"