"So it was a bomb" Isaiah questioned, holding Lottie close as they sat with Reggie and Danny.
"A hand grenade" she corrected. "Fucking lees had done us over"
"Is Finn okay?" Danny asked. She nodded. "Tom got rid of it quick enough before it did anything to us"
They nodded along, passing her a cigarette.
"Fucking family is a joke, i'm telling ya" she shook her head. "Well you're okay" Reggie nodded. "So give up this mood your in and have some fun" he nodded, handing her a bottle of whiskey.
She laughed, wincing as the whiskey burned her throat.
"Are youse fucking or something" Danny asked, nodding toward the position of Lottie and Isaiah and how close they were.
"Her brothers would kill me" Isiah told them.
"John wants to marry Lizzie Stark" she told them, they all burst into laughed. Lottie smacked Isaiah on the chest.
"She's a whore though" Reggie snickered. "So? I like her, think she's lovely"
"Yeah a lot of the men here think that too" Danny added. "Oh shut up will you, John needs someone for the kids" she stuck up for her brother.
"I bet if it was Tommy or Arthur wanting to do this you wouldn't stick up for them" Reggie said. She nodded. "I know"
"Johns my favourite"
She was right, John was her favourite brother. She knew she shouldn't have favourites but she did and couldn't help that, he was there more than the others and he didn't treat her like she was just there. He listened.
"Anyway, i have to go, Tommy says we've got a big day tomorrow" The girl said, standing up and wiping her hands.
"When's the next time you'll see us" Isaiah shouted after her.
"Ill see you tomorrow, after whatever tom was talking about" she grinned, walking backwards. "But the rest of youse? dunno when i'll see ye"
A soft smile sat on Isaiah's face as he looked down.
Danny grabbed his shoulder, shaking it. "Getting yourself in with a Shelby girl" he teased.
-
"Lottie May Shelby are you ready?" Tommy asked, leaning on the door frame. "Yes Tom, i am" she ran her hands over the clothes she was wearing.
"What is it we're doing Tom?"
"Finishing it with the Lee's once and for all" he nodded, folding his arms. "And you're letting me come with" She raised her eyebrows.
"Well you need to do it someday kid" he said. "Come on, vans waiting"
They stepped outside and walked toward the van, "help me up" she told her older brother who lifted her into the back of the van.
"Right, won't take long till we're there" Tommy nodded.
-
"Out you get boys" Arthur instructed, walking beside Tommy. John got out first, lifting Lottie out after and placing her on the floor.
"Ready boys?" Tom asked. "John, ready?"
"Yeah, i'm fine" he sniffed, fixing his hat. "Have a drink" Arthur offered him a flask.
Lottie frowned, extremely confused.
"What? Why are you all staring at me for? What?" he asked, growing frustrated. "Let's go" Tommy nodded and they all began walking, Lottie close behind.
She held onto Tommy's suit jacket as they walked.
"Tommy what's your plan we are in shot gun range" he whispered. They all stopped, turning to him. "John before we go into battle, there's something you're gonna need"
John looked him up and down.
Arthur pulled out a white rose, placing it in Johns front pocket, the boys doing the same to themselves.
"What you bloody doing, Tommy"
Thomas held Johns face. "Smile John, it's a wedding"
"What!?" Lottie shouted, grabbing Tommy's arm. "Whose bloody wedding" John asked.
"Now if we told you, you wouldn't have come. There's a girl in the Lee family whose going a bit wild" Tommy told him. "And she needs marrying off"
John shoved him away, shouting.
"John boy" Arthur shouted, grabbing hold of him. Lottie stepped away, watching.
"You have no bloody right Tommy" John hissed, his voice shaky.
"Listen to me. Listen to me."
"A girl who needs a husband, a man who needs a wife."
"Tom, i'm not bloody marrying some fucking mushroom picker" he shouted. "If you back out now there's going to be one mighty war breaking out here"
Lottie looked at the Lee men who were watching from their homes.
After some talking, John calmed down, taking his hat off and walking with the rest of us.
"You'll be fine John, promise" she smiled, walking beside him. "No lies" she nodded. He looked down at her smiling.
A woman stepped out of a carriage behind Johnny Doggs, looking at John.
"Her dads giving you a car" Arthur said.
They approached the woman.
"Will he do?" they asked and she smiled, nodding. "He'll do"
They all cheered and John shrugged them away.
John stood beside his two brothers. "Here she is" Tom nodded to the girl approaching in all white.
Lottie watched from a distance, taking a look at the girls dress.
"She'd better be under 50" he whispered. They kneeled beside each other and John glanced at her as she took the veil from over her face.
She smiled brightly at him.
"We're here today to join in matrimony, this man and this woman" Johnny Doggs spoke. Lottie noticed Ada appear beside Tommy.
"..and harmony and togetherness"
"Which is sanctioned and honoured by the presence and power of these two families around us"
The girl was gorgeous, long brown hair and dark eyes. John smiled slightly.
"Do you, John Micheal Shelby, take Esme Martha Lee to be your beautiful wife" Johnny asked. "To have and to hold through sickness and til death"
"There remains one more part of the ceremony, that's the mingling of the two blood" he nodded, slicing both John and Esmes hand.
"I now pronounce you man and wife"
Everyone cheered and Lottie smiled widely at the two. "Come on John, kiss the bride will ya" Johnny shouted.
John and Esme hesitated slightly before leaning in to kiss each other.
-
Lottie laughed loudly as everyone danced around with each other. John carefully lifted Esme from where they were sat and placed her on the floor.
Before they began dancing, John pointed to Lottie, calling her over.
"Esme, this is my youngest sister Lottie" he smiled, "Hello" Esme nodded. "Welcome to the family" Lottie said softly.
"You got the good one" she assured. Esme let out a soft laugh before going to dance with John.
Fireworks went off and both Tommy and Lottie watched Ada as she danced around like a mad woman.
"Tell Ada to slow down" Polly said to tommy. "Like she'll listen to me" he scoffed. "I tried to stop her but she's been drinking" she told him.
"Ill go" Lottie offered, walking over to her sister.
"Come on Ada, slow down" Lottie tried. "Ada come on have a rest sit down" Tommy approached.
"Come and look Esme!" Ada shouted, "Look at the family you've joined. Come look at the man who runs it. He chooses his brothers wives!"
"Ada stop" Lottie said, grabbing her hand.
John came over.
"He hunts his own sister down like a rat and tries to kill his own brother in law" she shouted. "Ada" Polly said.
"Stop causing a scene" Lottie shouts. "This is Johns day and your ruining it"
"Ada that's enough" Arthur warned. "Now he won't even let me have a fucking dance"
"Not even at a fucking wedding"
"Sit her down". polly said.
Ada stopped, panting heavily and grabbing onto Polly's arms.
"holy shit, water, right" Polly said.
"Fucking Hell Ada" Lottie shouted. "Bloody hell Ada you do pick your times" Arthur shook his head