Hello everyone! This idea came to me during 'Missing You', unfortunately, it's going to be a very short story. Not much more than 10 chapters, but it should be quite entertaining.

This story is for Meriem Djez, who helped inspire this one.

I own nobody, except for Katherine.


Chapter One: The first look


Birmingham, 1919


"Father!" Katherine calls loudly as she enters the Lee's camp. "Where are you?"

No one had known where her father had gone and knowing him, he was probably scamming one of the Lee boys out of their stolen money. On cue, her father pokes his head out of a wagon and grins. "Kathy! I thought you were coming tomorrow, on the fifth!"

"I took an early train home to surprise you!" She steps towards him and hugs him. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too lass." Her father holds out his hand to allow her into the wagon. "I still think your aunt is a frigid bitch, but she did well to put you through that finishing school of hers. I'd have hardly recognized you, dressed so fine."

She shifts uncomfortably. "I should have changed into something more simpler."

"No, you look beautiful, never apologize for that."

"What I mean is, things are different down here. I'd forgotten how poor people are."

"People are poor all over the world. No use going bankrupt to make yourself feel better." She shakes her head and exhales. "Look, you picked a good time to come back home."

"Why is that?"

"John Shelby's getting married today."

She frowned. "His wife died? I wasn't aware."

"She never recovered from the birth of their last child. God rest her soul. She was just worn out."

"I'm sorry for John's loss, but happy that he's found love again. Who's he marrying?"

"Well," he clears his throat uneasily. "no one knows for sure yet."

Kate frowns. "How can he not know who he's marrying? Is it an arranged marriage?"

"Aye, his brother Thomas arranged it."

"No surprise there. Who do you think John is going to wind up married to?"

"You."Those words cause her heart to still in chest. For a seond, she goes blind and deaf, but her father's voice brings her to her senses. "He's a good catch, any gal would be glad to have him. Just say the word."

"No." Kate shakes her head, knocking her cap off her head. "No, I'm not going to marry John Shelby."

"Katherine, you must," her father pleads. "otherwise Esme Lee is going to marry him! I won't have the Lee family higher than us!"

"You've enjoyed many a pleasant day with the Lee's as I recall! Let John marry Esme. She's ready to be married and I won't even consider being his bride!"

Her father glowers at her. "This is an opportunity for us to-

"No and I'm sorry!" she repeats firmly. "I don't want to marry John Shelby. I've not been here in Birmingham for 2 hours and you're already planning on marrying me off to some stranger!"

"They're no strangers! You grew up with the Shelby boys!" her father, tries in vain to persuade her to marry a man she hadn't seen in almost eight years. Childhood playmate or not, she hadn't seen him for almost 4 years! She wasn't sure if she'd recognize him or any of his siblings if she was them again. "You liked John!"

"I liked Arthur!" she reminded him. "Tommy and John were absolutely intolerable, Thomas more so than John." She shudders as she recalls him knocking her into a manure heap. "He probably still needs a punch in the nose or a whack around the head."

"Oh, come on, it's not like I'm asking you to marry Thomas Shelby!" her father makes a face. "That boy changed since the war. Horrible man now."

That saddened her for a moment. As much as she'd disliked him growing up, she'd seen firsthand what had happened to men when they'd come back. He was insufferable then; now, he may truly be a tormented man now. Besides, she can marry whomever she wants and his last name won't be Shelby.

"It doesn't matter which Shelby boy is waiting at the altar," she said softly. "I am not going to marry any man that I don't love!"

"You can't do this to me." Her father growls lowly. "Do you have any idea how much I'm going to lose if you don't marry him? This is a great opportunity for us to advance ahead"

"Well, I'm sorry about that father, but things are changing now. One of the things in fashion right now in London is," she leans forward and kisses him on the cheek. "you marry whomever you want."

"Katherine-

"No." she stands up. "You promised mother I'd be allowed to marry whomever I loved. I don't love john and I won't be marrying him. I'm sorry." He opens his mouth to protest, when she cuts him off. "No one forced mother to marry you."

Her father lets out a huff. "Fine. Be off with you."

She chuckles. "So, you're still staying for the wedding?"

He nods. "It's free food, why wouldn't I?" she moves towards the wagon. "I don't suppose you'll stay for the bridal toss?"

"No. You go on and have your fun father."

Her father lets out a grumble in response. Not that she blamed him. From what she'd heard, the Shelby family was doing well and she was probably a fool not to marry up with john, but, she wasn't going to marry anyone she hadn't seen in years just to further her father's ambitions for the future.

Katherine hops out of the wagon, she was not going to sit through another gypsy wedding with guns and drinking. If any man had the misfortunate of her accepting his proposal, her wedding would be in a church, like a civilized lady. Not in a field.

She hops over the tongue of the wagon and narrowly misses crashing into a man. The man stops abruptly as she bends over to pick up her purse and adjust her cap. She quickly notes that there are a group of men, and when she straightens up, she notes the white carnations in their lapels. This must be the wedding party and one of the men had to be john Shelby.

She straightened up and found herself staring into the bright, piercing blue eyes of a man. Good God, if this was John Shelby, she made a mistake. He was attractive, but there was something beyond his looks, something in his eyes that attracted her. For a moment, they stood there studying each other.

She speaks first, licking her lips lightly. "Sorry." Sure enough, his eyes went down to her lips. " I didn't see you."

"Alright." He nods and then walks away from her without a second look. She watches him for a moment before turning and walking back down the path.

As she heads back towards the city, her cheeks are flushed and a strange sensation of panic, almost akin to terror is pounding in her chest. It was in that moment as she walked away from the wedding ceremony, that Kate knew she'd possibly made the biggest mistake of her life.