I heard the group of men coming up the path and the nerves fluttered in my stomach. Zilpha went to stand in the doorway, waiting to say yes or no when she saw John. I heard the group stop outside the caravan. "So, will he do for our princess?" Tommy asked. I held my breath in anticipation, "He'll do." she said which was met with cheers from the men outside. I laughed lightly, smoothing out the pale blue skirts on my dress. The men went to wait with the rest of the congregation while Aunt Zee came to do the finishing touches to my hair. "You look like your mama." she commented, pinning the last of my curls in place. I smiled at her and she went to work pinning my veil. "You are ready." she told me, looking at her handiwork in the mirror. I nodded, standing up and readjusting my veil and skirts.
She led me out of the caravan and to the altar where Johnny Doggs and John were waiting. John looked speechless when he saw me. I smiled at him as Zilpha place my hand into his before taking her place amongst the rest of the Lees. "You're wearing the suit." I whispered, he nodded back. "Yeah, Tommy said you'd like it." he smiled. He looked a bit nervous but I could also feel the excitement buzzing off him.
John led me to kneel on the cushion in front of Johnny and the ceremony began. "We're here today to join in matrimony, this man and this woman. So they can live in truth and harmony and togetherness. Which is sanctioned and honored by the presence, and power of these two families around us." I lifted the veil away from my face, letting it fall backwards over my hair and caught John watching me with a smile on his face. I smiled back at him, shifting slightly on the cushion. "Do you John Michael Shelby take Evelyn Samantha Lee to be your beautiful wife? To have, to hold in both sickness and health till death do you part?" Johnny asked.
"I do." he couldn't take his eyes off me and I couldn't help but look at him.
"And do you, Evelyn Samantha Lee take John Michael Shelby to be your husband? To have, to hold in both sickness and health till death do you part?"
"I do."
"There remains one more part of the ceremony. That's the mingling of the two bloods." He cut John's hand then mine. "Where the two families become the one family." We pressed our palms together, etwinning our fingers. "I now pronounce you man and wife! Come on, John, kiss the bride, will you?" John did not need any invitation as he pulled me to him by my waist and placed a passionate kiss on my lips. I smiled into the kiss, placing my spare hand on the side of his head. "Finally!" I heard someone that sounded a lot like Polly call out. This made us both laugh and pull away from each other as our families surrounded us.
I was pulled away from John and into Polly's arms. I was shocked when a pair of slender arms also joined in the hug. I turned to see Ada smiling at me. "Ada!" I shouted, pulling the girl into my arms. "You're here!" I laughed, tears falling from my eyes. "Congratulations, Evie!" she said, laughing into my hair. I pulled back to take her in, her swollen stomach. "You've gotten so big." I smiled, "Yeah, you'll be the same in a few months." she told me. I nodded, laughing. Suddenly I was pulled away from Ada and enveloped in the eldest Shelbys arms. "It's nice to have another Shelby on board." he told me, squeezing me tightly. "She's always been a Shelby, Arthur." Ada told him as he released me from his grip but leaving an arm around my shoulders. "You know what I mean. It's about time she made a honest man of our John." he laughed, playfully nudging me. I rolled my eyes at him and looked around for my new husband. I quickly found him amongst my Lee kin, he was talking to Duke but his eyes were trained on me. His face lit up when my eyes found his.
It didn't take long for the party to get into full swing. The Lees were singing and dancing and playing music while John and I sat in a decorated carriage, watching the festivities. Duke came over, drink in hand and looking more than a bit drunk. "Sorry, Evelyn. We require your husband." he told me, a cheeky smile on his face. "For what?" I laughed, slightly suspicious. "Just a Lee family tradition." he told me, "Don't worry, you can have him back." he added. I narrowed my eyes at my cousin but nudged John towards him, smiling. As I watched them go over to one of the long tables, I realised it was a drinking competition and laughed. Arthur and some of my other cousins were already there, waiting for John and Duke to join them. "May I join you, Princess?" a voice came beside me. "Of course you can, Tommy. And please stop calling me princess." I laughed, tapping the seat John had just vacated. We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, laughing at the few Blinders that had been dragged to dance by the Lee women.
"Thank you." I said after a while, playfully pushing my shoulder into Tommys. He smiled, still taking in the scene around him. "Sad that I didn't need you to step in?" I joked, seeing the poorly masked tension on his face. He laughed, looking down at me. Tommy had never been a man of many words, none of the brothers were, but his silence was deafening. "Is it the business with Kimber?" I asked. "You don't want to be talking business on your wedding day." he told me, brushing a stray curl from my face.
"John boy! Get your lady down here for a dance!" I heard Arthur shouting and I looked away from Tommy. I laughed as I saw John coming towards me. "Arthur's not going to let it go." Tommy reminded me, taking another sip from his drink. I laughed as John helped me down from the carriage, picking me up from my waist and carefully placing me on the floor. We danced in the clearing that people had made for a few moments while guns and fireworks went off around us. I laughed up at John who looked like he was concentrating on not tripping over his own feet or mine. He caught my eye when he heard me laughing and pulled me into him for a kiss, effectively stopping our dance as people surrounded us once more.
I broke away from John after a few moments, Adas loud laughing pulling us both out of our happy bubble. I watched as she danced with one of my cousins, demanding to be spun around again and again. "How much has she had?" I asked John, tucking myself under his arm. He shrugged and when I looked up at him, he didn't look happy. I watched as Arthur approached her. "Come on, Ada. Come here. Enough now. Enough." he was telling her, but she didn't want to listen. Tommy was walking over to her, he didn't look pleased either. "Ada, come on, have a rest. Sit down." he told her, trying to coax her over to the table he was sat at with Polly and Zilpha.
"Come and look Evie! Look at the family you've joined! Come, look at the man who runs it! The one who has been trying to control us both since we were young!" Ada shouted, drawing a lot of attention to herself. John and I started towards the two as she started hitting his chest, Aunt Polly reaching them at the same time. "He hunts his own sister down like a rat and tries to kill his own brother-in-law." she added, her voice wavering with emotion. "Ada, that's enough!" Arthur told her, the six of us were together now. "Now he won't even let me have a fucking dance!" she finished. I went to reach for her, to be a calming hand. "Ada, come on. Let's sit down." I told her, kindly. However in her drunken state, she misread my intentions and quickly shoved me away. Luckily, John was right behind me to catch me otherwise I would have ended up on the floor. "Sit her down. Now." John said over my head while making sure I was okay. "Calm down, Ada. Ada, you must calm down." Polly was telling her behind me. "Holy shit. Water. Right." I spun around at that, gently pushing John's hands off me and going towards my sister. "Bloody hell Ada, you do pick your times!" Arthur said from beside me. "Fuck sake, Ada." John said, coming up behind me. Tommy put his coat around her shoulders and helped Polly lead her away. John took my hand, leading me along behind them while Arthur walked the other side.
"Stop! Stop! Stop! Come here. Enough now. Enough. Slow her up. Nice and easy." Arthur shouted from the backseat. "Story of your life, Arthur." John joked beside me as he slowed the car to a stop. The car was a gift from the Lees for our wedding but I got the feeling that John was going to crash it before long. "Tommy has got to give you some driving lessons." I told him, opening my door and sliding out with a helping hand from Arthur. "Hey! It weren't that bad!" he shouted, getting out behind me and closing the door. "Nice car, John. How's she run?" Tommy asked approaching us. "Beautiful. Real smooth." John told him. "Your sister's giving birth and you're talking about a car." I said, giving Tommy a playful slap on the arm. Polly came out of the house, pulling me in for a cuddle. "Not much us men can do now, Eves." Tommy laughed as I turned back to them. "Except go get drunk." Arthur added. "Right, come on." Tommy said, turning from the house. "There's one man who should be here." I called after them. Tommy stopped in his tracks, turning to look at us. "You are right, Eves. Freddie should be here." he told me. "Is that a heartbeat I hear inside that chest?" Polly questioned, only half joking. "The truce lasts till sunrise. On my oath. Tell Freddie it's safe." he told us. I smiled and went into the house. "Ada!" I called as I heard Polly closing the front door.
The labour was over in what seemed like a flash, although for Ada I was sure it seemed a lot longer. Ada was sat in front of the fire in the kitchen, cradling her newborn son when the pounding came on the front door. I looked at Polly and smiled, Tommy actually did it. I went to the door, opening to see a very anxious Freddie. "You're a father, Freddie." I greeted him, smiling. He laughed and I moved out of the way, gesturing him to come in. He half ran through to the kitchen, stopping in the doorway to take in the sight of Ada and their new baby.
I stood in the doorway as Freddie went in and pulled a stool up next to Ada, taking their new son out of her arms. I absentmindedly ran my hand over my own stomach, thinking that this was going to be John and I in a few short months. Freddie whispered quietly to the baby, Ada watching and smiling. Even Aunt Polly couldn't fight the smile on her face as she came over to me, arm around my waist to pull me into her.
Then there was banging the door. "Open up! Police!" Polly and I looked at each other. He didn't. I went back out to the hallway, but the door crashed open before I reached it. "You can't come in here! A baby's just been born!" I shouted as the men pushed me into the wall, out of the way. I could do nothing as I watched them grab Freddie and pull him from the room. Ada had her son back in her arms and was pleading with them. "Don't hurt him. Freddie! You are hurting him, leave him alone!" Polly was with her, holding her back and trying to calm her down. "You're taking me away from my baby!" Freddie shouted. My heart broke as Ada dissolved into tears. Polly glanced at me and we both were thinking the same thing. Tommy did this. The rage inside me boiled and while I stepped in to deal with Ada, Polly went storming out the house. No doubt to confront her nephew.
A/N They finally got married! Yay!