14 months later
"John! There is someone here!" I laughed, trying to push him away from me but he held onto my thighs tightly. "It'll just be the kids." John replied, crashing his lips back to mine. I gave into his lips once more before hearing the footsteps again. I pulled away from him again as his hands crept further and further up my legs, holding onto my hips under my dress. "John, I am telling you that isn't the kids." I told him, giving him a stern look but fighting a smile.
John pulled away from me, looking at me with a serious expression. "Look, Eve. I just want to fuck my gorgeous wife on the kitchen counter before our family get here, is that too much to ask?" he asked, a cheeky twinkle in his eye. I raised my eyebrows at him and I was about to respond before I was interrupted. "My brother, the romantic." Tommys familiar voice drawled from the doorway. John's face dropped at the sound of his brothers voice. "Told you." I laughed as I patted his chest. He gave my hips a final squeeze before removing his hands from under my dress.
"Tommy!" He greeted, turning to his brother as I pulled down my dress. I placed a hand on his shoulder as I jumped down from the counter, smiling at the newly arrived Shelby. "John, Evie." Tommy greeted, a smirk on his face and his hands in his pockets. "Hello, Tommy." I smiled, going over to the man and pulling him in for a hug. He pressed a kiss to my cheek as we pulled away. I could hear familiar voices floating in from the hallway. John came over, shaking Tommys hand as I made my way through to the hall.
"Hey, everyone!" I greeted, smiling at the assembled Shelbys. "Uncle Tommy!" Lily squealed from Finns arms and he quickly put her on the floor so she could run over to her favourite uncle. I smiled at Ada as she pulled me in for a hug. "Hello, you." she said into my hair as Karl hugged both our legs. I went to Isaiah and Finn. "You two staying out of trouble?" I asked, giving each of them a one armed hug. "Of course, Evie." Finn grinned. "You know us." Isaiah added, also grinning. "Yes, I do." I laughed, raising an eyebrow at the pair.
The next pair of pale grey eyes watched me intently. "Hey, Michael." I greeted with a small smile as he pulled me in for a hug. "Hey, Eves." he whispered in my hair, loud enough for me to hear. He rubbed my back once before releasing me, his eyes lingering on my face as I moved onto Polly. "Hey." I grinned as she put her arms on the tops of my arms, getting a good look at me. "We really need to find John a hobby or something." she laughed, raising her eyebrows at my newest baby bump. I laughed with her.
"There's nowt to do round here after putting the kids to bed." John laughed from behind me. "Or the five minutes you have before guests arrive." Tommy laughed, putting his arm around Graces shoulders. Lily was sitting on his side and Grace was cradling baby Charlie. I narrowed my eyes at him playfully as laughter went around the room. "Nothing's changed there then. Oh God. Do you remember what they were like when she was pregnant with Lily?" Polly laughed as she released me. "Okay, okay. Enough of mine and John's sex life." I laughed, going over to my husband and tucking myself under his arm.
"How far along are you now?" Grace asked. "5 months, he'll be out before the wedding." I told her, smiling and running a hand over my stomach. "Where's Arthur and Uncle Charlie? They left before us." Finn asked, hands in his pockets. "Probably picking up Linda." I told him, resting my head on John. There were a lot of confused looks around the room. "Alright, I'll ask. Who the fuck is Linda?" Ada laughed, looking at me. "Hasn't he told any of you?" I asked, looking around the room. They all shook their heads. "It's Arthur's new lady friend." John said, amusement in his voice. "We haven't met her before either but Arthur asked us if he could bring her and we said yes." I told them. "I also told him you would all be on your best behaviour!" I added sternly as the room erupted into murmurs at the prospect.
"Apparently she is quite a religious lady, so please respect that. No talking about business. No talking about anyones sex lives!" I told them all. "Anyone ruins my son's first birthday will have me to answer too." I threatened. "And if you piss her off, I get it in the neck as well so you'll have to deal with me too." John laughed beside me, kissing my head as faint cries filled the air. "James is awake." I told John, patting his chest. He nodded, untangling himself from me and going to get our son. "He shouldn't have put this stress on you, Evie. Not after your last pregnancy." Polly said, raising an eyebrow at me. "I'm not stressed, Pol. I am perfectly relaxed." I smiled back.
There was a knock at the door and we all glanced around at each other. "Fucking hell! A Shelby learnt how to knock." I laughed, going towards the door. I could hear the disgruntled murmurs behind me as I opened the door, plastering on a smile for the eldest Shelby. "Hello." I greeted, taking in the three men and small blond woman on my doorstep. "Hi, you must be Linda. I'm Evie, Arthur's sister." I smiled, pulling the woman in for a hug. "Hello, you must be his brothers wife." she corrected, giving me a small smile as we pulled away from each other.
I shared a look with Uncle Charlie as he pulled me in for a hug. "Alright, my little bird?" he greeted before kissing my hair and pulling away. "Hi, Curly." I smiled as he headed inside with Uncle Charlie. "Alright, Arthur?" I smiled as he pulled me into his chest. "How's it going, Evie? My brother behaving himself?" he asked, his chest grumbling with a nervous laugh. "It's John, so, no." I laughed, pulling away from him. "C'mon, everyone is already here." I told them, leading them inside.
Arthur looked nervous as the family turned to look at the newcomer. There was a moment of silence before I jumped in with the introductions. "This is our sister, Ada and her son Karl. That's our younger brother Finn and his friend Isaiah, who is basically family. That's our Aunt Polly and her son, Michael. That's our brother, Tommy, with his fiance, Grace and their son Charlie. The little girl is mine and John's daughter, Lily." Everyone waved or nodded as I said their names. Lily rested her head on Tommys shoulder, going shy. I smiled at John as he walked back into the foyer, smiling as James babbled up at him. "And this is my husband, John and our son, James." I said, gesturing towards them. "Everyone, this is Linda, Arthurs…" my eyes went wide as I realised that I wasn't sure what Arthur wanted me to introduce her as. "Wife. Arthur's wife." Linda smiled, beside me.
All of us shared looks as my smile dropped, everyone was surprised as we turned to Arthur. He cleared his throat before looking around at us. There was another long moment of frozen silence. "Drinks." I managed to get out, pulling my eyes away from Arthur and catching Tommys eye, looking to the leader of the Peaky Blinders for some help. "Drinks." he confirmed, guiding Grace in the direction of the sitting room. I stood bewildered as they started filing out, Linda still with a grin on her face as she led Arthur. "Still perfectly relaxed?" Ada asked, taking Karls hand and following Finn and Isaiah.
John came over to me, pressing his lips to mine as he handed me James. "One family dinner without any drama. That's all I asked for." I muttered, looking up at him. "Did you think that was going to happen?" he chuckled. "A girl can hope." I laughed before following him into the sitting room where our family were waiting. Michael, Finn and Isaiah occupied one of the sofas while Grace, Tommy and Uncle Charlie occupied another. Ada, Curly and Linda had sunk into three of the four armchairs, Arthur stood beside Linda and Polly was stood next to the fireplace, lighting a cigarette.
Karl and Lily spoke quietly to each other while they played with a dolls house in the corner as I sank into the remaining armchair, John going over to the drinks cabinet. He quickly gave out glasses of whiskey. Both Linda and Arthur refusing. I caught Adas eye and we shared a look. James sat quietly on my lap, looking around the room at his family as John came and sat on the arm of my chair, draping his arm around my shoulders and taking a sip of his drink. "Arthur, you've got the floor." Tommy said, lighting a cigarette before leaning back. We each turned our eyes to the eldest Shelby who looked nervous.
Arthur didn't seem to know what to say as he was faced by his family. "Spit it out, Arthur." Polly demanded after a long moment. "It was a spur of the moment thing. Linda is friends with the priest and we went there yesterday and got married." Arthur explained, avoiding eye contact with everyone. There was another moment of tense silence. I looked up at John and we both shared a look before turning back to the couple. "Congratulations, both of you." I smiled, standing and putting James on my hip. "Welcome to the family, Linda." John added as I walked over to Arthur, wrapping my arm around him and pulling him in for a hug. Tommy and Polly didn't sound happy but followed us in congratulating the couple. "Thank you, Evie." Arthur whispered, kissing my cheek before releasing me.