Michael wrapped an arm around my waist as I brought mine up and around his neck. He pulled my body into his as I deepened the kiss. My fingers went to the short blond hairs at the back of his head as he slowly walked us backwards. I moaned into his mouth as my back hit the wall and he pressed his body into mine.
He broke away from me for a moment, placing the cigarette in a nearby ashtray before bringing his hands to my thigh and lifting me with a squeal. I wrapped my legs around his waist as we heard a familiar voice shouting outside. We groaned as we pulled apart. "What's up with her?" I muttered, resting my head back against the wall. "I've got a good idea." He told me, lowering me to the ground.
I wiped the lipstick from his lips before reaching for the cigarette and taking a long drag. I handed it to Michael as I straightened my skirt, exhaling the smoke with a sigh. I walked confidently across the room, opening the door to see Lizzie shouting at a maid. "What's the issue?" I demanded, putting my hands on my hips. She looked over at me but her eyes focused behind me, on Michael. "You fucking know something, don't you? About why he didn't come." she demanded walking towards us. I turned to look at Michael but I had a feeling I knew where this was going. "You knew what the consequences would be, Lizzie. Polly warned you." he told her, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Hold on, wait a second." Lizzie shouted as I rolled my eyes. "So you're saying I'm not allowed a man." she demanded, glaring at Michael. "It's about your choice of man." Michael reasoned. "I'm not allowed a man on my arm?" she asked, over him. "Fucking bastards. Did you know about this?" Lizzie asked, looking at me. "Michael, Evie, speeches. Come on." Arthur said from behind me before I could answer, walking through the middle of us. "Arthur. You know why he didn't come, don't you?" Lizzie asked as Arthur swiped a bottle from a passing maid. "Why who didn't come?" he asked, looking at the bottle in his hand.
"My bloody man." Lizzie replied, glaring at Arthur. "Oh, you mean the wop?" Arthur replied, uncorking the bottle in his hand. Michael wandered over to the nearby mirror, checking his lips for lipstick and looking at me through the reflection. "I just heard there was a fire at his restaurant. Midnight last night. And a smashed back window and a smell of petrol." Lizzie explained, looking at the eldest Shelby for an answer.
"Lizzie, we tried to talk some sense into you. We did checks on him. He's had five different names in the last six years and he's got connections with the Naples boys." Michael told her, lighting a cigarette. "Come on, Michael." I told him, moving in the direction of the dining room. "What do you know about love, about when lightning strikes?" Lizzie asked, spitefully as I turned back to the group. Michael let out a mouthful of smoke before catching my eye in the mirror once more. "So, it was lightning, hmm? Not petrol." Arthur told her.
I rolled my eyes as I turned and began walking towards the dining room, Arthur and Michael falling into step either side of me. "I thought you were off the whisky, Arthur." I commented, gesturing towards the bottle in his hand. "Yeah, I am. I'm having a couple now and again to remind myself why I don't drink it." he replied, simply. "You set fire to his restaurant to stop him coming." Lizzie shouted from behind us, Arthur and Michael slowed to a stop beside me. "You have no right to choose who I step out with in my own time!" she added.
The men turned and looked at each other over my head. Michael cleared his throat before walking back to Lizzie, Arthur following as I turned to watch the scene. "Lizzie, you now have an important position in this company. You got the order the same as us. You can do it." Michael told her. "Until further notice no fraternising with the foreigners." Arthur told her before both turning back to me and walking. "Yeah, well, you can tell Tommy from me all the girls in the office think he's losing his fucking mind." Lizzie shouted after us. Arthur put a hand on the small of my back, signalling for me to carry on walking.
"To the bride." Tommy toasted, cigarette in his mouth as we all stood. "The bride." we repeated, raising our glasses. "And now, according to tradition, my best man will say a few words." Tommy introduced as we sat down. "Go on! Here he goes! Go on, Arthur!" John cheered, banging on the table, cigar in his hand. Arthur stood, looking nervous. "Right, um… I'm not one for speeches." Arthur began. "Sing, then!" John interrupted. "I will later, John." Arthur told him. "But, uh, I do, uh, I do have some words written down here on this piece of paper. This doesn't include everything that I want to say." Arthur told us. "Arthur, just, uh.. Just read what we wrote down, eh?" Tommy told him, glancing up at his brother. "I will, I will." Arthur replied, placing the paper on the table.
"But, first… first a few words from.. From the heart. Um.. This man here, my brother Tommy, helped me survive through some of the worst times." Arthur told us all, making Tommy cough loudly. "It's a wedding, Arthur, tell a joke." Michael called from beside me. "Yeah, tell a joke." John agreed. "What I am 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 name's Grace. Like the grace of the good Lord. And even though the circumstances of their union was tragic…" Arthur ignored them but Tommy interrupted, standing.
"All right. Let's, uh.. Arthur. Let's raise a toast, eh? To, uh, to love, to peace, to marriage." Tommy told us as we stood again. "To marriage." John repeated beside me, raising his glass before turning and pressing a kiss to my head. "Well done, Arthur, beautiful speech. Really nice. Really, really nice." he told Arthur as he grabbed his jacket and left, Linda close behind. "Where's he fucking going?" John asked me. I shrugged, watching Tommy follow his brother.
I laughed as Finn twirled me around the dancefloor, bringing me back to him with a confident hand on my waist. The party was in full swing and Arthur had pulled John off somewhere. "I thought you'd be talking to the girls, not dancing with your big sister." I laughed, looking up at the teenager. "Nah, they're all stuck up bitches. I can't stand them." he told me. I laughed, noticing Michael talking to one of them. "You've got that right." I replied as we continued to dance.
Suddenly, Scudboat was beside us. "John wants to see you outside. You're racing." he told Finn before leaving. I looked up at Finn before we both left the room. Once we got outside, he removed his jacket and placed it around my slim shoulders, helping me put my arms in, before removing his waistcoat and handing it to me. "Uncle Charlie!" I called as Finn made his way to where we could see John stood by the stables. "What is going on? Tommy said no racing." I said as I reached him. The older man put his arm around me and rubbed my arm as a shiver went through me. "Tommy's the one who suggested it." he told me as we walked around the stable.
I could hear John and Johnny Dogs talking. "He said betting's okay, but all proceeds go to the Shelby Foundation charity." John was saying as they came out. "Oh, is this charity of his for real, then?" Charlie asked, still rubbing my arm. "He says he wants to be seen giving back to the poor of Birmingham." John told him before turning to me. "Why'd you come out if you're cold?" He asked, removing his coat and putting it around my shoulders. "I didn't want to miss out on all the fun." I smiled up at him, putting my hands in the pockets of Finns jacket and feeling the small vials stashed there. "They'll make him the fucking Lord Mayor next." Charlie told John as he lit a cigar. "Hmmm.. that's the idea, Charlie-Boy." John told him, putting his arm around my waist. "Fucking hell." Charlie muttered before walking off.
"Right, all you lot make as much noise and fuss as you can." John shouted, guiding me towards where the redcoats were coming in. "So we're a fucking distraction, John, is it? Huh? Tommy is doing business on a night he should be just fucking." Johnny Dogs laughed, falling into step beside me. I laughed as Johnny went to the redcoats, taking bets as Arthur, John and I went inside. "Go on back to the party. I'll come find you in a bit." John told me, stopping just inside the door and turning to me. I looked up at him, searching his face before shrugging his coat off and handing it to him. "Don't keep me waiting too long." I warned him, pressing my lips to his with urgency, relaying my desire.
I wandered back to the main ballroom, smiling across the room at Ada as I picked up another drink. My eyes trailed around the room, noting a tense looking Polly and Grace but what made my heart squeeze was just leaving. Michael was looking around as he took the young girl asking about cocaine by the hand and walking out with her, pulling her towards the room we had been in earlier. I felt sick as I downed the drink in my hand, quickly replacing it with another as I remembered the vials in Finn's jacket. I smiled to myself before downing my second glass in a number of minutes before going to find the discarded jacket.