Oceans [A.Shelby]

TWENTY-THREE

DORA MAY WAS almost entirely insistent on chaperoning Faith. Lillian however, was equally insistent that despite engaging in scandalous relations at a younger age than Faith; she is capable of chaperoning. Arthur of course didn't see why this was an issue, which Lillian had to remind him in high and more respectable society unmarried women had to be chaperoned to avoid wandering eyes and whispers.

"It's been years since I have spoken with you, how has life treated you in these years? You haven't aged, unlike me as according to my own grandmother," Faith snorted in response to Lillian's distaste towards her grandmother.

"Oh ignore her, every word she says is untrue! Father is now an MP, he has dined with the King and for that reason he believes I'm too good for every man he seeks to marry me to."

"Does that include my brother?" Lillian questioned with a knowing smile.

"Actually, that is my mothers doing," Faith smiled, "and I can't say I'm entirely disappointed nor am I against it"

"That is interesting to know, I'd like to know in advance when the wedding is and I shall make sure to clean my calendar of all of the dinner parties and engagements I've been having of late," Lillians words were teasing and Faith was glad she had kept her humour and overall nature despite how different her life had become.

"Is she boring you Faith?" Eddie questioned her, a laugh of disbelief escaping his sisters red lips.

"I think you are the only boring one here, Ed, you can have her if you're so desperate." Lillian teased her younger brother before she left him to it, catching up with Arthur and Theo who walked ahead of her.

"Aren't you susposed to be watching them?" Theo questioned in amusement.

"Oh please, Eddie is the most attentive to rules, and would never put a finger out of place unless he had been egged on." Lillian scoffed.

"Must be nice to be the least disappointing child," Theo drawled, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"You aren't really that jealous are you? What about this life do you have to envy when you wake up every morning to the gorgeous grey, ashy sky's of Birmingham." Arthur had to smirk at his wife's sarcasm, a trait he was all too acquainted with and it shocked him at first. Arthur realised not longer after their 2nd meeting many years ago, Lillian Shelby (nee May) was far from prim and proper despite her initial impression.

"The cars, the full safe, the electricity that doesn't cut out for days at a time, the not having to lift a finger, the cellar full of dated bottles of whatever you fancy." Arthur responded for him, a chuckle escaped both his and his brother in laws lips as Lillian looked at her husband in amusement.

"But I'm not here, think wisely Mr Shelby. Live here without me or live in our far from grand home, having to light candles for light most weeks and surviving off of tins and jam." She challenged him with a raised brow, Arthur took her hand once more with an amused shake of his head and she believed she had her answer by that simple gesture.

He led her further astray, Theo on his lonesome as he hung back with his youngest sibling and his (possible) future wife.

The pair climbed over fences into new fields, Arthur steadying his wife each time she climbed up after him, before her feet hit the wet grass once more.

Standing on higher land, the pair could see the 'house' in the distance, standing against miles of greenery, in the field next door there were sheep, in the one over were cows and the pair could see the horses grazing in a field not too far from them.

It was a dream, to be that far from civilisation, to be so deep into fresh country air that their minds were no longer fogged. No longer fogged by responsibilities, not worrying about who or what's around the corner nor standing behind them. Not worrying about the tedious things in life.

"When I was little and my father had angered me I used to run all up here," Lillian pointed with a small smile, "I used to let the horses out of the field to anger my father, I used to think they'd never find me as it was so easy to get lost up here as a child. But they found me each time. I didn't blend in well among the sheep,"

Arthur glanced to his wife as she spoke, looking around the fields that surrounding them, he could see the thoughts and memories inside her head as if he was taking pictures as the moments happened. Even after only meeting once, he could hear the scolding she would get once she was found, and the retorts her father would receive from her young lips in response.

She didn't look this fond as she glanced out the window of their small cramped living space, and Arthur was sure unlike he and his brothers, she wouldn't have much stories to tell of Small Heath in the future for there were no fields, no sheep nor cows. In reality, Arthur realised their childhoods were miles apart and yet, despite growing up with siblings and a seemingly 'happy' (but dysfunctional) home, the pair fit together like a glove to a hand.

Most would say a woman from one background and a man from another could not marry, not if they are born into opposites. Not if one was privileged enough to learn to read and write by the age of 6 and the other took another decade on top of that to master the skill. Not if one wore shoes 2 sizes too small for years and the other wore a new pair each month. Not if one was born with a silver spoon and the other had to work for every meal and penny that went in pocket. Granted, Arthur didn't work in a factory but it was still work.

"I'm finding it hard to see why you would give all this up," Arthur admitted, glancing out to the expanding countryside after watching the way Lillian stared almost longingly at the sight.

"Lils, I've ruined your relationship with your family" Arthur spoke the words on his mind, they had been since he watched their interaction previously that day with calculating eyes.

"Arth, had you known me a few years longer you would realise my relationship was ruined the day I could string a sentence long enough to stick up for myself." Lillian reassured him, her red lips turning into a soft smile.

"It can't have been this bad before, no this is my doing."

"Arthur, in honesty what little progress that was made years ago was flattened by our marriage but even before then, I wasn't easy to control. I had my own mind and opinions, I refused to follow what my father asked of me; I denied my grandfathers attempt to marry me off to a wealthy man triple my age. This is just my life, my family has always been this way."

Still, Arthur looked unsure, these fields, her house, everything he owned which was very little was nothing in comparison. This was doubt talking, a part of him always whispered to himself that his wife deserved better so perhaps this was his faulty defence mechanism, trying to make his own wife realise what she was missing by staying with him. It was stupid really, Lillian knew Arthur would never understand how much he alone was worth in her eyes, their marriage was worth more than all the materialistic things.

Lillian glanced up at her husband reassuringly, her thumbs rubbing the back of his hand as she spoke to him, "if anything, I should thank you for giving me the excuse I had been waiting years for."