I walk up the small gravel hill behind Arthur and Tommy, netting John and the other at another car.
I stared at John feeling bad knowing he's about to get married off and has no idea. I look down at my black dress and simple string of pearls. That I might add Arthur gave to me for this wedding, was I his date?
"Ready boys?" Tommy asks. "And ladies." Tommy glances back at me.
"John? Ready?" Tommy steps closer. "Yeah yeah, I'm fine." John replies.
"Have a drink." Arthur says handing John a flask before taking a step back to stand next to me his shoulder brushing against mine.
John takes a swig handing the flask back to Tommy before looking around. "What? Why are all you staring at me for? What?" John spins around.
"Good, let's go." Tommy says turning around and the whole group of us begins walking. Arthur falls into step next to me his hand on my back, I glance back at him and usual he was already looking at me, I slightly smile.
As we walk into the Lee camp, a bunch of men holding guns stared all of us down. "Tommy, what's your plan? We are in shotgun range." John whispers behind us.
Tommy turns to face John and we all stop "John, before you go into battle, there's something you're gonna need." Tommy says taking a small flower and stuffing it into John's suit pocket.
"What're you bloody doing Tommy." John stares at him.
Tommy smiles cupping John's face in his hands "smile John, it's a wedding."
"Whose bloody wedding." John croaks out.
"Now if we told you, you wouldn't have come. There's a girl in the Lee family who's gone a bit wild and she needs marrying her off." Tommy explains and John shoves him off to run away.
Arthur lets out a chuck his hand tracing patterns on my hip as the men hold John in place.
"John boy!" Arthur calls out with a laugh.
"You have no bloody right, Tommy!"
Tommy cups his face again. "A girl who needs a husband and a man who needs a wife." Tommy speaks quietly.
"Tommy, I'm not bloody marrying some mushroom picker!" John yells.
Minutes later we all stood around the altar, Arthur on my right as John walked the aisle kneeling next to his veiled wife.
"I now pronounce you man and wife, come on John boy kiss your bride!" Johnny cheers and everyone applauds.
That night at the after party, lord. I got so drunk.
Three Lee brothers playing music and singing, I danced drunkenly with random Lee men and women almost toppling over multiple times. Too drunk to notice Arthur had his eyes on me all damn night.
I giggle with pol as she swoops me up and we spin around together, I gasp as I'm grabbed by the waist and pulled away, I look back seeing Arthur's face, eyes red from alcohol.
"Dance with me, peaches." He says as he spins me around a giggle leaving my mouth as we got lost in the music.
Minutes later I was downing drinks like I was a teenager again, ending up sat in a chair next to Tommy and a random lady, my head spun and I had a drunken smile plastered on my face, my eyes lazily follow Arthur as he approaches.
"What—" I gasp as he picks me up out of the chair taking my seat.
"There's chairs everywhere Arthur!" I whine slightly as I stood in front of him.
He stares up at me his chest falling and rising slowly as he sits up grabbing my waist and pulling me into his lap.
"Found a new chair for you, eh?" He speaks quietly in my ear.
My cheeks flush red and I sit there with a glare before giving up and leaning my back against his chest as I crossed my legs, reaching into his suit and taking his cigarettes lighting one.
A few minutes later a commotion appeares where people were dancing, it was Ada.
Arthur grabs my waist as Tommy walks over there, he hoists me up as he stands then puts me back into the chair as he walks over.
"Holy shit, water." I hear pol say.
Ada groans in pain as her water broke and I stood walking over grabbing her arm to help.
"Not now, Ada. Bloody hell, you do pick your times." Arthur groans loudly and I glare at him.
I sit in the car an hour later with John driving and his new wife esme up front, Arthur next to me in the back. I laid against Arthur's ribs as his arm was draped over me, I quickly sit up as John whips a corner and I groan loudly.
"Bloody hell John!" I say as he parks at the garage outside the house.
"Slow her up, nice and easy." Arthur says removing his arm from me as he climbs out of the car. "Come on." Arthur says to me holding his hand out.
I trip getting out of the car, I blame it on the alcohol. Arthur somehow catches me his arms hugging my waist.
"Bloody hell, you're plastered." He mutters, I giggle quietly wrapping my arms around his neck as he helps me stand.
He lets go of me after I catch my balance walking closely behind me to catch me if I fell again.
"Nice car John, how's she run?" Tommy asks emerging from the garage.
"Your sisters in there giving birth and you're talking about a bloody car." Polly says letting esme inside.
"Ohh! The baby!" I screech running inside behind esme.
I let out a squeak as I'm pulled back by the arm from no other than Arthur "we're going to get drunk little lady." He says as his arm snakes around my waist.
"Not much us men can do now pol." Tommy says.
"There's one man that should be here." Polly tilts her head holding onto the door frame.
"You're right, Freddie should be here."
"Is that a heart beat I hear inside that chest?" I ask with a laugh before Arthur covers my mouth picking me up.
"The truce lasts til midnight, Freddie can be here." Tommy says, Polly smiles and runs inside yelling Ada's name.
————————————
"To beautiful women." Arthur raises his glass of whiskey the other men raising theirs as well, I drunkenly hold up my glass almost spilling it before swallowing the burning liquid.
John leans forward after downing his drink "I I should go it's my wedding night after all."
Arthur leans over me pushing John back into his seat. "No, you sit down."
"You don't wanna be among women when there's a baby coming. Have another." He says pouring John another drink before leaning back and putting his arm around me.
"You think her husband will take the same advice and stay away?" Grace asks as she refills our drinks.
"Freddie will be there. He can't stay away." John says.
"You know what John boy?" Arthur speaks starting to laugh. "I think it's that lovely barmaid, that pretty barmaid that just walked out, that's made our brother go all soft."
Tommy smiles while hitting his cig
"Drinks to that." John raises his glass.
"And what about you Arthur?" Tommy speaks. "What woman made you all soft?" He raises his eyebrow.
I look at Tommy my face blank as I take another sip of my drink before lighting up a cigarette.
