𝓡𝓔𝓥𝓔𝓡𝓘𝓔 - 𝓟𝓔𝓐𝓚𝓨 𝓑𝓛𝓘𝓝𝓓𝓔𝓡𝓢

18

Maura had her arm looped through Edward's, a pastel blue dress adorning her form beautifully with matching shoes and a cream coat.

"You alright?" Arthur asks John.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine,"

"Have a drink,"

"What? What are you all staring at me for?" John asks, his eyes moving between the group. "What?"

"Good. Let's go," Tommy says.

"Tommy, what are you playing at? We're at shotgun range," John says as they approach the Lee boys who were standing, guns in their hands.

"John, before you go into battle, there's something you're going to need," Tommy says.

Maura steps forward and tucks a small flower into John's jacket before placing her hand on his face.

"What are you bloody doing, Maura?"

"I'm sorry," Maura whispers, pressing a kiss to her brother's cheek.

"Smile, John. It's a wedding," Tommy says,

"Whose bloody wedding?"

"Now, if we told you, you wouldn't have come," Tommy says. "There's a girl in the Lee family who's gone a bit wild and she needs marrying off"

"You have no bloody right, Tommy!"

Maura grabs John's face and holds it so he looks directly into her eyes.

"John, listen to me," Maura says. "You know I wouldn't agree to anything I thought was bad, you trust me right?"

John nods and Maura nods back.

"You need a wife Johnny," Maura says. "God knows those kids run rings around you"

"I'm not bloody marrying some fucking mushroom picker,"

"Tom's already betrothed you," Maura says. "I've met her and she's easy on the eyes so don't worry about that"

Tommy steps forward, knowing Maura had calmed their brother enough for him to approach.

"If you back out now, there's going to be one fucking mighty war breaking out here that's going to make the Somme- That's going to make the Somme look like a fucking tea party. But if you marry her, our family and the Lee family will be united forever and this war will be over"

"It's up to you John," Maura says. "Do you want war or peace?"

"Right," John nods, straightening his jacket and Maura offers him a small smile.

"You should see the size of her dowry," Tommy says.

"Her what?"

"Her dad's giving you a car," Maura says before turning to the Lee matriarch. "Will he do?"

"He'll do,"

Everyone cheers as they clap John on the back.

"She'd better be under 50," John murmurs to his siblings.

"Is fifty-one too old?" Muara asks. "Tommy I told you we should have gone younger"

"What!?"

"She's joking," Tommy says as Arthur smacks Maura up the head which she responds to with a harsh punch to his chest.

Maura watches as Esme lifts her veil, revealing her face to John who turns with a cocky smirk on his face. Maura rolls her eyes and her brothers snicker.

"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 honoured by the presence and the power of these two families-"

"It's a bit fucking long-winded" Arthur grumbles and Maura jabs him sharply with her elbow straight into her ribs as she leans into Edward's side.

"Shut up Arthur,"

"Do you, John Michael Shelby, take Esme Martha Lee to be your beautiful wife?"

"I do," John says.

"Do you Esme Martha Lee, take this man to be your husband to have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

"I do," Esme says.

"Then there remains one more part of the ceremony," Johnny Dogs says. "The mingling of the blood"

Johnny held out a knife and drew it across John's palm then Esme's. They turned to each other and clasp hands.

"The two families become one," Johnny Dogs says. "I now pronounce you man and wife!"

Maura claps her hands as Edward whistles loudly with Arthur.

One thing that the Lees and Shelbys had in common long before the war, they knew how to party.

Maura spins into Edward's chest, looking up at the man she adored.

"This will be us one day," Edward says.

"Bold assumption," Maura says and Edward rolls his eyes.

"You're a pain in my fucking arse," Edward says.

"Well, I have to keep you on your toes somehow,"