𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, ʲᵒʰⁿ ˢʰᵉˡᵇʸ

𝟎𝟏𝟏

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏

Madeline walked into the Garrison with her arm linked around John. The moment they stepped inside, John smiled widely and automatically went to greet Isiah and Finn. Madeline's eyes wandered around the newly decorated pub.

She followed her husband over to the table he'd sat at and stared at the glass of gin that had been waiting for her. She just stared at it.

"Arthur seems happy." She noticed, looking at the Shelby man who stood behind the bar serving drinks. John snaked his arm around Maddie's shoulder and leaned back into his chair.

"Oi!" Tommy shouted, approaching them, "give me that!" He scolded his younger brother and took the glass of whiskey from his hands. "Keep him off the whiskey, John." Tommy instructed.

The pub was lively. She'd never seen it this busy before.

"You not drinking?" John shouted over the loud music. "What?" She asked. "Your drink— you not having it?" He repeated. Madeline looked back at the glass and her lips parted. Hesitantly, Maddie lifted it to her lips and took the smallest sip ever — hardly any of the liquid touching her tongue.

John looked away and went back to teasing his younger brother.

"I'm going to go and talk to Arthur!" She said loud enough for him to hear. He hardly clocked on to what she said and just waved her off. She dodged the already drunk people and leaned against the bar with a wide smile on her face

"Arthur!" She shouted. Arthur spun quickly to face her and threw his arms in the air. "Maddie! Our sweet Maddie! 'Ello you." He greeted, holding a bottle of champagne in the air.

"Can I get ya a drink?" He pointed it to her. She shook her head simply. "No thank you, Arthur." She refused. "The pub, it's all new."

"Yeah— yeah, do ya like it?"

"It's very...gold. It's lovely." Madeline complimented. Arthur nodded in agreement and reached into his pocket for a lighter. "Here you are, Lizzie, let me get that for ya— there you are my darling." He said, lighting the cigarette the dark haired woman held between her lips.

Madeline stood a glance of the woman and then looked back at Arthur. Lizzie. Where had she heard the name Lizzie. Oh...Lizzie. Realisation hit her when she finally remembered who she was.
Lizzie was the woman Katie told her about. The one John had planned to marry but Tommy had refused — setting him up with Maddie instead.

"You must be Madeline." Lizzie said, her tone displaying no type of emotion.

Madeline swallowed. "Sorry— have I met you before?" She replied, keeping a smile present on her lips. Lizzie shook her head. "I work for Thomas— his accountant. And you're Johns wife I believe."

"I am." Maddie said, trying to read her.

"You got the good one." Lizzie assured her before spinning on her heels and going elsewhere.

"I think there's someone you ought to say hello to." Tommy said across from her, catching her attention. Madeline raised an eyebrow at him and followed his gaze to the door where an all too familiar face had entered.

Theodore.

Her eyes shifted to John who had noticed almost immediately and shifted angrily in his seat. "Did you invite him?" Madeline asked Thomas. He shook his head and shrugged with his lips pursed together. "Someone must have."