THE NAME OF THE GAME

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"Gentlemen and Ladies. I have in my hand a legal betting licence. Issued by the board of control. The Shelby family has its first legal racetrack pitch. We're a business, Pol." Tommy explained and everyone roared with glee. Arabella hugged onto her mum and brother tightly.

"We did it for dad!" She exclaimed and everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Everyone was just so happy. Arabella went up to John.

"We did it." Arabella smiled weakly at John and they hugged each other. They were just so happy to hold each other because they both still had feelings for one another. John then got out of the grasp.

"We got what we wanted." John whispered and Arabella knew he was speaking about more than the betting license. Arabella knew that he was speaking about love.

"Did we?" Arabella asked John before she walked over to her mum who was hugging Polly. She grinned down at her daughter.

"This is all your father wanted. I am so happy right now." Gladys smiled and Arabella was going to be happy for her mum and for her dad. This was all her father wanted. 

___

"Tommy. I need a favour. I want to borrow the car. I want to take Lizzie for a ride in the country with the kids. We're going to celebrate getting the licence." John explained and Arabella looked away at the thought of John and Lizzy. 

"Not a problem, John." Tommy replied and Arabella looked at Tommy confused, she thought Tommy was on her side.

"Have fun." Arabella whispered just so John would look over at her and not ignore her. John nodded his head in response.

"I'll need the keys." John stated and Tommy threw them at John. Arabella just stood there and thought about how amazing it would be to have a family with John. 

"Look, John, you're my brother. There's something I have to tell you. Yesterday on the front seat of that car, I offered Lizzie some money. And, John, she said "yes". Now, that's a fact. You do with it what want. Take the keys. Take Lizzie to the country. Marry her if you want. But you have to know she said "yes"." Tommy explained and Arabella looked at John with innocent eyes. John was going to think that Arabella had something to do with it. John believed that she was truly just trying to mess with him but she loved him now and knew that. 

He got into the car and started it up. Then he jumped out of the car, threw the keys on the ground, and walked off, broken.  Arabella looked over at John, he looked so hurt.

"John!" Arabella called after him as she chased after him.

"What Arabella?" John snapped and Arabella grasped a hold onto his hand. John looked down at it confused. He was confused himself.

"I am sorry." Arabella whispered as her eyes locked eyes with his. John shook his head.

"But you're not." He admitted and that wasn't true. Arabella did not want to see him hurt like that and the fact that she had something to do with it felt worse.

"John, do not say that." Arabella whimpered.

"You have been running me circles and I can not take it no longer." John shouted back and Arabella just shook her head.

"I was confused and you came back. It was all too much, you never wrote to me. I didn't know what to do and with people lying and deceiving me. I got scared but I know what I want. You." Arabella explained in a furious rant and John didn't even give her a second glance before he walked off. "John! John!" Arabella called after John but it was no use.

___

"Tommy, what am I going to do?" Arabella asked Tommy, John didn't know that he was going to be marrying Arabella today to keep the peace between the two sides. 

"Marry John." Tommy answered obviously before he sat down on the chair beside Arabella. Arabella raised an eyebrow at him.

"He is pissed with me and I do not know if he wants me anymore." Arabella explained and Tommy looked like he couldn't care less but deep down he did. Tommy had some emotions. 

"He has too whether he likes it or not." Tommy replied being unhelpful per usual. Arabella raised an eyebrow at him and looked at the time. She knew she was going to have to go home and get a good nights sleep for tomorrow.

"I should be off. Thanks for the advice." Arabella smiled at him sarcastically before she walked out of the betting place and down the street. She was excited and nervous for tomorrow. 

___

Today was the day. Arabella was going to, hopefully marry John. She was extremely nervous- she had not slept a wink that night. Currently, she was in a tent with her mother trying to figure out what to wear. Arabella was pacing on the cut grass as Gladys sat on a chair watching her daughter. 

Arabella was nervous because John bloody did not know this was happening. He was still in a mood with Arabella. But both John and Arabella love each other, they have for years. 

"What do I wear?" Arabella asked her mother filling the awful dreaded silent. 

"A dress would be helpful." Gladys answered trying to be funny. Arabella did not find it in the least bit funny, she glared at her mum.

"This is my actual wedding day mum and I have nothing to wear. So it would be helpful if you stopped cracking jokes and helped me!" Arabella practically screamed at her mum, holding back her tears. 

 "I can't wear that. It's yours." Arabella admitted as she held the dress. Gladys turned her daughter around so she was facing the dirty mirror.

"Try it on." Gladys ushered and Arabella ran behind the tapestry and tried on the dress. It looked beautiful on her.

"How do I look?" Arabella asked her mother in a shy voice as she did a little turn

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"How do I look?" Arabella asked her mother in a shy voice as she did a little turn. Gladys was fighting back to hold the tears in. She thought her daughter looked utterly beautiful.

"Like a princess." Gladys cried with pride and Arabella was trying to hold back the tears too. It was just such a wonderful mother daughter moment. 

"Will he love me?" Arabella asked her mum as she wiped away the tears. 

"He already does, honey." Gladys answered and Arabella hoped and prayed that was true. 

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just a little filler for tomorrow's chapter! The big wedding day! Who's excited???

Mrs N O'Brien xx

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