𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃
chapter 17

"Where the fuck are they?" John groaned, leaning back in his chair. "Fucking hungry i am." he added, Florence slapped him round the back of the head. "No swearing, John, kids at the table." she said, referring to Ada's kid.

He raised his hands in defence. "Sorry."

Some time had passed and John kept engaging with the men across from him.

"What do you call an animal with a prick halfway up its back?" He asked the man across from him. Esme rolled her eyes dramatically and looked away/

"A cavalry horse!" John finished with a cackle like laugh.  "He got it, he gets it. You get it don't you Flo?" he pointed.

"Fuck it, fuck it..." Arthur whispered, placing the paper that contained his speech in his pocket. "Where the bloody hell are they?"

"You're best man, Arthur, go find them." Linda urged.

Linda was his new wife, extremely religious, hated by everyone but Arthur himself. They'd chat shit about her whenever they got the chance.

-

"Hold on wait a second.:" Lizzie followed after Micheal. "So you're saying i'm not allowed a man.."

"It's about your choice of man." he stopped her. "I'm not allowed a man on my arm?" she asked. Arthur halter, hearing their bickering and going to find the two.

"Thomas says there are rules, Lizzie." Micheal reminded her.

"Fucking parish bastard." she scoffed, crossing her arms. "Micheal, speeches, come on—" Arthur cleared his throat, stopping in his tracks. "Arthur. You know why he didn't come, don't you?" Lizzie asked.

He grabbed a bottle of champagne from a maid, searching the label. "Why who didn't come?"

"My bloody man!" she spat. "Oh you mean the wop?" he asked, opening the bottle. Micheal stepped forward, standing in front of the mirror and looking at himself.

"I just heard there was a fire at his restaurant midnight last night." she told him. "And a smashed back window and a smell of petrol." Her voice was shaking.

"Lizzie, we tried to talk some sense into you," Micheal sighed. "We did checks on him."

Florence slowed down as she ran into the three, on her way to find Arthur. "What the bloody hell are you lot doing?" she asked, only to be ignored.

Micheal glanced at her then back at Lizzie, "he's had five different names in the last six years, and he's got connections with the Naples boys."

"Who does?" she asked, looking at her brother.

"Come on, Micheal." Arthur said. "What do you know about love?" Lizzie gritted through her teeth, staring at the boy. "About when lightning strikes?"

Florence whistled at Lizzie's tone.

"So, it was lightning, hm? Not petrol." Arthur joked.

"I suppose you knew about this, Florence?" Lizzie suggested. "Don't you be fucking accusing me of something Lizzie." she warned, looking over at Arthur.

"I thought you were off the whiskey, Arthur." Micheal said as they began walking away. "Yeah i am, having a couple now and again to remind myself why i don't drink it." Arthur told him.

"You set fire to his restaurant to stop him coming, you have no right to choose who i step out with in my own time!" Lizzie shouted after them.

"How could they have done anything of the sort if they are here?" Florence asked.

"Shut up." She hissed. "Watch who your fucking talking to or i swear to god-" Florence began. The boys stopped, turning back to them, Micheal walking to them.

"Lizzie, you now have an important position in this company. You got the order same as us. You can do it."

Lizzie looked down at her feet.

"Until further notice, no fraternising with the foreigners." Arthur breathed, turning away alongside his cousin.

"Yeah well you can tell Tommy from me all the girls in the office think he's losing his fucking mind!"

All they could hear was the sound of Lizzie's heels as she walked the other way.

-

"To the bride." Tommy took a deep breath and raised his glass in the air. "And now according to tradition, my best man will say a few words." He nodded to Arthur.

Everyone sat back down.

"Go on! Here he goes! Go on, Arthur!" John shouted. "Right um..i'm not one for speeches." he said nervously. "Sing then." John shouted.

"I will later, John. But, uh, I do..i do have some words written down here," he nodded, pulling the paper from his coat. "This doesn't include everything i want to say:"

"Arthur just, just read what we wrote down, eh?" Tom whispered. "You're alright, Arthur, go on." Florence whispered. Arthur nodded at her slightly. "First a few words from..from the heart. This man here, my brother Tommy, helped me survive through some of the worst times." He stuttered. Tommy cleared his throat loudly, stopping him, earning a hard glare from his younger sister.

"It's a wedding, Arthur, tell a joke." Micheal said. "Yeah tell a joke." John nodded. Florence glared at her brother.

"What i'm trying to say is that, my brother and the love of a good woman, pulled me through that time. Now tommy also has the love of a good woman, her names Grace. Like the Grace of the good Lord. And even though, the circumstances of their union was tragic.."

Tommy sent his fist to the table, standing. "All right. Let's uh, Arthur. Let's raise a toast eh? To uh, to love to peace to marriage."

Arthur looked down, seeming defeated.

"Well done Arthur, beautiful speech, really nice." John said. Arthur grabbed his jacket, walking off. "Really nice."

"God John.:" Florence shook her head, going after Arthur.

"Arthur," she stopped him at the door, holding his arm. "I think i messed it up, Flo." he shook his head. She sighed. "No Arthur, you had good intentions." she smiled. "Ignore John and Micheal, yeah?"

Before she could say anymore, Linda turned up, resulting in her rolling her eyes.

"Always have to turn up to try be a hero, could you not have given me five minutes with my cousin." She scoffed. "Instead of preaching about how much God loves him."