Arabella || Peaky Blinders [Michael Gray]

nineteen

Chapter Nineteen
"Someone took him."

Arabella was still reeling slightly after her altercation with Father Hughes, and she was absolutely desperate to get out of the ballroom she'd been forced to stand and socialise in.

Mallory had gone to the toilet, leaving Charlie with Arabella, which she thought might ward some people away from asking questions, but all it seemed to do was draw women like a magnet over to coo over Tommy Shelby's son. Eventually, the boy started kicking up a fuss, and spotting a very exasperated Tommy surrounded by women, Arabella made her way over to him in the hopes to save both him and her. "Sorry, Tom, he wants you."

She carefully handed a wriggling Charlie over to his arms, causing the women surrounding them to sigh dreamily. "So lovely to see a man willing to hold his child in public!"

Arabella rolled her eyes, stepping away when a man from the gazette began asking Tommy for pictures. She sent him an apologetic look, her attempt to rescue him falling through, and headed back into the middle of the ballroom, catching eyes with Michael who stood talking to an older couple, looking bored out of his mind. His gaze lingered on her for a few moments as she grinned at him teasingly, letting the conversation continue for a little while longer before stepping in to help him out.

"Oh, Michael, I've been looking for you everywhere!" Arabella exclaimed as she came to his side, interrupting the conversation. "Polly needs to speak to you." She turned her head, addressing the couple for the first time. "So sorry to steal him away from you. Thank you for coming!"

Michael politely smiled goodbye to them before allowing Arabella to usher him away. Once at a safe distance from everybody, he released a deep sigh of relief, running his hand over his face in exasperation. "Thank you."

"Thought you looked bored out of your mind," Arabella said with a light chuckle. "How's it going?"

"Well, I'm very ready for it to end," Michael responded dryly.

Arabella smiled sympathetically. "Me too." They came to a stop in the corner of the room, Arabella's eyes soon catching sight of the crease in his blazer jacket. "Better sort that out," she said, running her fingers along the lapel of his jacket. "Pol will go mad otherwise."

She lifted her eyelashes to glance up at him with an innocent smile, the single look driving Michael absolutely crazy. Agonisingly slowly, she smoothed down the lapel with her hand to straighten it out, palm soon stopping and resting by his heart. He hoped to God that she couldn't feel how fast it was beating, but even if she couldn't, the red flush swarming his face would have given it away.

Arabella bit back the grin threatening to form on her lips, knowing the effect she seemed to be having on Michael. As wrong as it perhaps was, she was quite enjoying the reactions she got from teasing him.

"Oi, lovebirds," John called over to them both, interrupting the moment in true John fashion. Arabella turned her head to face him, narrowing her eyes in annoyance at his comment. Michael resisted the urge to do the same. "Have either of you seen Charles?"

"I handed him over to Tommy," Arabella responded in confusion, a frown forming on her face as she recalled the moment happening merely minutes ago. "You don't know where he is?"

John shook his head cluelessly. "He's disappeared."

Worry instantly flooded through Arabella, and she shared a glance with Michael, the three of them instantly heading towards the doorway, where Tommy immediately began barking orders at them. "Back door," he pointed between Arabella and John. "Kitchen," he instructed Finn before moving towards Michael. "Get to Blake Street where the cars are."