With the shortened engagement, Violet's days were soon filled with fittings, rehearsals and approving decorations. Her mother stayed close to her at all times, which left no room for Violet to contemplate her sanity, Liam, or even how she felt about getting married. She was simply going through the motions, trying to get through each day the easiest way she knew how. So she went along with whatever her mother wanted, since her mother was happily living out an unfulfilled dream, and watched as the life she hoped for slipped away through waves of tulle and mesh.

"Where are you going to live after you get married? Will you stay here?" Beth asked Violet, sitting on her bed and brushing out her doll's hair.

"I'll be moving in to Mr. Laurant's house, sweetie," Violet answered, handing her a silk ribbon.

Beth's bottom lip bowed into a pout. "But...I want you here. I don't want you to go away, Vivi."

"His house isn't far. We'll still be able to see each other."

But the little girl's frown stayed in place. "When Vienna got married, she moved away and never came back."

"It was different for her. Mummy and Daddy didn't approve of her marrying Mr. Elias and she did anyway."

"Do they not love her anymore?"

Violet pulled the little one into a hug. "Of course they do. They're just upset with her. You'll see her again, I promise."

"And you? Promise I'll see you?"

"Of course you will. The wedding won't change anything. You'll still see me and I'll bring you more boxes and chocolate and dolls every time."

That seemed to brighten her up. "I still wish you could always live here, though."

"I do, too. But I can't. You'll grow up one day and make a man fall hopelessly in love with you and then you'll move away too."

Beth stuck out her tongue and scrunched her eyes closed. "I don't want to get married! I couldn't take my dolls with me, could I? Oh Violet, would you get me a little red haired doll, like in Mr. Wick's store? She's so beautiful and I've never seen another like her."

Violet laughed as Beth veered off topic and spoke of fancy dresses and truffles that she desired. Beth's words stabbed at Violet's heart, because she remembered when she had felt the same. The dream land of a litte girl was precious, and she honestly wished she could have lived in it forever. She wished she could still share in Beth's childhood innocence, but the time had come for her to forever grow up and resume responsibility for the family she was born in, and the family she would bore.

xXx

The day before the wedding came all too soon for Violet. She spent what she could of it alone, but was dragged out for the big dinner for the town, thrown in her honor by Mr. Laurant. It was a beautifully decorated ball room and the food was esquistic. Shame she could barely eat any of it, for her stomach was in knots and she felt quite ill. Violet managed to smile and look gracious for everyone, but was relieved when she could slip back into her room alone. First, she had to shoo out her two sisters, who had her wedding dress out and took turns dancing around the room with it held up to them. But once they were gone, she fell into her bed and curled up beneath the covers.

"It looks beautiful."

Violet was flooded in relief as she heard Liam's voice, but it drained out of her when she saw her surroundings. It was her wedding, completely decorated for the big day.

"Roses?" Liam asked, lifting a pale pink rose from it's stem. Entwined in the archway that she would be married under were roses growing throughout. "You shouldn't have roses. Look at them. They tangle and choke. They have no place at a wedding. You should have Daisies. If you were mine, I'd cover you in wild, free growing daisies, free to roam the country side and show up anywhere. Not to be caught between thorns and veins."

Violet stared at him sadly. She watched as he let go of the rose and the petals fluttered down and scattered in the breeze. "I don't want to be here," she said.

Liam nodded and covered her eyes. "Then I'll show you where I am."

When his hands left her eyes, she saw waves crashing upon the shore and rushing towards their feet. The white pock marked sand scrunched beneath their feet. The sun was just going down beyond the water and sea gulls called to each other.

"Where is this?" she said, walking a few steps. "It's beautiful. I've never seen the beach before."

"It's England, Violet. This is the Alantic Ocean. I'm at a port on the edge of England."

"It looks amazing. It looks...far from me."

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck. "Not too far. But far enough to keep me away until it's too late, I'm afraid."

They watched the sinking sun in silence as the sky turned red and gold before Liam bent to the ground. He scooped up a handful of sand, then opened her palm and spilled it inside.

"I love you Violet." For the first time, she saw a tear fall from his eye. "Goodbye, my dear."

When the last grains of sand fell into her palm, Liam was gone and so was the beach. She woke up with a tear falling down her face, and sand in her bed.

xXx

Violet sneezed as clouds of face powder whirled around her.

"Stay still!" her mother hissed disapprovingly, then began reapplying more. Violet stared at herself in the mirror, trying to focus straight in her eyes. She didn't want to see anything beyond her face that told her what today was.

In her hand, she held what little sand she was able to scrape from her bed. It was the only physical proof she ever received of Liam.

Violet winced as her mother's friend pulled at her hair. Since her mother thought that red hair looked disgraceful, her friend was busy pulling it taunt and wrapping it up in a french bun. The veil would cover the rest.

If she glanced out of the side of her eye, she could see poor little Beth peering in the door. She had been forbiddened to come in after she had accidently ran over the wedding dress, and sat on it later. She had cried when she wasn't able to watch Violet get dressed and was told she couldn't be apart of the wedding day. To make her stop, Violet promised that she'd give her extra ribbons for her hair to make her look like the prettiest flower girl there ever was. That seemed to cheer Beth up considerably.

Once the powdering was done, her mother took off the dust covering from over Violet. This let her see in the mirror the bride she had been dressed to be. With the veil added, it was enough to make Violet cry. She clenched the sandy feeling in her hand and tried to keep her composure.

Beth couldn't help herself any more and burst into the room, squealing in excitement. "You look like a princess, Vivi!" she cried out. Beth got as close as she dared to under her mother's intense gaze and peered close at Violet's painted face. She reached up and pinched her cheek. "You have an eyelash. Make a wish, Vi!"

Violet wished for Daisies.

xXx

She stared down the aisle, shaking. Violet watched Beth begin her slow march down the wedding aisle as the harps and violins chastely played. Beth dropped pale colored rose petals with each step and smiled dazingly.

It would soon be her turn.

Her father squeezed her arm before he led them to begin their walk. The music changed for them, people stood up, and they walked out of the house and down the porch stairs. The eager, awaiting faces were all turned towards her and made her happy that her veil covered her face. A tear or two fell from her eyes but she didn't worry about it. She was sure everyone would just think they were happy tears.

Her foot stumbled, but her father was there to catch her. When she straightened, she realized they were already down the aisle. Her waiting groom was staring upon her with a smile. If only for a moment, it made her feel better.

Her father gave a short speech about giving her away, and then placed her hand inside of Mr. Laurant's. Together, they walked under the archway where the reverand awaited them.

She bowed her head and tried to shut out the words. She had convinced herself that marrying Laurant would end up being a good thing in time, but right now she just wasn't ready for this. It was too soon. Why hadn't she fought moving the wedding sooner? She had gone along with it to keep the peace and not be a disappointment, but now she wished with all of her heart that she at least had a few weeks or months left. It would have helped ease her heart.

Mr. Laurant squeezed her hand. It made her look up, a little startled, to see him smiling at her. "Are you alright?" he whispered.

She nodded, then looked away. She looked past the crowd, trying to focus on the landscape beyond. She wished the beauty of it to sweep her away, but her feet stayed steady.

A gust of wind rushed through, lifting the veil away from her face. She felt something fall upon the top of her foot as her dress blew behind her. She looked down and saw that, upon her foot, was a daisy that the wind had blown her way.

She gasped and looked surprised, if not a little guilty, up at her groom. She had wished for daisies in betrayal of him. Then it occured to her that there were no daisies growing anywhere nearby to her knowledge. She couldn't remember seeing any daisy patches at all.

She looked past the crowd again, this time without the veil casting her vision in white and saw him.

She couldn't believe it. She was certain now that she was completely mad. Insanity had claimed the rest of her brain. For surely, as sure as she stood there in a wedding dress amidst her wedding ceremony, Liam stood before her. He was standing on the stairs she had walked down on the porch, looking a bit worse for the wear, holding a few wild daisies in his hand.

Violet cried out at the sight of him, stopping the reverand from his speech. A murmer went through the crowd as they gave her questioning glances.

"Has anyone a reason why these two should not be wed?"

She stared at Liam, but he didn't say anything. He looked a little wounded, his fist shaking enough to rattle some of the petals from the daisies.

No one said a word. Not a single person. It made her heart drop. What was there to do? She wanted nothing more than to rip the veil off and run as fast as she could into Liam's arms. Her dream had finally come true, standing right before her eyes. How could she shun it away and pledge her life to another man?

How could she not? She had already promised Mr. Laurant that she would serve as his wife forever. She had promised her father and mother. She needed Beth to have a good future.

But there was Liam, her lifelong friend and the man who would always have her heart. Tears brimmed over her eyes and streamed down her face and indecision ran through her and time was against her.

"And do you, Miss Violet Viola Gates, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Her tears streamed harder. A sob escaped from her throat.

"Violet?" her groom asked in panic. "Violet, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, hating herself for what she was about to say. She was losing the respect of the Gates' name and shaming for family.

"I can't," she whispered to the reverand. Then looking at Mr. Laurant, she said, "I'm sorry. I'm so truly sorry."

Her veil fell from her head as she ran down the aisle. Instead of running to Liam, she kept going. Nothing would be more shameful than for her to run out of her wedding and into the arms of another while her groom and the whole town. As she ran down the street, she realized she had no idea where she was going. She couldn't stop though, trying to race away from everyone who was shouting her name and demanding for her to return. She fumbled and took her shoes off and threw them to the side of the road.

When she was a good distance away and could no longer hear the commotion of the wedding, Liam caught up with her, coming down from the adjoining street.

"Violet!" he said, catching her arm.

She stopped running and turned to face him. There were no words either of them could say. The shock of them being together during waking hours, the fact that she had just abandoned everything she had ever known and ruined her sisters' futures, having no idea where they would go or what they'd do was just too much to form into words.

She stared at his eyes, ablazed from the run and excitement, and saw they were the same as they always were during their dreams. He was every bit the same; his height, his strong jaw, his straight nose.

Commotion came in earshot again, which sent the pair running again, neither knowing a destination or plan. They just ran, together and hand in hand, and hoped they'd find somewhere that would show them some mercy.