Petal [h.s.]

Chapter 57 (*)

Violet.

"So, Harry told me something yesterday." I took a sip of my champagne as I stood with Eleanor and Isobel in the foyer.

The men had all gone inside for the meeting as we all waited for them. I had decided a while ago to stop commenting on how misogynistic this whole meeting-thing was, and decided to just enjoy it and keep my mouth shut.

Eleanor frowned in confusion as I took it upon myself to take her left hand in my hand, staring at her naked ring finger.

"What're you looking at?"

"He told me you were engaged." I was confused myself now as I didn't spot a ring and Eleanor chuckled while nodding. "Ah, yes, have been for ages."

"Louis didn't get you an engagement ring?"

"I had one, and then one day I took it off to do some dishes and Billy got away with it. He chewed it for hours as I was going crazy, thinking I had lost it. It was beyond repair at that point, the diamond had completely bent. So Louis and I are going to get a new one soon."

I gasped with a smile. "How could I not know you're engaged?"

Eleanor shrugged as she took another sip. "I forget it myself all the time. It's been quite a while now, I'm used to it."

"How did he propose?"

"He, um...," She smiled, "he took me to the place we had our first date, which was this one bench beneath the willows that overlooks the river. We started dating in summer, and that bench was kind of our meeting point for a while. So he took me there, and we sat down together and he kissed me. I had my eyes closed and by the time I opened them he was on his knee in front of me. It was very simple, but very him. Very us. It was so cute." She beamed and I fonded.

"Oh my God, that sounds amazing."

Eleanor nodded, "Yes, it was perfect. I never wanted like a public proposal, or something cheesy. But this just felt personal, and even though it wasn't crazy, I still knew he put thought into it and considered what I would like."

"That's very cute indeed, I can imagine you were swooning." I smiled widely, and Eleanor smiled back.

"Why were you and Harry talking about marriage anyways?" Isobel chuckled and I let out a breath. "He once told the people at Saint Mary's that we're married so he could get info on James' file. It only works if you're married or immediate family."

"So... At Saint Mary's they think you're Violet Styles?"

"Yep."

Isobel nodded. "Not going to lie... It's kind of a killer name."

"Let's make sure he doesn't hear you," I snickered with an eyeroll, "So," I cleared my throat and diverted my attention back to Eleanor, "when are you actually going to get married?"

"We've started planning a while back. But something always seem to come up. Around the time of our original wedding date, we were convinced that I was pregnant. We called the whole thing of, being so sure of ourselves until I ended up not being pregnant." Eleanor sighed, "and then we just kept postponing it and stuff always came first. Like we had Ian's drug issues for a long time, and then just stuff with the gang."

"Did you already get a dress?"

Eleanor nodded. "I did. I'm not sure if it'll fit anymore, but yeah, I got a dress last year."

Just imagining Eleanor as a bride... She already had that effortless beauty over her, that gracefulness. She'd look like an actual goddess in a white, long dress.