My Lucky Penny

Struggling Against the Perception of Facts Part 4

Penny sat with Prissy and the girls in the bride's bedroom, admiring how beautiful she looked in her dress.

"Something old?" Ruby asked, running through the checklist. Prissy held her necklace.

"Something new?" Jane added. Prissy grazed her hair clip.

"Something borrowed?" came Anne, who was already holding the veil in her hands.

"Something blue?" Penny asked. Prissy gestured to her corset buttons.

"And a silver sixpence..." Diana began.

Prissy picked the sixpence off her bed. "In my shoe," she finished, taking off her heel and putting the item inside.

Anne smiled, coming to the foot of the bed. "Prissy, I can only hope that one day, eventually, this union between you and Mr. Phillips will grow into one where you can both fulfill your heart's desires."

At the comment, the energy seemed to drain out of the room, the smiles vanishing from the girls' faces.

"Anne," Penny whispered, warning her to stop.

Anne continued. "Oh, I only meant that even if it your marriage isn't all romantical, you can still have the most marvelous life in Toronto, and perhaps one day, you can go back to...school."

The silence was painful.

"Girls, why don't you head downstairs," Penny suggested, standing up and ushering them to the door. "We'll be with you shortly."

The younger girls awkwardly walked out and she turned to Prissy.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

The bride sighed, not meeting her eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. Anne certainly has her way with words."

Penny sat down next to her. "She certainly does."

•••

Penny Blythe, nor any Blythe for that matter, had ever been one for many eyes on her. Yet she walked down the aisle with Jane following behind her with her heart pounding. It almost felt like she was the one getting married.

Just one foot in front of the other.

She caught sight of Gilbert sitting in the aisle. They exchanged a smile and she felt herself steady. She even managed to push down her disdain seeing Mr. Phillips at the front of the room.

She and Jane finally made it to their spots off to the side of where Prissy would be standing.

The music changed slightly, the doors opened, and everyone stood.

There was Prissy, looking as beautiful as ever, even with the veil covering her face. Her arm was looped around her father's as they began walking down the aisle.

As they walked, Penny was able to see Gilbert staring more so at Anne, who was sitting across the aisle from him. Although Anne quickly turned to face the front when Prissy passed, she could see a blush taking over the young girl's face.

The bride and her father finally reached the front, stopping in front of Mr. Phillips, who couldn't even muster a smile.

As Mr. Andrews took his seat in the front pew, Mr. Phillips lifted the veil away from Prissy's face.

And then...nothing.

A horrible silence filled the room. Though Penny couldn't see Prissy's face from where she was standing, she could see the bride looking out at everyone in the room, her breathing becoming heavier.

Jane looked back at Penny, the two of them exchanging a concerned glance.

"Prissy?" Mr. Phillips whispered, breaking the silence. She didn't look at him. He tried again. This time, something happened.

The sound of Prissy's bouquet falling to the floor was quiet, yet it ricocheted throughout the room.

As gasps sounded throughout the guests, Prissy ran out of the church with her head bowed.

"Prissy?" Jane called to no avail.

The younger girls immediately stood and chased after the bride.

"What on earth is the meaning of this?" came an angry man's voice from the pews.

Penny ran to the door and looked out. They were far away, but she was able to get a glimpse of Prissy and the girls. They seemed to be engaged in a snowball fight. Despite the distance, Penny could hear their laughter clear as day.

She smiled to herself. "She's alright," she called to the guests, turning back to them. At their confused glances, she added, "It doesn't seem like Prissy will be getting married today. But she is set to lead an extraordinary life."

———
AN: hi loves! sorry for the shorter chapter. looking back i probably could've included this in the last chapter. my bad.

we've finally reached the end of phillips' story. breathe a sigh of relief with me pls