Obscure Occurrences |C. BAREBONE|

☛ Seven ☚

• December, 1925 •

It was dinner. Like Genevieve had never been to one of those... And she knew the drill. Dress up pretty, sit still and silent ("women should be seen, not heard" as her Father said) and Genevieve was going to meet a suitor. Victor was once again attempting to marry off his only daughter.

"Why don't you wear the white one? It compliments your eyes" Mrs. Glover began as she draped said dress over the bed. Meanwhile, Genevieve stared outside, staring with such intent you would think she could see something no one else could. Maybe she could. Genevieve already felt a gaping, black hole eating at her chest. Maybe she could see her heart pulsing in the sky.

"Genevieve-" Mrs. Glover proceeded to sigh,
"- give the boy a chance".

"A chance?" Genevieve spat. "I know how this is gonna go. This man -not boy- is going to ogle at that low neckline and give a smirk that says everything... I'm not a child Penny-" she sighed with undiluted pain, "- I know what he will be thinking. And it isn't me walking down the aisle".

Once Genevieve had finished her sentence with a laboured breath, she whipped her eyes back around to the streets below.

"What man hasn't thought that way? But, this one might be different... You know they're not all the same".

Mrs. Glover couldn't help but hear of Credence. How Genevieve adored his innocent mind, soft eyes and slight, shy smile. She was using what Genevieve loved against her.

"Nobody is like him" she whispered to herself.

"I know that little Miss-" Mrs. Glover cooed, bending slightly to sit and embrace Genevieve. "- but you know it won't work like those books you read. Every fairytale has an ending".

Once Mrs. Glover had left -with an obvious shuffle in her step- Genevieve hesitantly turned her head to see glittering, white dress laid upon the covers of pale yellow and baby blue. And she knew from there, she couldn't escape this.

Her body slipped from her night gown before she untangled the little accents of the dress, making it look as expensive as it cost.

"You are strong and beautiful" Genevieve spoke confidently into the mirror, knowing that this night would prove her less than that.

Once her makeup was arranged, natural and shimmering. Genevieve fixed her hair and buckled her shoes that were a soft, cream leather.

"Princess!" Victor called from the foot of the stairs, his body already wrapped in a fur collared coat. He was decked out in his best suit and for a good reason. Tonight they were meeting Henry Shaw Sr, his boss and his handsome son and suitor for his beloved daughter.

"Coming Father!" She exclaimed as she pulled on her coat and flittered down the steps in haste.

When Victor saw his daughter, he took a step back. She looked exactly like his beautiful Hannah. Especially, as she gracefully put one foot before the other. He knew with his princess, this arrangement would be worth Mr. Shaw's while.

"Look at you!" He praised in a grand voice as he extended a hand for it his little girl.

"Thank you Father".

"Now remember-" he began with a straight-laced expression, "- these people are important to Father. I need you to be on your best behaviour".

"Nothing less" Genevieve smiled before Victor waved goodbye to Mrs. Glover and entered his automobile after his daughter.