"Are we too late?" Gabrielle asked, while her twin sister raced towards them.

"Not quite." Helen said and grabbed her hand. "If we don't hurry we will be."

Zorell wasn't sure what they were stressing about, but she was about to find out. She saw a small crowd of anxious young women, and Eloise standing with her back towards them with her bouquet in hand as she shouted towards the crowd.

"Are you ready?" she asked and held up the bouquet. The crowd of girls laughed and shouted for her to throw the mess of pink flowers. "Okay, here it comes."

Zorell looked up and saw the bouquet heading right for her. Before she could move out of the line of fire, the mess of pink and white flowers hit her in the chest. On reaction, she caught them in her arms.

"Look!" a red-haired girl called out, while pointing a finger at her. "Zorell caught the bouquet."

She heard another girl whisper. "Who would marry her?"

She ignored it and just looked at the flowers. She hated the fact that she caught it and wondered if Eloise purposely threw it at her. It would be just like her to do such a thing. The bride looked happy that she caught it and ran towards her.

"We'll start looking at wedding dresses after I get back from my honeymoon," Eloise said excitedly

"Oh, no, I'm never getting married," she said and some of the other girls laughed.

"You'll change your mind one day," Eloise said and gave her a quick hug. She then joined her groom in a dance. The party would be winding down soon, and Devlin and Eloise would be starting on their trip. She was going to miss the two of them, but at least she had an out and wouldn't have to live in that cold dead house with her father.

Zorell didn't feel like dancing, and instead, just watched as everyone else took a twirl. As she stood by the refreshment table sipping her small glass of juice she noticed Zachary and Trevor shamelessly flirting with Eden twins, Helen and Gabrielle. They were on the wild side and flirted with many girls to their father's disapproval, but he didn't stop them from gallivanting with anyone they felt like. Damon Depree would just say they were young boys sowing their wild oats. Didn't girls have a wild side as well? It was that old double standard that Zorell hated. Boys could do whatever they wanted, but girls must always be prim and proper ladies.

Things were about to change that night once she made the decision to leave home for good. She had planned on it long ago, years before she entered nursing school. She knew that if she was going to be independent she had to have a profession and being a nurse would give her that chance. Her father was not keen on the idea, but it was one of the things she would not back down from. Becoming a nurse was only her second choice. If she truly had her way she would have become a doctor. Very few women trained for that profession, and there was no way her father would allow that.

After she had a bite to eat, Eloise came to the table where she was sitting. She still looked so beautiful and innocent. A smile came to Zorell's face, seeing how happy she was.

"Dev and I are leaving in a few minutes," she said as Zorell stood up.

"I'll miss you," Zorell said, knowing that she would be leaving and may not see her for a good long while. It would be much longer than the two weeks she would spend on her honeymoon.

"I'll be back before you know it," she said with that innocent smile of hers. "I wanted to return this to you before we left." She had taken off the silver bracelet and placed it in Zorell's hand and closed it up again. "Thank you for letting me borrow it."

"I wouldn't let anyone else wear it but you," Zorell said and put the bracelet back on. Eloise helped her with the clasp.

Devlin came up to the two young women. "There's my beautiful bride," he said and took her hand. "So, what are you two plotting about?"

"There's no dastardly plan, love," Eloise said and kissed his hand. "I was just returning Zorell's bracelet." She held up her hand, so he could see the bracelet on her wrist.

"So, I guess you're both innocent," Devlin said as she as he put his arm around his bride.

"Not everything is a conspiracy, dear brother," Zorell said and sat back down in her chair. She thought for a moment and said, "Just one thing, Dev."

"What's that?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"If you ever make my best friend unhappy it will be the last day you spend on this Earth," she warned, which made Devlin burst out laughing. The thought of killing her brother wasn't anything she could seriously imagine, but when it came to Eloise she would do anything for her. "Just take care of her," Zorell said honestly, which made Eloise blush.

"We'll take care of each other," Eloise said and gave her one last embrace before they left.

It was getting late and she needed a few hours to prepare for her departure. She walked back in the house to see Leland sitting in a chair staring at that letter once again. She wondered how many times he had read it.

"Have you memorized that thing yet?" she asked as he looked up slowly. His face was still pale, even more so then when he first learned the truth.

"Just about," he said, holding onto the letter tightly. He folded it up and put it back in his pocket. "You look tired."

"I am... a little," Zorell said and sat down in the chair next to his. "It's been an emotional day."

"Do you still want to come with me tonight?" he asked, and she looked surprised that he asked that question.

"Of course, I'm going," she said and looked out the open window to see her father drinking a glass of something and conversing with his new in-laws. She wouldn't have been surprised if it was some kind of alcohol. Even with liquor being illegal, her father would find the means to obtain it. "I couldn't stand to live in that house without Devlin, besides Father would like nothing more than to get rid of me. I'm giving him his wish... but on my terms, not his."

"At least I tried to change your mind," he said and stood up. "I'll drive you home, alright?"

"Sure, I've had enough of this party," she said and stood up taking his hand. "If you don't mind, make sure my father sees us."

"Is he still trying to bring us together?" he asked and half laughed. It was the first time that day he cracked anything that resembled a smile.

"Of course, he is, but I would like nothing more than to trick him into thinking he's won," she said with a sly look in her eye. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No," he said and shook his head. "Why don't we make it look real by holding hands on the way out?"

"Sure," she said and offered up her hand.

They walked out into the party and received stares and whispers from on-lookers, but no one actually confronted them. She glanced back in the direction where her father was standing and saw a smile of satisfaction on his face. They made their way out to his car and felt relieved to no longer be the center of everyone's attention. Once she entered his car, she felt safer. She wouldn't feel truly safe, until she was away from her father and his house.

"Here we are," he said, and she sat there for a minute or so. Part of her didn't want to go back inside. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said and looked up to the second floor where her bedroom was.

This would be the last day she would spend there. She should have been sad about it, but she was elated. She was going to get out on her own and make a life for herself away from his tyranny. It both excited and terrified her.

She finally exited the car and looked back after hearing Leland's voice. "I'll be back tonight so be ready."

"Park behind the bushes so your car won't be seen and keep your headlights off," she said, thinking that if he came close to the house her father would wake up, and her plan would be ruined.

"Yes, that may be safer, Zorell," he said and shook his head with a wry smile. "I feel like a spy."

"You read too many mysteries," she said and ran up to the house.

"...and you don't," he remarked which made her feel embarrassed. It was true that she had read Sherlock Holmes more times than she should have, but she loved trying to figure the outcome of the cases and felt a sense of gratification when she did.

She still had that awful pink dress on, and she wanted to get out of it. Leland watched until she disappeared inside of the house. She heard him drive away and looked at the clock. It was a few minutes passed six. She would take a short nap after she had everything packed up that she wanted to take on her abrupt getaway. She just had to make sure her father didn't suspect a thing.

That's it for chapter three. If anyone has any suggestions of what they would like to see happen in the story let me know in the comments. Chapter three is coming soon. Leland and Zorell travel to the city. What will they find and will Zorell's father find out about her deception?

Remember to to comment and vote. Your feedback is welcome.