Summer In February: Lacey

Ashes of morning

Lacey awoke to the dawn breaking the house was silence, she remembered the events of last night. She sat at her vanity and stared at herself in the Venetian glass. "I'm not old enough- I don't want to get married " she sadly whispered she stared at her blank reflection in the mirror, she glanced at the painting on her wall, her father had done it when she was little, she smiled at it slightly, her father the artist.
She studied the painting and heard her fathers voice in her head "Rule two: if I ask you to do something do it, Rule three: if you Disobey me understand they're will be consequences"
   Her back slide down the locked door. She heard feet outside "hello?" She spoke "please let me out please" she whispered she heard the lock click. She slowly opened the door, she saw the shadow of her fathers art assistants shadow. She heard her father sleeping soundly, she gently pulled the door too and crept past her fathers room and out the house, her feet on the bare ground, with that she ran and ran she ran down to the beach, her night gown blowing in the breeze. She listened to the breeze as her feet danced in the cold crystal water along the seas edge, she looked up towards the cliff "momma" she breathed and ran towards her mothers studio.
                  AJ woke, a dry feeling in his throat, maybe Lacey had come to her senses. He got up and padded to Lacey's door, he went to unlock it and it opened a jar, AJ's eyes glazed. "Lacey? Lacey!" He opened the door fully and entered the room she was gone, he had to find her.
Lacey entered her mums old studio and just sat, reminiscing memories. Lacey walked out on the cliffs and looked over the edge. Shes dancing on the edge she's scared she's gonna fall, watching the waves crash
          AJ ran out of the house and down the path towards the beach, no Lacey.  He ran to her mothers but no Lacey. He walked along the paths to the cliffs and he saw her he edged towards her, she was in a world of her own so didn't notice. He grabbed her waist and pulled her away from the edge she gasped "What are you doing! What are you doing!" He cried "I was watching the waves..." she responded.  He held his daughter "pretty baby, I have to keep you safe, your future is if high promise."
Lacey swallowed hard "please don't..." Lacey began "it's already decided, it's for the best!" Lacey looked at him "for who? Me or you?" She cried "Lacey don't!" AJ responded "why doesn't anyone ever ask me!" She cried "Lacey that's enough!"AJ retorted sternly.
It's started to rain, Lacey tried to pull away but his grip grew stronger. "Lacey Listen!" He shouted. Lacey looked at him "You are going to marry the future Lord of Cornish, you will smile, you will do what he asks of you and if not you will have me to deal with- I know what you'd prefer! Are we understood?" AJ finished, the rain had soaked Lacey's night gown through she was soaked to the bones.She was shivering "Yes... Si.." she felt into her father and collapsed in his arms. AJ carried her to the house, to his workshop where her mother used to lay. She looked at his daughter lying there small and pale, she looked so much like her mother. Lacey slept until mid morning, her father was scared she may have caught a cold.
        The wedding of Lacey was being planned and she had no part in it she just had to turn up and look pretty. 'Pretty Baby' they called her.
      Later that week they were invited to the Cornish manor, for the official engagement. AJ bought Dollie to help Lacey get ready. Lacey was shown to a room to be dressed, AJ handed Dollie a corset, he demanded that Lacey wear it to look more grown up. There would be tea on the lawn at 2. And then AJ would paint the happy couple.
The corset was done up so tight Lacey was left gasping for breath but she got used to it. She looked at herself in the mirror, this wasn't what she wanted but she didn't want the wrath of her father.
There was a knock on the study door where inside the Lord of Cornish and his son and AJ were sitting a servant spoke "Miss Lacey-Mae Munnings" Lacey stepped in the room and the lord gushed "absolutely beautiful my dear" the lords son took Lacey's hand and greeted her. They discussed Lacey's engagement contract and the fact of her father and the future lord dealing out punishment. With that a ring was placed on her finger and the sweet little 15 year old was engaged to a man age 27.
They walked onto the lawn ready for the painting to be done. AJ took Lacey's arm and whispered "Smile darling your engagement is official"  AJ was gleeful.
Lacey and the Lords son posed, it was now even harder to breathe as his arm gripped her waist.
"So Miss Lacey, you are quite a beauty" the heir began Lacey smiled "thank you sir" they continued to talk until Lacey's breathing grew heavy as his grip grew tighter "if You'll excuse me sir I can't-" Lacey fell to the floor, all three men looked stunned, Dollie ran and unlaced Lacey's corset. Lacey was breathing, she was carried to the house, once the dress was removed leaving only undergarments, you could see Lacey's ribs Laced with bruises. Lacey awoke and her father asked to be left with her "Lacey you need to learn- beauty is pain, anyway the lords heir would like to see you in his quarters.
I'm a lace night gown Lacey entered the heirs quarters.
"Ah Miss Lacey, feeling better I trust." Lacey smiled "much thank you"  the lords son touched Lacey's cheek. "You must know why I've called you hear, to tell you our schedule for producing a heir" he began "schedule?" Lacey asked puzzling "yes it's the minimal times a week that you must try and produce an heir" Lacey nodded "please sir I don't mean to speak out of turn but I'm not ready, I'm still a baby myself" she replied 'Pretty Baby' he muttered. After a few moments of silence she was dismissed. She entered her room to where her father eagerly awaited. "So Lacey?" He asked "I'm not ready for a baby" she replied and the room felt silent.