“Do you think I have time for a walk in the gardens?” she asked rapidly. “I believe some fresh air will clear my mind and make it all seem a littleeasier.”
“I can come with you...” Edith started, but Catherine curled her fingers around her arm to stop her. As her closest friend, she could see that Annabelle needed to be alone. "Or maybe we could distract everyone so you can get out... as long as you do not runaway."
No one laughed at Edith’s poor attempt at a joke, they all snapped into action instead. Anything to help Annabelle get through the day. They wanted to do something productive, and this just feltright.
“Right, come on. Let us go.” Catherine took control. “Edith, Harriett, and I will distract anyone that we need to along the way. You go and get some fresh air, Annabelle. Hopefully, you will come back inside feeling muchbetter."
No one held much hope for that, but at least they were doingsomething...
* * *
The cool breezebrushed past Annabelle’s cheeks, stinging her skin, she slid her eyes closed and inhaled deeply, trying to use the fresh air and the scent of grass to calm her down, but still, she found herself in a panic. She felt a little better without the restricting walls of her house surrounding her. She picked up the long skirt of her dress so it did not drag along the ground, and shewalked.
At first, she thought of nothing, she simply embraced the freedom of being outside, but soon all the events of what now felt like a whole other life, came back to haunther.
There were a lot of memories of her early days with Floyd surrounding her as she made her way through the gardens: the place they first met, where they shared their first kiss, where Annabelle told Floyd she wanted to leave... it was all there, crushing her spirit. She wished that she could be uplifted by these memories, that she could use them to help her get through this day, but she ended up terribly sadinstead.
As her eyes fell upon Primrose, Annabelle recalled her first and only riding lesson, tears spilled down hercheeks.
“Hello there, Primrose,” she said delicately as she moved towards the sandy coloured beast. “I bet you do not remember me, do you?” She ran her hand down Primrose’s soft hair. “But I know you must miss Floyd.” Emotion filled her throat which made her choke on her words a little. “I am sorry that I took him away from you, that was wrong of me. I was selfish and naïve, I can see that now. I thought that love would keep me and Floyd together and that everything else would work out.” She chuckled hollowly and glanced down at her dress. “As you can see from what I am wearing, things did not work out as planned. They did for a while, but I did not get my happily everafter.”
Primrose made an odd noise back. It was not quite a neighing sound. If Annabelle did not know any better, she would have thought it was the sound of emotionalpain.
“I wish he could come back too, trust me,” she whispered. “I should have never interfered with things. I have learned my lesson now.” She sighed loudly and glanced up to the top of Primrose. “If only I had been given more riding lessons, I could take you now and we could ride to find him... wherever heis.”
Primrose nuzzled against Annabelle as if she could feel the agony inside ofher.
“I let him down, Primrose. You would have been ashamed of me if you could have seen me. I really let himdown.”
Annabelle could not take it anymore, the emotion consumed her entirely. She slid down to the ground and sat upon her white dress, no longer worrying whether or not she was getting it dirty. She threw her head into hands and sobbed pathetically. Her makeup would be ruined, she would have to get it fixed, but in the moment, it did not matter. There were weeks of sadness built up inside of her, all culminating to today. She needed to weep it all out now, while she wasalone.
