It was a cold Morning, although the sun was shining brightly. I started to toss and turn in my bed then I decided to get up. As I sat up in my bed the sunlight started beaming through my curtains, I stood up putting on my slippers and my dressing gown and headed towards my dark silk curtains, gently pulled them open, opened the old dirty balcony doors and stepped onto the balcony.

I watched Mr Tickmaster sweeping the steps of his clock shop and Mr Net cutting the heads of the new fish that they caught this morning but then my attention went to Mr Gow kissing his new wife Mrs Gow before he stepped into his cart and headed off to work with her waving until out of sight. This made me think about Marriage, not that I was planning to be wed. I have always thought about get married but to whom?

I also dreamt about what my dream husband would look like and how he would act towards me. My idea of my 'Prince Charming' would be Tall, with dark Hair who was kind and gentle and especially if he loved me for who I am and not just because my parents are 'rich' which their NOT. Just as I was dreaming of my "Prince charming" my mother unexpectedly opened my bedroom door with Hildegard behind her.

"Victoria, what an earth are you doing out on the balcony? Get inside now and get dressed. Your father and I want you in the lounge by 10.30."

I knew something was wrong because of the way she was talking to me for the first time it actually felt comforting sort of 'nice', like she was caring for my wellbeing. As my mother stopped talking Hildegard came into my bedroom to help me with my corset.

While she was fastening my corset -which is extremely uncomfortable. I asked her

"What is wrong with my mother she seemed a bit cheerful" trying to feel abit concerned.

Hildegarde has been working for my parent for years much longer than I have been born, she knew it showed bad but she was more than a mother than her biological mother properly because I spent more time growing up with her. She was even my wet nurse when I was a child...

She smiled "All that I know is that it is very important and obviously it's about you, I will let you hear it from your parents' I looked very worried.

But I did as I was told and kept my mouth shut until my dark blue dress was on and I hasted downstairs.

As I arrived at the door of the lounge I heard my parents laugh. Well chuckle is a better word to describe it; it always scared me as a child. Quietly I knocked the door and waited for a sign to enter. It went quite.

"Enter!" he father yelled from the other side of the door. So I did.

They were sitting on the full length coach watching. My father started staring at me whilst I was taking a seat on the velvet chair next to the ottoman. I looked at him wondering. What an earth was going wrong? After 10 minutes of total silence and stiff stares, my father finally spoke.

"Victoria, you know about our money problems". I nodded. "We have come to an agreement with another clan and we have decided that, to solve our problems, you will have an arranged marriage........"