When they arrived at the Everglot's, Victor was shaking all over. His parents got out of the carriage but he stayed inside. He couldn't do it. He was going to do or say something stupid. Victor took deep breaths to calm himself. It was only the rehearsal. It would probably be over with in less then a half an hour. Then he could go home. But then there was tomorrow…no that was to think of later. Right now he just had to get through this. If he could get through this tomorrow might be a little bit easier right?

"Victor?" he heard his mom call. "Why are you still in the carriage?"

Victor shakily got out of the carriage and walked up the steps to the Everglot's front door. His mom dusted of his coat and smoothed his hair then pulled him by the arm closer to the door. His mother rang the door bell and started straitening his coat mumbling to herself. The door opened while his mother was trying to get Victor's coat just right and she turned then giggled to herself. Victor stared at the man horrified he was going to start asking him questions like "So you're Victor Van Dort?" or something but the man stayed silent.

His parents walked in and he followed lacking behind. In front of them were a scary looking man and woman. The man was short and fat. The woman was the exact opposite, she was skinny and tall. A little too tall. Her hair must have made her at least two feet taller.

"Mr. and Mrs. Everglot." Said the man who had answered the door and gestured to the man and woman. "And Mr. and Mrs. Van Dort" he said gesturing to them.

"Why, you must be Miss Victoria." His dad said to Mrs. Everglot obviously trying to please her. "Why, I say you don't look a day over twenty."

Mrs. Everglot whispered something to her husband and he started moving his mouth in a weird way. He formed a forced smile that look liked it he had to do it because it was either that or death.

"Hello. What a pleasure it is to meet you. Welcome to our home," Mr. Everglot said still holding the forced smile.

"We will be taking tea in the west drawing room." Said Mrs. Everglot.

The Everglot's and his parents started walking to the west drawing room but he did not follow. He stayed behind and then he felt his fingers brush something. He looked down and saw that it was a piano. He played a few keys and then looked to where his parents had left but just heard a door close.

This may be the last time I play piano. Victor thought. He didn't know how rich people were but he knew they only cared about money and what they could buy. So when he married Victoria she may not want him to play piano.

He started playing a couple more keys, then sat down and got lost in the music.

He didn't notice a girl walk up behind him. He turned his head and sees the girl. He jumps up startled and knocks down piano bench. He sees a small vase that was about to fall but quickly he lunged for it and stopped it before it tipped over.

"Oh, do forgive me." He said nervously. He was surprised he didn't stutter.

"You play beautifully" she simply said.

She was short. A whole head shorter then him.

"I- I- I do apologize, Miss. Everglot." he said.

Great. My stutter. Victor thought to himself.

"How rude of me too…" He glanced down to the piano bench. It would be rude if he didn't pick it up.

"Excuse me…" he said bending down and picking up the piano bench.

"Mother won't let me play the piano." She said. "Music is improper for a young lady. To passionate, she says."

"If I may ask…Miss. Everglot." He said almost forgetting her name because he was so nervous. "Wh-were is your ch-chaperone?"

"Perhaps in…in view of the circumstances…you could call me Victoria."

"Yes of course…well Victoria..."

"Yes Victor?"

"Tomorrow we are to be…ma…m…m…m…"

"Married." She finished for him.

He almost fainted on the spot by just hearing the word. She was nice… Maybe it wouldn't be so bad? No, he was going to be living with a total stranger. For the rest of his life…

He wanted to run away screaming to his house and lock himself in his room. So he wouldn't have to do this.

He noticed he had been quite so he said.

"Yes, m-m-married."

"Since I was a child I have always dreamt of my wedding day." Victoria said sitting down on the piano bench. "I always hoped to find someone I was deeply in love with. Silly isn't it?" she asked looking up at him.

"Yes silly." He said hearing her words but not paying attention to what she had said. "No!" he said quickly after realizing what he had said. "Not at all." He said sitting down on the piano bench next to her and putting his elbow on the piano.

They were startled by Mrs. Everglot, who had come into the room and said "What impropriety is this! You two shouldn't be alone together! Here it is one minute before five and you're not at the rehearsal. Pastor Galswells is waiting. You must come at once!"

Three hours later….

"Master Van Dort" Pastor Galswells said. "From the beginning. 'With this hand I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way in darkness. With this ring, I ask you to be mine. Let's try it again" said Pastor Galswells glaring down at him.

"Yes. Yes, sir." Victor replied. "With this candle." He said bending down to the candle on the table trying to light the one in his hand.

The rehearsal wasn't going so well. It had been three hours and he hadn't gotten a single line right! You'd think after hearing it for the fifty-seventh time, he would have known it by now.

The candle didn't light.

"This candle…" he said trying again but it still didn't light. "This candle…" he turned to look at his and Victoria's parents. They didn't look happy.

"Continue!" Pastor Galswells said.

The door bell rang and he and Victoria turned.

"Get the door, Emil" Mr. Everglot ordered.

Victor and Victoria turned there attention back to Pastor Galswells, who said "Lets just pick it up at the candle bit."

They all turned to look when a strange man entered the room and said. "I haven't a head for dates. Apparently I'm a day early for the wedding."

Wait, if he thought that the ceremony was today, wouldn't he have showed up at the church and not the Everglot's house? Who ever he was he was here for a purpose.

"Emil, a seat for Lord Barkis" Mrs. Everglot snapped.

"Do carry on." Barkis said.

"Let's try it again, shall we Master Van Dort?" asked Pastor Galswells.

"Yes. Yes, sir." He said holding up his left hand.

"Right." Pastor Galswells whispered in a harsh tone.

"Right," Victor said. "Oh! Right." He said taking the candle in his left hand and putting up his right hand. "With this…this…"

"Hand." Pastor Galswells said obviously annoyed.

"With this Hand…" he said taking Victoria's hand and started taking a few steps forward. "I will…" He bumped into the table.

"Three steps! Three! Can you not count? Do you wish to be married Master Van Dort?"

No, no he didn't want to get married. It was probably the least thing he wanted to do.

"No." Victor muttered without thinking.

"You do not?" Victoria asked.

"No!" he said realizing what he had said. How many times was he going to mutter things without thinking at the wrong time? "I meant, no I do not not wish to be married." He said choosing his words carefully.

Pastor Galswells smacked him in the head with the holy scepter. "Pay attention!" he yelled. "Have you even remembered to bring the ring?"

"The ring?" he asked stupidly. The wedding ring. What other ring would he be talking about? "Yes! Of course…" he said fishing the ring out of his coat.

He held the ring with too fingers but it slipped out of his hand and onto the floor. His hand always got sweaty when he was nervous. Which pretty much was all the time. He dived for the ring which had rolled under Mrs. Everglots dress. He quickly retrieved the ring and said "Got it."

He then heard a gasping sound behind him and turned. He had left his candle on the floor when he was getting the ring! Mrs. Everglot's dress was on fire! He knew it. He knew he was going to mess up and do something stupid!

Mr. Everglot yelled "Get out of the way you ninny!" and pushed him out of the way. He started stomping on his wife's dress trying to get the fire out. Victor's mother started fanning it with her fan which was the exact opposite of what you should do to put out a fire. "Oh, I hope it doesn't stain!" his mother yelled, of course only caring about the dress.

"Stop fanning it you fool!" Mrs. Everglot screamed batting it away.

"Get a bucket! Get a bucket!" his mother starting yelling.

Lord Barkis puts his hand forward and spills the goblet of wine, putting out the fire.

Every one turned to look at him.

"Enough!" Pastor Galswells says "This wedding cannot take place until he is properly prepared!" he turns to him and points slowly saying "Young man. Learn you vows."

Victor looks at the Everglot's and his parents. There all glaring down at him. He backs away and plasters himself against the door. He searches for the door knob with his right hand. When he found it he fumbled to open the door then ran out of the room. He was so embarrassed he ran faster then he ever had and didn't stumble once.