<div style="text-align: justify;">Mary Ann sighed softly when she was led outside. It was time to go on with the farce, then. With a deep sigh, she tried to put on a smile. It wouldn’t do for a bride to look so unhappy, after all. Despite the fact that she was sad and a little scared, Mary Ann decided that trying to look happy might help her feel a little bit better. Samuel’s presence made things a little better as well. She felt that she would have a friend in her husband-to-be’s nephew, at least for as long as he was there, and that made things a little less depressing.<br/><br/>Shaking her head, Mary Ann decided she should only rely on herself and find ways of keeping herself busy. It would be better this way. Apparently, her husband would not bother her, so it was all for the best that she would learn to find ways of filling her own time without counting on anyone else. <br/><br/>Focusing on the priest, Mary Ann listened to what he had to say. Of course, she had been to other weddings before, so Mary Ann knew the basic of what priests said in these usually joyful occasions. She was supposed to be faithful - no problem there, as she didn’t plan on being with anyone else - and raise their children according to the laws of God - there would be no children, so that was fine by Mary Ann.<br/><br/>When the time came for her to answer the priest’s question, a slight pang of anguish came over Mary Ann. Did she really want to marry Valentine? The answer was ‘no’. But she would marry him anyway. There was no turning back now.<br/><br/>After a quick look at her father - for whom she was going through with this -, Mary Ann looked at her groom and then the priest. Her voice was barely audible when she finally whispered, “I do”.<br/><br/>It was done. She had tied her life to that man, and to that house, and bound herself to unhappiness through nobody’s fault but her own.</div>