Unwanted

Chapter 1

The summer season was the bane of Alexa's existence. Evening after evening of hours preparing for balls and squeezing into corsets, only to be ignored by every man of a suitable age, was becoming too much for her to handle. At one and twenty, Alexa had endured five miserable seasons in London with her parents and brothers, although as the eldest and only girl, she was the only one in her family who was ready to be finished with the abominable tradition.

Her brother Brian, at nineteen, was very much enjoying his first several seasons.  Tall with broad shoulders, a full head of chestnut hair and clear blue eyes, Brian in no way lacked female company. In fact, he reveled in it. Alexa had noticed far too many whispered words and disappearances around corners during balls, always with a different girl. Her youngest brother Eric was sixteen and eagerly awaiting the following summer's season, when he would finally be allowed to attend the festivities. His fair complexion and blond hair fit as well with his blue eyes as they did on Brian or their father. Alexa knew that Eric was nothing like the flirtatious middle child but that he would do well for himself nonetheless when he began attending balls.

Unlike her siblings however, Alexa did not do well at balls. Men that glanced her way would do so for only the briefest of moments before sweeping their gaze past her to another young girl. While her naturally blonde hair and hazel eyes complimented each other well, the curls were unruly and unfashionable. Added to that, Alexa's figure left much to be desired, at least according to every man she'd ever met. Despite years of nearly starving herself, her waistline remained the same, and was several inches larger than even the largest of her acquaintances. 

Undeniably plump and alone, she had come to the conclusion that she would never meet a man who could see past it, and that she was doomed to be a spinster and burden her parents and later her brothers. It was a fate she had begun preparing for after her first season, when not a single man asked her to dance.  It was with this particular thought in mind that Alexa entered through the doors and offered her name to the servant at the top of the grand staircase. As an attempt to appear confident, she looked out over the ballroom full of people as she was announced.

 "Miss Alexa Rathbourne, eldest daughter to the Earl of Plymouth"

Heads turned as her name was announced and a particular pair of blue eyes caught hers as she descended the stairs. Unlike every other time in her five seasons, these eyes did not disregard her. Rather, they engaged her and she tried very hard to hide the flush in her face as she saw them taking in her full presence. In an attempt to calm herself, she broke eye contact with the piercing blue eyes to find her best friend Lucas in the crowd. His warm brown eyes met hers and his characteristic crooked smile spread across his face as she approached him. She noted that he was in need of another trimming of his hair, it was as curly and unruly as hers, only a warm brown to match his eyes compared to her honey blonde.

Lucas had been her best friend since they were small children; his family's estate was not far from her father's in Shropshire and their parents were great friends. Lucas' mother was a French national who stole his father's heart while he was traveling the continent after University. Lucas was raised to speak both English and French, and was the reason why Alexa was now fluent in French. When her French lessons began, she had accelerated quickly through learning the language with the help of her best friend, and now they used French nearly constantly in public, particularly if they preferred the subject to be safe from curious ears.

            "You're blushing Alexa, it's very becoming. But why?" Lucas asked questioningly.  

             "Don't bother with it Lucas, how are you?" Alexa replied tiredly.