"I knew it! Sir Winfrey kissed another girl, AGAIN!" Amanda said irritably. Her breath was a little ragged, her left hand clenched gently against the layered fabric of her dress. Her body leaned forward and lightly massaged her sister's shoulder to soothe her who — for who knows how many times — was crying in the living room of the Bennets' house.
"Don't say that," her sister, Violet—who was trying to cry as gracefully as possible to keep her makeup from fading—refuted it.
"He's having an affair,"
"All the gentlemen we know do," Violet sobbed.
"Our father and brother didn't—"
"Okay, I mean more than half the men we know,"
"Many have warned you, sis. Sir Winfrey used to be known as a playboy and liked to date disreputable girls and widows," Amanda said again with a lazy expression.
"Once again I say, I don't have much choice. All the gentlemen who proposed to me had their names written on Lady Damiana's blacklist. I mean, almost all the bachelors were there. But Winfrey is at least rich. I tried to close my eyes not caring but—" Violet sobbed again.
Among the nobles around London, girls who were ready to marry used to ask Marchioness Damiana of the Boleyn family. She was the number one gossiper in London and likes to gave advice on romance or how to choose a husband. Of course Violet had asked her before. Of all the men who proposed to her in the first season, only Winfrey was worthy of her opinion.
"Lady Damiana said: close your eyes, hold your breath, make love like a cow and try to be happy. I thought Alfred isn't that bad, he's not a gambler and just likes to have fun every once in a while. I don't know what will happen. I've never even seen a cow make love before, and—"
"Countess Winfrey, keep your mouth shut. Your sister is a virgin," the senior servant of the Bennets shook her head as she put down a tray of Earl Gray tea brewed with honey. She couldn't bear to interrupt.
Amanda's face was bright red. Of course she didn't really understand what couples do on a date. Seeing her brothers and sisters kissing at the altar during their wedding was already very vulgar. She just knew that Count Alfred Winfrey kissed another girl besides his wife. And for Amanda that was already unforgivable sin.
Violet had been married for two years, she used to visit Bennett's house whenever there was a royal party in London. There weren't too many respectable families in England so Violet was sure that Amanda was invited too. only, Amanda was tired of seeing her older sisters —who every time they met— immediately cried and complained.
Amanda was a good listener. Maybe her sisters just felt amused by Amanda's emotional and angry reaction after hearing their story. they felt they had an ally because in their husband's house—no one would really stand up for them. They didn't considered that all their complaints affect their sister's mentality who was not yet married.
Of course there were many fine gentlemen in England. But families who want to marry off their daughters—not just looking for good men. They want a mate who was rich, educated with high nobility. Usually such a man had a lot of experience.
Amanda was annoyed because why that noble girls had to live in seclusion and being watched all the time. While men were free to date as if it was a natural thing?
Most girls thought that after marriage the men would become wise. Most did, but the case was different with her two poor sisters. Violet and Cassia were struggling with their marriage. Cassia's case may be more severe, it was said that her husband likes to do violence. he was not having an affair or anything, but he's often suspicious of his wife and forbids her to even go to the garden without him.
Knowing and hearing the whole experience of her two sisters, made her even more determined not to marry.
Unfortunately she couldn't keep dodging. She would enter her third season after failing to find a mate in the previous two seasons. She was now twenty-two years old. It was a fitting age for her to be dubbed as 'the spinster' or 'the picky'.
Amanda was dubbed Count Bennet's most beautiful daughter. The line of her face was firm with a symmetrical pointed nose. Her skin was pale white but easily blushes when she was cold or when she was happy. Her eyes were round with a greenish hue similar to the reflection of the lake behind her house that overgrown with maple trees. Her hair was black and shiny like black pearls harvested from the deep sea. Not to mention her slender waist and feminine curves that were difficult to completely hide even when wearing a dress with a layered skirt.
Women judge a man by his family title, wealth and reputation. But men used to judge women by their physique. Would the girl they choose able to get pregnant and give birth? Or were their faces decent enough or at least won't make them sick when they do 'couple rituals'?
Amanda didn't know exactly what the ritual was like. Her married sister never talk about it. Noble families keep all their daughters completely pure before they get married. It was said that their mother or aunt would explain what the 'couple ritual' meant was on the night before they get married. As Violet and Cassia had experienced.
Amanda was curious, of course. But the hope of finding love like in a bedtime fairy tale was overpowered by reality. Marriage sounds terrible. She couldn't imagine living like Violet and Cassia. But she didn't want to live a life like a nun either. Only, if she really became a spinster, maybe she would be sent to the Monastery. It was her family's desperate attempt because having a stubborn daughter. They would say that all this time their daughter actually wanted to serve God.
Amanda sighed as if giving up. At the noble party today—she had to find a husband-to-be. Even if he had a sagging belly or bad teeth— Amanda would consider it. at least he wasn't a playboy and would probably appreciate her more.
"Your chariot has arrived, Lady Violet," a butler knocked and spoke from outside the door.
"I'll be right there," Violet quickly walked over to the mirror to fix her makeup and dress. She was done crying and now her husband has picked her up. Amanda was surprised to see her sister acting as if nothing had happened. Violet forgave him, as many other noble wives did.
"My carriage should be ready too," Amanda said.
"Ah yes, Lady Aria will be your escort today. She is ready, but unfortunately there is a slight problem with the carriage. We are changing the wheels," the maid informed.
"You can come with me, it's too late," Violet said, looking worried.
"The carriage won't fit, I'm going there with Aunt Aria," Amanda shrugged. Lady Aria was one of their aunts and Amanda's etiquette teacher. She had been widowed for a long time and all her children were married. She keeps herself busy by teaching the Bennets' children.
Unmarried girls may not travel unaccompanied. Usually they were their mothers or female relatives. The previous two seasons, Amanda received quite a number of applications but none of them Amanda liked. This time it was Lady Aria who replaced Amanda's mother because she was considered better at helping Amanda with her future affairs.
Amanda had no other chance. She had to find a fiancé this year.
"But it's getting late, Marchioness Finley's house is on the outskirts of London. You never read the newspaper?"
"What is going on?"
"A lot of accidents, people missing and death, it's said that the night in London today is very dangerous," Violet said in a serious tone.
"I'll be fine, we won't be passing on a deserted street," Amanda shrugged her shoulders confidently.
"Should I wait for you?"
"No, Count Winfrey won't like it. Aunt Aria and I will be fine,"
"Okay— see you at the party," Violet said hesitantly before waving and leaving the Bennett.
****
Greetings New readers! I hope you enjoy what I write ^^
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The Viscount's Vampire Wife
Historical Fiction[English version] Amanda Bennett was reluctant to marry, because she was afraid of the failure of her two older sisters' marriages. But she was been through two seasons without getting engaged and now in her third season- she couldn't delayed anymor...
