The flower of the dukes palace

Page 4

The marquis's family was actually very well known for its 'foriegn beauty', part of the reason why my sisters and I were so easily married off. There were many family's in high society that wanted to produce beautiful heirs, that way it would be easier to carry on the bloodline. One in high society could have a heir to their family; although, if the heir was considered ugly, in our society, it was thrice times less likely that another generations of heirs would be produced. Two of my sisters were married to distasteful men, they write to me from time to time. Their letters consist mainly of their contempt with luxurious lives. Was the duke an unattractive man? I blinked the thoughts away, that wasn't important. My main goal was now to simply find a way to survive in the dukes house. The wedding was only a week away, I needed a plan and soon,
"Sister?" Archers voice broke my thoughts,
"Y-yes?" I zonned back into reality,
"We have been calling your name for a while now," mother brought a hand to my forehead,
"George, she's a little warm," mother worried,
"I'm fine, mother, I just got lost in thought," I laughed, nervously,
"It must just be the stress for the preparation of the wedding," father assumed, "Caroline, go upstairs and rest, I'll send someone to bring you something later," he concluded,
"But I'm fine really," I argued,
"You need to rest while you can, dear," mother insisted, "the dressmaker will be coming to the house today and the next six days to finish the final touches on your wedding gown," she explained,
"Yes, I'll excuse myself then," I sighed, I couldn't care less about a wedding dress. I walked briskly to my room and flopped on the bed. There was a soft knock on the door,
"My Lady, may I come in?" Joan asked,
"Yes," I answered. She entered the room silently with a smile and a letter in hand,
"A letter from the Este estate has arrived," she said, still smiling,
"What? Alright, let me see it," I groaned, I hated everything about this,
"Would you like some tea, My Lady?" she asked, knowing a cup of tea always helps,
"Yes, please," I nodded, "thank you, Joan," I gave her a smile as she walked out the door. The door shut after her with a silent click, leaving me and the envelope alone. I stared at the red wax seal with roses on it, the off-white color of the envelope, how could something so simple feel so ominous? I quickly broke the seal and began to read the letter,
To Caroline Adela Eamon, Our marriage is going to be held within a week, I request that we formally meet before that time. Please respond to this letter with a date and time that works best for you. Regards, Ambrose Quinlan Este.
I stared at the parchment, blanking out. It makes sense that one would want to meet their bride at least once before the wedding. Maybe this duke was actually just a normal person?