𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄 || 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰

Chapter One

Sunlight peered through the trees in the backyard of the Austen estate. Three young children played around in the grassy area. A couple of yards away, sitting around on the veranda, were three women. The mother of the three children, Elizabeth Austen, her mother-in-law, Claudine, and her sister-in-law, Vienne Austen.

Elizabeth looked at her three children-her two sons and a daughter who were roughhousing around with one another on the grass. "Don't get your clothes filthy!" She called out to the three of them. "They're quite handfuls." She spoke.

"Ah, but it's all worth it, isn't it?" Mused Claudine as she took a sip from her teacup.

Every Thursday afternoon, Elizabeth came over and brought all three of the children. That afternoon was practically reserved for gossip between Elizabeth and Claudine. Vienne, however, wasn't too fond of gossip. She'd listen in but hardly comment anything. She knew her mother was a nosey one. Elizabeth really wasn't that bad; however, Vienne could tell that she'd hop in on the gossip to please her mother-in-law. She had been doing anything she could to please Claudine ever since she entered her relationship with Luis, the oldest of the two Austen children.

It was slightly disappointing to Vienne to see Elizabeth stoop so quickly to gossip just to please her Claudine, but she had given up ever opposing anything. Merlin knew her mother couldn't be stopped.

So, Vienne accompanied her outside, but she was nestled into her seat with a book in her lap. Her legs were propped up on the side, something that her mother would usually scold her for. But at the age of twenty-two, she had learned to care less about her mother's odd dislikes. No guests were around, so why should she act like it?

"Aren't you a little old to be sitting like that, Vienne?" Elizabeth asked, looking at her sister-in-law over her shoulder.

Vienne looked up at Elizabeth. "It's comfortable." She replied simply. "And it's easier to prop up the book this way."

Claudine looked at her daughter, clearly unamused. "Why in Godric's name do you even have a book out here? Come join the conversation. It's good to be sociable." She urged, her ever-stern expression on her face.

Vienne sighed, closing her book. "I would, however, hearing the two of you mindlessly gossip about Mrs. Gretchen's failing garden all the way to Mr. Jocie's failing marriage is not exactly the kind of conversation I'd like to invest myself in." She replied. She spoke plainly, but her intentions were clear.

Claudine scoffed, shaking her head, although she didn't continue on with the conversation. Elizabeth, however, allowed her curiosity about one thing in particular to leave her mouth. "Speaking of your age... Didn't you just turn twenty-two a few months ago?"

Vienne nodded her head, slight confusion written on her face. "Yes, why?" She asked.

Elizabeth shrugged. "I'm just curious." She replied. "How come no suitors have come your way? You're well over the age to be married."

Vienne shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Her legs, which were once propped up on the arm of the chair, were now properly sat, and her hands were on her lap. She wasn't exactly sure how to answer the question. Claudine, however, felt entitled to answer the question. After all, she wasn't exactly ecstatic with the fact that her daughter was not married yet.

"She's too picky; she won't give anyone a chance." Claudine spoke, accompanied by a little scoff. "Every suitor I choose for her, she just pushes them aside." She slightly eyed Vienne off to the side. Her explanation was surely riddled with condescension.

Vienne let out a sigh, now knowing she'd have to speak up. "I'm not picky, Mother. You just pick the worst possible suitors on this side of town." She sighed. "They're all just so boring. Not to mention they're all practically the same men; they just look different. Rich, snobby, and no good."