Arranged

1

Cosette

Expect new beginnings.

I reread the fortune for the nth time, catching Robert's impatient sigh from across the table.

"Come on then, what does it say?"

I looked deeply into his chocolate eyes before taking a deep breath and reading the fortune out loud. He laughed.

"Well of course you can expect new beginnings, love, we just got engaged."

I looked down at my hand and smiled sadly at the large jewel that had been made to sit on it.

"Right. Of course."

I forced a smile while he got up and gestured for me to do the same.

I took his arm without a thought, gasping a bit when he took my face in his hands and kissed me forcefully. We walked to my car in silence.

---

The next day I stepped outside my flat into the hallway to find myself face to face with an expectant mailman. He cleared his throat and handed me a rather bulky envelope. I smiled and thanked him, putting it on the doorside table before pushing out again and emerging into the brisk outdoor air.

In a minute I found myself at my usual boulengerie and smiled as I finished the last of my coffee. Today was my day off, so I headed back to the flat within the hour. Once there, I picked up the unusual post and headed to my bedroom where I promptly sat on my bed and reached for my letter opener to open it. There were several pieces of thick, ivory-coloured paper inside, and I tentatvely reached for the first, unfolding it with great care. It was addressed to Miss Winters in a strict and rounded masculine script.

Miss Winters,
A few weeks ago I came across a rather old-fashioned contractual agreement between two parents- Martha Evernorth and Kate Winters, respectively. Since then I have been investigating said agreement and have come upon some startling news. It seems that you have been lawfully engaged to Sir William Evernorth, the duke's son, for quite some time now. This may come as a shock, as this agreement was concealed for more than a decade and was only unearthed on the passing of the late Countess, Duke Evernorth's grandmother. She has requested that the agreement be fulfilled immediately.
We understand if you are in a current engagement, although we have uncovered that you are not presently married. I personally recommend that you either postpone or sever such engagements, as contractual agreements such as these are very difficult to legally break. Enclosed is a copy of the original agreement. Both signatures have been authenticated. Please contact me when you have finished reading this.

Sincerely,
Mr. Andrew Pierce,
Lawyer to Duke Evernorth

- I've also attached a picture of William in case you've found yourself out of the sphere of British politics as of late.

I read the letter twice more to ground myself before reading the agreement between my mum and his. Afterwards, I put my head in my hands in attempt to quiet my mind. I didn't want to believe this, but it was exactly the the kind of thing my mother would involve me in without my knowing. She did press my current engagement, after all.

Without another thought I swept up the papers and put them in my bedside drawer, barely catching two small pieces of paper fluttering to the ground. I picked them up, shaking a bit. The first was Mr. Pierce's business card, which I put in the drawer immediately. The second was the picture of William. I gawked at it for a few minutes before tearing my gaze away and shoving it in the drawer as well.

Needless to say, I spent the rest of the day avoiding the situation by watching foreign films and drinking an absurd amount of wine.

---

The next day, I received a call at work while I was eating lunch. I answered it without thinking.

"Hello?"

"Miss Winers?"

"Yes, and to whom am I speaking?"

"Ah, my name is Mr. Andrew Pierce. I'm calling to ask if you received my letter in yesterday's post."

"Y-yes, I did."

"Well then, Duke Evernorth requests your attendance at the annual Chaplain ball on Thursday. Before then we both would like to meet you in person, prefrably on Wednesday."

I sat open-mouthed for a moment, accidentally catching the eye of my secretary, Allison. She smiled at me tentatively.

"Alright, then. Do you have a prefrence for time and place on Wednesday? I'm afraid I have a meeting until noon."

"Two o' clock, then. A driver will pick you up promptly at one thirty."

I heard a prompt dialtone and sighed, finishing off the rest of my lunch before going back to work. It seemed that my week had thusly doubled in length. I sighed and continued about my work.

---
William

I sat staring at my lawyer, Andrew Pierce.

"What?"

He slid a small slip of paper across the table, presumably the wretched agreement itself. On opening it, a medium-sized photograph slid out. I flipped it over to avoid seeing her face, afterwards catching a glimpse of the black ink on the back. It read: Cosette Winters, Co-Owner of the London Times, 2016. I internally dreaded the thought of meeting such a woman.

After reading the agreement, I looked over at Andrew with a glare.

"There must be some way to nullify this agreement. What about the agreement between  the Danica's family and mine?"

He trembled at my anger, and I decidedly relaxed a bit into my chair.

"Sir, I'm terribly sorry, but as of now, legally, the agreement between the Earl and Duke has been overtaken in response to the older contract."

I refrained from slamming my fist down on the table, and instead grit my teeth.

"How long will this take to be resolved?"

"Unfortunately it will take months if in fact a loophole is found in legislation to reverse the agreement. Until then I'm afraid that the engagement must be broken. If not in public, then in private."

I sighed and put my head in my hands. The media would notice if Danica suddenly stopped wearing her ring.

"Is there anything else?"

"You'll meet her the day before the Chaplain ball over tea."

"Thank you, Mr. Pierce."

I looked up and attempted a smile. He had already left.

---
Let the journey commence!

-Alice