The Greatest Thing

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend

Time ticked on and the season was drawing to a close. Estelle had begun to see Christian less and less outside of societal events, and when she did see him, he wasn't his normal exuberant self. He'd even declined going with her and Annalise to Mr. Cavanaugh's on multiple occasions. Something wasn't right, and she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. Yet, she pushed those thoughts away, if not for her sake, then for her family's. Especially after a conversation that she had had with her father about his disappointment in her.

They were seated at the dining room table on this night when she had no societal obligations. An uncomfortable silence had settled around the table as her father leveled her a hard stare.

"Did you hear that the youngest of the Thurston girls has received a proposal?" he asked.

"No, Father, I hadn't heard. However, that is good news. Marian must be happy," Estelle replied.

"Marian is from a lesser family than you, she has less talents and wit than you, and yet she has secured a marriage proposal before you. Do you see what is wrong with this?" her father pressed. "My name should be able to find you a suitable match, and yet you are wasting your time on fanciful men who are not even giving you the time of day anymore."

Estelle bristled at his comments. She wanted to defend Marian Thurston, because Marian was a gentle soul and a formidable catch in her own right, but she knew better than to stand up to her father. She wanted to dispute her father over Christian as well, but then she realized that he was correct. Perhaps she was wasting her time on him. However, after all of the discussions they had had, after all of their history, she didn't know if she would be happy being married to anyone else. No one else understood her like Christian, or supported and encouraged her like he did. If she were to match with anyone else who her father deemed suitable, they would clip her wings and keep her grounded. They would dash her hopes and dreams, and snuff out the brilliant candle that was her mind. She'd be relegated to being a simple housewife and mother, prized for her biological usefulness and not the things that she felt were her true assets. Yet, she had a duty to her family. Estelle decided to at least humor her father.

"What would you have me do?" she asked as she daintily cut into her food.

"An old friend of your grandfather has a grandson of marriageable age. I shall reach out to arrange a meeting. You will go with him and put your best foot forward. We may be able to salvage this season after all," her father huffed.

Estelle looked down at her plate. "Yes, Father."

After dinner, she and her sister retired to the parlor to work on their patterns. They sat in silence for a moment before Mary spoke up.

"Surely you can't go on an outing with that other man," Mary murmured.

"I have to, Mary. You heard father. I need to find a match, and I just have to accept that perhaps Christian doesn't feel the same way about me as I do about him," Estelle sighed.

"That is nonsense and you know it," Mary shot back. "The man practically worshipped at your feet."

"Mary, I haven't seen Christian outside an event in weeks. He doesn't even come with Anna and I to see Mr. Cavanaugh anymore. Something has changed. I don't know what it is, but something has changed in him. He's less... he's less himself," she murmured.

"That's only more of a reason for you to try and win him over. Have you considered calling on him?" Mary asked.

"Mary, you know the protocol. It isn't proper for an unmarried woman to call upon a man. I shouldn't chase him. That might only make him run faster," she replied.