Arabella stood in the center of her room, silently assessing herself in the large mirror that stood against the opposite wall. She sighed. People always described her as being tall and beautiful, with thick dark brown hair and blue eyes the color of the ocean on a stormy day. She didn't see that. She saw a too-tall girl with gangly limbs and maybe a tad bit too much weight around her middle. Her hair was thick, but in her opinion a boring, mousey brown color- nothing incredibly spectacular. And her eyes, she observed as she rolled them, weren't "the color of the ocean on a stormy day," but rather just a murky blue-gray that sometimes looked a bit green in certain lights.
No - she didn't really see herself as anything too remarkable. Perhaps that is why she found herself with a shortage of appropriate suiters whereas her sister, Susannah- petite, blonde-haired, sapphire-blue eyed beauty that she was- had always found herself with a surplus. Arabella's mother was always sure to mention that Susannah had suiters from the moment she turned 16, and was married by 18. Arabella's father was a high-ranking official in her nation's government and therefore both sisters were expected to marry a man appropriate to this high social standing. At just 19, Arabella found this expectation ridiculous and stifling, but it was just the way the world worked- at least, that's what her mother always told her.
Arabella didn't understand why she should just accept that her life would hold nothing more than living in her father's house and obeying her father's rules only to move into her husband's house to obey her husband's rules. She wanted to travel, or at least to go on a grand adventure, where she could discover all of the hidden aspects of her personality that she was not permitted to explore within the strict confines of her social class. Her life though, as her mother never missed an opportunity to tell her, was not "one of those ridiculous" novels that "she spent entirely too much time" reading, and therefore a grand adventure was simply not in her cards. She would marry a man of her father's choosing, most likely one whom she did not love, and she would spend her life producing heirs to continue his family name.
"Arabella! Gracious, what are you doing in here? You're not even dressed for dinner. You're going to be late!" Arabella's mother, Liliana, stormed into her room. "Honestly. You've been up in this room for over an hour. What have you been doing?"
"I'm sorry, Mama. I must have gotten wrapped up in my thoughts and lost track of time. I'll hurry." Arabella started across the room to her wardrobe, but her mother had beaten her to it and was already rummaging through the selection of dresses.
"Wear this one," her mother stated while thrusting a sage-colored gown into Arabella's arms, "it will bring out the green in your eyes. Your father has invited Lord Avery to dinner tonight. It's imperative you make a good impression."
Arabella bit back a groan. Lord Avery was one of the most pompous, patronizing, and obstinate of all her father's colleagues. Despite the fact that he ranked lower than her father in the government, he still strutted around as if he were entitled to anything -or anyone- that he wanted. Arabella detested everything about him, from his misplaced superiority complex to his paunchy stomach and graying hair. She stepped into the gown her mother handed her and turned around so her mother could tighten the stays. "Why is Lord Avery joining us for dinner tonight?"
Liliana glanced up from the dress and met her daughter's eyes in the mirror. "Why, to see you of course. Lord Avery has expressed his interest in courting you to your father. Looks like you've finally caught the eye of an appropriate suitor." She gave the stays on Arabella's dress one last pull. "Now. Fix your hair. I expect you downstairs in the parlor in 20 minutes- not a minute more." Liliana whisked out of the room as quickly as she entered without giving Arabella even a moment to formulate a response.
***
Dinner was just as awful as Arabella knew it would be from the second her mother mentioned Lord Avery's name. The night started with Arabella being herded into the parlor by her mother who then took the time to poise Arabella on the couch as if she were engrossed in the novel her mother then shoved into her hands. She was given strict instructions to look as though she were reading the book but to not actually read it. She was to ensure her full attention was kept on listening for Lord Avery's arrival.
Upon his arrival, Lord Avery was shown into the parlor and Liliana made a spectacle of leaping up from the couch to greet him, as though she were surprised by his appearance. She then made of show of introducing Lord Avery to Arabella as though they hadn't been introduced on several previous occasions. Arabella made sure to exaggerate the act of finishing the page of the book she should have only been pretending to read before she stood to great her father's colleague. Arabella was proud that she was able to hide her revulsion when Lord Avery very obviously looked her over from head to toe before kissing her hand in greeting.
After a painful half hour of Arabella being forced to make small talk with her mother and Lord Avery while sipping on their drinks, the three were led into the dining room by one of the household servants, and were then greeted by Arabella's father, Lord Hamilton. Arabella thought the night couldn't get worse than the discomfort of the small talk in the parlor, but she was wrong. Her mother made sure that Arabella was seated directly across the table from Lord Avery, and thus she was expected to engage him in conversation throughout dinner as well. This proved to be less of a challenge, however, than Arabella originally thought, as Lord Avery very seldom stopped talking about himself. All she had to do was look interested, nod from time to time, and say "I see" when the conversation called for it.
Lord Avery made sure to talk about his large estate, the very important work he does within the government, the large fortune he inherited when his father passed away the previous year, and of course his many opinions on the many shortcomings of current society as well as improvements that could be made to ensure the upper class "maintained their proper place as head of society." Among these ideas was his position that women needed to maintain their place within the home. According to Lord Avery, a woman is most happy when her only responsibilities are maintaining the household, caring for her husband, and bearing children. It is his firm belief, Lord Avery was sure to tell Arabella, that women become discontent when they choose to believe in such foolish notions as a woman's right to join the workforce or galavant around the world "gaining experiences." The only experiences a woman needs to be happy and content, he further explained, is marriage and childbearing. The rest simply "confuses her delicate disposition." Arabella was quite proud of herself for biting her tongue for the entirety of dinner.
After dinner Arabella and her mother moved into the sitting room while her father showed Lord Avery to his office to discuss some business before rejoining the ladies in the sitting room. Arabella was then made to play the piano for the remainder of the night while both of her parents not-so-subtly listed out her "many outstanding qualities" as though she were a prize mare. As the night drew to a close, Lord Avery once again took Arabella's hand and kissed it, with a promise to visit again soon. Then, with one more more lascivious glance of her body, he departed. Arabella immediately excused herself to her room as the night had been exhausting and she could not be expected to hold her tongue for another second.
***
The week following Lord Avery's dinner visitation passed without incident, and no further mention was made of any intentions he may or may not have on Arabella. She began to think that it was possible her mother was incorrect in her belief that Lord Avery favored Arabella, or perhaps Arabella did not seem a "docile" enough woman for his preferences. She began to look back on that dinner with humor and laugh about the ridiculous notion that a man such as Lord Avery could ever believe his perfect match would be a woman such as Arabella. That is, until one morning, a week and a half after the ridiculous dinner party, when the family's footman Mr. Willis entered the parlor where Arabella sat reading and her mother sat working on her needlepoint, and announced they had a visitor.
Liliana sat down her embroidery. "Well please, Willis, show our visitor in." Arabella took minimal notice in this exchange as she really was quite interested in her latest novel. That is, until Lord Avery entered the room.
"Good morning, ladies," Lord Avery greeted pompously, "I apologize for my extended absence, but I was called away on very important business the morning after our dinner party and only just last night returned. It sometimes seems as though I spend more time away from my home than enjoying the expansive beauty my estate provides, but alas- such is the life of the unmarried government official, I suppose." Liliana tittered at Lord Avery as though he had just made the funniest joke she had ever heard. Arabella only just managed to hide her eyeroll behind her book.
