Arranged

Nessa laughed, not believing what her Aunt had said. "That's a great joke, Auntie, but the seriousness kinda freaked me out." She placed her hands on her knees, rising. "You should really tone that down."
"Sit down," the small woman's voice held a dangerous tone that had Nessa sitting abruptly and throwing all hopes of joking out the window.
Her Aunt, Sylvia, was every inch a lady. Soft-spoken and strict, eloquent and poised, it was hard to associate her as anything else. She definitely didn't qualify under the "kind" or "motherly" categories. A fact that Nessa was hard-pressed to forget.
"Look, Nessa," her Aunt continued, fixing her hard, blue eyes on her. "I have no choice in this. And, even if I did, I'm not about to go against the richest family this side of the coast."
Nessa tried not to roll her eyes and failed. "They're not the richest, you and I both know that."
Sylvia stiffened. "Even so," she sniffed. "I will not go against them." She flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Now, I'm ashamed to admit that my sister couldn't take care of you. And I've tried my best to raise you as a proper lady-"
"Lot of good that did you."
"-but it's up to you to be happy."
Nessa leaned back on the couch, throwing an arm comfortably over the back. "That's right. It is. So explain to me why it is that I have to go to some town I've never heard of and meet the head of this family."
Sylvia brushed some imaginary dust from her skirt then glanced at her nails.
Nessa braced herself. It wasn't going to be good for hear if her Aunt was looking this smug. They'd never been on the best of terms since her mother left her here, but she wouldn't put it past Sylvia to jump at the opportunity to cause her unhappiness.
After all, in the eight years she'd lived here, Nessa was constantly reminded that she was the cause of so much of the unhappiness her Aunt had to suffer.
"Well, that's easy." Sylvia's eyes collided with Nessa's in a sense of triumph. "You're going to marry his son."
The world tilted, but Nessa found herself bolting from the couch. "What the fuck! I don't mind visiting the guy who helped my mom but marrying is a bit much, don't you think?"
"Now hold-"
"Don't tell me to 'hold on'!" Nessa said angrily. "I know you don't like me, but marrying me off to a rich boy I've never even laid eyes on is a little over the top."
"That's enough!" Sylvia snapped. Nessa flinched. "Now you look here, girl. I've taken care of you for eight years while that lousy sister of mine traipsed off to God knows where." Nessa sank into the couch, the anger seeping through her to simmer. She'd stepped on a land mine. "This man - whatever he was to your mother - helped her by lending her a formidable amount of money he obviously knew he was never going to see again. So, instead of the money, he wants you. And that's it. You leave at the end of the week."
Nessa jolted. "Woah. Hold on just a second. At least give me till the end of the Summer." Please, she begged silently. "You're obviously not going to change your mind about sending me, but you're turning my life upside-down. Give me time to say goodbye to what I had here."
She was silent, considering the request. Tapping a polished finger to her lips, she nodded. "Very well. I'll call right now." She stood, staring down at Nessa with open hostility. "The end of the month. That gives you two weeks. make sure you say goodbye, because then you're out of this house."