Beauty and Beast
caledonia.
"Cally! Cally! You'll never guess who came!"
Sarah grabbed her arm, turning her friend even as the girl blinked. Sarah Rossmain stood a few inches taller than Caledonia Marks even though the shorter girl was wearing a pair of stilettos she had specifically chosen to give her some kind of height. Apparently it hadn't worked at all. "We all know that Prout is here Sarah," she replied flipping her hair back over her shoulder and standing straighter. Though she knew that she was the one of the least likely candidates for James Prout to ever take interest in, that had never stopped her from noticing him, and more importantly, wanting him.
Rolling her eyes, Sarah grabbed her friend's shoulders and spun her around so that she was facing the front of the room. Her eyes went wide with shock and she felt a kind of revulsion run through her as she turned and gave Sarah a hard look that was meant for someone else. "What is he doing here?" she hissed. "Doesn't he know that he isn't wanted?"
Sarah laughed and shook her her head, a dark brown curl falling loose over her ear. "You're forgetting who that is Cally. Hiram d'Espiritus has enough money to fund the entire country. It doesn't matter what we might think of him. The girl who gets the brain to marry that one and have an affair will be called the smartest woman in England," she pointed out with a soft chuckle.
"Hush Sarah," Cally hissed even as she eyed Hiram. As the Duke of Lornewood and one of the wealthiest men in England, most would have expected him to at least be decent looking. She even suspected that at one time, he might have been. But now, he was a monster. His face had been deformed several years before. No one knew why or how though and he had never seen fit to tell any of them. It was simply another reason for none of them to really like this man who should have lead the peers of England in almost every right.
Sarah took her friend's empty glass from her and set it on the tray of a passing servant. "Shall we go pay our respects?" she asked continuing to eye the Duke who stood speaking almost conspiratorially to a few of the older men who had decided to join the party that night.
An indelicate snort flared her thin nostrils as she gave her friend a look. "And have what little reputation that I've managed to garner replaced with people thinking that I'm desperate?" she demanded. "You can afford it Sarah. Men want you. You could have any of them that you chose. All I have is my looks and whatever connection I can salvage with my brother-in-law Barty."
Sarah shrugged. "Whatever you say Cally," she granted before gliding away to mingle with the others. Turning towards one of the balconies that jutted out from the penthouse, Caledonia pushed back her shoulders and strode out into the warm dusk. A part of her knew that Sarah was right. She could given the Duke of Lornewood attention and then have as many lovers as she wanted when they married. After all, what would he do? Divorce her? It would only make the world laugh at him for being unable to keep his wife satisfied and faithful. She had too much pride for that though.
When she married, she wanted a man she could look at and know that he matched her beauty.
Sarah grabbed her arm, turning her friend even as the girl blinked. Sarah Rossmain stood a few inches taller than Caledonia Marks even though the shorter girl was wearing a pair of stilettos she had specifically chosen to give her some kind of height. Apparently it hadn't worked at all. "We all know that Prout is here Sarah," she replied flipping her hair back over her shoulder and standing straighter. Though she knew that she was the one of the least likely candidates for James Prout to ever take interest in, that had never stopped her from noticing him, and more importantly, wanting him.
Rolling her eyes, Sarah grabbed her friend's shoulders and spun her around so that she was facing the front of the room. Her eyes went wide with shock and she felt a kind of revulsion run through her as she turned and gave Sarah a hard look that was meant for someone else. "What is he doing here?" she hissed. "Doesn't he know that he isn't wanted?"
Sarah laughed and shook her her head, a dark brown curl falling loose over her ear. "You're forgetting who that is Cally. Hiram d'Espiritus has enough money to fund the entire country. It doesn't matter what we might think of him. The girl who gets the brain to marry that one and have an affair will be called the smartest woman in England," she pointed out with a soft chuckle.
"Hush Sarah," Cally hissed even as she eyed Hiram. As the Duke of Lornewood and one of the wealthiest men in England, most would have expected him to at least be decent looking. She even suspected that at one time, he might have been. But now, he was a monster. His face had been deformed several years before. No one knew why or how though and he had never seen fit to tell any of them. It was simply another reason for none of them to really like this man who should have lead the peers of England in almost every right.
Sarah took her friend's empty glass from her and set it on the tray of a passing servant. "Shall we go pay our respects?" she asked continuing to eye the Duke who stood speaking almost conspiratorially to a few of the older men who had decided to join the party that night.
An indelicate snort flared her thin nostrils as she gave her friend a look. "And have what little reputation that I've managed to garner replaced with people thinking that I'm desperate?" she demanded. "You can afford it Sarah. Men want you. You could have any of them that you chose. All I have is my looks and whatever connection I can salvage with my brother-in-law Barty."
Sarah shrugged. "Whatever you say Cally," she granted before gliding away to mingle with the others. Turning towards one of the balconies that jutted out from the penthouse, Caledonia pushed back her shoulders and strode out into the warm dusk. A part of her knew that Sarah was right. She could given the Duke of Lornewood attention and then have as many lovers as she wanted when they married. After all, what would he do? Divorce her? It would only make the world laugh at him for being unable to keep his wife satisfied and faithful. She had too much pride for that though.
When she married, she wanted a man she could look at and know that he matched her beauty.
♠ ♠ ♠
Alright so you'll have to forgive me but the world that I am building here is a mix of a modern age with some very old customs so if it seems odd at times, that is why.