Ch. 1

"And why not? Why shouldn't I be allowed to bask in my own glory? I can have whatever my heart desires, as far as a pocketbook can reach. And no one denies me a thing," she added. The woman of three-and-twenty years scanned the room for a familiar face with her brilliantly-green eyes.

Aurelie Daniels was an exotic breed of woman, with long, thick waves of ebony hair pinned neatly on top of her head and embedded with jewelled decorations; light brown skin with an olive hue, and striking light green-colored eyes. Her mother was of Spanish decent, and her father, French.

She was of medium height, perhaps no more than five feet and six inches, with a trimmed figure that drew attention to her feminine curves. Her smile; coy and charming with her thick, full lips painted scarlet. Her laugh; delicate and light, earned the proud smirk of any suitor deemed worthy of her attention. She always captivated the admiration and exultations of those around her, as she made certain to clothe herself in society's newest and richest fashions.

On this particular night, she wore a crimson-colored evening dress made of satin. An ivory-colored chiffon neckline brought out the glow in her complexion as her flawless and bare skin was exposed about her neck and collarbone. Her favorite color was red, as it enhanced all of her beautiful features perfectly. Men would line up to dance with her; something that her companion was envious about.

"Yes, well," her companion, Marianne, replied. "You are not married, yet," she pointed out.

"Yet," Aurelie emphasized. Once she had spotted her intended association, she added with a smirk, "But I will be shocked if Henry does not make me an offer of marriage to me by the end of the week."

Henry Lacroix was a man of three-and-thirty years of age, and in possession of ten-thousand pounds per year. He was the town's most eligible bachelor, with his good looks, his wit and humor, and his elegant class. Henry was a tall man with dark brown curly hair and caramel-brown-colored eyes that would make any woman swoon.

The woman who held his affections was none other than Aurelie, herself. He had been calling upon her estate recently to become better acquainted with her, and she was certain that he was smitten. As he made his way through the crowd of guests and closer to her, Marianne excused herself to leave the two alone.

Aurelie faced him with the batting of her long eyelashes and a sultry pout upon her lips.

"I was beginning to think that you were not coming," she pouted. A playful grin formed on her mouth.

"I have been looking all over for you," Henry remarked. He bowed politely and she reached out her hand for him to kiss, which he did so most honorably. Once he straightened up, she feasted on his appearance with her eyes.

He was her genuine match, dressed in expensive fabrics at any occasion. He wore a dark brown jacket with matching dress-pants, a cream-colored button-down shirt and cravat, along with a red silk vest. He was easily the most handsome man in the entire room and she smirked at this fact. After all, she would settle for no less than she was worth.

"Yes, it is quite cramped in here," she complained, glancing about the crowded room. Most of the guests stood and chatted idly with their companions around the perimeter of the dance floor, leaving hardly any room to walk about. "If only Mr. Elliot would not invite so many guests. Why, I hardly know why Mrs. Curtis is attending tonight. After all, everyone knows that she will lose the estate once her husband is dead and she will not have a penny to her name!"

She scoffed at the amount of under-dressed guests who barely earned five-thousand a year. If it had not been for her close friends and Henry, she would have quitted the party altogether, dismissing the eager suitors who offered a dance with her. No man was worth her efforts unless he was worth at least ten-thousand pounds, in her eyes.

She returned her focus on Henry and her countenance brightened. How proud she was to have gained his affections.

"Yes," he agreed. He gazed at her. "You look simply ravishing, tonight."

"Only tonight?" she pretended to be injured by his remark.

"Darling, you know that you are always the most stunning of all," he corrected himself.

"Oh, Henry!" she batted his arm playfully, "You are too kind to me."

"Perhaps you would return the kindness and oblige me with a dance."

She nodded her head and linked her arm in his, feeling the glares of the nearby women as she made her way to the center of the room with him. Her peers were not fond of her, often calling her proud and arrogant. Marianne had been her only companion, but Aurelie did not feel ill-used because of this. She cringed at the thought of making acquaintances with any of the pitiable girls in the room, as they were often poor and desperate for any man who would glance in their direction.

She was grateful that she did not have to settle for any scrap of masculinity that she could get, as she had the choice of the gender. She could have whatever man she wanted, and so often during the week, she would refuse someone who called upon her estate. She turned away men of various backgrounds, young and old, handsome and hideous. Henry knew of her reputation, and his ego inflated even more, chest held high among the company of his fellow males, at the thought that he had gained the attention of the most sought-after woman around.

The two enjoyed hours of dancing, talking, and merriment. Her laughs filled the room among the noises of various conversations, and occasionally something that he said to her would make her throw her head back in laughter and place a delicate hand on her chest. Women eyed her behavior with scorn and contempt for showing such a preference to his company in front of others, while men watched the events transpire with jealousy. How they wished to be in Mr. Lacroix's shoes, even just for a night.

Before the night had ended, Henry brought her through a door and onto a large balcony of sorts. There was plenty of space to walk about, and the air was warm. They looked upon the vast courtyard of shrubs, roses, and flowers of various sorts, as far as the eye could see by moonlight.

Henry turned to her with a serious expression, and her smile faded.

"Is there something the matter?" she asked. It was unusual for him to look so deep in thought.

"Tomorrow I shall be away, but on Friday I will call upon you. There is something...something very important that I must ask you," he said.

She noted the slight hesitation and fear in his eyes, as if he was afraid of displeasing her and longed for her approval. She felt the hope form within her with anticipation. Did he plan on asking her what she knew was to come?

Though she did not hold any deep romantic feelings for him, she could easily admit that she was attracted to him. He could still send flutters to her heart with the look in his eyes or the smile on his face. He was the perfect match for her in every way, and she assumed that love would follow its course soon enough. Once the two were married, she would be quite content with his fortune and large estate. She did not need to be in love to see that he was the best choice for her, and this pleased her greatly.

He watched her begin to smile.

"Then I look forward to your visit in earnest," she said softly.

He dismissed himself, not before placing a light kiss on her hand, and she watched him disappear among the crowd once more, leaving her eager for the next two days to come.