We arrived in front of the Salvatore Estate in our white carriage. I was ready to to stretch my legs and sleep in a nice comfortable bed. We traveled all the way to Mystic Falls from France that journey was no where near enjoyable. The carriage door opened and a gloved hand of our driver appeared in the door. I grasped it firmly and me being me I tripped on the inside of my stupidly long dress and nearly fell into the dirt but strong hands grabbed onto my arms and held me up. I looked up to see Stefan Salvatore.
"Well, this is embarrassing." I muttered. I just realized how I said that.
"Oh no, I mean it's not embarrassing to meet you it's just I am ungraceful as a newborn calf and I, oh, merde! Sorry." I smiled sheepishly. I already knew my pale cheeks were blushing furiously red.
"Oh quiet, dear. Babbling is never a cute trait." My mums voice rang out in different and horrible pitches as she bustled out of the cart.
Instinctively I straightened up and fixed my hair.
"Uh, thank you for catching me." I said as I tucked some of my brown curly hair behind my ear.
"You are welcome..." He said bowing slightly and took my hand. I paused for a moment wondering what he was asking for but then it popped into my head.
"Oh, I'm Cossette." I smiled he leaned further and kissed my hand.
"Cossette." He repeated.
"I'm Eponine. Cossette's mother." My overweight mother said as she shoved me to the side and eagerly forced him to take her hand. He faltered before kissing her hand. He straightened up and sparing me a quick glance.
"Miss Eponine, Miss Cossette. I'll have one of our servants show you to our room. I apologize my brother, Damon couldn't make it. He's still at war." He spoke as if he had complete faith that he would come home.
I followed the servant to my room when he left I collapsed onto my bed. Closing my eyes I immediately fell asleep.
Stefan Salvatore POV:
I heard their carriage arrive and immediately left to greet them.
The young woman who stepped, no, fell out of the carriage made my heart skip a beat, she was extraordinarily beautiful. I would've stood there all day if I hadn't realized she tripped on her dress.
I caught her by her shoulders and she gripped my forearms, she steadied herself but not before babbling off on how she didn't mean to offend me. She straitened out quickly and dusted herself off the moment her mom popped out of the carriage.
"Oh, stop babbling, dear, it's unattractive." She chastised.
I wanted to frown and say it was adorable, but held my tongue because they were in fact our guests.
"Uh, thank you for catching me." She sheepishly said, tucking some hair behind her ear, blushing lightly.
"You are welcome," I trailed for her to answer with her name, since my father did not say anything other than we were having guests.
She blushed furiously when I kissed her hand, I gave her a chance to introduce herself, but she just remained that way before it finally clicked and she introduced herself.
"Oh, I'm Cossette." She smiled. She didn't strike me as air headed, maybe a little forgetful. Her voice was sweet and melodious, her accent made it all the better.
"I'm Eponine." Her mothers voice was and pitchy, I inwardly cringed. She shoved her daughter out of the way with her hip and thrust her hand toward me. I reluctantly took her gloved hand and lightly kissed it, flicking my eyes to her daughter briefly. I straightened up and motioned for our servants to escort them to their rooms.
Hours later in the garden.
Cossette was up and watching Damon and I play football from the porch with her mother, drinking tea.
Everything was going great, I was chasing after Damon since he took the ball.
"WHAT?" I heard someone yell after a crash.
I looked to Damon and we immediately ran to Cossette.
POV change,
"Miss Le Sege? Wake up." I felt a servant shake me awake but I only groaned in protest. Minutes later I let my eyes open.
"You're mother wishes to speak with you in the garden."
"Ok."
She helped me get ready, I was wearing a not so thick dress, I was supposed to wear the black corset over the light green dress.
"Is this America's fashion?" I muttered under my breath. I wasn't used to showing this much skin, my breasts were pushed up in my dress, and the sleeves were only covering the sides of my arms. I wasn't used to showing this much skin, I felt like a harlot.
"Why am I to wear this?" I asked.
"Your mother insisted it." She said avoiding my eyes. I only chuckled.
"I understand, she is quite scary." I joke, she only smiles still not looking at my eyes.
"Is my mother forcing you to not look at me?" I asked, she always did this, she thought us to be royalty so she didn't allow anyone that was 'beneath us' had the right to speak or look at us in any manor.
"Well you need not do that with me. It is a stupid rule that I will not allow when you are with me." I said forcing her to look at me.
"Thank you, Miss Le Sege." She was extremely shy.
"Call me, Cossette."
"Ok." She said meekly.
I asked to let my hair down and she let it cascade down to the middle of my back. My hair was such a hassle to pin it up so I saved myself and our servants the trouble.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Corrine."
"That's very beautiful." I smiled at her in the vanity, I wasn't one for small talk since I was hardly ever good at it, but it was my duty to make her comfortable.
"Thank you, so is yours."
"Eh, it's a common name in France." I said waving my hand.
Once she finished we walked down to the porch.
"You wished to speak with me mother?" I said formally.
"Yes, yes, sit down, please." She said motioning to the chair next to her. A tea tray was on a table dividing us.
"What do you think of the Salvatore brothers?" She asked, every house we've rested in on our trip she's asked what I think of the men here, most of them where whiny, or too arrogant.
"Well it is no lie they are attractive. They seem well put together, nice. But it is what they seem like, behind closed doors, you never know." I said still staring at them. I took a sip of my freshly poured tea.
"Well, it is a good thing that we are behind their closed doors." She muttered.
"I don't understand, what are you saying mother?" I asked, furrowing my brow. She glanced at me then started to nurse her tea.
"Cossette, we are destitute. Barely a penny left, your father did not leave us much, most of it went to that whore, Fauntine. So I'm marrying you off, to one of these nice boys." She said.
In shock, I dropped my tea cup and saucer.
"What?" I felt like I muttered it, but apparently I yelled.
"We need the money, Cossette. I was going to marry you off to someone else, but they did not want your hand, as you were not to their expectations. You speak out, and speak your thoughts. Men in this country expect you to be quiet, and do as they say." She said quietly as the boys approached.
I quickly busied myself with picking up the shattered glass. Corrine went to help but I smacked her hands away lightly, not wanting her hands to be cut.
Placing the glass on the tray I quickly avoided Stefan's stare and walked the other way.
I entered the house and went through the front doors. I stood at the edge of the drive way. I didn't want to marry for money, I wanted to marry a man that I truly loved. How could my mother do this, auctioning off her only daughter.
"Cossette?" I heard Stefan call breaking me out of my trance.
"Cossette, are you okay?" He said stepping in front of me.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You're crying?" He said. Was I? I touched my cheek and it felt wet. So I was. I moved to wipe my cheek but he grabbed my wrist.
"You're bleeding too." He frowned.
"So I am." I muttered, staring at him. I stared at his olive eyes.
"Let me clean you up." He wasn't asking, he pulled me to someone's office and sat me down in a chair.
"Did you know about the arrangement?" I asked. He flicked his eyes to me then back to the bandages he was cutting.
"Yes." I took in a breath.
"At least you have a choice, I mean most women here are just married to the first wealthy man their parents lay eyes on." He said.
"I'm very rarely lucky." I muttered.
He grabbed a wash cloth wetting it in a basin. Wringing it out he put it to my hand. He gingerly washed my hand.
I took the time to look at him. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. His jaw was set hard, he had pretty eyes to look at. I watched as he wrapped the cloth bandages around my palm. My hands were tiny in his. I'm tiny compared to him, actually anybody.
"All done." He smiled.
"Thank you, Stefan." I stood up and walked away with him on my mind. Maybe this marriage thing wouldn't be so bad.