"Please read the poem aloud darling." Her mother said as she sat with her back up straight against the stiff wooden chair with flower-like embellishments on the arms. Her jersey dress made her feel slightly uncomfortable, such an expensive dress was not the norm for her. Despite being a member of a respected, upper class family, her parents were not wasteful with their money. Nicolette spent most of her time inside, learning how to play the piano and speaking different languages besides that of her family's native French and English, which was the official language of the country in which they resided.
"Man must be pleased; but him to please. Is woman's pleasure; down the gulf. Of his condoled necessities. She casts her best, she flings herself. How often flings for nought, and yokes. Her heart to an icicle or wont," Her mother waved her hand and immediately her back slacked into the chair, she had messed up hadn't she?
"Whim, darling, not wont." The seventeen-year-old let out a soft sigh as she straightened each vertebra before starting over again, much to her mother's displeasure.
"Man must be pleased; but him to please. Is woman's pleasure; down the gulf. Of his condoled necessities. She casts her best, she flings herself. How often flings for nought, and yokes. Her heart to an icicle or whim." A smile was on her mother's porcelain white face, such emotion from the woman was unsettling. "Whose each impatient word provokes. Another, not from her, but him; While she, too gentle even to force. His penitence by kind replies," a deep breath left her dull pink cheeks as she suddenly stopped, there was knock at the door. The butler, Mr. Elkins when her parents were around, but Tyler when they weren't, opened the door and the cold wind whipped into the room – sending a chill up her spine and the back of her neck.
"Lord Emery is here to see you Mademoiselle." He said to her seconds later, his brown toupee slightly off kilter on the top of his head.
"Thank you Mr. Elkins." She said in the most polite voice she could muster at the moment. Her father had told her all he knew about Lord Emery next to their warm fire over the past few nights. But all she seemed to remember was that he was out of money and had title. That was enough to send him into a frenzy, looking for a suitable, wealthy bride.
"Madame Andrepont, Mademoiselle Andrepont." Alexandra looked over at her teenaged daughter who wore the same look of shock as Mr. Elkins and the two Andrepont boys.
"Madame and Mademoiselle," a voice said as he stood in the back of the room, causing Lord Emery to stiffen up in what could only be classified as fear and partial respect, "Madame Andrepont, Mademoiselle Andrepont,that's how you will address my wife and daughter." Nicolette looked down demurely once her mother gave her a sharp gaze, "Her heart to an icicle or whim," repeated over and over in her head while she felt a new gaze wash over her. It caused her sit up straighter, arch her back as one of her pale hands was taken from her lap. The first instinct of the young girl was to pull away, his hand felt strange around hers but she didn't question it.
"Enchanté, Madamoiselle Andrepont," Lord Emery said as she lifted her head up, her blue eyes brighter than the water that flowed through the Seine River, a river she missed wholeheartedly.
"Ravi de vous rencontrer, Seigneur Émeri" she responded in French, catching a view of his chiseled features, high cheekbones and curiously emerald eyes. "The eyes indicate the antiquity of the soul," she said quietly, looking into his soul and instead of seeing the soul of twenty-eight year old nobleman, she found an ancient soul.
"Yes the do, Mademoiselle," he said, looking into her eyes, she felt like her innermost secrets were being violated. "It seems like your soul is very young, it is refreshing, so many girls your age have the souls of old hags." He said, letting go of her petite hand. Then things changed and he looked up at the sound of the brand-new grandfather clock striking Midday. "Forgive me, Mademoiselle, Madame, Monsieur, but I must be on my way, there is an emergency meeting in the House of Lords in half an hour's time." Nicolette's father looked at Lord Emery with contempt and anger borderline hatred in his eyes but said no harsh words.
"You will just have to visit again Lord Emery," her mother said, giving him a slight smile, sending chills down Nicolette's spine.
"If it so pleases you Madame, I would very much enjoy that." His eyes never left Nicolette's face as he responded to her mother's question, causing her pale cheeks to blush with a pink tint.
"I would quite enjoy that." She whispered softly, speaking up for herself, ignoring the rigidity of her mother's spine. "If you would like to return, that is." She said under her breath.
"Nicolette speak up, Lord Emery cannot hear you." Her mother said harshly, her blue eyes going down to the floor but Lord Emery smiled.
"I can hear her well enough Madame, do not worry. It would please me immensely to return Mademoiselle." He said, taking her hand and kissing it again before doing the same to her mother's hand.
"Mr. Elkins, please make sure our guest makes it back to his carriage, he has a very important meeting to attend." Her father said as Lord Emery walked past him, causing Mr. Elkins to scramble to the door and open it up, bowing his head to the Lord. A smile was on Nicolette's lips as the carriage rode away towards the newly built Westminster Palace, where the House of Lords met.
"Thank the Lord." Her mother said, crossing herself as her father gave Mr. Elkins the day off.
"Now Aurêlie, Nicolette, nothing is cast in stone. He could still find a suitable bride elsewhere."
"Alain, my dear, did you see the way he kept his eyes on Nicolette? There will be no other bride for him, not unless his first wife reappears, but the police have already declared her dead, it's been three years." Alain nodded at his wife's words.
"Still, we must be careful, Nicolette you cannot seem too interested, it is not ladylike." Monsieur Andrepont crossed the room and sat in another parlor chair, his back to his two sons.
"Yes Papa," she said in her reserved voice, the blush still on her cheeks, "I will do my best Papa."