Chapter One
I, Marielle Flaubert née Clarac, aged nineteen, had officially made my debut in society as the newest member of the esteemed House Flaubert!
As a result, however, I found myself in grave danger, the likes of which I had never faced before.
“Oh, how lovely! That white dress has such a polished air about it. It suits you perfectly!”
“Is it an original from Madame Pelagie? It’s delightful!”
“Truly it is! The design is rather elaborate, but you wear it to perfection.”
The gaggle of fabulously dressed ladies all came from houses of great renown. They surrounded me, fixed smiles on their faces, and were showering me with praise. No doubt they had scoffed at me in the past, whether behind their fans or openly in public. When my engagement was first announced, I had been the victim of more than my fair share of malicious gossip, and even snide comments spoken directly to my face.
“What a mismatched couple!” they had said. “How comical! What sort of game is he playing, proposing to a girl so lacking in the looks department? Her family doesn’t even have money or land, so there’s no value to the connection. Why have the earl and countess allowed it?”
The very same people who had laughed at me were now presenting a diametrically opposed attitude. The reversal was so thorough that it was nothing short of impressive.
“You’re so calm and collected for such a young lady! So mature! I couldn’t imagine anyone more suitable to marry into the illustrious House Flaubert.”
“The earl and countess must be so glad to have such a charming new daughter-in-law!”
Their opinions hadn’tactually undergone such a dramatic change, of course. I was quite certain they were still making the same spiteful comments behind my back. However, they made sure to do it in secret, where it wouldn’t reach my ears. On the surface they treated me with kindness, while their true thoughts remained hidden.
The reason was that House Flaubert was far more important than House Clarac. Making an enemy of my own family would be of no consequence to these ladies at all, but inciting the ire of House Flaubert was a far riskier propos
