Monsieur Petit's wife

Chapter one

"Chin up, back straight and a beautiful smile" mama said, tightening the ropes of the corset and drawing my slouching body into firm straightness. The corset did well to tuck in my stomach but it also stopped all the air from getting into my lungs. I could barely breathe, as she tied the strings into a firm knot and made it a bow. " You must represent the Smith family, quite well,Aurora?".
"Mm" I hummed, drawing my attention from the green bodice of my dress and to my mother's face. She narrowed her eyes slightly and then sighed, knowing fully well that I wasn't going to listen to any of her lectures. I was a ball of Character on my own, one mother found quite inappropriate for someone of such social standing. It wasn't my fault my father was a senator in the government and mother was a famous lawyer in her own rights. I was none of those and just because I bore the Smith name didn't mean I had to behave like them, just like my elder sisters. Mother did the finishing touches on my look and pulled me to the mirror to see. It was a beautiful dress, seagreen in colour, made of satin with tiny straps as hands. It matched my emerald green eyes and bright brown hair. However, it was very far from my usual look of sweatpants and hoodies and on some occasions flay gowns that deemed me shapeless.
"Cleaned up nice" a voice said from the door. I turned to see my eldest sister Maria, standing at the door. We all wore the same dresses just a different colour, Maria's was blue and Kara who peered over Maria's shoulder had on a red dress. Maria and Kara looked quite alike, they were carbon copies of our mother, blonde and blue eyes, they were everything she wanted us to be.
"As if.." Kara started to say but one look from mother and she swallowed the rest of her statement. We all knew what she wanted to say. As if Monsieur Petit will choose me for marriage. The Petit family was one of the greatest and oldest families in France, they were as private as they were famous which was very. No one had really set eyes on the family members, especially the eldest Petit, Marcello. He was the eldest son of Mr Petit, a billionaire in his own rights and quite mysterious. Apparently, he needed a wife and so our family was chosen to provide one, hence the dresses and the exorbitant party going on downstairs. It was also the day his wife would be chosen, one of us sisters. It wasn't going to be me obviously, the entire France knew that. Who wanted a wife, who spent most of her time doing homework, reading romance novels, drunk on coffee and petting her stray cat, pebbles. That's why mother spent extra time trying to fix me up, for a life I wasnt going to have. My cards were on Maria, she was the most comley and girly of the lot, Kara had an attitude and I was sure they'd return her after the first night.
"Thank you Kara" I said, she rolled her eyes, huffed and stumped off. Maria just chuckled and followed after her. Mother patted my back and said she was expecting me downstairs In a few minutes. I grabbed one of my smaller storybooks and hid it under my shawl, these events were usually quite boring, all I had to do was speak some measley french to a few people and sit, watching the drama unfold. I left my room and started my walk down the stairs, the ball room was on the left of the stairs and the door was closed , so I pushed it open drawing the attention of the whole room to myself. I forced a smile unto my face before hurrying to a corner where no one could see me. I could see Kara giving me the stink eye from across the room, she did want the green dress, that I knew but it was none of my business, considering I chose the dress first.
"Ma'am" I drew my attention away from my sister and looked at the person who'd spoken.  It was a young boy, he looked a few years older than me, I was 19 so he was about 23, he was dressed in a tuxedo, with his black hair slicked back and his light blue eyes shining. "Yes?"
"May I have this dance?" I was about to decline, but then, mother looked at me and I nodded my head. He held out his hand and I took it. The book I'd hidden in my shawl fell to the ground with a thud, he reached down and picked it up before I could. "Shakespeare, quite the classic writer". He handed the book back to me and I dropped it on the table. He took me to the dancing floor just as the song began and we started to move.  I wasnt a very good ballroom dancer and so I silently prayed that I won't step on his feet by mistake, but at that very moment I did. He winced and my face went a bloody red.
"I'm sorry" I apologized immediately. He just chuckled.
"You look mortified, but it's fine, everyone makes mistakes" we continued to dance until the song came to an end."Thank you for the dance"
" You're welcome, your name?" I asked out of courtesy.
He smiled "Rowland..Rowland Petit". With those words said, he turned and disappeared in the crowd. I stood there shocked. There was no way I just met a Petit. No way. What if Marcello was in the room and nobody knew. Good gracious. I quickly took a seat and stuffed a scone into my mouth, stress eating. I didn't know why I was nervous. Had I made a good impression? Oh for the Love of God, I stepped on his feet. I stuffed another scone watching as my father climbed, the stage tapped the microphone and began to talk. He was going to announce who the chosen one was. I ate another scone.
The entire room was silent, everybody was waiting, watching to see which of us entered the prestigious Petit family. "Aurora Smith" he announced. Pindrop silence. Everybody turned to stare at me, whose mouth was stuffed with cake and had a horror stricken face. "Aurora?" Father was confused. I swallowed the scone and then everything went black.

           New book. Just had the idea pop up and I hadn't written in a while so why not. Trying something new. Pure romance. Hope you guys enjoy this.

Ladyc15 ❤️