CHAPTER 1
“You were born to be great !”
Those were the words papa breathed to me before he died a cold callous death,
At first,I doubted it, even hated hearing the words, but after ten long years, I embraced it. I
wanted nothing more than to fulfill his expectation of me. And today is the day I’ve been waiting
for since I was ten.
“Lady Allura Willise— presented by her mother, the dowager earl of Sussex,lady Katherine
Willise” I hear my name called out from the court,a smile bright and radiant as the sun is
perched on my face as I take long gritty strides with Mama.
The room is filled to the brim with eligible tons who would make fine husbands
And ,of course, my competitors and their mamas.
But they don’t deter me,Nothing can!
I curtsy gracefully to her royal highness, I can sense she's smitten by me, her eyes are shining
with admiration, and her smile couldn't be more obvious “you,my dear is an epitome of
perfection.” she declares,her soft raspy voice seems to propel them to notice me more because
everybody's attention is suddenly on me.
The season couldn't be any more perfect than this. And this is just my beginning of soaring
higher like a bird.
Nothing can or will stop me.
But First, I need to find a good husband to achieve that. Down the room is Lord Clifton(papa's
old friend) and his son Richard; who is bacon faced,with a big stomach and a disheveled
mustache, but I don't mind making him my husband,because according to grapevine rumors
Lord Clifton could possibly be the richest man in this room. Lord Abbey is another good match
— even though he's well known for his rakish ways, I could care less.
What I need is a man high in power,so high that they could command power across England.
And that I was going to get.
******
“ You, my dear is perfect…..quite a flattery.”Zephrine says, her mouth is pouted from the way
she's trying to imitate her royal highness tone, I roll my eyes and throw a pillow at her “quit that
at once” I say to her.
“No mia, mama can't shut her mouth about how you will be the belles of the ball this season.”
“and you can't shut—”
“Allura,come see this wonderful news going round the county.” Mama says, bursting into my
room, a smile on her face and a small parchment on her hands. I collect it from her and take a
glance at it.
10, February 1916,
Page 4
The season has just begun with a spark to mark the queen's birthday with
handsome debutantes flocking into the queen's court room as radiant as ever and
their ever willing Mamas' in search of an eligible husband to marry. According to our
source, the Tons,like all seasons, have selected a favourite amongst themselves
"citing her desirable" and from our findings she is no other than Lady A Of E, even the
queen is said to be enamored by her. Will she be the star of the season? Or will she
black out?That, of course, would have to unfold before our own eyes. Regardless of
the laud Lady A of E is receiving, all the debutantes are exceptionally handsome and
we hope they all find a good match.
PHANTOM.
“ What could be the gossip that has mama over the moon?” Zephrine plucks the paper from my
hand, then she looks up to me and mama after reading it, her mouth curves up in a smile.
“uhmm, presenting the potential star of the season before the tons or rather before the most
important men in Bath”she says with a whoosh of her hands up in the air, a gleam of playfulness
in her tone.
“Don't you have a cotillion lesson to get to? I ask her.
“To that I shall leave for” she rolls her eyes before waltzing out of my room, what a spoiled little
brat.
Mama extends out her hands to my chin and caresses it gently, admiration shining through her
eyes before she says “My Allura will absolutely be the belles of the season.
Hale
My body aches from the exhaustive journey I took, thankfully I'm home, it's been so long I have
been home. And you know that saying "there's no place like home,well, that is absolutely
correct, I miss mother, the banter I have with Darius here and there and my usual freshly
brewed tea miss Zabrina makes each morning— which I can easily access anywhere in the
word but there is no one like miss Zabrina's own.
“Mother,where are you?” I yell across the room, my rough voice reverberating in the room.
“oh….hale, I'm right here” she says as she runs straight into my arms from the dining room.
“I have missed you so much.” she whispers into my ear.
“I missed you too” I say, closing my eyes, I take in her scent; lavender and chamomile, I've
missed this!
“ Oh, who do we have here? Mother's favorite son.”Darius says through a mouthful of food.
One thing is for sure,Darius is always going to Darius, although he has changed in his
appearance.
His once round chin has changed to a squared one and his shoulders are now burly built
compared to the last time I saw him.
“what can I do if Mother likes me more” I say to him which he scoffs at me
“How dare you do this?”