C.Romarin

 Chapter 1

Chantilly was a small country surrounded by giant ones.  

Nonetheless, it was still considered as a fierce competitor in terms of affluence.

Its irresistible, exotic presence and abundant resources gave it the edge needed to keep afloat amidst those giants.

White beaches with soft sand that glistened mesmerisingly in the sunlight, azure sea that stretched endlessly to the horizon, blankets of pastures teeming with all sorts of life, crystal clear lakes and fields plump with precious crops.

This charming country was a little paradisiac corner that catered to every whimsical dreamer. 

And at the heart of it all stood its city, Flora. 

There, large day and night markets prospered amongst a backdrop of cobbled streets, brick buildings, colourful flowers and towering trees intertwined with vanilla vines.  

This beautiful city never failed to enchant its visitors and warmly welcomed all. 

Oh!

And the desserts!

All sorts of desserts that attracted gourmets from every corner of the world and were always accompanied by a generous dollop of the famous Chantilly cream. 

It was no wonder that such a small country became a popular hub for many; trade, vacation, honeymoons, stopovers for hopeless romantics, food enthusiasts and many more! 

Chantilly port saw many arrivals and departures each day.

But for the native inhabitants, it was simply home. 

Such was the case for the Romarin family. 

Generations of them had lived and been buried on this land. The ancestors of this minor noble family were the ones that had opened the port and started trade with other countries.

With them paving the way, many more opportunities were created and the country slowly developed into the prosperous one it was today.

Their trading company and the fees collected from the use of the port greatly contributed to their wealth and significantly raised their status. It was but the cherry on the top to their high reputation amongst the general population.

Integrity, humbleness and fairness; those were the words most associated with the Romarins.

Many would jump at any opportunity to be associated with them. 

And regrettably, that included the greedy, the opportunists and the conniving ones.

Lady Cécille had encountered more of those than she would have ever wished to for the past year.

Her coming of age ball had opened a floodgate and left a bitter taste in her mouth. 

The rare debutante balls or, as she critically called them, ‘matching sessions’, that she was obliged to attend, left her further disillusioned.

The memory of it persistently replayed in her mind; young ladies and gentlemen paraded themselves around, armed with veiled insults and criticisms. Friends and foes stepped on others and dragged each other down in order to secure the rare cream of the crop as their spouse.

Just like that.

An enchanting moment turned into a vicious battleground. 

The competition amongst some were so fierce that convoluted schemes and underhandedness came into play.

Poor Lady Cécille has been one-sidedly deemed as enemy by most ladies. She was one of the most ‘valuable’ options to the gentlemen, after all.

At least, that is what they said.

Time and time again had Lady Cécille made it perfectly clear that she had no interest in any gentlemen.

Still, they did not believe her.

Even one year later, already nearing her 19th birthday, and they were still at it!

Lord knows how many times she has been the subject of subtle barbs, backhanded compliments and even petty rumours!

All in order to try to dim her 'value'.

“Can you believe this Myrtille?! Those gossiping hens have been insinuating that I am promiscuous! Me! Who is a homebody and is closely guarded by my father and brother, deemed as promiscuous! Everybody knows this and don’t believe a word of it! So why do they persist with their vain slander?! And if I have to hear one more word about my ‘ plain’ looks’, I am going to pluck them bald!” Lady Cécille hissed between her teeth as she sat at her cosy tea table in her family’s garden.

The picturesque garden filled with all sorts of flora and gazebos had always managed to soothe and bring her joy.

It failed to do so now. 

Annoyance bristled sharply in her.

Myrtille, her long time companion, deftly poured a cup of sweetened water and handed it to her, “ my Lady please calm down! Getting so upset is not good for your health nor does it help. Drink this to soothe yourself. The words of those mean Ladies are of no importance! Your looks are just fine so do pay them no mind. They are just grasping at straw at this stage.”

Lady Cécille took a small sip and riposted, “I have been calm Myrtille! More than anyone else should have! Months of keeping my calm! But this circus has been going on too long! It is not just the other ladies that are problematic! Some of the men are too! You were with me most of the time and you are the one I personally sent to discretely investigate them! You are very well aware of their outrageous lies and schemes!”

The more Lady Cécille pondered about it, the more her anger flared. She abruptly set the cup aside and slammed her hands on the table, “ no! I can endure no longer ! I must speak to father immediately!”

Her gathered skirts swirled angrily around her as she hastened away.

Myrtille barely swallowed the sip she had just taken before hurrying after her.

On the second floor, Lord Romarin sat comfortably in his cosy office and diligently worked on reducing the paperwork.

The document he had just reviewed was carefully placed on his finished pile and another one was grudgingly picked up.

His concentration was suddenly broken as hurried steps resounded outside his office.

A confused frown crossed his face as he put down his pen and leaned back in his seat.

Mere seconds later, someone knocked.

“Enter.”

Cécille unceremoniously opened the door and immediately met her father's warm gaze.

Lord Hugo Romarin was a man with ordinary looks. Most of which his daughter had inherited.

Indeed, one cursory glance and most would deem him as ‘average’.

But anyone who took the time to converse with him or observe him vehemently contradicted that. 

When questioned, they all expressed the same thing; 'That man's charisma and bearing was nothing to sniff at. ' 

Warm, light brown hair and eyes, sparsed wrinkles that became more prominent with his smiles, a slimly muscled body with average height that conveyed steadfastness. 

Indeed, his deceptive appearance hid an aura of conscientiousness, gentleness and quiet confidence that gently kindled trust and respect in others. 

Naturally, many tended to gravitate towards him.

And to the great dismay of Lady Romarin, most of those tended to be pesky ‘bees’. 

She had ardently pursued and smugly conquered him during their younger days, leaving many heartbroken. Even after years of marriage, many were still superficially enamoured with him.

Some had even dared to ‘test the waters’ in the past, only to be righteously rebuked. 

Fortunately, that trend was firmly nipped in the bud when a private meeting with his wife would always follow afterwards and, at the end of which, many would come out running and shamefaced.

And so, Lord Hugo privately became known as the tattletale amongst the ladies.

Little did they know that it was innocent in nature. The couple had the habit of sharing how their day went at night before going to sleep. The poor man was simply enthusiastic in sharing everything with his wife. 

Needless to say, there could be no secrets between them.

That same glorious characteristic was imparted onto his dear daughter. 

Always poised and reserved with strangers she may be, but with family and people she trusted, Cécille couldn’t help but spill everything that was on her mind.

Lord Hugo was certain that was the case right now.

He cast aside his work and stood up to greet his daughter with a hug. 

“Ah Cécille! You decided to give your poor dad a visit! How glad I am!”

Cécille couldn’t stop her smile as she returned his hug, “ Papa! You sound as if I don’t regularly come to annoy you! You are very well aware that I delight in talking to you! You like it too! Specially if it keeps you away from paperwork!” 

“Daughter, your presence is never an annoyance. In fact, they are quite timely! Lord knows I need a break from all those paperwork!” He then turned to address Myrtille, “ Oh, and hello to you too Miss Myrtille! Thank you, as always, for your wonderful company to my daughter.”

Myrtille politely curtsied, “greetings to you, Lord Romarin and no need for thanks. It is a pleasure to accompany Lady Cécille and a great blessing to be her friend. I think you have some personal matters to discuss, so I shall make myself scarce. Lady Cécille, I will be in the gardens if my presence is needed.”

Cécille gently reached out towards Myrtille’s hand , “thank you Myrtille. I shall come to find you later.”

With a final curtsy, Myrtille took her leave.

“So daughter, what is worrying you now?” Lord Hugo enquired whilst guiding her towards the seating area.

She gracelessly dropped on a sofa and watched as her father comfortably leaned back in his. He always sat on the same one. So much so that it now permanently bore the shape of his body.

This brought her a brief sense of amusement. 

The anger that had fueled her earlier had all but fizzled out.

Now, only lassitude remained.

A feeble sigh left her, “papa, I do not want to attend any balls anymore.”

Lord Hugo mirrored her sigh, “ I know Cécille. And considering all the ridiculous things that were said and plotted backstage, I perfectly understand your weariness. But you know as well as I do that some are unavoidable.... Have you given up on the idea of marriage my dear? ”

“No. I am too much of a hopeless romantic for that. And I want to experience the wonderful things you and mother have shown me were possible. But, all the prospects that have shown interest were simply not compatible or were deadly pitfalls.”

A gloomy frown crossed Lord Hugo as he recalled all the wretched men that had tried to deceive his daughter, “yes I recall those all too well. And I shall never forgive them. I personally visited each of them and laid bare their wicked intentions. So far, they have heeded my warnings to stay clear of you. Did they really believe that I would not investigate their backgrounds and question their integrity towards my daughter? Preposterous!”

A grateful smile spread across Cécille's face, “ and I am lucky to have a father like you. Not all daughters are as blessed as I am to have a father that have their best interests at heart.”

Lord Hugo snorted, “those kind of men do not deserve to be called ‘father’! Egocentric buffoons that they are! Freely giving away their precious daughters as if getting rid of a great burden! I could never stomach it!”

Lord Hugo waved a hand as if pushing away those thoughts away, “ let us not talk about it further. It is upsetting and angers me to an absurd degree!”

“Very well. To go back to the subject, I am just tired of enduring the one-sided battle when I know that I won’t find what I want at those balls.”

“Ah yes.... the opinions of those few mean-spirited ladies. Your mother said that she found it quite funny how much they can talk behind backs but become meek as quails when confronted. Unfortunately, you cannot prevent people from talking. Envy, pride and the fear of securing a safe future for themselves has blinded them. ‘Tis a shame and such a pity. ”

“I understand their circumstances but that does not make it okay.” Cécille muttered as she slumped glumly in her seat.

Lord Hugo helplessly gazed at her, “No it does not. Far from it.”  

A moment of silence settled between them before Lord Hugo suddenly proposed, “Cécille, how about a change of scenery? If the situation and prospect here does not please you, how about broadening your horizons. I have a business trip planned and have gotten many invitations to private parties. And balls are not restricted to Chantilly only. You could be invited to some there too. Maybe travelling could provide you with some peace and allow you to have fun without being targeted. They would have their eyes on other targets rather than a Lady from a small country. And who knows, maybe you could stumble upon the one for you.”

Hope welled up in her at his words. Cécille couldn't resist jumping up to hug her father, “ what a marvellous idea! Seeing new sights, new people, being a nameless stranger in the crowd! Maybe I will be able to overwrite the nightmare that was my debutante ball! And have fun dancing with a few gentlemen! And make new friends!”

A surprised laugh escaped from Lord Hugo, “well, I am glad that this idea pleases you!”

“Thank you papa!” Cécille excitedly landed a loud kiss on his cheek. “I have to go consult mother immediately on what to bring!”

She quickly gathered her skirts and was out the door.

Lord Hugo coughed awkwardly with a pink face and mumbled to himself, “I am glad I was able to lift up her mood.”

He jumped in surprise as Cécille suddenly reappeared at the door.

“Father, I forgot to ask but where are we going?”

“Huh? Oh yes. We will be going to Euterpe.

Cécille squealed excitedly, “ I always wanted to visit this country! Oh I can’t wait!”

She quickly disappeared again, this time not forgetting to close the door.

Lord Hugo blinked at her excited departure before bursting into laughter.

“Ah, if I knew she would have been so excited, I would have accepted those invitations long ago! I do hope that this experience goes well for her. Now, where did I put those invitations? I have to pen a response.” Lord Hugo mumbled. 

He rummaged through his desk all while mentally compiling a list of things that needed to be taken care of.

A crucial question abruptly popped in his mind and stilled his hands, “By the way, does she still get seasick?....”

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