Chapter 7 – The best suitor of all

Daphne was pretty sure he got hold of a certain Baron. Which wasn't bad.

John Alcom, also known as Baron of Alcom, could be only a Baron, but this could be a temporary title. Which would make him a great match for a daughter of the Viscount, one who wishes to rise ever higher. That's what he'll come to be. He was still young, only a few years older than her, and he inherited the title when he was a child. Her mother was like Ursula, an ambitious woman, who during the time she administered the title, managed to multiply the family fortune several times. And she educated her son well, since he shows signs that he will follow in his mother's footsteps during his regime. That's why the title could be temporary.

It was a shame that she died two years ago, and she didn't see that his son has continued her family improvements, and she won't even see his status change.

John was just a Baron, one who had just officially received the title, but possessed almost the same amount of land that Aldo had now. And he always shows up in public flawlessly, with glittering jewels, showing his family's fortune, but not becoming an exhibitionist, like some headless young men did. He just had an appearance that could be called tasteful. A boy like that could not only dream about it, but it could make his title change to Earl or Marquis a reality. Maybe one day, he would even become a Duke, marry one of his children in the royal family... And if Daphne married him while he was still a Baron, that would be a merit for a lifetime!

Yet her greatest competition was a daughter of a Marquis, niece of a famous Earl, but isn't even a real threat. This girl's family was in decay, and there was a scandal tarnishing her name a few years ago, and since no one has forgotten that, she was almost 18 and still single. The rest were only daughters of families with the same nobility of the Alcom, or most inferior. Daphne clearly came from a more prestigious family.

And to say that "better a Duke than a Count" or "a Baron is inferior to a Viscount" was something that was only heard from a certain group of matchmakers women, those who didn't really understand how society worked and didn't know how the world worked beyond their living rooms. Yes, there was a hierarchy of titles in the nobility, but only "officially". It had its importance, but what makes one family be seen as superior to other depend solely on those who were part of it. There were Dukes that only possessed the title, which in terms of importance, were inferior to a Baron like John. They were expected to sell their high titles or some people just wait for them to slip, so they would have their titles relegated. And maybe get arrested and executed.

Having a title of nobility greater than what you deserve wasn't a good thing.

The opposite also happened. When someone with a low rank of nobility stood out absurdly, even more so if they did a great deed, it was expected that the king would grant a more noble title, as well as lands and treasures. Of course they could buy a better title, but owning a title bought was never well seen by society.

And John would soon be a part of that group that would be awarded a greater title. That's what people were talking about in the high society. A young boy, promising, educated and ambitious... Just imagine what he'll become in a few years. Viscount would already be a title that would not fall into what that child had become, probably would soon receive the title of Earl. Perhaps it would come soon, due to the irrigation project in which it works on his land, making it able to transport water to the most distant areas from where the river is located, increasing its production, the amount of servants and the tributes that they pay... And it was a shame he wasn't interested in the war. With tensions with one of the neighboring kingdoms increasing every day, and a possible war about to begin, someone with the mind of the Baron of Alcom would be precious on the battlefield.

There were those cases of commoners who stood out on the battlefield, who was quickly promoted to higher military patents, and when the war ended, they would be decorated with a title of nobility. There were dukes coming out of nowhere because of that.

But since all this was still an uncertainty, many nobles weren't willing to marry their daughters with him. But Daphne and her mother believed it, even more Ursula, who could see further the majority.

John was someone who liked to stay safe and didn't like to take big risks. He cared about his kingdom, but he cared more about what will happen with his title and himself. He wasn't thinking of even taking a risk in politics, much less a war.

John Alcom was that kind of ambitious but safe man. A good kind of man to be and to marry. He always liked to improve and increase what he had, but he was careful about it and would never risk anything.

And no matter what angle Ursula and Daphne saw, John was the perfect candidate for the marriage of the first daughter of the family. A promising future and few risks of an early death. Not that Ursula's husbands would take any live's risks, but the less likely they are to die, the better. Besides, he had a good personality and reputation. The few times she talked to him, Daphne liked him.

Of course, they talked at dances filled with people. Daphne wasn't stupid enough to get too close to him to arouse gossip, and neither would Ursula put her in that position to try to create an awkward situation where marrying her daughter was the only alternative. Things like this would cause John to be forced to marry Daphne, but the reputation of both would be shaken for a long time, as well as being the presage of a bad marriage. What man would deeply respect a woman who has schemed to compel him to marry her?

John wasn't as handsome as the other young gentlemen, much less so charming. Several of them considered to be better suitors than him by the mothers, because they are heirs of titles with greater glamour, had more properties, or both. And several of them were beaus who could draw the sighs from the girls at balls. John was reserved, perhaps even shy in a few moments. In matrimonial issues, he cared more about finding someone who could be a greater chatelaine than a refined girl by society's standards, who was someone who would entertain her guests with a flute.

It looked like he was looking for Daphne herself. At dances and dinners, walks in the park and hunters, since she knew there was no way to compete with beauty and manners with the other nobles, her strategy was to present herself as a well-bred daughter, also reserved. Not so reserved when someone was trying to get close to her. She was more inviting, talking with enthusiasm, sometimes laughing. Even if her mother almost begged for her to don't do that, even if she never explained why.

Ursula knew there wasn't much difference between her daughter and a clucking chicken.

Not that she wasn't pretty or polite, but that was the problem when they compare with Cinderella. They were away more educated than the other noble maidens, and pretty too. And with that, it was established in their minds that they were inferior.

It wasn't exactly true...

Daphne and Cordelia were rather tough and unnatural with their kindness, but they were just like all the other young ladies. None of them had that Cinderella charm, but none of these other young women had anyone who was naturally good at anything to be compared to each other day and the night. And none of them were that ugly, just couldn't be considered this next Cinderella.

Yes, Daphne had that huge nose, and it was more curvy than most. She wasn't considered fat, but had a bone structure that makes impossible to wear the same clothes of those that had a 'sophisticated body', even if she lost weight until she became skin and bone. And her feminine parts wouldn't help at all, a real hourglass shape. But there were a lot of men who preferred that kind of woman. Also, she had beautiful dark, big eyes that were charming in her face (but not in her sister's, who had a small face, and made them abnormally discrepant from the rest). And although many people at that time didn't like red hair, hers' hair had an interesting tone, and the curls she always wore was so well crafted that looked like cylinders, showed cleanliness.

And Cordelia was, unlike her sister, too skinny for the standards. She used to wear unfit clothes so that even behind so many undergarments that a nobleman wore, she didn't highlight her prominent bones. And it seemed that noses were a problem in that generation: even though they were small, it ended up on a huge rounded end, like a ball. But her face was small and delicate, aside her eyes that looked abnormally big in her face. She had dense glossy black hair, and because they were somewhat bristling, it was easy to make bulky hairstyles without having to use wigs.

One imperfection or another didn't spoil the look of a woman, except for those who insist on looking for defects.

Which was much more than many noble girls possessed. Several of them depends exclusively on their dowry to arrange a husband, ending up becoming a widower's wife, or marrying a man much older than them. In general, both.

Not Daphne, not Cordelia. They weren't Cinderella, but they were more beautiful than half of their competition, and because they had someone like the stepsister to compare, their manners were superior and praised in all the halls. They just didn't flaunt their talents, since they knew they'd be ashamed if they did.

Ursula already understood that, but not her daughters. They still felt inferior to everyone.

And a suitor like the Baron of Alcom was interested in someone like Daphne, and Daphne was interested in the Baron of Alcom.

That royal ball would be the perfect occasion to show that socially, she would be a great Baroness, or Viscountess, or whatever his title will be.

Maybe Princess...

With a single prince with his parents looking for a marriage to him, a girl always has the risk of becoming a princess...