Coming of Age

The entire house was buzzing with activity. Maids were busy arranging flowers and decorating various rooms. Cooks were preparing platters of food and butlers were directing workmen in setting up tables and chairs to prepare for the evening's festivities. Everyone was busy making sure the preparations would be perfect. Everyone except the guest of honor.

Rowan was sitting in the bath that had been prepared in her room more than an hour before. She was ignoring the pleas of her mother to hurry and start getting dressed. Most girls couldn't wait to come of age. Most girls looked forward to having the attention of all the eligible bachelors in the country. Rowan was not "most girls". Although today marked her 18th birthday, she had no desire to be shown like a prized stallion, waiting to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

As the youngest daughter of the Marquess of Warren, Rowan had experienced many debutante balls. Young ladies were always invited as a courtesy, but the true guests were the single men looking to court the young lady coming of age.

For the men, it was a business arrangement disguised as romance. Daughters of nobles came with dowries, which were normally much more attractive than the young girls themselves. Thanks to their father's money, the girls could look forward to a life of comfort, if not love.

Rowan wanted none of it. She had been 13 when her sister Lauren came of age. Even then, the business aspect of it appalled her. Her sister primped and preened until her hair was perfect and her face was flawless. Lauren's dress was beautifully crafted with layers of lilac silk trimmed in a delicate white lace. The bodice cinched in to accentuate her tiny waist and emphasize what little bosom she had. Nearly 6 months went into planning a party so that her sister could be married to a complete stranger.

Not that Lauren hadn't come to love her husband. Gregor was the eldest son of Percy Danworth, the Viscount of Dirth. The match was made with little concern of Lauren's wishes, not that she would ever dream of disagreeing with her father. She was allowed to court Gregor for 2 weeks before the wedding. He had turned out to be an honest and thoughtful husband. So far the marriage had produced 2 beautiful children with another well on the way.

Unlike Lauren, Rowan had a strong sense of independence. Not one to follow blindly, Rowan was a leader. Not exactly a quality most men desired in a wife. Rowan tended to speak her mind, go where she wanted and do as she pleased. Today it pleased her to sit in her bath thinking about the events of this evening.

It wasn't that Rowan was opposed to having a ball. On the contrary, she was looking forward to it. After tonight, she could court a man and decide for herself if he was worthy of her affections. Regardless of the wishes of her mother and father, Rowan was not about to accept marriage to a man she did not love and respect simply because he had the right title before his name.

Rowan decided she had aggravated her mother enough for the time being and decided to proceed in getting ready. Her maid was standing with a large fluffy wrap as Rowan rose out of the sweet smelling water.

The maids had their work cut out for them if they deemed to make her look the part of a proper lady. Not that she was not beautiful. It was just hard to see under her usual appearance. Most young ladies stayed indoors, away from the sun and its glaring light that could mark their alabaster skin. They practiced needlepoint and music, read literature and maintained an air of dignity.

Rowan had her own idea of how she should carry herself. Ever the tomboy, Rowan preferred the fresh air and sunshine. She excelled at archery, rode horses, went fishing and never shied from swimming in the large pond at the edge of the grounds. She liked to climb trees and pick flowers in the woods. She was frequently covered in mud and had an unkempt appearance. Her nails were broken, her hair was always a tangled mess and her skin was sun-kissed a golden brown that was not in fashion with the ladies at court. Nearly everything about her was considered scandalous.

Rowan didn't care. She was determined that any man wishing to court her must accept her as she was. Unfortunately, her mother had other ideas. She set one maid to filing and buffing Rowan's nails. Another was busy brushing the tangles from her hair. A third set upon her with powder and lip stain. By the time they were finished, Rowan had transformed into a beautiful woman. Her waist length mahogany hair was bound in intricate braids to show off her long, graceful neck. A few strands of curls were left free to draw attention to her shoulders and back. With her hair styled and her face powdered and stained, Rowan felt like a painted doll. She hardly recognized herself in the mirror.

Next it was on to the layers upon layers of clothes. Rowan couldn't understand how anyone could enjoy being confined like this. Stockings, garters, small clothes, pantaloons, chemise, corset and underskirts... and she hadn't even donned her dress!

Oh, but what a dress it was. Her father had spared no expense to ensure his daughter would look perfect this evening. It had been especially designed by the most sought after seamstress at court. It was a beautiful concoction guaranteed to set all eyes on her this evening. The gown was crafted of fine blue green silk to bring out the color of her eyes. It was trimmed in ivory lace and pale pink ribbons. The bodice was covered in shining crystals and delicate pearls. Rowan could hardly wait to have it on.

The dress was cut to show off her curves. It was cinched at the waist, as expected, but the bodice was a complete surprise. It was cut so low it was bordering on indecent, but that was the newest fashion at court. The sleeves were fashioned off the shoulders as to show off her neck and back. Unlike her sister, Rowan was tall with an ample bosom. This dress would nearly have her breasts tumbling out. She would have to take care to keep from embarrassing herself this evening.

****

"Who do you have your eye on for this evening?"

Rowan's older brother, Tristan, was in the library with his best friend, Rhys, discussing the possibilities of the evening's events. The men had been friends since they were just boys. Both were the heirs to their fathers' titles and neither was in a hurry to wed. These balls were just a way for them to meet the other young ladies in attendance.

As an heir to a Marquess, Tristan enjoyed his fair share of attention from the ladies at court, but nothing compared to his friend Rhys. Tristan was handsome, to be sure. He was nearly 6 feet tall with a medium build and stylish brown hair. He wore tailored clothes and an expensive hat.

Ah, but Rhys. Women swooned when Rhys entered a room. He was taller than most men, nearly 4 inches over 6 feet. He was long and lean, with taut muscles and dashing looks. His curly, shoulder length black hair was pulled back in a dark blue ribbon that matched the color of his eyes. His wit and charm captivated men and women alike. If all this wasn't enough, Rhys was the eldest son of the Duke of Chelsea. He was destined to inherit one of the wealthiest estates in the country.

Tristan might have been jealous of all the attention his friend received, if his friend cared anything about it. Fortunately, Rhys took it all in stride and never set out to take advantage of the attention that was bestowed upon him. He was modest and friendly, and above all, generous. Rather than jealousy, Tristan felt fortunate to reap the benefits of having such a friend. He hoped that tonight would be just such an occasion.

"No one in particular, I'm afraid. I'm hoping to see some new faces tonight. I'm getting tired of dealing with the same shallow, social climbing harlots every week. For once I would like to spend the evening with a woman who has a brain and isn't afraid to use it!"

"Rhys, Rhys, Rhys. Why worry about a woman of substance? We are too young to settle down. Especially with so many women vying for our attention. "

"Sure Tristan, rutting with beautiful women has its appeal, but don't you ever long for a woman you can talk to? Someone with whom you can enjoy their company without the intrigues and games?"

Tristan was caught off guard. He had never thought about having a woman as a friend. He preferred to spend as little time as possible talking to them and as much as he could in their knickers.

"I don't know, Rhys. I'm pretty content just bedding them."

The men shared a hearty laugh as they left the library. Walking towards the ballroom, Rhys thought of the guest of honor. He had known the Barclays for many years and had seen Rowan grow from a young girl into a young woman. She was sharp of tongue and clever of wit. She had a wild demeanor and he hadn't thought of her as the type to want such a ball.

"So tell me Tristan, how did your parents convince your sister to come inside and concede to such an event?"

"Surely your guess is as good as mine! I think father is looking to have her settled in hopes of taming her wild nature. For that to happen, they will need to bath her and groom her and tie her tongue. I have a hard time believing they will be able to convince her to act properly, but that is their concern, not mine. While all the other gentlemen are focused on my sweet little sister, we can have our pick of the other ladies in attendance."

"Well then, as long as you have this all planned out."

The men entered the ballroom to await the arrival of Tristan's sister.