A Betrothal Offer

Everyone's attention was directed towards the person who had cleared their throat.

"Lady Patrina, Jacob is going to graduate soon. What are his plans for the future?" Marchioness Yona asked as she glanced at Jacob and then at her daughter who was sitting next to him.

Jacob Kiron glanced up when he heard his name and looked at his mother and then at Marchioness Yona in confusion.

Yvonne silently watched what this rude lady from earlier was trying to imply.

Lady Patrina knew what she meant by those words and gave her son and the girl next to him a look over.

However, she played it dumb and answered Lady Yona in a vague manner.

"He is still too young to decide what to do with his future. He can choose to do anything he wants with his life." She gave her son a comforting nod and then turned to face Lady Yona.

Cecily Yona, Marchioness Yona's only daughter stared at the boy next to her with dreamy eyes and then she glanced at her mother with a pout.

Lady Yona's subtle hints weren't working so she decided to spell out what her thoughts were.

She contemplated for a moment on how to phrase her sentence.

"Don't you think our children would look good together?" She gushed while holding her cheeks and then waited for Lady Kiron's response.

When the boys at the table heard this, they all shook their heads and glanced at Jacob with a sympathetic look in their eyes.

At first, Yvonne was confused about what this lady was speaking but looking at the tensed ambiance around her, she realized what was going on.

'I see what's happening here! It's a betrothal offer!' Her eyes sparkled with excitement to watch something new here and was curious to see how the hostess would react to this sudden proposal.

Marchioness Yona's daughter Cecily Yona was just 12 years old this year but her mother was already looking out for a suitable match for her.

The reason for this was because the moment a girl turns 16 if she does not have a man to call as her fiance or husband then she would be deemed as spoilt goods by society.

The girl did not have to get married the moment they turned 16 but having someone who would be your betrothed was just to keep people's mouths shut.

They could marry any time between the age of 16 and 18 but they could not exceed that age limit.

Hence the rush to find a suitable partner from a young age was absolutely necessary.

Lady Yona would have preferred her daughter with someone of higher status but unfortunately, that was not possible.

Being from a Marquess family, the only people of a higher status than them were the Dukes and the King himself.

Prince Fritzen was not even in the list of appropriate candidates because he was much younger than Cecily.

They couldn't even set their eyes on the King's beloved brother, the Grand Duke so he too was crossed off the list.

Duke Brodie only had a young daughter so entering the Brodie family was out of the question.

The next choice was Duke Tanner's family which had two sons but still, they could not be considered and the reason for this was Topher was the same age as Cecily whereas Taylor was four years younger.

In the Kingdom of Rosenhyde, women should always be younger than their husbands by a few years.

This was the common practice as they thought that the women needed an appropriate caretaker rather than a partner who supports them equally.

Which was why it wasn't uncommon to see a man in his mid-20s to have a young 16 year old as his wife.

In the previous King's reign, child betrothals were the norm but they were abolished the year King Ophire ascended to the throne.

'The reason behind this was the childhood betrothal between his father and Concubine Yuliza.' Yvonne recalled this vital information from her history class.

Ophire Rosenhyde blamed this tradition of childhood betrothal for the untimely demise of Draco's mother.

If King Greggor hadn't been tied down by the promise he made in his young days to Yuliza then she wouldn't have been made his concubine which became the beginning of her grief.

Her beauty and wit were famous through all the land and she could have had a loving family of her own.

He abhorred this tradition and declared that unless a girl reaches 16 years of age, no official engagement or promise may be made by either of the families involved.

Just like any rule in the kingdom, even this controversial rule came with its loopholes.

The two families might have a secret agreement to 'reserve' their daughter for a particular boy and when she attains marriageable age, her betrothal would be announced to the public.

This exact loophole was what Lady Yona was trying to exploit right at this moment.

Jacob glanced at Cecily who was gawking at him and then at his mother.

Patrina knew what her son was trying to say but to openly reject this matter before so many people would cause an uproar among the others.

"Marchioness, I think this matter needs more thought and planning. Let us talk about this some other day." She rejected her in a diplomatic way in order to not upset her.

Jacob sighed in relief and scooted his chair away from Cecily and towards Damien's side.

Lady Yona frowned when she heard the words of refusal but she could not express her opposition in the presence of the Duchess.

So she quickly adjusted her expression and smiled at Lady Patrina before concentrating on her food.

The atmosphere after that incident was silent and oppressive but Yvonne was not bothered as she ate to her heart's content.

Before leaving the party, Raylene brought her children along to greet Marchioness Kiron and Duchess Tanner.

The ladies fawned over Yvonne's manners once again before the kids surrounded her.

Aleena was still aloof as before but Rika was now sticking close to Yvonne.

"Will you come back and visit me?" She asked with expectant eyes which were shooting stars at Yvonne's face.

"No way! Vonny is going to spend time with me!" Taylor yelled out as he glared at Rika.

"No one gets to play with her. Find your own siblings for that!" Howard huffed and then rolled his eyes at them.

The three were staring each other down when Topher came forward and patted her head.

"Ignore them. Remember to get yourself checked by a physician. You looked like you were in a lot of pain earlier." He whispered after stepping a little closer to her.

Yvonne's eyes instantly turned towards Damien who was standing and watching the three kids fighting.

'This guy is weird. I need to find more information about him.' She nodded to Topher's advice and then walked towards her mother.

Howard stuck his tongue out at his friend and then ran after her.

Raylene along with her kids boarded the carriage and they were soon on their way back home.

There was absolute silence inside the carriage because each of them had their own thoughts to ponder upon.

'I need to discuss the matter about Taylor with Ruthy!'

'I cannot allow that weirdo to enter my house!'

'I should ask Sullivan to answer certain questions of mine!'

The three St. Claires made promises that they were determined to fulfill.