A LITTLE TWIST OF FATE

Chapter 9

The years flew by and Danielle flourished under her godmother's care. She was now sixteen years of age and had grown to be a lovely young woman, both inside and out. She was renowned throughout the province for all her hard work and good deeds. But it wasn't all good news either. Danielle was known about the province as a servant who had been rescued from the de Ghent household after being forced to live with her stepmother.

Alexander du Bois, the shy boy who had watched Danielle from a safe distance, finally gained enough courage to ask Thérèse's permission to see Danielle formally. He was twenty now and he was secretly planning to marry her. After all, they had known each other since childhood.

Danielle had agreed on the arrangement, but her heart still belonged to Henry, even though their relationship had drifted apart as adults. She still clung to a childhood notion that the two were going to marry as they had promised each other. Henry was now eighteen and she had heard that his parents wanted a match, but that it hadn't been decided upon. Thérèse had always hinted at Danielle's many accomplishments and from the little that Danielle heard, she was the preferred choice over Marguerite in the running.

But as much as she wanted it, Henry didn't seem the least bit interested. He just went about his usual business at the castle, hardly visiting his Aunt's chateau anymore to see either of them. He just wasn't as charming as Thérèse had made him out to be and was a far cry from the boy whom she had grown up with.

The word was that his father and his studies were keeping him away and there was no time left in the day for anything else.

It was his father who had been interested in Marguerite as his bride, but Francis was slowly gravitating towards his wife's preference of Danielle. He had the opportunity to observe Marguerite on many occasions, especially his visits with Marie. He had known of Rodmilla's treachery from the start and still believed her oldest was the best match.

Marguerite had grown to be a beauty, but in looks alone. Her long blonde hair complemented her and stood out as the best of all her features, but that was as far as it went.

She wouldn't speak unless she was spoken to and even that was a trial. She was a shy, quiet girl with a quick temper and a limited amount of brainpower. In other words, she did and said many things without thinking them through first. She was a spoiled brat and used to getting her own way. When she didn't, all hell would break loose. Her own mother had been frightened of her.

Jacqueline, on the other hand, was a lovely woman despite the abuse that Rodmilla heaped upon her in Danielle's absence. She was a slight girl with dark, almost black hair; intelligent, well behaved and strong willed. She was exactly the opposite of Marguerite and Rodmilla despised her. When Jacqueline's engagement to Laurent, the new Captain of the Royal Guards became known, Rodmilla was consumed with jealously.

Many times Marie would comment on the fact that she thought Rodmilla that she had been jealous and frustrated that Marguerite wasn't more like Jacqueline. But then, Rodmilla had put all her faith in her first born to attract Prince Henry that she gave Marguerite all the attention and left Jacqueline to her own devices.

And so, as the cold winter turned to spring, Danielle found that the days were moving swiftly, even though she had committed herself to the work around her. She surrounded herself with her loved ones and what little friends she had and waited for the arrival of summer.

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