pretendress

“Besides,” she said brightly, “even if Captain Ross marries that young pretendress waiting for him — he and I have spoken of her often, and I can assure you that she is a fool — marriage is the end of nothing.

The Terror Simmons, Dan 2007

Besides all this — for you men are so dull of apprehension that one must explain to you every little particular — could it not be almost depended upon that a lady of her extreme delicacy of sentiment would make it a point of honor to keep sacred the contents of a letter so accidentally put into her power; especially as it was against the interest of her affection to divulge it! for had it been the contrary, I would not [judging I confess by myself] have trusted the most delicate pretendress to honor and principle, existing.

Vicissitudes in Genteel Life 1794