The Marriage Market Read online

  “You are quite welcome, Miss Larke. I’m sure that I will always provide any assistance that lies within my power to give you.” David laid his hand over hers, gazing into her eyes all the while.

  “What are you doing there, Ladbrook? Are you an artist?” the admiral inquired, startling the two young people. Victoria settled back carefully into her chair while Ladbrook turned around to look at her father.

  “I had my servant bring me my drawing materials this morning, sir, along with some additional clothing. When I was a boy, I got into the habit of carrying a sketch pad whenever I wandered in the woods, and I’ve been drawing ever since. I thought to draw the view from your window today.”

  Victoria exclaimed, “I draw too, Mr. Ladbrook, although my inspiration is the sea. Do you paint as well? What medium do you use?”

  Soon they were deep in conversation discussing the merits of water colour versus ink. When Mrs. Larke entered the room with Victoria’s embroidery, Victoria and Ladbrook’s heads were bent together over the drawing paper, and they did not notice her. Mrs. Larke sat down in a chair beside her husband, winked at him, and did the work herself.

  The next few days passed very pleasantly for the invalids. They sketched, exchanged life histories, debated the merits of town versus country life, and exclaimed over some of Bath’s more ridiculous fashions and pastimes. Admiral and Mrs. Larke played cards with them in the evening, and Victoria, who was not yet up to singing, hummed along while the admiral and Patricia serenaded them on flute and piano. The Larkes agreed that Mr. Ladbrook made a very comfortable addition to their family circle.

  One night there was a knock at the door, and Mr. Wovington strode into the drawing room. He stopped on seeing Ladbrook and Victoria together on the sofa. They did not see him at first; Victoria was busy teasing Ladbrook about the untidiness of his cravat while attempting to retie it. Ladbrook laughed, allowing her to smarten him up. After a moment, he caught sight of his friend.

  Struggling to his feet, Ladbrook exclaimed, “James, you’re back at last! How is your father? Was your business successful?”

  Wovington’s smile had frozen as he witnessed this pretty scene; it warmed again as he crossed the floor to greet his friends. The gentleman explained that he had not heard of his friends’ mishap until he had returned to his lodgings, and had hastened over to determine how the invalids fared.

  Acquainted with the whole story and smiling wryly, he said, “Well, Ladbrook, I see that you have had all the luck. I wish that you had been the one away on business, and that I had been on the scene to offer assistance. What’s a broken bone and a few bruises compared to the happiness of being nursed by these charming ladies, not to mention the admiral’s hospitality? I am jealous of you. I may just go down to the street and have Old Blue give me a proper kicking.” Everyone laughed and bid Mr. Wovington acquaint them with the news from Salisbury, and the evening passed in sociable chatter.

  Mr. Ladbrook returned to his lodgings the next day, but continued to visit the Larkes on a daily basis. Wovington accompanied him on a few occasions, but not as frequently as in the past. Soon it was the beginning of December, and both men were making plans to return to their families for the Christmas holidays.

  Mr. Ladbrook called on the Larke family one brisk but sunny afternoon, asking Victoria for a stroll in the garden. The young lady agreed, and the couple slipped out of the house and onto the gravel path leading to the garden. Victoria took Ladbrook’s arm when the footing became slippery, and allowed her hand to remain there. They strolled along the shrubbery until Ladbrook stopped in the shadow of a large fir tree, the great branches waving gently overhead in the wind.

  “Miss Larke,” Ladbrook began, “you know that I will be leaving Bath the day after tomorrow to return home for the holidays. My sister and her family will be visiting, and my presence is required.”

  “Yes, Mr. Ladbrook, I remember,” she said, her eyes fastened on his face.

  “What I wondered, Miss Larke, is whether you and your mother – or father – would do me the honour of paying us a visit early in the New Year? I’ve written to my parents about you on more than one occasion, and they would very much like to know you. It would mean a great deal to have you meet them and to show you my home. Will you come, Miss Larke?”

  “I would be very happy to meet your parents, Mr. Ladbrook. I will ask Papa’s permission as soon as we return. I am sure that I will like your home very much, but the pleasure of being in your company again would make any location pleasing.” Victoria’s cheeks coloured at her boldness, and she looked away.

  Ladbrook was encouraged to take one of her hands. “There is something else that I have been longing to ask you. Did you hear of Miss Patricia’s apology to me on the morning after the accident? I told her that she was not at fault for my injury, but she rewarded me with a kiss on the cheek anyway.”

  “Yes sir, I did hear of it.”

  “And then your good mother was kind enough to do the same?”

  “Yes, Mr. Ladbrook, Mother told me about that as well.” Victoria’s heart began to flutter because she guessed where the conversation was heading.

  “Did she also mention that it would be acceptable to her and, I presume, to your father, who observed the exchange, if you were to bestow a similar favour upon me?”

  Victoria stammered her reply. “Y-you must understand, Mr. Ladbrook, that if Mother’s behaviour seemed a little unconventional, it was b-because she did not want Patricia to feel alone in her gratitude. Not to say that she or Patricia did anything wrong. As you say, Father was in the room at the time.”

  “Of course,” he said, gazing down at her. She glanced at him and looked away in embarrassment. Capturing her other hand, Ladbrook drew her to him. “So, given the unconventional circumstances, Miss Larke, would you consider rewarding me with a kiss?”

  Victoria was overwhelmed with shyness, but, gathering her courage, she raised herself on tiptoe and kissed him deliberately, first on one cheek and then on the other. Releasing her hands, Ladbrook enclosed her in his arms and kissed her warmly upon the mouth.

  “Victoria,” he said, breaking away from her and going down on one knee, “I have dreamed of sharing my life with you. I love you with all of my heart. Will you make me happier than I ever thought possible – will you grant me the privilege of becoming my wife?”

  “Oh, yes, David,” Victoria replied, her eyes gleaming. Overjoyed, he bent to embrace her, and she threw her arms around his neck, kissing him with an overflowing heart. Swinging her round and round in giddy circles, they both burst out laughing. For long, wondrous moments, the garden was the whole world to them, and no one else was in it but each other.

  Slowly, gently, he kissed her as he lowered her to her feet, and she nestled against his chest. They whispered endearments to each other, and talked about the wonderful life they would share. Finally, David took Victoria’s hand, and they returned side-by-side to the house to seek an interview with her father.

  Chapter Five – Jemma Greene

  Victoria’s family was delighted with her choice, and although the newly-engaged couple was forced to part shortly afterward for the holidays, they consoled themselves with the impending visit in the New Year. Winter weather does not always oblige travellers, but January dawned dry and bright. Victoria and Admiral Larke made the journey to David’s home without mishap, while Mrs. Larke remained behind to supervise Patricia’s season.

  Mr. and Mrs. Ladbrook trusted their son’s judgement and were disposed to approve of his choice, and Victoria did not disappoint them. They thought her a well-mannered, healthy, affectionate girl. True, she was young and not accustomed to the responsibilities of managing a country estate, but she seemed sensible, and David would guide her.

  For her part, Victoria found Mr. and Mrs. Ladbrook kind, although Mrs. Ladbrook seemed a touch autocratic, and felt confident of winning their affection once she became David’s wife. She thought Eston House large without being too grand, well-staffed a
nd comfortable, and the grounds attractive. There was a dinner party to introduce Victoria and her father to family and close friends, and everyone pronounced Victoria “charming.” The visit was a success on both sides, and the young couple looked forward to a June wedding.

  It was not to be, however. David's father took ill suddenly and died before the spring flowers blossomed. The weather turned stormy soon after with snow and high winds, and the funeral was over before Victoria and her family had heard the sad news of his demise. With his mother so distraught, David shouldered the responsibility for the care for the estate alone. The couple had to be content with an engagement conducted by correspondence, and a quiet wedding was planned for the following October.

  Victoria’s consolation during this unhappy period was the acquisition of a new friend, Mrs. Jemma Greene, a widow recently arrived in Bath. Mr. Wovington, who had returned to Bath after the Ladbrook funeral, had obliged Mrs. Greene with the introduction. His father had been a business acquaintance of Mr. Greene’s, and Wovington had given the lady legal advice on her husband’s death.

  Jemma had been her husband’s junior by some fourteen years. She had married Mr. Greene, a family friend, after the death of her widowed minister father. A son had been born to them, but had been taken by a childhood fever a scant three years later. The grieving couple had travelled widely on the continent after that, and eventually settled in Italy, where Mr. Greene had had connections in the textile export business. Unhappily, Mr. Greene had died in a carriage accident two years later, and Jemma returned to England. She had lived for some months in London with her only sibling, a bachelor lawyer, but had grown tired of the great city’s dirt and damp. Not having any other relations to influence her, Jemma had moved to the fashionable city of Bath.

  The Larke family soon welcomed Mrs. Greene into their family circle; she possessed a combination of qualities that appealed to every member of the family. She and the admiral shared an interest in travel, plus the lady possessed some knowledge of shipping from her husband’s business. Mrs. Larke thought the lady had good sense, and was impressed by Mrs. Greene’s fortitude at having endured so many losses so early in life. Patricia admired the young widow’s facility with the French, German, and Italian languages, and both sisters envied Mrs. Greene’s sophistication and elegance, even in her widow’s weeds.

  For her part, Jemma was enchanted with Victoria’s lively, open, and warm-hearted manner, and thought the shyer Patricia a dear. The sisters invited Mrs. Greene to accompany them on their shopping trips for Victoria’s trousseau, and the widow laughed at their high-spirits as she had not laughed for a year. Jemma treasured the time she spent with the Larkes, feeling the family’s company a remedy against the loneliness and melancholy that plagued her when she was alone.

  Jemma accompanied Victoria to her room after a shopping expedition one day, her arms filled with a new hat and coat recently completed for the bride-to-be. Laying the items carefully on Victoria’s bed, Jemma flopped down beside them and sighed.

  “My dear Miss Larke, when I see all your pretty new frocks, I feel like an old black crow by comparison. I am glad that my mourning will be over soon.”

  Victoria regarded her friend with a critical eye. “It must be dreary to wear black all the time, but your clothes are very stylishly cut, and you are lucky that black suits your complexion. Some women almost disappear in black.”

  Jemma rolled onto her side and propped her head upon her hand. “It’s not just my clothes that trouble me, Miss Larke. I confess I feel rather restless these days. Here I am, a widow at the advanced age of twenty-nine. I certainly never expected to be. Propriety dictates that a widow should live a quiet, retiring life. In fact, just the kind of life that I used to live with my father. Then, my chief responsibilities were charitable works and playing hostess at the rectory. But after I married Mr. Greene, my world expanded to include business and fashion. We travelled throughout France, Germany, and Italy, where I met everyone in the fashion industry. I learned about fabrics and design, and helped my husband with the books and entertaining his clients. It was such a whirl! What adventures we had.” Jemma sighed. “My world has become so small now. I came back to England because I was lonely and missed my homeland. Now I don’t know how to proceed. Whatever shall I do with myself?”

  Victoria sat on the bed beside the lady. “You could marry again, Mrs. Greene. You are beautiful and accomplished, and you have the means. Why, you are still young enough to start a family with a new husband. Having a husband, children, and a home to take care of would give your life direction again, would it not?”

  Jemma sat up and patted Victoria’s hand. “Thank you, Miss Larke, but I do not think that I am brave enough to risk all that again. Life is very fragile, and loving someone can be a great gamble. Besides, I am not sure that I wish to marry for a second time. I know that it is an odd thing to say, but I would miss my freedom. As a wife, I always deferred to Mr. Greene’s wishes, not just because he was my husband, but because he was older and so much more experienced than I. Now that I am a widow, I have only my own wishes to consider, but convention restricts me from enjoying as adventurous a life as I would like.” She sighed and rose to her feet. “Forgive me, my dear, I do not mean to depress you. I should not complain. I have more resources than many other women in my position. Do not fret about me, I will find something useful to do. Instead, let me enjoy taking part in the preparations for your upcoming nuptials.”

  David was finally able to get away from the estate by the end of September, and he and his mother arrived in Bath the week before the wedding. Mrs. Larke, wishing to devote herself to the wedding preparations, gave her husband the task of entertaining the widow. Mrs. Ladbrook was still a handsome woman, tall and slender with a beautiful head of silvery hair. The admiral took the lady for a tour of Bath on the first two days, and happened to mention at breakfast on the third that he was thinking of buying a puppy.

  Mrs. Ladbrook’s ears pricked up. “A puppy? What kind of dog are you considering, sir?”

  “I have a friend who breeds beagles,” the admiral replied. “I’ve seen some of the animals from his kennel – they are top grade. I had a mongrel as a boy, and I would like to have a dog again.”

  Mrs. Ladbrook pursed her lips as she stirred her coffee. “Well, beagles are fine animals, Admiral. We’ve had some of them for hunting, of course. But I am not convinced of their suitability as a house pet. They can be noisy. Also, I should think that a man of your stature would be better paired with a larger dog, don’t you think?”

  Admiral Larke leaned forward in his chair. “You think that a beagle would look too small for me, Mrs. Ladbrook?”

  The lady pointed her spoon and squinted at him. “I could see you walking down the street with something more impressive, Admiral. Say, a bullmastiff?”

  “You don’t say? A bullmastiff, eh? They are a handsome animal.”

  “Oh yes, indeed. My father had a ribbon-winner. Such a strong, obedient animal, and an excellent guard dog, too. Absolutely fearless. I’d be happy to accompany you to a few kennels, if you wish.” Mrs. Ladbrook paused to take a sip from her coffee.

  The admiral’s face beamed with boyish excitement. “Would you really, ma’am? That would be good of you. We have been so busy since our arrival in Bath that I haven’t wanted to introduce a dog into the household, but things should quiet down after the wedding. I would greatly appreciate having an opinion from someone who knows the breed as well as you.”

  “Delighted to help. One can’t be too careful when purchasing a dog. The wrong animal can make your life a perfect misery. Together we shall find you something suitable.”

  The lady and gentleman spent the next few days visiting kennels until Mrs. Ladbrook found a litter of which she approved, and the puppy was delivered to the Larke family three days before the wedding. The dog was a success, Mrs. Ladbrook and Admiral Larke became fast friends, and Mrs. Larke was left alone to make the wedding preparations.

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bsp; The wedding day finally arrived, and was as felicitous as could be expected when the marriage couple was young, healthy, joyously in love, and surrounded by approving family and friends. Mr. Wovington spent the week in Bath to stand up with his friend, and Patricia did the honours for her sister. When the festive day was over, the newly married couple and Mrs. Ladbrook stayed for another fortnight before making the journey home.

  The path to becoming the new mistress of Eston House had been smoothed for Victoria as much as any bride could have hoped. David’s mother had wisely decided to take a house in Salisbury where she would live but two streets away from her daughter and her family, leaving the manor vacant for its new mistress. And Mrs. Greene was to accompany the newlyweds for a month-long visit, returning to Bath in time to celebrate Christmas with the Larkes. Mrs. Larke had suggested the visit to Victoria, knowing that Mrs. Greene’s experience, tact, and discretion would help Victoria through any early difficulties. For her part, Victoria felt that the visit would be a beneficial distraction for her restless friend. And so, Mrs. Greene, her maid, the newly married couple, and David’s mother all travelled home together, stopping briefly in Salisbury to deliver Mother Ladbrook to her new home before making the short journey to Eston House.

  David took Victoria on a formal tour of the estate on the day following their arrival, introducing her to his tenant farmer, John Scott, his wife, and their abundant family of eight children. Mr. and Mrs. Scott wished the young couple well and presented them with a wedding gift of two goose-down pillows.

  Of all the duties belonging to the mistress of the estate, Victoria had been most nervous of managing the household staff, but was relieved to find that the well-trained and efficient servants could manage things without any special direction from her. She observed, however, that some of the older servants, the housekeeper in particular, were too accustomed to her mother-in-law’s ways. After a fortnight had passed, Victoria consulted Jemma on how best to make a few alterations to the household routine.