“But you can’t force her!” she protested.
“And we will not, Mother. Calm down.”
“I’ll never be calm seeing how my daughter is sold in exchange for a title.”
“Enough woman! No one asked for your opinion,” her husband shouted. “This is my decision, and no one has to give an opinion.” He left the dinner that had been served.
“But Edmund.”
“Mother, please. Don’t say anything else. You know he gets when you intervene in his affairs.”
Frances watched him walk away and wiped away her tears. “I don’t know when your father changed so much. I still remember when we first met. We were both poor, but happy,” she sighed wearily. “Now, he’s a cruel and aggressive man. He makes me feel like a nuisance all the time,” her voice cracked.
Edward crouched down until he was face to face with her. “He loves you, mother. It’s just that he has many things to think about and Sonia concerns him.”
Frances nodded knowing it was not true. She knew about her husband’s wandering ways for some time. Her marriage was just a facade. She didn’t want to embarrass her children. “You’re right son. Sometimes I get sensitive. Don’t listen to me.” Frances left the table without eating dinner and went to her daughter’s room.
*****
Frances knocked on the door to Sonia’s bedroom, but she didn’t answer. She tried again, but still no answer. “Sonia, I just want to talk for a moment.” When she saw that nothing was happening Frances turned to leave and at that moment she heard the sound of the bolt opening. Her daughter’s tear-stained face appeared suddenly.
“Mother, what am I going to do?” Sonia opened the door for her mother to enter.
“My child, I tried to talk to your father. But as always, he didn’t listen to me.” Frances approached Sonia and hugged her.
“I don’t want to go to a country that I don’t know. I won’t have any friends. Nothing will be familiar.”
“Sonia,” Frances took her hands in hers, “you know that I adore you, but I think you should think of yourself. You don’t know if you will meet a good man who will love you and treat you well.”
“You know that people with noble titles only live by appearances and only care about themselves.”
“Your aunt, Eugenia, married a good man there and although he is not a high society gentleman, he has properties and mingles with people from high society. He is a homely man, and he loves your aunt. Not to mention your cousins, Horatia and Selina, whom you love dearly. He has provided them with an excellent education. It has helped to open doors for them and they have met important people.”
“My cousins have lived there all their lives. They don’t have to leave their country to marry.”
“But they did have to live in other cities with their husbands. They see the family occasionally, but they don’t stay with them all the time. Even so, they are happy. Their husbands love them and Horatia is married to a viscount. They will help you.” She patted Sonia’s hand. “You will not be alone, darling.”
“I won’t be with you.” Sonia’s eyes misted with unshed tears.
“Oh, my beautiful girl.” Frances hugged her. “I will always be there with you. You just have to write me and I will do the same.”
“It’s not the same as having you by my side, mother.”
“Well ... we could plan to spend some seasons together. I don’t know if your father will agree, but we could try to see each other during certain months of the year.”
“You are assuming that I will live there.”
“Yes.” Frances stroked her face. “I don’t think that there is a man in all of England who will see you and won’t want to marry you.”
“I don’t want a man who won’t listen to me. Who will just want to fill me with children and force me to give up everything I love in order to make his own desires a priority.”
“That doesn’t have to happen, daughter.”
“Mother, men are selfish. They show you a face when they court you and another very different one when they marry you.”
Her mother looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry you think that way. The fact that you’ve seen that in this house because your father and I can’t come to an agreement doesn’t mean that the same thing will happen to you.”
Sonia asked anxiously. “Mother, do you really think I can be happy with a man?”
“I’m quite sure, my child,” Frances prayed for that.
*****
Sonia left the next afternoon to pay a visit to her friend Claire. She used to meet with her at least once a week. That afternoon, while they were having tea in the living room, her mother came to tell them that she had just learned of Rowyna Robins marriage. A young woman who had recently traveled to England at her aunt’s insistence to marry. She’d had an arranged marriage. It had been quite advantageous, both for him and for her.
Rowyna had recently lost her parents and her sick aunt couldn’t serve as a chaperone and accompany her to all the social commitments of a young woman of marriageable age. Using her position and the help of good friends her aunt managed to meet a baron who had been willing to marry Rowyna. He was a mature man of advanced years and a widower.
Sonia thought that his agreement sounded like a sacrifice when it was quite the opposite. The poor girl had to live with an old man. Who knew how many perversions he had. Not only would the baron have a young wife but she would bring him a large dowry.
“I’m so glad for her,” Claire said.
“Me, too. God knows that the girl would have a terrible fate with her aunt. That woman is the most selfish and greedy thing in the world. At least now she will have a home of her own and she will be the lady of the house, not her aunt’s slave.”
“Mother!
