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THE MARRIAGE MARTElizabeth ChaterChapter 1To say that Sir Umphrey Long was a nodcock, as his wife�s motherfrequently did, was perhaps too severe. His understanding was justsufficient to get him through his life as a country squire withoutserious entanglements or difficulties. He was a big, handsome man,universally liked for his cheerful good nature.His wife, Dulcinia, a feather-brained female, had been as pretty as shecould stare, and had had, within a month of her come-out, several flatteringoffers. �Fortunately,� her Mama often said.Dulcinia chose Umphrey, and had, in due course, two sturdy sons theimage of their Papa, and a daughter even prettier than her Mama. The exasperatedGrandmother was often heard to remark that they were all beautiful,all cheerful, and all abysmally stupid. This unnatural acerbity upon the partof so fortunate a grandparent was not resented by the good-natured Longs,who admired Lady Delia�s rapier witeven when they were its target.And then a fourth child was born, a daughter. Dulcinia, whose favoritegoverness had once given her a book on Greek mythology (possibly the onlybook Dulcinia ever read), had intended to call her fourth child Theodora.Aftera few puzzled looks at the solemn little baby, she changed her mind.�She is different,� Dulcinia ventured to her doting husband and herlong-suffering mother.Umphrey took a closer look. �Well, my dear, she doesn�t look like myside of the family�nor yours, for that matter,� he added, assessing thethatch of black hair and the tawny-brown eyes. �Aphrodite, Achilles, andJason have golden hair and bright blue eyes, like yours, my dearest love.They also have bigger noses and smaller mouths than this baby.But we shalllove her just as dearly as though she were beautiful like Aphra and Killy andJase,� he said gently, putting a comforting large arm around her shoulders.His wife accorded him a doting smile.His mother-in-law took a closer look at the huge, golden-brown eyeswhich were staring at her with the cool intensity of a well-bred kitten�s. Areluctant smile tugged at Lady Delia�s lips.�I like this one,� she said decidedly. �She�s got presence! Possibly evenbrains. She looks like my father.�Umphrey and Dulcinia appeared worried, but since Lady Delia made nofurther comment, they were soon happy to forget the odd remark about brains.It was only as the little girl, called Athena at her grandmother�s request,grew into a quiet, intelligent young woman,that her worried parents perceivedthat they had produced a changeling. Where her amiable siblings hadto be hauled and pushed into learning to read, write, and cipher, AthenaLong could read at five, and write a legible hand at six. Her alarmed parents,nobly refusing to assign blame to the Scottish governess Lady Delia hadprovided, informed her ladyship of the result. The grandmother, skepticalabout the reports of the prodigy, came to scoff and remained to praise thebrilliance and directness of the child�s mind. Athena took to learning as aneaglet takes to the shifting currents of the sky�with joyous competence.For the next twelve years, Tina Long expanded her mind with quiet, ifsolitary, pleasure, while her golden siblings were very gentle with their littlesister. For one thing, she didn�t look like the family. Her hair, though longand lustrous, was black and straight. Her huge golden eyes had a solemn,contemplative stare. Aphrodite whispered to her dear Mama that so muchstudy was making poor Tina near-sighted, and shouldn�t they do somethingabout it?Dulcinia sighed. She was a little ill at ease with the quiet young daughterwho tended to go off into some world of her own when the rest of the Familywas happily discussing important matters like hunting and new clothesand the latest interesting on dits. Perhaps the poor child was beginning to recognizethe difference between herself and the beautiful sister and brothers?�We must all be especially kind and loving to poor Tina,� was the bestDulcinia could come up with. So they all, even Killy and Jase, did their bestto compensate for their little sister�s differences. Dulcinia and Aphra insistedthat she accompany them on social calls to all their neighbors to drink teaand gossip; Killy and Jase wheedled her into joining them when they wentout with The Hunt. And the whole Family dragged the reluctant Tina toevery ball and assembly the County hostesses provided.It was a letter from Tina, detailing some of the rigors of her social life withwryhumor and a trenchant, if slightly bitter, turn of phrase, that alerted hergrandmother to the dangers of the situation. She made one of her infrequentvisits to the modest Long estate. Watching her granddaughter as the girltranslated a poem from Frenchinto English, Lady Delia said, with grim warning,�Your sister has just received a flattering offer from Lord Marpole.�Tina raised glorious tawny-brown eyes and smiled at her grandmother. �Iam happy for Aphra. They should suit very well.��Since Roger Marpole is eager to marry a beautiful, well-bred woman whowill be easily managed, and Aphra is eager to marry, period, they should haveno problems,� her ladyship said tartly.�She cares for him as much as she is able, I think,� offered Tina. �And heis a kind man.��Oh, I�ve no doubt they�ll make a comfortable match of it. Which bringsme to something I must say to you, dear child.�Athena gave her grandmother a long, considering glance. �Do not tell meyou have an itch to match-make in other quarters?� she teased. �You�ll catchcold at that!��Wretched girl,� scolded her grandmother, �that is the trouble! Your�ah�fame is growing, your Mama tells me, to such an extent that it has frightenedoff every eligible parti in the county! Have you not noticed that the localyouths are shy of you? I have been informed that Lawyer Cope�s carrottoppeddaughter Maddy was besieged at the last Assembly, whilst you, my poppet,sat out half the dances!��Closer to three quarters,� Tina shrugged. �They are stupid and boring,after all.��The Assemblies? Yes, I grant you they are, but���The young men,� Tina corrected her.Her grandmother looked aghast at such plain speaking. �Never, I repeatnever, let such words be heard from your lips, I beg of you! To be told they arearrogant, self-willed, hard to handle, delights the male sex, while to have ithinted that they are philanderers or libertines quite sets them up! But to statethat you find them boring and stupid will drive them away faster than thethreat of the plague!� LadyDelia fluttered her elegant little fan as she contemplatedher Bluestocking granddaughter with grave concern. �I see I musttake you in hand. I had thought to thank Heaven that you are not a simpleton like every other member of your family, but it seems I may have been mistaken.At least they have enough nous to value the really important things���Such as?� Athena�s attention was fully attracted now. She was smiling thatdevastating, heart-catching smile which Lady Delia privately thought irresistible�and quite wasted upon one�s grandparent.�Such as Marriage�and Men,� she retorted, �since we cannot have onewithout the other.��Haven�t you forgotten love?� teased the girl.�No, but I am afraid you have,� riposted Lady Delia, regarding the piquantlittle face with a frown. After a moment she spoke again. �Have you thoughtof what you will be doing ten or even twenty years from now, if you continuein this fashion? Nose forever in a dusty volume, eyes straining and squintingto decipher fine print, shoulders continually bent over a desk�?�Tina chuckled. �I�ll have a dusty nose, red-rimmed eyes, and round shoulders,�she suggested.Lady Delia was not amused. �You�ll be alone with your nose and your eyesand your shoulders�and no one will care what you look like in any case!��My family would care,� objected Tina, losing a little of her amusementwhen presented with this undeniably gloomy picture.�Are you content to live with those amiable moon-calves for the rest ofyour life? I think I know you better than that, dear child,� answered LadyDelia. �You must make a life of your own. And that means marriage, for awoman of our class.�Tina frowned. �What do you suggest, Grandmama? That I attend the nextAssembly and try to charm some man by flirting like Maddy Cope?��You would not succeed,� replied her grandmother succinctly. �In the firstplace, you do not know how to flirt in spite of, or perhaps because of, all yourerudition. In the second��she overrode Tina�s effort to interrupt��in thesecond place, my poor girl, you have so terrified all the eligible young menwith your learning and aloofness that you could not get near enough to anyof them to flirt with him.��You paint a dark picture,� said Tina at length. �I must suppose that thereare ways to overcome my handicaps, and that you have some such in mindalready.� She sighed. The idea of remaining at Malong Hall for the rest of herdays was a daunting one. She loved her cheerful family, but had to admit thatthey were as stimulating intellectually as a litter of new puppies. She shookher head at the prospect. �I will do whatever you advise. I am thought to bequick to learn,� she offered bravely.Lady Delia nodded. �I believe it can be managed. But you must placeyourself in my hands, girl, and you must work as you have never done before!And I must work,� she added grimly. �I trust I shall be able for it.�Tina chuckled. �I would wager my blunt that you are capable of anything,�she said with real admiration. �When do we start?��At once! First lesson: you must not use terms like �wagering your blunt�and �catching cold at something.� Such masculine cant from a young girl�s lipsmust disgust a man of fastidious taste.�Tina frowned. �Exactly what did you have in mind for me, Grandmama?If it is to become a mealy-mouthed, niminy-piminy miss, sighing and languishingand flying up into the boughs at the slightest mention of anythinginteresting�!� She pulled a long face. �I could not, nor would I wish to. Betterto wither ... [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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