by Julie Matern
“Do you know of her, John?” she asked, showing him the announcement.
“Yes,” said John with a malevolent gleam in his eye. “I have just this minute arrived home to tell you of her. It is all the talk in town. As you know, I went there with the express purpose of exposing Ashbourne and found that I was too late. He was already married. I did, however, feel compelled to learn what I could of the matter. Mrs. DeMontford is ten years his senior and not a woman to suffer fools. From what I hear, she saw straight through his devious plans to marry her for her money and was happy to be party to it. She was well aware that Langley was in need of funds, and she was in want of a handsome husband—and a title.
“By all accounts she is a social climber of the basest kind and enticed her first husband into marriage rather scandalously. He was a much older, ailing, wealthy man, and she set her sights on his money. He was no match for her wit and charms, and they married after a very short acquaintance, much to his family’s distress. He died not twelve months after their marriage, leaving everything to her.
“Now a widow of dubious character, I suspect she calculated that her star might rise on the arm of so dashing a man as Langley, who is to inherit his father’s title, and so she set her own trap for him. I imagine that after his altercation with your brother-in-law, he knew that the true nature of his character was about to be revealed and that he should play his hand quickly to secure his bride and her money before she could change her mind. However, if the accounts are true, and I have no reason to believe they are not, she has turned the tables on him and engaged a solicitor before her marriage to protect her money from the Ashbournes! He will be allowed only a modest stipend; the rest will be held in a tight purse!
“The irony! It is no more than he deserves! The scoundrel! I confess, I am rather gratified to hear that he will get his punishment. I think his new wife will lead him a merry dance, and may he curse the day he met her!”
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The peal of the organ rang out, and Francesca shifted the bouquet in her hands, taking her father’s arm. She felt completely calm as they proceeded down the aisle, nodding at Annabelle and a few other close friends. They walked slowly down the aisle of the sparsely filled church that was brimming with a riot of colorful blooms.
Her Davenport grandparents were in attendance, but Grandmother Haversham was conspicuously absent. Francesca smiled at Grandfather Haversham. He had become much more affectionate of late. She nodded to Phillip’s parents, who had decided to attend at the last minute.
Phillip turned around and bestowed upon her that smile she loved so much, the one that creased his features from the corners of his eyes to his masculine chin, his face bursting with devotion and satisfaction.
When they reached the front of the church, her father lifted her veil, placed a dainty kiss upon her cheek, and placed her hand in Phillip’s. As they repeated their vows, Francesca took time to thank God that her trials had helped her see that the man who stood beside her was her perfect match. Without the clarity that they had forced upon her, she might never have come to realize his true value and instead been billowed about by the vagaries of the world, shunned and lonely.
They might face opposition and cruelty from those who judged her harshly, but she was confident that with Phillip by her side, they could endure any storm that might threaten them. It was an adventure she was anxious to begin.
Epilogue
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The baby was gurgling happily as Phillip bounced him on his knee and his great-grandfather offered him a finger to chew. Francesca smiled and glanced at the deeds to the villa Normandie, which lay open on the table. After honeymooning there, she and Phillip had decided to purchase it so that their family might enjoy winter vacations there.
They had completed their grand marriage tour by staying in Florence at Francesca’s estate. Mario had faithfully fulfilled Giorgio’s request, and the vineyard was thriving. Though awkward at first, Phillip and Antonio had forged a solid friendship.
English society had been slow to forgive or forget the crime of Francesca’s birth, and though they valued its approval but little, Italy afforded a relaxing place of escape.
Lady Augusta had sentenced herself to solitary confinement, never allowing herself to associate with her great-grandson, and was miserable as a consequence. Her fears had all been realized and the great society that had once lauded her now ridiculed and abused her and she was despised and eschewed at every great home. Rather than take solace in her family, she renounced them, furious that she had been given such a paltry allowance upon which to live and disgusted by the pollution of her family tree. Her husband sought refuge quite often in the home of his son or granddaughter.
The Havershams and Waverleys had recently been apprised of the fact that Langley Ashbourne, upon finding out the legal obstructions to spending his new wife’s wealth, had had an outburst of hysterics and threatened to find his amusements in other quarters. His wife, who was more than his equal in the art of manipulation, shot back that if he chose to pursue such a course, she would cut him off entirely and spread the history of his wicked dalliances with noble young ladies, thus curtailing his ability to move around in society freely. They had forged an icy truce.
Within six months, Langley’s father had died of heart failure, and they had inherited the title of Lord and Lady Ashbourne, which assuaged their hostility toward each other to some extent.
Katherine had continued to be downcast for the better part of a year but had, at length, met a courageous captain who had rallied her spirits and who had proposed at the end of three months. She had felt compelled to confess that she had been indiscreet in her past, to which he replied that he, himself, was not as white as the driven snow and what was past was past. She readily accepted his proposal.
Miss Fairweather had accepted defeat gracefully and had set her cap at Annabelle’s cousin, William. She was in the process of reeling him in.
And what of Miss Gray? Phillip, who had maintained his acquaintance with that admirable family, learned that she had been encouraged to visit and succor the poor of her father’s parish and had found, therein, a large family whose mother was sickly who greatly benefited from her benevolence. Finding a purpose, she had greatly improved but never socialized outside of her own little corner of England.
As Francesca perused the happy scene before her, she considered how much she had learned and gained in the crucible of her trials. Though painful to endure, the experience and love she had acquired was more than enough compensation. She was happy and loved. What more could one ask?
Discussion Questions
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One of the main themes of this novel is prejudice. The prejudice in the book is not one we really face today, but we have many others. What are other prejudices that have come and gone? Are there any today that affect relationships?
English high society was built on a strong set of rules. Are there areas of our modern lives that have lots of “rules” created by arbitrary, unknown people? Can you identify any of these “rules”?
Phillip came to know that the “worth of all souls is great.” Do you think our modern culture adheres to this philosophy, or is the worth of some souls deemed greater than others?
How is social media like regency high society?
What problems do you foresee in Francesca and Phillip’s future?
We know from Jane Austen’s writings that arranged marriages and marriages of convenience were common during this era. Our culture allows people to choose their own spouses, and it does not always work out well. Can you see any benefits of arranged marriages? Can you see someone from this era lecturing us on why their way is preferable? What might some of their reasons be?
Do you believe Francesca’s parents made the right decision in keeping her adoption a secret at the beginning of the novel? How do you think the novel would have unfolded if they had been honest about her low birth from the beginning? Would Francesca have had the happy childhood that is
the foundation of her life?
Francesca is naïve and inexperienced at the start of the story. What characteristics of Langley attract her in the beginning? Over time, what characteristics of Phillip’s does she learn to value?
Phillip believes himself to be a forward thinker, an open-minded, modern man, until faced with the crisis of admitting that Francesca’s low birth is an issue that he struggles to overcome. Do you think that is a problem in our modern society? What are some modern issues that so-called liberal-minded people might take issue with?
Lady Augusta is someone we can love to hate, but toxic personalities are common in many families. Do you feel that she deserved her fate? Should she have been punished by the full consequences of her actions, as her son suggests? Would you have liked to see her punished more?
Langley is a narcissist and a serial predator. Was his punishment enough? What do you think his future holds?
Giorgio is distracted from parenthood by his vineyard and his own sorrows. What things distract us from being effective parents today? How are our modern distractions affecting society as a whole?
Acknowledgments
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I would like to thank God for giving me a nudge, my husband for believing in me and encouraging me, Lisa McKendrick for dragging me to Storymakers, my book club for their support, and Jen G and Stina V for reading my manuscript and telling me not to give up.
About the Author
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Julie A. Matern was born and raised in England and has bounced around America as an adult with her husband and family. After dabbling at writing for years, she finally got serious and wrote a children’s book inspired by her grandmother’s experiences during World War II. It was so rewarding that she tried her hand at Regency romance and found her passion. She now lives in Utah, where she misses her grandchildren who live far, far away. You can learn more about Julie at www.juliematern.com.