1. A Compromising Marriage


    Date: 9/7/2015, Categories: Historical, Author: curvygalore, Rating: , Source: LushStories

    love it was up to Helena to marry only for money. Her Great Aunt Mathilda had made this very plain the day before the wedding. “This is a very pretty pickle,” she said in her acerbic way. “It’s all very well for your sister to be floating about like love’s young dream, but that does not provide for any of you.” And she took a sip of tea made with twice used tealeaves, one of the family economies, trying to hide her quirk of distaste before setting down her china cup and saucer with a rap. “It’s a shame that you did not have your chance at the Season and were not presented at court like all the other debutantes.” She said with a degree of asperity, but then her voice softened. “I am well aware of the sacrifices you made to nurse your dear mama in her last ailment, which is a credit to you. However;” her voice grew business-like again. “You are past your first youth, which narrows your chances in matrimony.” As her aunt looked at her critically Helena knew that she was saying nothing but the truth. At the age of twenty five she was no longer considered in her prime, and her lack of dowry did not help her marriageability. She knew without her aunt having to tell her, that the best she could hope for would be an older man, perhaps widowed and with a family who would be grateful for a “sensible sort of girl,” as her aunt referred to her, to run the household, look after the offspring of the previous marriage and, although this was not mentioned explicitly, occasionally share the ...
    marriage bed to ensure children of her own. This eminently practicable plan made her heart sink, but there was nothing for it. Although she despaired of her feckless father and scapegrace brother who was fast following in his elder’s footsteps, she loved her smaller brothers and sisters dearly and would do anything to secure their futures. Her two younger brothers would need entry into some kind of respectable profession, as there was no provision for them to lead the life of the gentlemen they were born to be. And Helena would make any sacrifice to make sure that her two younger sisters, who were still only children, could have all advantages that young ladies should have and not have to make the compromise that was now required of her. So within a few weeks of her sister’s wedding she had followed her aunt’s plan and leaving that good lady to care for the household in her absence, Helena had made the journey to Bath by public coach. This location had been chosen both for convenience and economy, as her aunt had reasoned it was much closer and far less expensive than London. There she was placed with a Mrs Warner, of a modest address just off Princes Street, just far enough away from the poverty of Westgate to be considered respectable. As Aunt Mathilda had informed her, this lady of limited means managed to supplement her late husband’s income by specialising in finding indigent young woman like Helena entry into society with the hopes of finding a suitable husband. Helena ...
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