Once introductions were complete, dinner was announced, and Allen led the group to the dining room. He placed Miss Lucas at his right hand and Miss Mary at his left so that he could easily converse with them both.
He spoke mainly to Miss Lucas during the first course. She was an intelligent conversationalist, though she was so well-spoken and so modulated in her tone that it was impossible to tell what her true interests and thoughts were.
During the second course he spoke with Miss Mary. She seemed to be far less adept at conversation, but it was clear that both her words and her expressions were honest. He had no trouble discerning that Miss Mary was a compassionate, religious young lady, though she would likely be a rather poor hostess if she ever threw a dinner party.
Allen was a man of quick decisions and decisive action. By the end of the dinner, he was certain he did not want to let Miss Lucas anywhere near his money. She seemed to be the kind of woman who would demand the moon yet talk you into believing that you offered it to her in the first place.
After dinner, he bade farewell to Sir William and Miss Lucas, but he asked the Bennets to stay behind. If he had any doubts about his decision, Miss Lucas’ sour expression upon hearing this would have laid them to rest.
In the drawing room, Mr. Allen turned to Miss Mary and said, “I believe your father has told you the purpose of this dinner.”
“Yes, sir,” she said.
“Well, I have decided that I would like to ask for your hand in marriage, Miss Mary Bennet. Will you accept?”
Allen expected her to answer promptly. After all, she had to have been expecting it, at least a little. However, she did not answer. Instead, she seemed to become even more nervous. He waited patiently, however. He knew, if he was going to marry such a young bride, patience would be necessary.
Eventually, she looked up at him, concern in her eyes. “Are you aware that I have no dowry until my mother passes away?” she asked.
Allen was not aware of such a thing, but now that he was, it was not particularly surprising. Mrs. Bennet was almost as big aspender as Mrs. Allen had been. “I did not know,” he said, “but it makes no difference to my request.”
Instead of clearing up her worry, his answer seemed to add puzzlement to her concern. “I do not understand, sir,” she said. “Miss Lucas would make a far better mistress for your home and hostess for your guests.”
It suddenly became clear. Her hesitance was not fear of him, but concern about her own inadequacy. “The fine qualities Miss Lucas has in abundance are not the qualities I am looking for in a wife,” he answered. “Instead, you have them in spades.”
When she still hesitated, he decided to put what he had overheard to good use. “Do you not respect me?”
Miss Mary’s eyes widened in horrified surprise. “No, sir,” she said. “I mean, yes, sir.” She shook her head in frustration. “I mean, of course, I respect you. You place enough value on charity that you are looking for a wife specifically to manage those concerns instead of simply cutting them loose. Additionally, you have a very long-standing reputation of being a good master, landlord, and husband. How could I not respect you?”
“In that case, Miss Mary, let me assure you that I am certain you will make an excellent wife for me. If you have no other doubts, please say you will marry me.”
Miss Mary looked at her father who was standing nearby, then she looked back at Mr. Allen. “May I speak with my father first?” she asked.
“Of course,” he said and backed away a bit to give them some privacy.
Father and daughter spoke in low tones for several minutes. When they were done, she once again approached Allen. “Ithank you for your generous proposal, sir, and I accept your offer.”
She smiled nervously and Allen lifted her gloved hand and kissed the back of it. “Thank you, Miss Mary. You have made me a happy man.” He looked to Mr. Bennet and added, “I shall come round tomorrow to discuss the arrangements.”
Chapter 3
Once Mary agreed to the marriage proposal, she had little else to say in the matter. Mr. Allen and Papa settled on the wedding date two months hence. Papa, Mr. Allen, and Uncle Phillips, who was a solicitor, decided on the wedding contract. Mary wasn’t even given much say in her wedding clothes, because Mama was so excited that she took over all the shopping.
Mary did not like the feeling that every adult in her life was planning her future for her, but she had no power to prevent it, nor did she have confidence that she could make such decisions on her own. Though she didn’t like it, she didn’t expect her new life to be much different than her life so far. She would merely be exchanging being controlled by her parents to being controlled by her husband. At least Mr. Allen was someone she could trust to take care of her.
Her assumption that Mr. Allen would make all her decisions for her was challenged, however, when two weeks after the proposal, Papa took Mary back to Braydon Hall to tour the place.
It seemed reasonable to receive a tour of her future home, and Braydon Hall was large enough that its layout was not intuitive, so a tour was definitely needed. What surprised Mary was what Mr. Allen said as they began the tour.
“As we go around the various rooms, I want you to tell me if you want anything changed,” he said. Then he gesturedto the lady that Mary had assumed was the housekeeper. “Mrs. Hampton will be following us and will make a note of your requests. She can also answer any questions you may have about how the house is managed.”
Mary nodded dumbly as she followed her future husband upstairs. He began by showing her the various guest rooms, which she had no qualms with. They were a bit more decorated than she preferred, but since they were guest rooms, she left them as they were.
Mr. Allen then guided the group to the nursery. He said, “I suspect you will wish to wait to make changes in here, but if you would like to look around, feel free.”
At first, Mary was confused. Why would she wish to wait before making changes to the nursery? Then, she realized he was alluding to the need to wait until they actually had children. She looked into every nook and cranny of the room in an effort to hide her blush, but she could feel that she was bright red even when there was nowhere else to look.
Mr. Allen definitely noticed, because he had a hint of a smile on his face as they headed back down the hall. He gestured to the two rooms they had not yet been in. “These are the master and mistress quarters,” he said. He opened one of the doors and added, “These will be your rooms, Mary.”
