Mary hesitated. It was the first time her future husband had called her by her Christian name. He had every right to do so, but it sounded odd in her ears. Her hesitation lasted only a moment, though, because she gathered her courage and entered the room that would be hers for, hopefully, many years to come.
She walked into a sitting room, and her immediate reaction was that it was hideous. The curtains were originally white with flowers printed on them, but they had yellowed with time andexposure to sunlight. The sofa by the fire was similarly aged along with the pillows that adorned the back of the sofa. The room itself was even more over-decorated than the guest rooms.
There were half a dozen small tables scattered around the room, most of which had an ugly empty vase on them, though there was one that was simply adorned with an old, lace doily. The only thing Mary actually liked about the room was a comfortable looking chaise that had been shoved in the corner, though it too showed signs of age and was upholstered in a hideous faded pink.
She made no comment, however. Instead, she said, “May I see the bedroom as well?”
Mr. Allen opened the door to the bedroom, though this time he did not enter with her. Instead, he stayed at the doorway. The bedroom was decorated mostly in pale pink and white lace, which again had not aged well. Additionally, that particular color scheme felt decidedly childish to Mary, who preferred darker colors.
“Thank you for showing me,” she said and made as if to exit the room.
Mr. Allen, however, blocked her way. He took her chin in his hand and tilted her head upward so he could look her straight in the eye. “Mary,” he said sternly but gently, “I am certain you are not pleased with these rooms. I insist that you give orders to Mrs. Hampton for what you would like changed.”
Mary did not know what to do. She had never asked for anything in her life other than perhaps a doll or some sweets when she was younger. She had learned long ago that even if she asked, her request would likely not be granted. Now Mr. Allen was insisting that she give orders to have his house changed at his expense. It all felt so odd.
She reminded herself that she would soon be mistress of this house, and these rooms in particular would be hers. She thought about how her own mother easily gave orders for how she wished the house to be. Attempting to mimic that, she turned to Mrs. Hampton.
“I would like curtains in dark green with gold trim and a matching counterpane on the bed. The wallpaper should be replaced with a plain ivory paper, and I want every vase and every doily removed from my bedroom. The only tables that should remain are one on each side of the bed, and the only thing that should be on those tables is a candlestick.”
Mary continued to give orders for the sitting room as well, requesting that the chaise be moved to a more prominent position and reupholstered, among many other things. Occasionally, as she spoke, she glanced at her future husband, expecting him to be irritated at how much she wanted changed, but he seemed to be happier the more she spoke.
At least part of the mystery was solved as they left the mistress suite when Mr. Allen said quietly to her, “I am glad to see you can be decisive when the situation calls for it.”
Mr. Allen’s approval gave Mary enough courage to also request a few changes to the drawing rooms. She removed some of the overly ostentatious decorations, such as a statue of a swan that sat in one corner, and she requested a couple of paintings that had hung in the guest rooms to be moved into the drawing room. She also gave orders to have a couple of the chairs reupholstered, because the fabric was showing signs of wear.
When she gave the last order, Mr. Allen asked, “Are you certain you wouldn’t like all the chairs renewed at the same time, so they match?”
Mary answered with confidence. “Truly, there is no need. If the new fabric is complimentary to that on the existing chairs, it will add interest to the room without the need for spending more than is necessary.”
“I see,” was his only response, though once again he seemed to approve of her decision.
The rest of the tour was without incident. When touring the servants’ rooms, Mary noticed that a few of the sheets had holes in them, so she ordered them replaced, but other than that she gave no further orders for changes.
Before Mary and her father left Braydon Hall, Mr. Allen invited them into the drawing room for some refreshments. With Papa’s permission, Mr. Allen pulled Mary to one side of the room so they could speak privately.
“Mary, there are a few things we need to discuss, so you know what to expect once we are married,” he said.
“Thank you, sir,” she said. “To be honest, I don’t really know anything about what will be expected of me, so any clarification would be appreciated.”
“First, I will need you to take over managing the household,” he said. “That includes keeping the household ledgers and making decisions on how the household budget should be spent. I expect you to take over that task from the day we come home as man and wife, so if there is any part of that role which you do not know, make certain to learn it in the next few weeks.”
Mary nodded. She had expected this. Though she already knew quite a bit, she had begun asking her mother many questions to round out her knowledge, so much so that her mother had become quite irritated at times.
“Second, I will need you to take over managing the charities that I contribute to. For that, I will give you a budget, and it will be up to you to decide how it is spent. If any of your charitable works require action instead of simple monetary contribution, it will be up to you to take that action or find someone who can. I would like to be kept abreast of what you are doing, but all the decision-making will be yours.”
Mary nodded again and said, “I look forward to it.”
Mr. Allen gave her an approving look. “Your final responsibility will be your most important one,” he said. “Together, we will need to produce an heir for this estate if at all possible. Has your mother told you anything of how that is done?”
Mary blushed furiously. “Not really, though I know it involves intimate actions that should be kept only between a husband and wife.” She hesitated for a moment to express her next thought, but she pressed on. “I also know that there is no guarantee we will have a son.”
Mr. Allen nodded. “I understand you are well aware of that, given that you have no brother,” he said. “We can talk more on this subject after our wedding, but I need you to understand that this is the primary reason I sought to re-marry.”
“Of course, sir,” said Mary, solemnly. “I will do my best to raise any children we have.”
“Thank you for understanding,” he said. “One last thing. I would think this would be understood based on the nature of my proposal, but I think it should be said, nonetheless. I am not a particularly affectionate man, Mary. There will be no romance or adoration like what one finds in novels. This is closer to a business arrangement. I will provide for you to the best of my ability, and you will take care of the things I just mentioned inreturn. Is this acceptable to you? If not, now is the time to call it off.”
Mary studied Mr. Allen’s face. He was stern, and the slight wrinkles on his face indicated that he seldom smiled or laughed. His eyes were serious, and he had been correct to say they held no affection. Did she truly wish to tie her life to this man who would never love her? Did she even have a choice?
