Page 100 of A Mismatch Made in London

“And where are they?”

“I don’t know. Well, Lavinia is probably helping Mother, but Oliver and Jonathan are at school, and Adam is ... I don’t know.” She smiled and shrugged.

“Jonathan is not in school. He’s a curate in Wiltshire,” Nathaniel announced.

“He is hoping to be a rector someday,” I said. “But as he is only nineteen, he is glad to hold the curate position.”

“Of course. He is doing a good service for the people of that parish.”

“And I believe Adam is helping Father with the books, as Father does not like numbers and says they don’t wish to be acquainted with him, and he doesn’t enjoy their company either.”

Jeremy smiled at that.

“Will you marry my sister?” Catherine asked in her childlike way.

“I certainly hope so.” Jeremy jiggled his eyebrows up and down at Catherine. She giggled.

I hadn’t seen this playful side of Jeremy before. I liked it.

Father had come to me the evening before and told me that Jeremy had asked his permission to marry me, and he’d told him that if I wished to marry him that we had his blessing. He also said that he could give me one hundred fifty pounds per annum. I cringed a bit, knowing that though such a sum was generous, coming from my father, it was a pittance compared to what Jeremy might have had from many other young ladies who had wished to marry him. So obviously he wasn’t marrying me for my dowry.

We walked along with the children asking Jeremy questions. Nathaniel and Matthew wanted his opinions on Napoleon, Admiral Nelson, and Sir Percy Henry. “Who was the greatest military leader?” Nathaniel asked.

“Admiral Nelson, of course,” Jeremy replied.

“Would you ever serve in the army?” Matthew asked.

“If my country were at war and needed me to serve, I would.”

This answer seemed to please them, and they stared up at him in admiration.

“Will Amelia have her own house if she marries you?” Catherine asked.

“She will indeed. She shall be mistress of our house in Bedfordshire.”

“Is that a long way away?” she asked.

“You will be leaving us?” Matthew looked at me as if he might cry. “Who will make our soldiers and tell us stories if you leave?”

The children were staring at me with alarmed looks on their faces.

Jeremy said, “It is not so far that you cannot come and visit us. And your sister and I will come and visit you here as well.”

This seemed to satisfy most of them, or at least they looked less sad, although Matthew turned aside and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.

Perhaps they did love meandneed me. I liked to think they would visit me often.

“That’s enough questions for now,” I said. “Why don’t you all see how many pretty flowers you can find to pick for Mother.”

This started a competition between them to see who could pick the most and the best flowers as they scattered into the roadsides and nearby pastures. Even little Anne picked a handful.

We didn’t take a very long walk, as I was afraid the children might get too tired or even get lost, in their flower-picking zeal, and we made it back home with Jeremy carrying Anne.

“I’m surprised she let you take her.”

He held her as if he held small children every day. It was a strange sight, and yet, he seemed quite content to be among my crowd of siblings. Seeing him now, I could well believe that he would be just the sort of father I would want for my children.

We had only been home a few minutes when my friend Margaret came walking down the lane.