Almost Persuaded: Miss Mary King by P. O. Dixon

Author:P. O. Dixon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical romance, regency romance, jane austen, pride and prejudice, george wickham, mary king

Part 3 – Almost Persuaded

Mary had enjoyed another perfectly agreeable morning with Mr. Wickham. As usual, she found herself pleading his case to Anne on the heels of his leave-taking. Mary paced the floor whilst Anne sat calmly on the faded sofa. “You are far too apt to find fault in Mr. Wickham and for no other reason than he is exceedingly handsome. I contend handsome young men are every bit as honourable as the plain.”

“No—it is more than that as you well know. I had no objections to the gentleman prior to the unfortunate incident of your grandfather’s passing. But there seems to be an indelicacy in his directing his attentions towards you so soon after the event.”

“You are aware of his circumstances. He has not the time for all those etiquettes that others may observe. If I do not object to it, why should anyone else?”

“By all those etiquettes, do you mean conducting a proper courtship with your father’s consent?”

Her mind quite decided on the veracity of Mr. Wickham’s regard, Mary said nothing.

“Mary, you must know what you are about. You must guard yourself against appearing foolish or, heaven forbid, giving rise to gossip and innuendo that you are somehow deficit in either sense or feeling pursuant to your eager reception of his attentions.”

“Are we all not fools even to contemplate falling in love, especially when there are no guarantees? In such case as this, I firmly believe in the notion that nothing ventured is nothing gained.”

Whilst Mary might boast of Anne being her dearest friend, the same could not be said of Anne’s reliance upon Mary in that respect. Anne was private. She kept her own counsel as regarded her own affairs. Once a week, she would spend time with her older sister, who was employed as a governess at a modest home in a village near Meryton. Having lost their parents in a fire, which also destroyed their home, the two sisters were the only family each other had.

Mary had never once seen Anne show interest in a man. Thus, she assumed the horrible experience of a broken-heart and shattered dreams must have made it so. All her attempts to persuade Anne to confide in her had been to no avail. She took a seat beside Anne and reached for her hand.

“You must not allow hurtful experiences from your past to colour your perception of Mr. Wickham. You do not know him as I do. He is honourable, and he has been completely forthcoming with me.”

Anne cradled Mary’s proffered hand in hers. “The gentleman can say what he likes in explaining the haste of his defection from Miss Elizabeth Bennet and the speed of the transference of his affections to you. Any rational human would regard his motives as mercenary.”

“Well, have it as you choose. Mr. Wickham shall be mercenary, and I shall be irrational.”

“No, Mary. That is exactly what I do not choose. I shall not allow Mr. Wickham to take advantage of you. I shall do all in my power to prevent it.

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