Read Online Almost Persuaded: Miss Mary King by P. O. Dixon - Free Book Online

Part 1 – In Want of a
Husband
    Mary King was sensible, or so she considered herself. Why,
even she had to admit she was plain to look at. She prided herself
on her amiability as well as her generosity of spirit. What did
outward appearance matter in the face of such estimable
qualities?
    Being neither
handsome nor rich, the only other things in her favour were her
youth and vitality; both of which accounted for little in
comparison to the popular Bennet girls of the local village of
Longbourn. There were five of them in all. Anyone who cared to
listen would remark on how their father, Mr. Thomas Bennet, decried
them as some of the silliest girls in all of England. Though Mary
found fault in his wont of criticising his own family, she did not
disagree with him except when it came to his two eldest daughters,
Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth. The former renowned by many as the
most beautiful of them all, the latter regarded as the brightest
jewel of the country, they were indeed formidable competitors on
the marriage mart, as the outcome of the Meryton assembly the night
before had attested.
    Mary’s
companion, Miss Anne Heston, sat across from her in the parlour. “I
would not say the evening was a complete waste of time. After all,
with so many Bennets from whom to choose, Mr. Bingley did single
you out for the third set.”
    Mr. Charles
Bingley, whose family hailed from the North, was the handsome
gentleman who robbed Mary of her equanimity that particular
morning. He had recently let Netherfield Park. He was also the
happy recipient of nearly everyone’s eager regard at the Meryton
assembly the evening prior. Not often did young men of four or five
thousand a year come into the neighbourhood. Thus, his arrival was
truly something—a considerable matter for all the single ladies
wishing to find husbands, including Mary.
    Mary nodded.
“True, but did you fail to discern how Mrs. Bennet glared at me the
entire time? Was it not enough that Mr. Bingley danced twice with
Miss Bennet? Mrs. Bennet behaved as though all of his dances ought
to have been reserved for her daughters.”
    “You must
endeavour to regard her kindly, my dear. With five daughters out in
Society and nary a one of them with any prospects, is there any
wonder she tries so hard to marry them off to every eligible
gentleman who enters the country? Why, she would be remiss in her
duties to do otherwise.”
    “I dare not
argue your point, but as my prospects are scarcely more favourable
than the Bennet daughters, you will give me liberty to be less
generous just this once.”
    Miss
Heston had been Mary’s governess since the latter was a young girl
of eight. She had been elevated in rank to Mary’s companion when
Mary had come out in Society. Governess, companion—the title did
not make a difference for, in truth, she was more of a mother, at
times an older sister, and always her dearest friend. Beholding
Anne happily in love would be the answer to one of Mary’s greatest
prayers, save the blessed occasion when she would meet and fall in
love with her own dashing gentleman.
    Mary’s standards were rather exacting. The gentleman must
be honest and decent, and he must respect her and treat her with
kindness—a man who would treat her with the same regard as her own
dear father surely would have treated her mother had he been
allowed the chance. Mary’s mother, having abandoned her when she
was too young to remember, left Mary with the lonely task of
concocting her own memories. What fanciful memories they were: a
young woman, free-spirited and strong-willed, who had made the
ultimate sacrifice in leaving her family, putting her king and her
country before everything—in essentials, a Joan of Arc. However,
some years ago, Mary learned of her estranged mother’s tragic death
at the hands of her lover, putting an end to illusions of what had
never been and shedding light on the true reason for her
defection. I
am determined my mother’s mistakes shall