Una's Marriage

About the Book

Una Latreille inherits the St Pensart's estate which has been in the family since the Norman Conquest. Unfortunately the estate is now bankrupt, and although still in mourning, Una's only hope of living in the style to which she has been accustomed is to marry a wealthy man, and quickly. Several suitors have disappeared after learning of the debts, and the one man who still expresses any interest in Una is Keith Broughton. He started work as a mill hand, and is now the young and wealthy owner of a large woollen mill. But how can she possibly marry so far beneath her class? Reluctantly, Una agrees to marriage on condition that there is no physical contact between them, and certainly no honeymoon! She also insists that she will never, ever suffer the indignity of meeting anyone in his family, or put one foot inside the door of his mill. This book was first published in 1898 by SW Partridge and Co, publishers of both Christian and secular books. Although there is no openly Christian message in this story, unlike the majority of Margaret Haycraft's books, it deals sensitively with the true nature of love -- as well as being an extremely readable story.

Una's Marriage

Margaret S. Haycraft

1855-1936

Abridged Edition

Original book first published 1898

This abridged edition ©Chris Wright 2017

e-Book ISBN: 978-0-9957594-5-9

Published by

White Tree Publishing

Bristol

UNITED KINGDOM

wtpbristol@gmail.com

Full list of books and updates on

www.whitetreepublishing.com

Una's Marriage is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this abridged edition.

Contents

Cover

About the Book

Author Biography

Note

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

More Books from White Tree Publishing

About White Tree Publishing

Christian non-fiction

Christian fiction

Young readers

Author Biography

Margaret Scott Haycraft was born Margaret Scott MacRitchie at Newport Pagnell, England in 1855. She married William Parnell Haycraft in 1883 and wrote mostly under her married name. In 1891 she was living in Brighton, on the south coast of England, and died in Bournemouth, also on the south coast, in 1936. She also wrote under her maiden name of Margaret MacRitchie. Margaret Haycraft is by far our most popular author of fiction.

Margaret was a contemporary of the much better-known Christian writer Mrs. O. F. Walton. Both ladies wrote Christian stories for children that were very much for the time in which they lived, with little children often preparing for an early death. Mrs. Walton wrote three romances for adults (with no suffering children, and now published by White Tree in abridged versions). Margaret Haycraft concentrated mainly on books for children. However, she wrote several romances for older readers. Unusually for Victorian writers, the majority of Margaret Haycraft's stories are told in the present tense.

Both Mrs. Walton's and Margaret Haycraft's books for all ages can be over-sentimental, referring throughout, for example, to a mother as the dear, sweet mother, and a child as the darling little child. In our abridged editions overindulgent descriptions of people have been shortened to make a more robust story, but the characters and storyline are always unchanged.

A problem of Victorian writers is the tendency to insert intrusive comments concerning what is going to happen later in the story. Today we call them spoilers. They are usually along the lines of: Little did he/she know that.... I have removed these when appropriate.

£1,000 in 1898 may not sound much, but in income value it is worth £120,000 pounds today (about US$150,000). I mention this in case the sums of money in this book sound insignificant!

Chris Wright

Editor

NOTE

There are 10 chapters in this book. In the second half are advertisements for our other books, so this book may end earlier than expected! The last chapter is marked as such. We aim to make our eBooks free or for a nominal cost, and cannot invest in other forms of advertising. However, word of mouth by satisfied readers will also help get our books more widely known. When the story ends, please take a look at the other books we publish: Christian non-fiction, Christian fiction, and books for younger readers.

Chapter 1

Betrothed

"Well, to think that Una Latreille should marry into trade! It is enough to make her ancestors turn in their graves!"

Yes, I can scarcely believe the rumour even now. Una is the acknowledged beauty of the neighbourhood, and she would have made quite a brilliant match, could she have had the advantages of a London season.

"Of course she makes no pretence that it is a love match."

Then she ought to be ashamed of herself, and I shall tell her so when I see her! A little while ago she entirely overlooked Keith Broughton if she chanced to meet him in society, and now, when her uncle has died, and the estates prove to be heavily burdened, and Mr. Broughton has purchased the St. Pensart's estate, she is actually willing to marry him -- to take him for better, for worse!

The ladies who are taking afternoon tea at Clevethorne Grange smile tolerantly upon May Clevethorne, nineteen years old, who bends over the back of her mother's chair and hotly denounces the idea of self-interest in the matter of matrimony.

My dear, says Mrs. Perriss, a rich widow from the neighbouring cathedral town, circumstances are altered now with poor Una, and she rightly makes the best of the situation.

Circumstances, exclaims blue-eyed May, "cannot alter the fact that it is wrong to accept a husband she despises!"

Indeed, says Mrs. Clevethorne, I see no reason why Mr. Broughton should be despised. His father was a self-made man, and not ashamed of the fact, but I am sure everyone respected the old gentleman, and his son is well educated and bears a high character. What more can Una want?

Oh, mother, she is the proudest girl I have ever known. She will never be able to forget those woollen mills, and besides -- there is poor Mrs. Broughton.

Was she not merely a factory hand? I have heard something of the sort, remarks the spinster companion of Mrs. Perriss. "Thank you, Mrs. Clevethorne, I will take a macaroon."

Yes, she was a mill girl once, I believe, replies her hostess. But then John Broughton was only a factory hand himself. It was later on that by successful inventions he made his fortune. Of course, there is a great deal of competition nowadays, but his mills are the oldest and largest in Westborough.

I can scarcely picture Una Latreille with a common mother-in-law, says Mrs. Perriss, smiling. Poor Una, she may find she also has family connections in the pawnbroking or laundry or costermonger's line, or even in service! Well, I always considered her somewhat haughty, and it is all too true that pride goes before a fall.

I believe, says Mrs. Clevethorne, money is not the only motive for this marriage. I have heard a rumour -- I cannot vouch for its truth -- that in his last illness Mr. Latreille entreated Una to marry Keith Broughton after his death, and indeed made her promise to do so. He had long seen that Broughton admired his niece, and in this way he designed to provide for her future.

"I don't believe they are engaged at all, says May. Gossip makes so many mistakes about the people round here, and Keith Broughton has been in London nearly three months now. How can they have settled things in his absence?"

By letter, of course, says Mrs. Perriss. All I know is that Latreille's solicitor is my own as well, and he told me Una is not proposing to leave the St. Pensart's estate, except for a visit to the Rectory. There can be no doubt that she is engaged to marry the purchaser.

Well, says Mrs. Clevethorne, we shall know the facts of the case in time. I only hope the poor motherless girl will not marry in haste and repent at leisure. If she marries for the sake of the estate, she has but little prospect of happiness.

Happiness, mother? cries May. It must be misery to be tied to a husband for whom one cares nothing. I have not seen much of Una since I came home from Germany. But we used to play together, and I mean to go up and see her and try to talk her out of such a marriage.

What would you advise her to do instead, my dear child? asks Miss Burdenne. She has been brought up in the lap of luxury. Is the poor girl to starve?

She could be a typist, or a lady-guide, or something like that, says May passionately. Mother would have her here and advise her about her future, and so would the Rectory people, I know. For myself, I would rather be a kitchen maid than marry for money!

Well, well, we all know you need not go out as a kitchen maid, May, says Mrs. Perriss smilingly. When does a certain man-of-war sail homeward again? You always talk like a little Socialist, but you will end in your old age by finding yourself an admiral's wife! Don't look so indignant, but bring your cousin round to see me when he gets leave from his ship. Now we must really be going. I am always tempted to linger so long in this cosy room.

May, says Mrs. Clevethorne, when the visitors have left, I really think you had better not interfere in Una Latreille's arrangements. I am quite sure she would resent any intrusion. Remember how rude it would seem for anyone even to suggest to her that this is a loveless marriage. In society, my dear, one must keep one's thoughts to oneself.

I will promise not to offend her, mother, says May, "but Una was proud beyond all words, even when she was only a little child. I believe her life will be simply wretched if she marries beneath her. And you know the Broughtons have some very common relations -- second cousins, I fancy they are. I shall never forget Una's indignant stare when one of them spoke to her at the Westborough ball without any introduction. She simply looked him through and through. Poor man! He had asked if he might take her to get an ice, but he soon vanished with a face perfectly crimson."

Well, Una must learn to put up with such people now, says Mrs. Clevethorne.

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The St. Pensart's estate has belonged to the Latreilles through many changeful centuries. There have been alterations and additions, but portions yet remain that stood in the time of the Norman kings. Sir Courcy de Latreille rendered service to William the Conqueror, who bestowed upon the family many marks of favour. None in the county have enjoyed repute beyond the owners of St. Pensart's, and it has struck consternation into many a breast to hear that, through foolish and ruinous speculations, Hugh Latreille has died, leaving behind him mortgages and debts that oblige the ancestral seat to be sold, and leave his niece and heiress virtually a pauper!

He meant to make me rich. He told me his idea was to leave me a millionaire, thinks Una, sitting by the firelight this very afternoon while her affairs are discussed so freely at Clevethorne Grange. "Poor Uncle Hugh! It was not his fault, but oh, what must the Latreilles of Tudor and Stuart times be feeling at the thought of a tradesman reigning at St. Pensart's!"

Her ancestors, if we may judge by the serene expression of the ancient paintings on the walls, are taking very little notice of the change of ownership; but to Una it seems almost like sacrilege for Keith Broughton and his common connections to tread the oak flooring of St. Pensart's.

Alone in the morning room that has been arranged to suit her own fancy, garbed in black, and looking grave and wearied by the flickering light of the fire, she recalls those last days of her uncle's illness -- when he reminded her that Keith Broughton had proposed to her once by letter, and been contemptuously rejected, and told her he could die happy if she would promise to alter that decision now.

Una believed him half-delirious, and promised anything he desired. Later, she perceived his anxiety for her future had prompted a request so strange from one by nature as proud as herself. Her lips take a half-scornful curl as she remembers the few lines received about a month ago from Keith Broughton, telling her the family lawyer had handed him a pencilled memorandum, written by her uncle on his sickbed. It urged him to try his luck again, for Miss Latreille's answer would be different. To this Una sent only a few words.

Before despatching her note, she had weighed St. Pensart's and riches against freedom and need, and her mind was made up that she could not abandon her life of luxury -- even marrying into trade would be better than falling from her position of county queen, and earning her bread in some menial situation. And what alternative does