Tag: Spare Brides

teaatheabbey:

                    CHAPTER THREE OF SPARE BRIDES – CROSSED WIRES

“I do envy you sometimes,” Edith sighed as she looked around the small parlour of Sybil’s modest London flat having arrived to join she and Rose for tea. “All this freedom… though I do still wonder how on Earth you managed to convince Papa to let you do it.”

“I’m afraid Mama can take credit for that,” replied Sybil. “It didn’t make sense for my to stay in Grantham House all by myself and I feel as though I just would have been a burden on Aunt Rosamund. I’m surprised that you haven’t followed suit though… I thought your Mr Gregson had a place not far from here?”

“He did,” Edith sighed wistfully. “Though it had to be sold to cover the death duties.”

“Oh, I’m sorry… I didn’t think.”

“Don’t be,” replied Edith. “It isn’t your doing.”

“Does it not get lonely living all by yourself though?” asked Rose, changing the subject in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Sybil shook her head. “I don’t mind being on my own,” she replied. “In fact, I rather enjoy it. It wasn’t until I moved in here that I realised I hadn’t had a moment of true privacy in my whole life. I have many friends and acquaintances whom I can call on whenever I choose, Aunt Rosamund isn’t too far away, and now that you and Atticus are settled in London, I hope to see more of you too.”

“Not to mention the dozens of admirers practically throwing themselves at your feet,” Rose smirked from behind her teacup. “I still can’t understand why at least one one of them hasn’t caught your eye yet.”

Sybil laughed. “I’ve said it so many times before, but I have no intention of ever being married, and it would take someone rather special indeed to change my mind. Now, if I were in love, then that might be different, but I’ve never been in love nor is finding it for myself really my top priority at the moment… as for children, well, I have no doubt that Mary will go on to have a full brood and the beauty of that is that I can give them back at the end of the day.”

teaatheabbey:

             CHAPTER TWO OF SPARE BRIDES – THE MIDDLE MAN

The Napiers were, unsurprisingly, as charming as ever. In Clarissa Napier, she had found something of a confidant and mentor during her season – following an ill advised visit to a vote count in Ripon when she was eighteen (one in which she’d ended up unconscious and almost costing the poor chauffeur his job), her father had wanted to put a stop to her politics but, as with most other things when it came to his youngest daughter, Robert had been brought around with just a little persuasion from his wife, had agreed to allow her to continue on the condition she was chaperoned at all times. With a Viscountess at her side, it was impossible for Sybil to get into trouble, and so it was that she’d swapped rallies and canvassing for committee meetings and tea – it wasn’t ideal in Sybil’s world, but it was a compromise…

And it hadn’t lasted.

Now that she was a free and independent woman, she had joined the cause once more. Whilst some women had the vote, it still wasn’t enough, and Sybil had once again joined the cause, a common interest that even to this day she still shared with Clarissa.

“Oh I wish I had more time to get involved,” Sybil lamented as the two women conversed in the drawing room before dinner. “But my studies have been keeping me busy. So many seem to have given up now that some have the vote.”

Clarissa smiled fondly at her young protege. “The day will come when everyone will, I’m certain of it,” she said. “Especially while their are still women like you pushing for change. It’s an admirable cause.”

“My father still doesn’t think so,” replied Sybil. “And Granny is more convinced than ever that all I need is the right man to come along and change my opinions and priorities.”

“And what do you think?”

“That the right man would never ask me to.”

“You know, Evelyn is a strong supporter of suffrage too.”

“I should hope so, with a mother such as you bringing him up.”

Clarissa laughed. “He’s to spend an awful lot more time in London in the coming months,” said the Viscountess. “Perhaps you could introduce him to some like-minded people?”

Sybil nodded. “I’ve known Evelyn since I was a girl,” she replied. “He’d be most welcome.”

Clarissa smiled to herself as she took a sip of her cocktail…

Sybil, it seemed, wasn’t the only person set on playing matchmaker for her son.