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The Magnificent Montez: From Courtesan to Convert
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Publisher: Nishelle Books
Pages: 306
Weight: 0.91
Height: 0.64 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
MARRIED IN HASTE
I
Among the passengers accompanying Mrs. Craigie on the long voyage to
Southampton was a Lieutenant Thomas James, a debonair young officer of
the Bengal Infantry, who made himself very agreeable to her and with whom
he exchanged many confidences. He was going home on a year's sick leave;
and at the suggestion of his ship-board acquaintance he decided to spend
the first month of it in Bath.
It's time I settled down, he said. Who knows, but I might pick up a wife
in Bath and take her back to India with me.
Who knows, agreed Mrs. Craigie, her match-making instincts aroused.
Bath is full of pretty girls.
The meeting between mother and daughter developed very differently from
the lines on which she had planned it. Contrary to what she had expected,
Lola did not evince any marked readiness to fall in with them. Quite un-
dazzled by the prospects of becoming Lady Lumley, and reclining on Sir
3 HORACE WYNDHAM
Abraham's elderly bosom, she even went so far as to dub the learned judge
a gouty old rascal, and declared that nothing would induce her to marry
him. Neither reproaches nor arguments had any effect. Nor would she ex-
hibit the smallest interest in the trousseau for which (but without her knowl-
edge) lavish orders had been given.
Poor Mrs. Craigie could scarcely believe her ears. For a daughter to run
counter to the wishes of her mother, and to snap her fingers at the chance of
marrying a title, was something she had considered impossible. What on
earth were girls coming to, she wondered. Either the Paris finishing school
or the Bath air had gone to her head. The times were out of joint, and the
theory that daughters did what they were told was being rudely upset. It was
all very disturbing.
In her astonishment and annoyance, Mrs. Craigie took to her bed. How-
ever, she did not stop there long, for prompt measures had to be adopted.
As it was useless to tackle Sir Jasper Nicolls (whom she held responsible for
the upset to her plans) she sought counsel of somebody else. This was her
military friend, who, as luck would have it, was still lingering in Bath, where
he had evidently discovered some special attraction. After all, he was a man
of the world and would know what to do. Accordingly, she summoned
him to a consultation, and unburdened her mind on the subject of Lola's
oddness.
Of course, the girl's mad, she declared. Nothing else would account for it.
Can you imagine any girl in her senses turning up her nose at such a match? I
never heard such rubbish. I'm sure I don't know what Sir Abraham will say.
He expects her to join him in Calcutta by the end of the year. As a matter of
fact, I've already booked her passage. The wedding is to be from our house
there. Something will have to be done. The question is, what?
Leave it to me, was the airy response. I'll talk to her.
Thomas James did talk. He talked to some effect, but not at all in the fash-
ion Mrs. Craigie had intended. Expressing sympathy with Lola, he declared
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