The Bet

Chapter 18: The Squabble

Frances borrowed a royal carriage to drop her home. Marcus had promised he would call on her tomorrow, to request her father's permission for his hand. Frances informed her parents that Marcus wanted to meet them both.

Anne squealed, 'Did he propose to you?' When Frances nodded,

'What did you say? Tell me everything,' asked Anne.

Frances thought how Marcus proposed to her without his shirt and she with only his shirt, the treacle tart and the kiss. She blushed and told he proposed to her as they rode through Richmond park.

Mrs. Sophia Hill visited Frances at her bedchamber that night.

'Mama' said Frances as she sat up.

Mrs. Sophia came and sat near Frances. Mrs. Sophia looked at Frances for a long time, but she didn't say anything.

'What is it mama?' asked Frances.

Mrs. Sophia let out a sigh and said, 'Usually mother and daughter have this talk before the wedding. I know you are green and things I tell may come as a shock to you.'

Frances didn't know what it was, but the tone of her mother made her worry.

Mrs. Sophia continued, 'Once you are married, your husband, I mean Lord Marcus will want to do things.'

Frances interrupted, 'What things?'

Mrs. Sophia reprimanded, 'Please don't interrupt, this is hard as it is.'

She continued 'Where was I? Yes, Lord Marcus will want to do things to you. I am sure he will be kind and gentle, but it may hurt at the beginning. I promise, it will get better.'

Mrs. Sophia proceeded to explain what the things were, Frances listened in silence. The things her mother was telling didn't even scratch the surface of what Marcus and she were doing.

Mrs. Sophia finished saying 'and that's how babies are born.'

'What?' Frances asked, sitting up straight.

'I thought you need to be married to have kids. You said god puts the baby in the stomach, when married women sleep,' said Frances in outrage.

'Well Frances, I wasn't lying. Not everyone who does it has a child. It's God who blesses with a child,' Mrs. Sophia said.

'I'm talking about the part about being married; you can have children without marrying if you do the thing right' asked Frances.

'Goodness girl! Just because I told you, it doesn't give you the license to do it. I told you, so you could act appropriately,' snapped Mrs. Sophia as she stood up.

Frances lay that night wondering whether she had been blessed with a child. A child, how wonderful that would be, if she had her own child she could play all day.

Marcus usually avoided dinner at home, although his parents never spoke with each other, they had their dinner together. And he hated dinner, if Marcus' mother wanted to say something, she conveyed it to the footman, the footman relayed it to his father and vice versa. Both acted as if they could not hear each other, though they sat barely 3 feet apart.

However, today was an exception, he wanted to tell his parents of his intention to marry Frances.

When Marcus entered the formal dining room, his parents were already seated and having their first course. Marcus sat, when the footman bought out dinner for him, Marcus waved him off.

Marcus didn't know how to tell his parents, it was easier to propose to Frances. But, telling his parents was an entirely different story, his mother is likely to explode and after the insulting thing he said to his father, he was not sure of his reaction either.