Chapter 9

Marie took a step back as Lady Arrindell came storming into the shop, pushing past her in such a flurry that Marie had to dodge her arm.

"How dare you tell my daughter that she should pursue that worthless butcher boy? Do you have any idea at all just how much time and effort her father and I have put into getting her here? Does someone of your social standing even comprehend how difficult her life will be if she's shunned?" Her face had practically turned purple as the woman stopped to gasp for breath.

Noticing that a few passersby had stopped to listen to the commotion, Marie placed her hand flat on the door and pushed it shut. "Lady Arrindell, if you would like to have a seat, I'm sure we can discuss the matter calmly."

"Don't you dare offer me tea and act all innocent now? Did you or didn't you tell my daughter that she should run away with that silly boy!" The woman rounded on her again, her eyes wild with anger.

"I didn't tell her to run away, I told her to follow her heart. If Arabella decided that running away is what will truly make her happy, then neither of us should stand in her way." Marie spoke calmly, trying her best to make the woman see reason.

"How dare you take such a stance after my husband and I paid your fees? You owe it to us to see her married to a suitable man of the ton!" She balled her fists at her side and dug her fingernails into her palms.

Seeing red, Marie finally snapped and rounded on the woman as respectfully as she possibly could. "Is this what this is all about, Lady Arrindell? Would you like me to give you and your husband your money back? Because I can if you like. The money means little to me in the face of your daughter's happiness."

Lady Arrindell seemed taken aback as her face paled. "We came to you to find a match for our daughter amongst the ton." Her voice was softer now as she looked at Marie with a shocked expression.

"Did you now? Because I was under the impression that you came to me to find your daughter a ‘suitable' match. I know that being suitable to the rest of the people like you means wealth, a sizeable estate, and a title, but to me, it means that your daughter should be happy for the rest of her life." Her words bubbled over one another in torrents as she let all the rage and anger of the past few days spill over.

"I don't understand; you have made so many successful matches amongst the ton. How was that possible if you don't believe…?" She turned white in the face and took a seat when Marie laughed.

"Successful matches may mean all the wrong things to the wrong people. I consider my matches to have been a success because the people involved are now happy. I can assure you, Lady Arrindell, that while money may have made things a great deal easier for all of them, it was love that won them over at the end of the day. You can ask any of the people that have used my services in the past, and all of them will tell you the same thing. They would gladly give up all the wealth in the world for the person they loved more than anyone else."

"Those people are not my daughter." she spoke more softly now, placing her hands in her lap as she listened to Marie.

"They are not, but just like your daughter, they chose love above anything else!" Marie felt her nostrils flaring as she stopped to take a deep breath.

Murmurs from outside the windows let Marie know that they had garnered quite an audience on the street outside.

You are not thinking clearly.

She felt panic beginning to set in as she shut her eyes and shook her head. No amount of stress in the past had ever made her compromise her reputation before. Screaming at the mother of one of her clients certainly didn't bode well for her.

"Lady Arrindell, I owe you an apology. I should never have spoken to you like that. All I was trying to say was that I could see that Arabella was most certainly in love with the young man. What matters more to you? What the rest of the ton thinks or your daughter's happiness for the rest of her life?" Her anger dissipated entirely when she caught sight of the shock on the woman's face.

Lady Arrindell took a deep breath and looked at Marie as she stood. "Is your mother still alive, Miss Webster?"

Marie shook her head as her heart stilled in her chest. "She is not. She died along with my father."

"I am sorry to hear that. Am I right in assuming that you have not wed or found anyone special as of yet?" The conversation took a strange turn that Marie had not been expecting.

She shook her head again, thinking of what had just taken place between her and Dominic. His command to rethink his proposal still burned in the back of her mind along with his touch.

Lady Arrindell nodded with pursed lips. "You see, Miss Webster, it is easy for anyone to judge. Your class may think that all we ‘Ladies' care for is wealth, but I know for a fact that it means a great deal for people like us. If Arabella follows her heart, she will be a fool. All will look at her with scorn and contempt for giving up a life that many wish for. I"m sure your own mother wanted you to be happy, but she would have advised you accordingly if she had seen that you were about to bump your head."

Marie felt her heart dropping to the pit of her stomach as she listened to the woman speak. Her own mother had advised her not to open a matchmaking business before her death; she had said that a life with a husband and children was far easier than that of a businesswoman.

While both lives had their merits as well as their disadvantages, this one certainly carried more scorn in the eyes of Society.

"I can see that I have stuck a cord with you, Miss Webster. I think you know that we will not be returning for your services, but I hope you think of how difficult life is for my daughter when you hear all the gossip about her in a week." Lady Arrindell shook her head disappointedly and left the shop, ushering in a cloud of violent whispers before the door slammed shut once again.

What have I done?

Marie felt the blood draining from her face as she wrapped her arms around her waist and sank to the floor on her knees. She had gotten so caught up in the moment and everything she had been through that she had spoken without thinking—both to Lady Arrindell and Arabella.

It wasn't her place to tell people what to do or even advise them on which path was better for them. There was a fine line between matching and meddling, and she had crossed the path. How had she gone from never being too forceful to telling a mother that she had been in the wrong for wanting to save her daughter from a life steeped in scandal?

The bell above the door tinkled lightly as someone else stepped into the shop, shutting the door behind them.

Marie looked up to see a familiar face that she couldn't quite place.

The woman was petite and not too tall with mahogany hair and greyish eyes that were almost blue. "Miss Webster? I hope you don't mind, but I heard what happened from the street, and I thought you might like a word of encouragement." Her voice was kind as she kept her distance, waiting for Marie to invite her in.

Pushing herself up, Marie stood quickly and wiped her face. "I beg your pardon, my lady. I didn't mean to cause such a stir. Did you have an appointment that I forgot about?" She racked her brain trying to think of anyone she had forgotten and came up empty-handed.

The woman came forward with a warm smile. "I know you may not remember me, but I was one of the matches you made. My name was Sophia Braxton, but I'm known as the Duchess of Beaumont now."

"Of course." The memories came flooding back to her as she recalled Anthony Atwood and the difficulty she'd had in making him face his feelings. The man had vowed never to marry because of the life his father had forced him to lead, but he had relented in the end when his mother was ill.

"I'm not offended; I know you must have gone through so many matches by now that it's understandable that you don't recall every face." The woman's kind words lifted her spirits a little.

"How is the Duke?" She offered the woman a seat and walked around the desk to her own.

"Oh, he's as stubborn as ever, but we are happy. Happier than any couple has the right to be. Sometimes I pick fights with him just to even things out a little. I don't think it's fair if we're one of those couples that only experience sunshine and roses." She laughed before tucking her dress beneath her knees and making herself comfortable. Her pixie-like features gave her face a warmth that set anyone around her at ease.

Marie laughed heartily now and shook her head, grateful for the distraction from her problems.

"You were right about us, you know. We didn't see it at first, and it's hard to believe that I was such a hellion determined to prove my mother wrong. But you were right about Arabella Arrindell as well. She isn't happy with her life as it is now. She's a friend of mine, and I know how deeply she loves." Sophia allowed a sweet smile to curve her lips.

"Thank you for saying that, my lady, but it wasn't my place to speak out. I should have given her a gentle nudge instead of telling her what I thought was right. I've only nudged before, but now, I've crossed the line." She felt the shame of her action bubbling to the surface once again.

"You may be right; we should always consider our places, but if you would allow me to venture an opinion, there is one that I would like to share with you." She pursed her lips and waited expectantly, never forcing her way in but waiting for Marie to show her acceptance instead.

Marie nodded and interlaced her fingers above the desk. "Go on."

"The other ladies and I formed a sort of club. A support group of sorts of women who find themselves in arranged marriages, more specifically marriages that were arranged by you."

She sucked in a sharp breath and let out a sigh. "Oh dear, I hope it's not to complain about my expertise?"

"Not at all," Sophia shook her head and waved the idea away with her hand. "It's more of a group to sing your praises and complain about our husbands when they are acting up. The latter more than the former." She laughed a little sheepishly now.

"That does sound like a lot of fun." Marie relaxed a little more.

"My point is that we often talk about you and how you haven't found a husband of your own yet. It's wonderful that you showed us just how amazing true love can be, but what about you? You kept telling us that opposites attract and that love takes time to bloom. When will you focus on your own happiness instead of others?"