For this Valentine's Day, I decided to think beyond the famous Jane Austen couples we know and love so well. She also devised several marriages which we suspect might crash and burn. Some are potentially big mistakes. Others are jaw-dropping surprises, some of which were entered into with murky motives on at least one side. Here is my list of newlywed couples whose marriages I sincerely hope can go the distance, although other readers may have their doubts. But I wish happily ever afters for each of the following pairs.
Robert Ferrars and Lucy Steele
This pair of impulsive pains in the neck stun everyone with their sudden nuptials. Vulgar Lucy is the girl who threw a wrench in poor Elinor Dashwood's hopes and dreams. She'd formed a childhood pact with Edward Ferrars, the love of Elinor's life, and clung to it like a barnacle, knowing full well he'd outgrown it, and that she herself didn't really care for him as she should. But until a better offer comes along, she refuses to release him. Robert is Edward's smug younger brother and their mother's pet. He knows Edward was disowned for his engagement to Lucy, but is confident enough in their mother's favouritism to trust that he won't suffer the same fate, or at least not for long. Even though Austen hints that they're already beginning to tire of each other by the end of Sense and Sensibility, I hope they'll muddle through somehow, for everyone else's sake. For as long as they're tied up annoying each other, they'll annoy nobody else.
William Walter Elliot and Mrs Penelope Clay
Sure, Mr Elliot is an unscrupulous opportunist whose heart has been said to be as black as the night. But for Mrs Clay's sake, I hope he'll settle down to make a reasonably sound husband. She never comes across to me as the bad person Anne and Lady Russell make her out to be. Sure, she's a social climber and sycophant who hoped to worm her way into Sir Walter Elliot's affections, but when we consider the callous era in which she lived, can we really blame her? Plain, friendless widows such as Mrs Clay found themselves starving on the streets unless they could find others willing to look after them. Anne's harsh attitude toward Mrs Clay always disappointed me, for it's none of her business who her father re-marries, and at his age, surely he has the right to please himself anyway! I like to imagine this marriage of convenience between the younger Mr Elliot and Mrs Clay softening into a friendship. It would surely temper Mr Elliot's hypocrisy should that happen, which would benefit everyone he knows.
Louisa Musgrove and Captain James Benwick
This relationship is a true attraction of opposites. Before her accident on the shore of Lyme Regis, Louisa was a brash, energetic and extroverted young woman. Captain Benwick is a sensitive and emotional introvert struggling to recover from the death of his former sweetheart. Their surprise attraction also releases both Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth from the unwanted attention of either one of them. It's highly desirable all round, and I would have loved to see Louisa and Benwick together in the story. It's lovely to think that Benwick's poetic influence is already bringing a more thoughtful and reflective side out of Louisa, and I'm sure her sunny nature will also temper his melancholic side. Go Louisa and Benwick!
Charlotte Lucas and Mr William Collins
Poor pragmatic Charlotte goes into this farce of a marriage with her eyes open. She thinks her husband-to-be is pompous and tiresome (which he is)! But she's weighed the pros and cons and decided that a rare opportunity for financial security, motherhood and social approval will be worth putting up with him for. She's already in her late twenties with no interest from other men, so the only alternative is being a lifelong drain on her parents and brothers. Mr Collins considers himself a great catch, but he'll soon be disillusioned, for she can't maintain her brave act forever. Already she's arranging their household to keep him far from her sight. Call me sentimental, but this is the sort of arrangement I like to see change for the better. The remainder of their lives is a long time, and it would be a relief for these two to warm to each other with the passing years. (In Janice Hadlow's book The Other Bennet Sister, this is just what happens.) If Charlotte can help make her husband even a smidgen less ridiculous to the world at large, many people will thank her.
Harriet Smith and Robert Martin
The meddlesome Emma Woodhouse tries her best to deflect young Harriet's attention away from the humble farmer who loves her dearly, and Harriet is so pliable that she almost succeeds. Not only is Emma's choice for Harriet, Mr Elton, a deplorable idea, but it seems Harriet has burned her bridges when she refuses Robert's proposal. Accepting the second marriage proposal from this cool and modest young farmer off her own bat is the first decisive move this girl ever makes. It's also the first time she doesn't consult anyone else. Hopefully it marks the start of a long and happy relationship. I always suspected Harriet's wishy-washy temperament might stem from her long history of living in institutions. You don't get to be pin-up girl at a school like Mrs Goddard's by expressing a mind of your own. I get cross when Mr Knightley says that a blank slate like Harriet needs a good man like Robert to help shape her opinions. No, what she needs is encouragement to think for herself. From the little we see of Robert, I think he'll be the sort of guy to encourage her to excavate her own opinions.
Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax
I know many readers consider this match to be a total train wreck, for how can such a sensible, down-to-earth, hard-working young woman possibly fall for such a shallow, flippant, immature fop? Doesn't she deserve far better? Emma Woodhouse is speaking truth when she says, 'The fortune is all on his side and the virtue is all on hers.' Still, I can't help hoping Frank and Jane will suit each other excellently in the long run. Frank's toughest critics tend to overlook the fact that he's been pampered by wealthy guardians from boyhood, he's chafing because his autocratic aunt has been so demanding, and he's still in his early twenties; young enough not to be set in his ways. Who better to teach him sensitivity toward those less fortunate than a wife who has endured hard times herself? In return, his cheerful, jocular disposition is already adding an overdue dash of lightheartedness to her days. And marriage to him will enable her to support her dependent elderly relatives without having to eke out a pittance ever again. Sounds like a fair enough trade-off to me.
Lydia Bennet and George Wickham
Whoa, these two may be the ultimate troublemakers, and readers far and wide probably regard their marriage as a ticking time bomb. They go their own merry way, causing friends and relatives huge embarrassment and financial distress. This quality of selfishness and indiscretion isn't the type renowned for sticking together through thick and thin. But, I hope Lydia and Wickham do stick it out, just to prove to their critics that they can! If Darcy shakes his head, thinking he's poured money into a lost cause, I hope Wickham will give him a pleasant surprise. And when the elder Bennet sisters roll their eyes and mumble about that willful, naughty Lydia, I hope she'll prove to them that her marriage will be as happy as theirs. For if there's one thing I love, it's naysayers being proven wrong. I doubt Lydia's and Wickham's will ever be a marriage marked with deep and meaningful conversation, but that doesn't mean they can't be happy in their own way, painting the town together.
So there we have it. Are there any couples on this list who have your best wishes too? Also, if you can think of any others, please mention them in the comments.
And happy Valentine's Day!
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