An Arranged Marriage

by C. M. Bryden

  It looked as if his trip to see the old villages would have to wait awhile as he sorted out his marriage; unfortunately, it was with the wrong person; he needed to talk to Jane!

  Andrew listened carefully as Jake told him the reason why he was in Italy. That he was helping his mother and stepfather! It was the mention of Jake’s parents that had caused Andrew to draw in his breath, being ignorant of their existence. As Jake continued, telling his father-in-law about Stefano’s accident, without elaborating too much, he then told him about the “other woman” Jane had seen him with, explaining she was his half-sister, who on the day in question he’d just met at the station. This, of course, was only half the truth but, as Jake reasoned with himself, Andrew didn’t really need to know any more, other than the barest of details, the rest he could learn another time.

  Once Andrew knew Jake had a family, he naturally wanted an explanation as to why Jake hadn’t told Jane?

  Jake was glad he wasn’t standing near to Andrew at that time, as he could hear the scorn in the older man’s voice, thankful there was some distance between them, as he told him what he needed to know.

  At least Andrew felt a little better, once he’d heard Jake’s explanation, even the bit where Jake had said, by way of appeasement, he hadn’t told Jane because at the time he didn’t know if she loved him; when she was sure, he then planned on them having a blessing in the village church!

  By this time, Jake’s charm had worked its magic, leaving Andrew thinking his son-in-law was a good man at heart and how he’d misjudged him, and really Jane should have no worries, although he did feel bothered Jake hadn’t wanted her to know his family before they married! That was the one part that really concerned him. At that point Jake ended the call, before Andrew could probe even more, telling him he would be home soon, just as soon as his stepfather was able to take control of his affairs again. He finished off by asking Andrew to say nothing of their conversation to Jane, as he wanted to tell her in his own way and in his own time.

  This disturbed Andrew, as he understood his daughter only too well: he also knew in her pregnant state she was not the normal compliant and reasonable person she’d previously been. But by then the line had gone dead and Andrew had to accept Jake would do as he wanted, it was only then Andrew realised he still hadn’t told his son-in-law of the expected baby!

  For a while, Andrew felt torn apart by his deception: it was a burden he didn’t want to carry, as for not telling Jane that Jake had parents and siblings, that was going to be difficult, knowing he was no good at keeping secrets. He also knew Jessie would prise it out of him, but that too is another story!

  Meanwhile, Jane was busy making plans of her own. She’d already made up her mind she was going to file for a divorce. Her next step was to make an appointment with a lawyer and then she would inform Jake as far as she was concerned their marriage was over!

  As for Jake, he was quite happy, thinking he’d managed to convince Andrew not to tell Jane where he was, what he was doing and why. He knew it all depended on Andrew keeping his promise to say nothing, but he was sure being a man, Andrew would be good at keeping a secret! Unfortunately for Jake he didn’t know Jessie and Andrew were engaged or that, within a couple of hours of his return, she would have wheedled all his secrets from Andrew. Once she knew the score, Jessie then placed herself in charge of getting Jane and Jake back together again!

  And so it came to pass it was Jessie who came up with an idea the next day that sounded so good to Andrew he decided to talk it over with Jake the next time he phoned.

  Jessie’s plan: to get Jane out to Italy without her telling her it was to meet Jake.

  As Jane’s work involved travelling abroad, not only training consultants but also assessing hotels for their inclusion in the company’s exclusive holiday brochures. Jessie often went with Jane when an assessment was needed. The next morning, while Jane was out of the office, Jessie made a point of doing some surreptitious checking, making sure there were no other hotels in the area where Andrew had told her Jake was staying.

  Thankfully, Jake had told Andrew the name of the hotel and even where it was. And as there were no other hotels in the area the company promoted, it should be easy enough to get Jane out there to inspect and assess it, without her realising it belonged to Jake’s family. Her only problem was how to arrange it without Jane realising it was just a ruse to get her to meet Jake?

  The next day, when Jake called, Andrew told him of Jessie’s plan; to his surprise, Jake thought her idea to be inspired, as he’d been trying for years to get Stefano and his mother to move forward with marketing the hotel and its restaurant and holiday complex.

  Jessie’s plan, Jake was quite sure, could well be the opportunity they’d been looking for. The business would be featured in a high-class brochure and a top-end travel magazine; hopefully resulting in Jane being back where she belonged, in Jake’s arms and his life.

  Fortunately for Jake, one of his many business friends just happened to be the chairman of Jane’s company. After a long and serious talk with Stefano and quite a few tears from his mother, who’d thoroughly berated him for his stupidity in deceiving not only Jane, but also his family, it took only a couple of phone calls, and a letter from Stefano, for Jessie’s plan to be hatched.

  Stefano had written the letter on a sheet of velum, embossed with the coat of arms he’d inherited; dictated, of course, by Jake, and then sent pronto to the chairman’s office in London with their request.

  But Jake still wasn’t out of trouble. Laura and Stefano had been furious with him when he’d confessed he’d married Jane by blackmailing her, unable to believe the young man they both adored could have sunk so low as to coerce a young woman into believing she had to marry him, or her father’s business would be ruined.

  Laura couldn’t believe what she’d heard, as for Stefano; he’d sat in his wheelchair just listening, then shaking his head at Jake’s audacity, equally as baffled as his wife at Jane’s naivety in believing him. Whatever was the matter with them both that they could go through an arranged marriage without knowing each other? Good Lord, Stefano had stated, crossing his chest in supplication at taking the Lord’s name in vain, they didn’t live in a primitive society where arranged marriages were the norm! They were supposed to be civilised. And neither could Laura believe Jake had need of using blackmail to coerce a young woman into his arms, especially if he had indeed fallen in love with her at first sight, as he’d said!

  Laura knew she was biased, but surely, her new daughter-in-law must have fallen in love with Jake too, or she wouldn’t have married him, or perhaps she would, if she’d only wanted his money?

  Jake may not understand women very well before, but after a long and painful conversation with his mother and Stefano, who had to have his say as well, he was a lot nearer to understanding why Jane wasn’t talking to him! His mother had cried, exactly as he’d thought she would, as for Stefano, he’d merely looked at Jake, exasperated, that a grown man of Jake’s intelligence could be so stupid when it came to falling in love.

  With Stefano’s comments ringing in his ears, Jake made his way outside into brilliant sunshine, which only served to highlight his dilemma as to how to get his life back on track again. He could imagine Jane sitting in her office, perhaps thinking of him; telling herself marrying in haste and repenting at leisure might well be an apt quotation, as far as she was concerned!

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jane read through the mail Jessie had stacked on the desk, making brief notes on those needing a reply, until she came to a letter beautifully scripted in black ink on a sheet of expensive cream vellum. It was the aristocratic coat of arms over the name of the hotel that really caught her attention and the very formal English used by the writer. The letter had been forwarded to her, or so the covering letter from head office informed her, requesting she should visit the hotel and assess it for inclusion in the company’s brochures. The accompanying letter, from the chairman of her company
, asked that she personally supervise the visit? And, if the hotel and holiday complex were up to the company’s stringent standards, and hers, she was given carte blanche to do whatever was necessary while she was there, to facilitate the deal!

  Jane was taken aback at first; amazed by the confidence the chairman obviously had in her abilities. She knew she was good at her job, but this was an accolade she hadn’t been expecting and, all of a sudden, her miserable mood brightened.

  As usual, Jessie had sorted through the mail that morning before Jane arrived, knowing Jake had arranged for the letter to be sent. Placing the letter on top of the pile. While Jane was reading, she made a quick call to Andrew to let him know part one of their plan was about to come to fruition.

  It was some time before Jane walked into the outer office where Jessie had her desk. ‘Can you be available to come to Italy with me for a few days?’ she’d asked nonchalantly.

  There was nothing unusual in Jane’s request, some assessments on large properties abroad needed two people, as it wasn’t just the case of an assessor saying ‘very nice, we will include such and such property in our brochure!’ It was more complicated than that, and this was one assessment the chairman had asked to be done immediately and under her personal scrutiny. Therefore, Jane knew she needed to be well equipped to do her best and, having Jessie at her side, who at first pretended to hesitate, for a few moments, trying not to give away her delight that so far her plan had been successful, when really she loved travelling with Jane.

  Viewing properties anywhere, and this one in particular, where the owner used such flamboyant words and the best vellum no less for his stationery, would no doubt be a joy, except for her next thought, this was not going to be a normal visit.

  This was going to be a manufactured trip to get Jane and Jake back together, the assessment of the property being merely incidental!

  Jessie looked at Jane, who’d been convinced she wouldn’t want to leave Andrew, being as they were so much in love, perhaps this visit, to a part of the world she’d never been to before might not be what she wanted to do at this time. Perhaps she wouldn’t relish traipsing around the nearby countryside that was always a part of the assessment for whichever hotel they visited, or even maybe just staying away from home! Perhaps she would rather someone else take her place!

  Just as Jane was going to suggest that as being a possibility if Jessie wasn’t keen on the idea, so Jessie looked up at her and smiled. ‘Of course I’ll go with you. It will be an adventure! And we haven’t had one of those for quite a while, have we? I’ll give Andrew a call and let him know. I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.’

  Later, when Jane called her father and spoke to him she heard him laughing and groaning in mock despair that he wouldn’t be seeing his fiancé for a few days. Andrew, of course knew Jake would be waiting for them when they arrived at the airport and it was this that worried him the most. He just hoped the sight of seeing Jake waiting for her wouldn’t be too much of a shock for Jane, as at times, over the past week, she’d looked quite delicate, her pregnancy not as trouble-free as Andrew would have liked for her, and it bothered him somewhat that Jake might also get a shock when he found out he was due to become a father. He’d wanted to tell his son-in-law of the expected baby but hadn’t, especially after listening to Jessie who’d persuaded him not to interfere. In any case, Jane would be able to tell her husband herself in a day or so, she’d reasoned and with that, Andrew knew he had to keep his mouth closed and say nothing.

  Jake’s mother, Laura, was a happy lady! Her beloved son was in Italy with her and she would soon be meeting her new daughter-in-law for the first time. She’d been in a great lather of excitement after Jake had sat her and Stefano down and told them of his marriage, even when his sister had been called in to hear the news she’d hardly been able to keep her happiness from bubbling over. She was at the same time both tearful and angry with her son she’d missed seeing him marrying his ladylove, but at the same time, she was happy he’d at last given up his bachelor existence and married. Jake tried, unsuccessfully, to calm his mother down, in between her railing against him for his thoughtlessness and then her eagerness to know what Jane was like; even his brief description of her, and then his meagre explanation as to his motives and his reasons, did little to soothe her, especially when she’d asked him why he hadn’t wanted them to know of his marriage, and he’d told her it was in case it didn’t work out? He knew from the tone of his mother’s voice, even though she was angry with him, she was at the same time hurt, and that upset him more than anything else.

  ‘It was a quick decision to get married.’ He said. ‘I didn’t want Jane to feel she had to stay with me just because she would be afraid of hurting your feelings, had she known you before!’

  ‘I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous!’ Was his mother’s appalled comment. ‘Girls don’t get married these days without being in love!’ Staring at him long and hard she continued. ‘They have their own careers and they don’t need men to keep them, unlike when I was young.’

  Jake knew then, until his mother met Jane, he would have no peace. Thank goodness Stefano had agreed with his plan and, later that morning, standing at his stepfather’s elbow, Stefano had duly written the letter Jane had just been reading.

  Being just a little over three months pregnant, and still suffering from stomach cramps and morning sickness, it was more than a month since Jane had last seen Jake, or had had any form of contact with him. In her fragile mental state, she was convinced her marriage was over, but each time she thought of the word “divorce” she had to fight back tears, at the same time she knew she had to take the first step towards finalising her marriage. She’d gone as far as contacting a local lawyer, one who specialised in divorce and was to keep her first appointment the day before she was due to fly out to Italy.

  That first legal meeting had been traumatic. Her lawyer had wanted to know every last detail of her relationship with Jake and her view on what grounds she believed she had for obtaining a divorce? By the time she left his office, Jane was mentally and physically exhausted. She’d tried to be totally honest with the rather stern figure sitting behind a desk piled high with official looking documents. It was an experience she found to be rather intimidating. When she’d explained her matrimonial union was unconventional, in as much as it was an arranged marriage, one of financial convenience: her lawyer’s eyebrows had lifted quizzically and, for some time he’d sat and looked at her, saying nothing, just staring at her, long and hard. Being a professional, he made no direct comment as Jane continued to explain how her father had faced ruin and, on his instigation, she’d married Jake Adams only because he’d promised to help her father financially if she agreed to marry him!

  Her lawyer looked at her after he’d written down some comments on the yellow legal pad in front of him, comments she couldn’t read from where she was sitting, if she had seen them she would have she seen his scrawl as saying, “married under duress?” Along with other cryptic comments only someone with a legal mind would understand.

  Once the details of her sham marriage, such as where and when it had taken place, and who had witnessed it etc., had been written down, the lawyer then asked what else had happened. Had she had a normal sexual relationship with the man she called her husband? Had he forced himself on her? And finally, how long had he been gone from her life and did she know where he was?

  Jane duly answered all his questions to the best of her knowledge, highly embarrassed at some of the questions he expected her to answer truthfully, except for knowing where Jake was at the present time, because of that she could give no details. She saw him write one word on the pad, in large enough letters she could read even though the pad was upside down.

  It was when she’d deciphered the word, “DESERTED” she started to cry, her tears falling unheeded and unchecked down her cheeks until, by magic, a cup of tea suddenly appeared at her elbow, along with a box of tissues all brought in by a kindly lo
oking middle-aged woman, who Jane took to be the lawyer’s secretary.

  There were two omissions in her statement of events, one that she believed her husband to be involved with another woman and, secondly, that she was pregnant with his child!

  Jane had already made it perfectly clear she wouldn’t be making any claim on her husband’s considerable wealth; she wasn’t interested in his money, at which her lawyer’s eyebrows had shot up nearly to his hairline in his surprise. He was more used to young women making large claims on their husband’s finances, demanding he pay over the odds for a marriage that had held no benefits to him at all, except for unlimited sex, but that wasn’t what Jane intended. She had her own home, it might not be palatial, but she’d bought it herself and it was her only financial asset. She was also more than prepared to bring up her child on her own, with no contribution from Jake.

  If he’d already got himself another woman, as she believed, she was in no doubt financing and bringing up a child from a failed marriage wouldn’t be something he would want to undertake. Then, of course, there was the fact he might demand she had an abortion! And that certainly wasn’t what she had in mind at all.

  It was her responsibility to love and care for her child and to provide for it and, thankfully, she didn’t need Jake’s money to do that.

  It was at this point she broke down and cried some more, much to the consternation of the middle-aged man who sat across the desk from her. His thoughtful expression should have warned Jane that withholding vital pieces of information was not in her best interests, but he could see now was not the time to pry any further into the young woman’s marriage details. As far as he could see, his client had obviously gone into the marriage willingly enough. She was twenty-five years of age, not what he would consider to be a very young age, and neither did he believe she’d been an innocent and virginal young woman who’d been taken advantage of. And, not for the first time during his interview, did he wonder how different her husband’s account of the marriage might be to hers?