‘And are your ideas what they were at fourteen?’ I asked him.

He gave a bitter laugh.

‘No, for then I liked the idea of chasing women. I did not know that they were not worth catching,’ he remarked.

‘Then if your ideas have changed since you were fourteen, do you not think it possible that Pen has changed as well?’

‘As she is to marry Larchdean, it is clear that she has stayed the same,’ he said bitterly.

‘I think not. I happen to know that Larchdean proposed but was turned down.’

He looked surprised, and an unmistakeable gleam crept into his eye.

‘Are you sure?’ he asked.

‘I had it from Larchdean himself.’

He shrugged, trying to pretend he did not care, but I would not be surprised if he is called away tomorrow. It would be a strange thing if this year saw all three of us married!


Saturday 31 August

My father has done his best to ignore Catherine and the Allens, but a combination of his delight at Eleanor’s marriage and my own determination have brought about a softening of his opposition. Then, too, he has discovered that Catherine’s family are not so poor as he supposed. He has also discovered that the Allens, being childless, have not decided where to leave their property, and so he speculates that they might leave it to Catherine, and so at last he has withdrawn his opposition to our marriage. He has not gone so far as to give us his blessing, but he said to Eleanor this morning that I could be a fool if I liked it. And as I do like it, our marriage will shortly go ahead.

Thanks to Eleanor’s intervention, I am now welcome once more at Northanger Abbey, and I intend to return there on Monday with my father, whilst Catherine will leave for Fullerton. But before long I will be with her again, for I mean to drive over to see her parents as soon as the necessary preparations have been put in hand – and before my father can change his mind!



SEPTEMBER

Monday 2 September

Frederick was waiting for us on our return to the abbey and informed us that he is newly engaged to Penelope. Since she comes of a good family and has a considerable dowry my father is pleased, and since I have heard from Frederick’s own lips that he loves her, I am also pleased. And Frederick was good enough to say he was delighted to hear of the happy conclusion to my own affairs.



Tuesday 3 September

My father wrote a long and courteous letter to the Morlands, full of empty professions and meaningless phrases, which he instructed me to give to them when I next go to Fullerton. He was somewhat startled when I informed him that I intended to set out at once, but he waved me away with something like cordiality. I arrived this evening and was welcomed warmly by Mr and Mrs Morland, who are almost as happy as Catherine and myself that our marriage can now take place.

Catherine and I have decided on an October wedding and we are to follow it with a tour of Scotland, where there are plenty of castles and mountains and dungeons to exercise her imagination. Who knows, we might be captured by banditti after all!



OCTOBER

Friday 11 October

After all our trials and tribulations, nothing occurred to prevent our wedding and Catherine and I were married this morning. The bells rang and everybody smiled. The perfect happy ending!