My Victorian Year #25

I'm currently reading Rachel Ray by Anthony Trollope. I have finished the first volume of Rachel Ray now. I'm not sure how many volumes it has in total, but I feel like I am making progress.

Luke Rowan, our hero, has fought with his mother and determined to follow his own heart and not his mother's. He is now on his way to declare himself to Rachel Ray. Propose he will despite his mother's very strong objections to the match. Will Rachel Ray say yes?! I think we all know the answer to that.

He is ecstatic at his engagement. His mother is furious. Is she furious enough to team up with her son's enemies--the Tappitts? Yes. What will these two women scheme to do to break up the match?

Quotes:

“I don’t dislike you,” she whispered. “And do you love me?” She slightly bowed her head. “And you will be my wife?” Again she went through the same little piece of acting.

 She could not be quite happy as Luke’s promised bride, if she knew that she would not be welcomed to that place by Luke’s mother.

 But what are looks, my dear? They’re only skin deep; we ought all of us to remember that always, Rachel; they’re only skin deep;

This is Trollope's description of Mrs. Rowan--Luke's mother.

She said very little, but she looked much.

 Mrs. Rowan, Mrs. Tappitt...

They agreed together at that meeting that Rachel Ray was the head and front of the whole offence, the source of all the evil done and to be done, and the one great sinner in the matter.

Their confrontation with Mrs. Ray....

“Truth is truth,” said Mrs. Tappitt; “and deception is not truth.” “I didn’t think it had gone anything so far as that,” said Mrs. Rowan, — who at the moment, perhaps, forgot that deception is not truth;

 “I want you both to understand that this little thing should be allowed to drop. If my boy has done anything foolish I’m here to apologize for him. He isn’t the first that has been foolish, and I’m afraid he won’t be the last.

But it can’t be believed, Mrs. Ray, that marriages should be run up in this thoughtless sort of way. In the first place the young people don’t know anything of each other; absolutely nothing at all.

Only you must be aware of this, Mrs. Ray, that such a marriage as that would be very injurious to a young man like my son Luke.”

“My child wouldn’t wish to injure anybody.” “And therefore, of course, she won’t think any more about it. All I want from you is that you should promise me that.”

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