The Real Charlotte IV

Francie is increasingly unhappy with her aunt and uncle and their children. Living out of town. Her aunt is trying to run the house on even less money, and Francie's small income has diminished. Roddy Lambert comes to Bray to pay her a visit and he can see how miserable she is. He has always been attracted to her as she is so pretty and when she was a little younger, she used to flirt with him. Now she's older and not so taken with him, but she is leading such a dreary life, that when he asks her to marry him, she accepts. They get married quietly and go to Paris. Roddy is not well off. He has his job and Lucy had a modest income but thats only settled on him for life. But he has been "borrowing" bits of money from the rents of the Dysarts' tenants, and hoping he can pay it back before they find out. Francie is grateful to Roddy for his affection but she is not in love with him and finds him a bit boring. Then Sir Benjamin Dysart dies, and Roddy has to hurry back to Ireland. He and Francie go to see Charlotte, and Charlotte makes a pretence of making up her quarrel with her cousin. Francie had said to her angrily that she could keep herself without getting married but now she's married Roddy mostly to have a secure home.