HOMA18CL 09
Episode 9: Sarah Clarke’s Story
◈ November 1775. The Intelligence Club.
Someone called out to Tae-oh from behind as he was leaving the club’s restroom.
“Mr. Sanderson!”
Tae-oh turned around to see a middle-aged gentleman approaching. It was Lord Carrington. Lord Carrington was a noble from an old family, and Tae-oh recognized his face from their occasional shared seats.
“Lord Carrington.”
Tae-oh bowed in greeting, and the Lord returned the bow before stating the reason he had called out.
“I have an urgent request to make of you, Mr. Sanderson.”
“What is it…?”
“A friend of mine heard the news of Viscount Monson’s marriage and asked if I could introduce him to you.”
It seemed to be a request for matchmaking.
“Is your friend looking for a marriage partner for his child, perhaps?”
“Yes, that’s right. And quite urgently, too.”
“Ah, is that so? Well, I happen to have business in the city tomorrow, so I can meet your friend there.”
Suddenly, Lord Carrington’s eyebrows furrowed into an inverted V-shape, and the corners of his mouth drooped.
“You see, the thing is… my friend is not well these days.”
The fact that several subtle expressions of sadness appeared at once indicated that his friend’s condition was quite serious.
“It sounds like your friend is very ill?”
Lord Carrington nodded with a somber expression and continued.
“Yes, he is. He was such a healthy friend, but five months ago, he was suddenly diagnosed with a severe illness. They say it is incurable. So, since it’s difficult for him to leave his house, he was hoping I could invite you to his home, Mr. Sanderson.”
“To his home?”
“Yes. His house is right next to the church. If you go near the church and ask for the house of Baron Robert Clarke, everyone will know it. But to give you the precise location…”
Based on Lord Carrington’s explanation, the location seemed easy to find.
“I understand. It doesn’t really matter to me where we meet, so I will visit Baron Clarke’s residence myself tomorrow morning.”
“Ah, thank you. Then, I will tell him on my way now that you will be coming tomorrow.”
The next day, in the morning.
Tae-oh rode his carriage toward the home of Baron Robert Clarke, as he had heard the day before.
As Lord Carrington had said, finding Baron Clarke’s house was not difficult.
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
The manor, which he entered through the main gate, was quite large. The garden was spacious, and the landscaping and surroundings of the house were meticulously maintained.
‘It seems this Baron Clarke is a man of considerable wealth.’
“Whoa—whoa—.”
As he arrived at the central entrance and stepped down from the carriage, someone approached.
“Are you Mr. Theo Sanderson?”
A man in a white wig approached Tae-oh and asked politely. He appeared to be the butler of the Clarke household.
“I am.”
“Then, please follow me, Mr. Sanderson.”
The butler led Tae-oh up to the second floor. As they ascended the stairs and walked down a long corridor, coughing sounds began to grow louder.
Cough—Cough—Ugh. Cough—
As he had heard, the Baron’s illness seemed quite severe.
Knock, knock.
“Baron? Mr. Sanderson has arrived.”
“Oh, yes. Cough—. Please ask him to come in immediately.”
Clunk—
The door opened to reveal a spacious room with a large bed in the center. A middle-aged man with graying hair was lying in the bed.
“Ah, you must be Mr. Sanderson? It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please come in.”
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Baron Clarke.”
“Betty, could you help me sit up?”
A maid by the bedside quickly helped the Baron raise his upper body.
“I apologize that my body is like this…”
“Not at all. It’s quite alright.”
After the butler left, the Baron coughed several more times while Tae-oh sat in a chair beside the bed.
“Cough—Cough— Haha. I am truly embarrassed and sorry to show you such a spectacle at our first meeting.”
“Don’t mention it. Anyone can get sick. You will recover soon.”
While the Baron calmed his cough, Tae-oh subtly scanned the room. It was quite a large room for one person, and it seemed to also be used as a study. The large bookshelf to the right of the bed was particularly striking. It was packed with a vast number of books, easily numbering over a thousand, more than an individual typically owned. In contrast to most nobles who proudly displayed paintings or expensive ceramics, Baron Clarke had filled the space with books.
“You have a great number of books, don’t you?”
“Ah, yes. I have a bit of a craving for books. I collected them one or two at a time, and they just grew like that.”
Tae-oh immediately got down to business.
“Lord Carrington informed me yesterday. That you were very eager to meet me?”
Baron Clarke nodded with difficulty.
“Yes, that’s right. The truth is, I have a request for you, Mr. Sanderson, and I took the liberty of asking my friend to bring you here despite the inconvenience.”
Seen up close, the Baron looked even more sickly due to his emaciation. The vitality in his eyes was greatly diminished.
‘His smile disappears too quickly…’
Changes in the mouth convey a great variety of emotions. When a smile or laugh appears and then quickly vanishes, it is almost always an expression of an insincere emotion. In many cases, a great worry in the heart combines with the lethargy from illness, causing the smile or laugh to disappear immediately without conscious effort, and the Baron seemed to be one such case.
As expected, Baron Clarke began to confide his worries to Tae-oh. The Baron’s concern was for his children who would be left behind after his death.
“I still have five young daughters who are unmarried. With my wife also gone, I am left with only my daughters, and the financial hardship they will face after I die is a tremendous worry for me. Cough—Cough—.”
The inheritance system of 18th-century England was particularly harsh on daughters. When a father died, the real estate, which constituted the largest portion of his assets, went solely to the eldest son, and the daughters received almost nothing.
Moreover, Baron Clarke’s estate was subject to a condition of ‘entail’ (or fee tail), meaning a male heir was required to inherit his assets in the next generation. The ‘entail’ system in England at this time stipulated that the family’s real estate, such as the manor and land, could only be inherited by the eldest male heir. In the absence of an eldest son, the estate was restricted to the highest-ranking male relative.
This system, though seemingly very unreasonable, was in fact a kind of safeguard to prevent the extinction of a ‘family’ in a class-based society that valued lineage. For any aristocratic family to maintain a dignified, noble lifestyle without work or occupation, they needed a consistent and stable annual income. This was necessary for the men who continued the line to live a leisurely life, receive an education, and maintain the family without resorting to vulgar labor. At this time, real estate, especially ‘land,’ guaranteed a large income through annual crops, making it the optimal asset for maintaining a family in an agrarian society. If such crucial family real estate were to be divided among other sons or daughters instead of the eldest son, the income would inevitably decrease, leading to the family’s decline and downfall.
Crucially, if the family’s real estate, like the manor and land, was divided and inherited by the daughters, the assets would legally transfer to the daughters’ husbands under the marriage customs and laws of the time. Therefore, to maintain a ‘family,’ nobles were forced to strictly adhere to the ‘entail’ system.
Given this situation, Baron Clarke, who had only daughters, was in a position where most of his wealth would be inherited by a male relative of the family. Ultimately, his five daughters would have to take the cash assets the Baron had personally saved and leave the beloved manor they had lived in all their lives to find a more modest and inconvenient house.
While such an inheritance law would be nonsensical in modern society, there was nothing to be done, as English law prioritized the family over the individual.
For this reason, Baron Clarke, who was naturally worried about his young daughters being left behind, finally decided to consult Tae-oh about the problem of his eldest daughter, Sarah Clarke, who was of marriageable age.
He seemed to hope that if Sarah, who was acting as a mother figure, could find a good husband and secure a prosperous married life, the lives of the remaining daughters could somehow also be maintained.
“I heard the story of Viscount Edward Monson’s marriage connection from Lord Carrington, and it was quite intriguing, cough.”
“Ah, you heard about that.”
“Yes. Cough—Ugh—Choke.“
The Baron took a sip of the tea on the table, stabilized himself slightly, and continued.
“In truth, Viscount Monson was a young man I had known well for a long time. People disparaged him as arrogant, but I, having watched him since he was a child, knew that the Viscount was intelligent and possessed a fine character. However, I thought marriage would be very difficult for him because of his high academic ambition and prickly personality. But from what I heard, Mr. Sanderson found him a truly excellent match. Cough, cough—.”
“Yes.”
The Baron calmed his cough and said with a bitter look.
“Three years ago, I made a firm promise to my late wife. That I would take responsibility for our daughters until the very end. So, my last wish was to see even my youngest, fifth daughter safely grow up and marry before I die, but my current situation…”
“No, you must hold on for that.”
The Baron shook his head with a bitter smile at Tae-oh’s words.
“I know my own body best. It is clear that I do not have much time left. I will be lucky to make it a few more months. Cough—Cough—.”
“You shouldn’t be so faint-hearted. You must steel your resolve for the sake of your daughters.”
The Baron, who was faintly smiling at Tae-oh’s words, spoke to the maid behind him.
“Betty, go and ask Sarah to come here.”
“Yes, master.”
As the maid left to summon his eldest daughter, Sarah Clarke, the Baron continued speaking.
“I desperately want to entrust the marriage of my eldest daughter to you, Mr. Sanderson. After hearing about you from Lord Carrington, I believed you possessed not only knowledge but also truly outstanding insight and judgment about people. That is why I understood Viscount Monson’s sudden marriage.
“I am only grateful that you think so highly of me.”
“Please, have pity on my children and ensure that I can at least see my eldest daughter connected with a good man before I pass away. Also, this way, I can provide her with a generous dowry while I am still alive.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Baron Clarke was concerned about the cash assets he had accumulated, even though he could do nothing about the entailed real estate. He said he had been saving this money little by little for a long time for his daughters’ marriage dowries. Since it was not real estate belonging to the family, its disposal was somewhat free, but what he had saved up was not enough to amply provide for all his daughters.
“It is not a small amount of cash, but it is not much when considering the remaining daughters. Furthermore, the dowry I provide legally becomes the property of the husband’s family, so I cannot be sure whether it will even help my daughters if they meet a wicked husband who is only after the money. In that case, I even considered that it might be better to hand everything over to the relative who is slated to inherit and appeal for his kindness as much as possible. Cough—Cough—.”
The Baron seemed to have considered giving the relative who would inherit the entailed property all of his cash assets, excluding the dowry for the immediately marrying Sarah. This was because some kindhearted heirs would provide the remaining family members with a lifetime annuity from the income generated by cultivating the land. However, this was a difficult choice to make, as if their minds changed, it could be worse than simply bequeathing the remaining cash to his daughters.
The Baron’s unspoken worry was clearly communicated to Tae-oh.
“I need to find a groom who will truly love her and be compatible, but with my body in this state… After hearing about you, Mr. Sanderson, I decided immediately that I must ask you to arrange my daughter’s match. The matchmaking fee does not matter. I simply want you to introduce my eldest daughter to a warm-hearted and upstanding groom who is well-suited to her in every way.”
The earnest heart of a father facing death was deeply felt.
“…Yes, I understand completely.”
Knock, knock.
“Father, it’s Sarah.”
“Yes. Come in.”
Clunk.
Tae-oh turned his head at the sound of the door opening.
Sarah Clarke curtsied to Tae-oh. Tae-oh also bowed his head, formally showing his respect.
Watching his daughter greet the matchmaker, the Baron spoke.
“Sarah, this is Mr. Theo Sanderson, whom I told you about. I have been consulting with him about your marriage. Cough—.”
“Ah, yes.”
Responding briefly and smiling, she had a very clean image. She was not a glamorous beauty, but that was what made her even more appealing.
“Mr. Sanderson, please have a good talk with my daughter. I think I need to lie down now, as I don’t feel well.”
“Ah, yes. Please do.”
As soon as the Baron finished speaking, Sarah rushed to the bed and helped the Baron lie down comfortably.
Tae-oh and Sarah Clarke had a conversation over tea in the study next to the bedroom.
‘She has a very pleasant appearance and a personality that makes people feel at ease.’
Even without an extensive conversation, Tae-oh quickly noticed she was an intelligent and wise woman, given her sharp eyes, demeanor, and articulate speech. Furthermore, even in a situation where her and her sisters’ entire lives could become uncertain if her father suddenly passed away, Sarah’s expression was remarkably bright and unruffled. Beyond her conscious behavior, the unconscious energy emanating from her subconscious was very bright and positive, and that feeling was transmitted to others.
“Then, are you currently managing all the household affairs in place of your father, Miss Clarke?”
“The detailed work is handled by Butler Brown and the other servants, and I simply listen to my father’s instructions and manage things a little.”
Tae-oh nodded. After discussing various topics, he became curious about Sarah’s level of education, as it seemed quite high compared to the general low educational attainment of women in this era.
Tae-oh pretended to have a casual conversation while mixing in several questions that required basic knowledge and complex thought.
She answered them with unexpected proficiency.
“Miss Clarke, your general knowledge and logical reasoning seem quite considerable. Did you receive private tutoring at home?”
Even among the nobility at this time, most women did not attend school. Instead, noble women often lightly studied languages, art, and music at home. However, the level was usually limited to general refinement. It was considered very undignified for a woman to professionally study any one field. Consequently, most of the 18th-century women Tae-oh had met so far lacked strong logical reasoning and critical thinking, making it difficult to sustain deep conversations.
But Sarah’s every word carried logic and substance. She was almost on par with the male members of the Intelligence Club.
“No. I have never received any private tutoring.”
“Then?”
“My sisters and I mainly spent time in this study, each reading our favorite books and having discussions with our father about the content. It was our sisters’ favorite time until Father became ill.”
“Ah…”
Tae-oh finally understood where Sarah’s wisdom came from. Baron Clarke, who loved reading, had been the best teacher for his daughters.
“This might be a slightly rude question, but if you were to meet a gentleman you liked, but he showed no interest because of your circumstances, would you be hurt?”
Considering the Baron’s imminent death and the four young sisters who would be left behind, Sarah Clarke was not, in fact, a desirable bride in terms of her circumstances. Despite this being a sensitive question that could cause offense, Sarah answered without losing her smile.
“Just because the other person doesn’t view me favorably, it doesn’t actually change the value I possess, does it? So, I would be fine.”
From her simple and clear answer, Tae-oh could confirm she was a person with high self-awareness, or metacognition. When a wife has such high self-awareness in a marital relationship, it positively influences her husband’s work and contributes to his success.
Tae-oh admired Sarah’s excellent attitude several times, and while they were talking, he suddenly noticed a document on the table. It seemed to be a file on house rentals.
When Tae-oh looked at the rental documents, Sarah began to speak in a slightly somber voice.
“I pray that Father does not pass away, but if something unfortunate were to happen, I cannot help but think of my young sisters. So, I have been making various calculations and searching for a suitable place to live in London beforehand.”
Sarah also spoke about how their relative, Mr. Thomas Clarke, had visited the house with an architect recently. Thomas Clarke was the relative who would inherit the family’s property after her father’s death. He lived quite far from London and, while ostensibly coming to visit the sick, was actually there to inspect the manor and land he would take possession of after Baron Clarke died.
“That’s when it hit me. When I think of my young sisters, I can’t help but plan for the time after Father is gone.”
Sarah herself was in a position where she would need to lean on someone, yet she was more worried about her young sisters who would have no one to rely on but her.
Tae-oh’s remaining task was now to quickly find a man who knew the situation but could still recognize and embrace Sarah Clarke’s value.
‘Unfortunately, Baron Clarke does not have much time left. As the Baron said, to ensure she gets a dowry, I must find the most suitable man as quickly as possible.’
A woman as intelligent and wise as Sarah possessed the ability to greatly help her partner succeed, even in this pre-modern society where it was difficult for her to succeed on her own.
The task of finding a man who would perfectly suit this gem of a woman now fell entirely to Tae-oh.
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