He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 36

36. Their Own Misconceptions

◈ Theo’s residence in Hampstead, London.

A candle burns late into the night in the bedroom.

For hours, Theo has been sitting propped up in bed, meticulously reviewing the profiles of female members.

‘Pointed chins… sharp eyes are unconditionally excluded…’

To open Lord Louis Palmer’s tightly closed heart at once, he needs to find a woman who can captivate him at first sight.

To do that, she had to be completely different not only in personality but also in appearance from his mother and sisters, whom he had a strong aversion to.

‘I didn’t realize I had so many member profiles saved up…’

In an era without photographs, he had no choice but to rely on notes with characteristics jotted down to jog his memory.

However, matching based solely on notes and memory was not progressing as quickly as he had hoped.

When there were few profiles, the members’ physical characteristics or tendencies easily came to mind just by looking at their names.

But as the number of members increased, especially for female members, he often only saw them briefly, making it easy to confuse even their names.

‘It’s so inefficient compared to the modern era where using photos or videos was natural. As soon as I have some spare time, I need to organize them more concretely, even if it’s through simple portrait work. It takes so much time just to confirm the members, geez.’

With a sense of regret, Theo spent over two hours reviewing the profiles and agonizing before finally selecting five candidates.

All five were remembered as kind ladies with large eyes, glamorous figures, and gentle smiles.

‘For now, in terms of personality and appearance, they are all women that Louis would very much like. Now, shall we examine their backgrounds?’

When Theo connected men and women, the most important thing he considered was their compatibility with each other.

He concentrated all his efforts on finding the most suitable partner by considering all conditions such as personality, hobbies, habits, and values.

Couples who were matched in this way continued their happy married lives, overcoming difficulties together even if there were some flaws in other conditions.

However, compatibility between men and women is not a panacea [a cure-all].

There are quite a few cases where married life breaks down due to conflicts between families or mothers-in-law, no matter how well the individuals get along.

Looking at Lord Louis Palmer, there were no particular problems with him, who was the person getting married, but significant personality flaws were found in his mother and sisters.

Considering that Lord Louis Palmer was the eldest son, a serious conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was expected.

If such concerns were detected during matching, Theo examined whether the power structure of the two families could be balanced.

If it was determined that it was difficult to achieve balance, the matching had to be abandoned, even if it was regrettable.

‘I need to find a daughter-in-law who can suppress the Baroness’s power.’

Baron Palmer was still from a named Earl family, so it did not seem easy to suppress her with the authority of a good family.

‘There must be something special.’

At that moment, the name of one woman among the five candidates caught Theo’s eye.

It was Ashley Clifford, the second daughter of Viscount Jim Clifford.

The reason Theo paid attention to her was because of the record of her older brother.

‘Huh? Ashley’s older brother, Sir Henry Clifford, is a member of parliament in the Bristol area where I used to live?’

At this time, Bristol was a city with a large economic scale, boasting the title of ‘Capital of the West’ due to the great prosperity of Atlantic trade and manufacturing, and the organization that controlled this large trading city was none other than the merchants’ organization.

In particular, the Merchant Venturers, which oversaw Atlantic trade and manufacturing, exercised considerable authority in Parliament by registering its members in the commercial register.

Although Theo was only a porter at Bristol Harbor, he knew better than anyone how great the authority of the Merchant Venturers was because he had seen and heard about it.

However, as much as the authority was great, strict qualifications were required to join the Merchant Venturers, so the number of full members was just over 100.

‘I heard earlier that Baron Palmer wanted to gain a seat in the Bristol Merchant Venturers to make more profit.’

Baron Hazel Palmer’s family lived in Hampstead, London, but the Baron stayed separately in a mansion in the Bristol area while working on Atlantic trade.

While waiting for his son, Baron Palmer confided his business difficulties, and he was very sorry that he did not have a political supporter to back up his business.

In particular, he was coveting a position on the Merchant Venturers committee, and it seemed that a close friendship and assistance with the Bristol Member of Parliament was essential to obtain that position.

However, it was never an easy task given Baron Palmer’s taciturn personality.

‘If Ashley Clifford, the younger sister of the Bristol Member of Parliament, becomes his daughter-in-law, he will have the great political backing he has been hoping for. That means Miss Clifford will be a huge asset to Baron Palmer.’

The Baroness or daughters, who were high-spirited at home, were clearly trying to please Baron Palmer, watching his every move.

If such a Baron Palmer were to have a daughter-in-law he revered, the power relationship would inevitably be maintained appropriately.

‘Okay. Looking at the family background, Ashley Clifford is the top priority among these five.’

Having made the final decision, Theo slowly recalled Miss Ashley Clifford.

He had met her several times at Almack’s Club [a highly exclusive social club in London], and he remembered her as a very attractive personality and a healthy, vibrant young lady.

However, since they had only talked for a very short time, he could not be sure that her tendencies and other characteristics would match well with Louis.

‘Where…’

After putting various requirements into his self-made matching table and calculating, the compatibility was calculated to be quite high.

‘For now, it seems like the two would get along very well, but anyway, I think I need to meet Miss Ashley Clifford again in person. Then, based on Louis’s tendencies, I’ll get a clear sense of how well the two will get along.’

◈ A few days later, at the residence of Baron Hazel Palmer in London.

Theo asked with a flustered face.

“Yes? You want to meet Miss Clifford in advance?”

“Of course.”

The Baroness Palmer was insisting that she should see Miss Ashley Clifford before her son met her.

“Of course, it’s better for us to see her first and make a judgment, don’t you think? Of course, Mr. Sanderson is good at seeing people, but women should be seen by women to not miss any subtle aspects.”

“No, I asked you before, but it is my principle to meet with the parties involved as much as possible.”

However, the Baroness did not easily give up her stubbornness.

“This is not just a request to Mr. Sanderson, but it’s the same thing we’ve done in previous matchmaking attempts, so I hope you’re not offended. It’s my son’s marriage to continue the Palmer family, so shouldn’t we at least take a look at what kind of woman she is first?”

“I have met her and reviewed her thoroughly, and Miss Clifford was a very wonderful lady.”

Miss Ashley Clifford, whom he had met again a few days ago, was a much more attractive young lady than Theo remembered.

She was very good at controlling her emotions, and her humility and consideration stood out.

These points were the opposite of the Baroness and her sisters.

“People say that Mr. Sanderson is very good at grasping people’s character, but appearance is another matter.

Of course, appearance is not everything, but if we bring in a style that our son has no interest in at all, he will definitely leave without even looking at her. It’s not like that hasn’t happened before.”

“Ha…”

Theo, who was making a troubled expression, said that he would consult with Miss Ashley Clifford’s parents first and then make a decision, and left Baron Palmer’s house.

***

A few days later, Baroness Palmer headed to Miss Ashley Clifford’s house with her eldest daughter, Sandra.

Thanks to Viscount Jim Clifford, who had a good impression of Theo, Baroness Palmer was able to visit Miss Ashley Clifford’s house.

Viscountess Clifford and Miss Ashley Clifford warmly greeted Baroness Palmer, who had arrived earlier with Theo, and Baroness Palmer and her eldest daughter, who had been unexpectedly humble, quietly drank tea while observing Miss Clifford.

‘It’s completely different from how she is at home…’

Baroness Palmer and her eldest daughter felt like they were subdued, hardly saying anything and watching their every move.

**

After about an hour of conversation, Theo and Baroness Palmer got up from their seats and got into the carriage to go home.

As the carriage started, Theo quietly spoke.

“What did you think of Miss Clifford, Baroness?”

However, Baroness Palmer’s face was stiff. Her eldest daughter was trying hard to hold back her laughter, looking like she was about to cry.

“I’m disappointed, Mr. Sanderson.”

Baroness Palmer, who opened her mouth, looked at Theo with a pathetic look.

“Yes? Disappointed?”

The Baroness, who sighed deeply, opened her mouth again.

“I guess you didn’t know, but Louis hates women with a lot of flesh like Miss Clifford the most. I heard that Mr. Sanderson is good at seeing people’s personalities and connecting them with partners who are also suitable in terms of appearance, but I can’t help but be disappointed that you don’t even know what kind of woman my son likes.”

“……”

As much as her cold appearance, a strong feeling of distrust flowed out from Baroness Palmer.

However, Ashley Clifford was not fleshy, but had a healthy figure that Louis Palmer would love.

“A while ago, I introduced Miss Johnson from an Earl family, who was much better than Miss Clifford in terms of appearance and character, but it was Louis who got angry at home right after meeting her! But such a ridiculous young lady…”

Theo tilted his head and asked the Baroness.

“Miss Johnson from the Earl family… Are you perhaps talking about Miss Amanda Johnson, the eldest daughter of Earl Mark Johnson?”

“That’s right! Mr. Sanderson, you know her too. Then you know how much better she is in appearance and a good bride from a good family than Miss Clifford. Louis is the kind of kid who said he hated even such a woman at once, geez.”

‘Huh…’

Theo couldn’t help but sigh.

Miss Amanda Johnson, whom Baroness Palmer said was much better than Miss Ashley Clifford, had an appearance that was a carbon copy of the Baroness.

She was very thin, nervous, and had a sharp impression, so if they were standing together, it wouldn’t seem strange to say they were sisters. Moreover, even her character was similar.

So, when he checked the list a few days ago, she was the first woman he excluded without even looking at her.

The eldest daughter next to her couldn’t hold back her laughter and said a word.

“Hehe. Mother, being fat is a problem, but did you see her putting strength in her eyes earlier? Hehe.”

The Baroness looked even more annoyed at her daughter’s laughter.

“Why are you laughing so happily? Can’t you be quiet?”

Theo now knew why Louis had declared his refusal to marry.

‘Ah, so that’s why…’

Until now, whenever matchmakers introduced someone, this first evaluation would have been done by the mother and daughters, and they would have been filtered out.

As they chose like that, there was a very high possibility that they chose a woman who looked similar to themselves externally.

Women who are strongly proud of their beauty tend to find people who look similar to them beautiful, and the Baroness and her sisters have been finalizing partners who have similar appearances to them.

Since dating was not free at the time, Louis Palmer had no choice but to follow the family’s choice, and it was clear that matchmaking itself was considered terrible.

“Mr. Sanderson, parents know their children best. Especially mothers know best. The style our son likes is not a woman with such a large build. He likes a slimmer face and a smarter impression. He hates faces like Miss Ashley Clifford. Ugh, you really don’t know at all.”

“……”

“If you don’t introduce me to another young lady, I’ll have to say that there was no matchmaking inquiry.”

Baroness Palmer crossed her arms and made a firm expression.

Theo shook his head.

“No. I think Miss Ashley Clifford is really the perfect match for Lord Louis Palmer. If it’s anyone other than her, I don’t want to mediate anymore.”

“What did you say?”

Theo drove a wedge into Baroness Palmer, who was flustered.

“Do you remember? The promise you made on the first day. I don’t know about anything else, but you promised that since you entrusted it to me, you would definitely not oppose and let him meet the woman I introduced, right?”

“That’s because I thought you would naturally bring someone my son would like…”

“Your son hasn’t even seen Miss Ashley Clifford yet, so why are you so sure that he will hate her unconditionally?”

“Oh, how many times do I have to say it? Our son really hates that style! Looking at it, I guess Mr. Sanderson likes that style, huh.”

Theo nodded.

“Then that’s good. If the connection with Miss Clifford doesn’t work out anyway, I plan to give up cleanly and won’t charge any fees. So I hope you’ll let them meet just once.”

“You won’t charge any fees?”

“Yes. If your son doesn’t like her, I’ll do that.”

The Baroness frowned.

“Okay. I’ll tell my son to meet her, but I don’t even know if our kid will even go out.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. He has already promised me that he will go out just once and meet the woman I introduced. Then I’ll take it that we’re doing that.”

Baroness Palmer and her eldest daughter stared at Theo for a long time with a dumbfounded expression.