Let me Tell your Love Story - Algarve Celebrant
Love Story:
Sophie has always loved the story of Pride and Prejudice, from the time she first read the book when she was a teenager, to the memorable TV adaption starring Colin Firth. She always said she was looking for her Mr Darcy.
The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book, who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and eventually comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness. Along the way, there are many comedy moments, some excellent dances, an infatuation with a cad and some great girly chats.
Eventually, she recognises that Mr Darcy is not flash or good with words, but he is basically a decent chap and by the way, he has a really great pad. All things which Sophie thinks can equate to her love story with Nick.
So as a special gift to Sophie and Nick, this is their love story as told in the genre of Pride and Prejudice.
Sophie is the heroine of our novel, a vivacious party-loving PR girl she enjoys a good book and long country walks.
After three years of working in the heady world of London PR, she begins to grow tired of the endless balls and socialising and wants to settle down with a man that looks good in britches and earns a good living.
Her mother Mrs Hollow is very determined that she will marry well, but has almost given up hope of a good match. Mrs Hollow tells her "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
However, Sophie ́s experience to date, tells her that most men are after a good time and no commitment. She remarks to a friend, “Only the deepest love will persuade me into matrimony. So I will die an old maid.”
Having grown tired of dating men who are fickle and unwilling to settle down, Sophie is beginning to think that she will never be able to love a man and confides in a friend; “There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it, and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.”
Her father, a good sort, tells her; “A girl likes to be crossed a little in love now and then.”
It is something to think of.” But Sophie is not convinced. She contents herself with enjoying the company of her many girlfriends and making witty and intelligent remarks, from the peripheries at the many balls she attends while sipping a glass of wine!
She meets Mr Sadler at a Ball, or in this case a press launch in France. Busy with clients he appears aloof and uninterested, while his friend James is Sophie ́s colleague and is outgoing lively and a hit with the ladies.
Mr Sadler thinks that Sophie is just a flippant party girl and when they talk he tells her: “My good opinion once lost, is lost forever.” He believes that she is in love with James and wrongly assumes they are having a sordid affair.
When a colleague remarks on Sophie´s good looks he responds: “Thoroughly tolerable, I daresay, but not handsome enough to tempt me.”
Time passes and Sophie attends more balls and tries to facilitate her friend Jane´s betrothal to a very eligible bachelor with €30,000 a year and a nice estate in Clapham.
As fate would have it Mr Sadler is launching a new office in Portugal and Sophie has an invite and grudgingly feels she should accept. She travels to Mr Sadler ́s extensive estate with some journalists to write about the office launch and the increasing price of property in Mr Sadler’s county.
“She had never seen a place for which nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste. They were all of them warm in their admiration, and at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!”
During their time in Portugal, Mr Sadler realised that Sophie was not attached to another man and she started to see his good character; “Their eyes instantly met, and the cheeks of both were overspread with the deepest blush.”And so they started to realise they had feelings for each other.
However, there is to be one further misunderstanding. It transpires that Mr Sadler ́s Aunt resides in the same village as Sophie ́s Aunts. On making enquiries about the good character of Mr Sadler her Aunt reports to Miss Hollow that Mr Sadler has had a string of girlfriends and “loves and leaves them.”
Horrified that she has met another cad, Miss Hollow rejects the advances of Mr Sadler saying “You are mistaken, Mr Sadler, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way than as it spared the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentlemanlike manner."
It finally comes down to another work trip when their paths cross again for someone to assure the heart-broken Sophie of Mr Sadler ́s good character and for her, finally to realise that she has been prejudiced against the squire.
In his turn, Mr Sadler realises his pride has got in the way of asking Sophie out and they have a heart to heart, shortly after Mr Sadler has jumped in his pool and his damp shirt is clinging to his attractive torso.
He says: “You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.”
Sophie assures him her opinion has totally changed and so he declares to her: “You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. And wish from this day forth never to be parted from you.'
Sophie admits: “I am the happiest creature in the world. Perhaps other people have said so before, but not one with such justice. I am happier even than Jane; she only smiles, I laugh.”
And as Mr Bennet says; “A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.”
And so, Sophie ́s dreams started to turn to marriage and Mr Sadler was finally persuaded by Mrs Bennett that this was the honourable thing and that is how dear readers we find ourselves here today.
I hope you enjoyed our retreat into Georgian England and now back to the present day and Portugal! When Sophie and Nick finally overcame their pride and prejudice, they realised they were meant to be together and as this is the present day, they have had a rather long engagement of six years, before Nick proposed to Sophie on a country walk in the county of Devon.
From the time they realised they were meant to be together, Sophie moved to Portugal to live with Nick, they built up a successful business and became foster parents to two dogs and four cats.
They have built a great life in the Algarve making many friends, enjoying the lifestyle but still keeping close ties with the family and friends from the UK.
A wedding ceremony cannot create a marriage. Marriage is created through years of love and support, through many tiny acts of tenderness, through talking, listening, sharing, forgiving, helping and believing in each other.
Sophie and Nick have created this house together, which has not always been easy for them. They have suffered setbacks and financial worries, but it has all come together as we can see around us.
And that really is what marriage is all about. It’s about two people wanting to work together to build something special and share themselves and their experiences with each other.
Like we see in Jane Austen's novel, marriage requires a willingness to accept each other's flaws and still love them for who they are.
It is like the lemon tree which needs watering, nurturing, commitment and patience in order for it to grow fruit. It needs to mature and grow, to feel the warmth of the sun and to have strong roots in the ground.
Sophie and Nick ́s impending marriage is built on a firm foundation of love and friendship and that’s the best grounding for any marriage.
Sophie and Nick, take each other’s hands because it’s now time to pledge your love to each other and become husband and wife. May the words you’re about to say to each other inspire and sustain you in the years ahead.
