I could see Patrick marrying Nicola in a marriage of good friends, rather than lovers. Patrick has a duty to marry because of the family tradition; Nicola absolutely loves family traditions and can't fully share in the Marlow one because she's a girl.
Patrick doesn't want the responsibility of a wife like Ginty IMO, so unless he meets someone who sweeps him off his feet, he would be happy with a quiet life and a wife who has no apparent desire to change him.
Nicola, even at 14 and a half, has never had and apparently is not chasing a boyfriend per se, although she is after Patrick as a friend. And I don't necessarily see Nicola as someone who would fall head-over-heels in love with a random stranger; remember that the new man would have to compete with Patrick, the hawks, and the history of Mariot Chase. Lawrie's ambitious for better things; Nicola's happy with what she's got, and I reckon given the choice between a guaranteed comfortable life with Patrick, or the risk involved in marrying anyone else, she'd go with Patrick.
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Patrick doesn't want the responsibility of a wife like Ginty IMO, so unless he meets someone who sweeps him off his feet, he would be happy with a quiet life and a wife who has no apparent desire to change him.
Nicola, even at 14 and a half, has never had and apparently is not chasing a boyfriend per se, although she is after Patrick as a friend. And I don't necessarily see Nicola as someone who would fall head-over-heels in love with a random stranger; remember that the new man would have to compete with Patrick, the hawks, and the history of Mariot Chase. Lawrie's ambitious for better things; Nicola's happy with what she's got, and I reckon given the choice between a guaranteed comfortable life with Patrick, or the risk involved in marrying anyone else, she'd go with Patrick.