Nobody was more tenacious in the social marriage market than Ruth Fermoy. Before Frances was even out of school, Ruth went into action like a high-voltage Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Realizing that the less attractive older daughter Mary (described by one dance partner as “immensely tall, bosomy and goggle-eyed”) would be a tougher sell, she fixed her hopes on the prospects of Frances and delayed Mary’s coming-out dance until she could do a double whammy with the added value of both.
