How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"So I have heard," said Fairweller, unmoved. "Also, from what I have heard, Miss Clover does not care for the match."
"Ah, never mind that," said the Viscount with a wry smile. "We are men of the world, are we not? Ladies like her are easily bullied." (16.146-147)
Pressuring someone into a marriage sure sounds like a swell thing to do. (Not.) The Viscount here apparently thinks nothing of it, while Fairweller, to his credit, reacts to protect Clover (and not just because he has a thing for her, we're thinking—any decent human being would be appalled at the thought of trying to coerce someone into a marriage they didn't want).
Quote #8
"When she left I—I just stared at that horrid perfumed letter and—and I couldn't bear to think of Fairweller with her! He was too good and noble and—and—" Clover's fists shook. "And I realized I was in love with him! And I would marry him! Fairweller was mine!" (22.31)
Is marriage motivated by a desire to possess someone? In Clover's case, yeah, it kinda looks that way. We don't think she's being creepy about it, but rather has realized how good a person Fairweller is and she wants to be with him rather than letting someone like Lady Caversham (who seems like a gold-digger) be with him. Hopefully marriage is, for most people, based on sharing values, like between Clover and Fairweller.
Quote #9
"I just sent the marriage contract with his steward," said the King. "I certainly told him no often enough […] He loves her. He doesn't give a fig for her dowry, he loves her for who she is."
[…]
"But—but—that's not the way it's done," she stammered. "You can't just arrange Bramble's marriage without even asking her! That's not how it's done nowadays!" (24.98-100)
The King decides to marry Bramble off to Lord Teddie without even asking her first, which angers Azalea to no end—and if it can happen to one of her sisters, who's to say it couldn't happen to her? Besides, Azalea promised Bramble she'll make sure it doesn't happen this way. How awful… it's almost a good thing that the undead High King D'Eathe comes back to the palace and disrupts everyone's plans.