Batsgirl, I did wonder about the husband too. I put it down to the possibility that maybe he was a reluctant party in the marriage. And he did admit that he had done something wrong, so he has a conscience (or sorts) and so perhaps there is hope... James G, not at all, I thought that's what you were trying to get at but it might not have been clear to others less familar with this kind of scenario. And yes, as you say, men are just as prone to being forced to agree to marriages - typically it's the appeal to religion/duty/honour that's used to get the man's compliance. But I'm hopeful - the trend nowadays is increasingly for arranged marriages between people who have met outside the formal introduction process - which seems like a good compromise between tradition/religion and the society we live in. Just wish there was a way to find out what eventually happens in this particular case...