DEAR MISS MANNERS: My fiancee and I are both formerly divorced and each lives alone. We are both in our mid-50s. My fiancee's parents feel slighted because I did not ask their permission to marry their daughter.
Since my intended is both divorced and a grandmother, I did not consider it an obligation to ask her parents for her hand in marriage. Did I commit a faux pas?
GENTLE READER: Did you ever. You brought to these people's attention the harsh fact that their little girl is no longer subject to their rules and protection. Miss Manners advises apologizing for your oversight and presenting yourself as a suitor for the lady's hand. You might also want to check with her grandchildren, since this is apparently a touchy family.
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