How does this passage from “the first seven years” by Bernard Malamud contribute to the story’s main idea?

margaret paston and william paston got married in 1441. as william had to attend business, margaret was in charge of administrating her husband's properties and they communicated each other by letters. they had 7 children.   margery paston, one of those children, had a secret romance with richard calle, the family's bookkeeper and the pastons rejected them, as they tend to get marriage arranged for their children. margery and richard ended up getting married for love, but in secret by the church bishop.