In this fun and well detailed story, horses play a large
part, just as they did in people's lives. THE HUSBAND
CAMPAIGN starts during a Derbyshire thunderstorm, when
John, Lord Hascot, and Lady Amelia Jacoby who is visiting
his neighbour, take shelter in the same barn. They each
take care of their mounts' needs first, then embarrassment
sets in. John doesn't know how to talk to fine ladies,
while Amelia rode out unaccompanied because she was upset
by her mother's latest strictures. Since they spend a
considerable time alone John feels obliged to offer for her
hand. He's relieved when she politely says that won't be
necessary. Of course, they both know that can't be the end
of the matter.
Instructed by the girl's father to marry her, John sees no
option if he is to retain his self-respect. He's a mere
baron in the depths of the countryside; on the other hand
he breeds valuable horses. Lady Amelia lives a browbeaten
life in her refined London home. She hadn't expected to
marry a dour northerner, and can't see that it would be an
improvement. However, John tells her that he will honour
his vows, allow her any money she needs and treat her with
respect. He stops short of love, but Amelia thinks that
it might not be a bad bargain after all.
I already liked this pair and enjoyed seeing how they coped
with the situation. Amelia is properly devout, and John
insists they marry in her local church rather than
privately. His big bleak stone house hasn't known a lady's
touch in years, while the new wife isn't welcome in the
stables. Amelia's maid Turner has to help the lady of the
house establish her status! Turner is a splendid local
girl, calling her master stuck in his ways. John has a
personal reason for distrusting romance which adds depth to
the story. Amelia wins the reader as well when she decides
to win her husband's heart.
I loved all the horsey titbits, the only niggle being that
the word cinch is not an English one; girth is correct. The
other characters we encounter include a local dowager
intent on spiteful gossip, and the gay widow of John's
older brother, who turns up during summer with a cavalry
major in tow, resolved to stake her claim on the estate.
THE HUSBAND CAMPAIGN resembles a Jane Austen tale, and
indeed it is in a series called The Master
Matchmakers.
Regina Scott has filled her writing with characters, both
two-legged and four-legged, and given us a stirring
inspirational romance.
A Marriage of Necessity The moment John, Lord Hascot, encounters a young woman sheltering in his abandoned stable, his future is sealed. To prevent scandal—and protect Lady Amelia Jacoby from her parents' ire—he must propose. John's ability to trust vanished when his former love married his twin brother. Yet he offers Amelia everything she could want—except affection. Amelia sees John's true nature shine through when he cares for his horses. But the brooding aristocrat seems determined to keep her at arm's length. Little by little Amelia will turn Hollyoak Farm into a home, but can she turn a marriage of convenience into a joyful union? The Master Matchmakers: Wedding bells will ring when downstairs servants play Cupid for upstairs aristocracy
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