Alice Jessop is the daughter of a strict Methodist minister
who is told she will either marry one of her father's
congregation or go into service. She enters service as a
companion to Lady Clara Langly. Lady Clara is to have her
season under the aegis of her aunt, Lady Langly. Regina
Langly has stayed behind at their country cottage while she
conquers her latest bout of rheumatism. Lady Clara uses
this opportunity to carry on with an Earl she met
previously. Her aunt wants her to meet the Earl of
Romney. Isobel Rutledge tells Clara some terrible stories
about the Earl so she is determined to avoid the meeting.
Clara convinces Alice to take her place at a masque given
by the Countess of Pembroke. Alice does so reluctantly.
She dances once with Nigel Farnham, the Earl of Romney and
is tunned by his appearance since it is completely
different than she was told. Nigel is enchanted with the
young lady and sets out to charm her. When she runs away
from him, he sets out to learn more about her.
Alice returns from the masque sure that she will be
discovered and condemned for her masquerade. In the
morning, she learns that Lady Clara has not returned from
her assignation. Alice must fend off the Earl of Romney
and the Countess of Pembroke. When Lady Clara returns, she
learns the truth about the Earl of Romney and tries to
catch his attention, but he is focused on Alice.
Nigel Farnham is one of the most eligible bachelors in
England. Isobel Rutledge has made his life a misery by
stalking him in an effort to trap him into marriage. He
isn't going to be caught by Miss Rutledge. He is drawn to
the person he believes to be Lady Clara. When he discovers
the truth of the deception, he realizes that Alice tried to
tell him the truth. Just because he refused to listen,
doesn't mean he should take it out on Alice. He's also not
going to fall for the machinations of Lady Clara and her
aunt. Despite the fact that his best friend and the
Countess are warning him away from Alice as she is
unsuitable to be his lday, Nigel is determined to win her
hand.
The path to love will not be smooth. As Alice is mocked by
the ton and her father refuses to listen to the truth,
Alice will take steps to avoid the fate her father has in
store. Nigel will find it is harder to win his lady's hand
than he would have thought.
From the first chapter, I found the whole plot improbable.
Alice and Nigel are good characters surrounded by a bunch
of cardboard cutout secondary characters. Lady Clara and
her aunt are selfish, carping, malicious characters who
care only about appearances. Alice's father is a
judgmental, bitter, unforgiving man. Unfortunately, the
fact that I liked Alice and Nigel wasn't enough to keep me
engrossed in the story.
We are told that a young woman who grew up in a restrictive
Methodist household is a suitable companion to a young lady
of quality. She has exceptional manners and can pass for a
young lady of breeding and education. Then we are supposed
to believe that nothing can deter this Earl from his
heart's desire. There are events in the book that made the
story even more improbable but would be spoilers for other
readers, so I won't mention them here. Overall, I found
this book to be slow reading because I had such a hard time
getting past the improbable situations.
“NO, MY LADY, I COULDN’T—”
But Alice could—and did. Against her better judgment, she
allowed herself one night at a masquerade ball, playing the
role of her mistress. When else might she, daughter of an
austere Methodist minister and a servant, sample the
pleasures of the ton? She had but one obligation: deter the
coxcomb and would-be suitor, Nigel Farnham.
“WHEN HAS ‘NO’ EVER STOPPED ME?”
She vanished in a swish of buttery silk and left behind the
scent of sweet clover and violets. Mischievous and bold,
Lady Clara Langly was a chit who desperately needed to be
taken in hand—but she had left Nigel abruptly, fled into the
night, and he’d had no chance to see her pretty face
unmasked. If he was right, and dancing was nothing but
making love to music, their quadrille was just the beginning….
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