A Regency Romance
Sir Gareth has given up on romantic love. His first love died tragically several years ago and Gary has never recovered from that loss. But he knows his duty to his family and has decided to ask Lady Hester to be his wife. Lady Hester is an old friend and Gary thinks she will make him a good wife who won't expect passion in their marriage. Little does he know.
On his way to propose, he comes across a maiden in distress. Amanda "Smith" is obviously a runaway who is in trouble. Gary befriends her and she tells him her story. Just sixteen, Amanda, only grandchild of a doting grandparent, is determined to wed Captain Neil, whom she has known all her life. He is home from the war to recover from a wound. And before he has to return to duty, Amanda wants to be married to him and accompany him overseas. Of course, the grandfather is opposed to this plan, believing she is much too young for such a serious step. Also, he wants his beautiful granddaughter to make a "better" match than a military man.
So Amanda ran away, planning to get some sort of work to support herself. Her first attempt fell through when she showed up to be a governess. The mom immediately knew Amanda was a phony and sent her packing. When Gary found her, she was trying to get a job at an inn and was being told off by the landlord who thought she was a not a nice girl.
Gary, seeing that Amanda is an innocent with no experience of the real world, offers her a ride, letting her think he will take to the next town where she hopes to get a job at another inn. But what he really does is take her to the woman he intends to propose marriage to, Lady Hester. Which makes Amanda enraged and determined to get away and carry on with her plan of forcing her grandpa into agreeing to her wedding her Neil.
Hester's family doesn't take too well to Amanda, even though Hester welcomes her and even loans Amanda a gown to wear to dinner. Too bad for Gary, though, for when Hester sees how he can't seem to take his eyes off of Amanda, she rejects his offer of marriage. Then Hester's Uncle Fabian, who is also visiting Hester's family's home, thinks Amanda is Gary's mistress and when she confides in him that Gary is holding her against her will, he offers her a ride and they sneak away early in the morning. Fabian is not planning to help her, he thinks she is an easy woman and he wants to seduce her.
When Gary discovers the two are gone, he sets off after them, to rescue Amanda from the licentious Fabian and bring her home safely to her grandpa. But Amanda is, to quote Gary, "the naughtiest little wretch I ever encountered." Gary doesn't really understand the lengths Amanda will go to get her way and will embroil Gary, a chance-met schoolboy named Hildebrand and Hester in her schemes.
This is one of my favorite Heyer novels. I think I first read this story when I was in junior high school. I have reread several times over the years. I enjoyed it nearly as much as this time as I did the first time I read it. It's sweet and amusing and so satisfying. I just like everything about it. It's perfect!
Review by Laura A. Wallace at Austenprose.
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