An unexpected reunion…
With the earl she left at the altar…
Viola fled her arranged marriage to Guy Thurlow, Earl of
Easton, right at the altar steps. Now she is Cressida Williams and greatly
changed -- so much so that when Guy finds her trespassing on his neglected
estate, he doesn't recognize his runaway bride. As they work together to restore
his grounds, desire flares. But she must deny his temptation because it would
be socially ruinous if he discovered who she really is…
Good second chance story. Guy and Cressida (then known as
Viola) were set up in an arranged marriage when she was seventeen. They had seen
each other only a few times before their wedding day. Just as the priest got to
the part of "if anyone knows a reason..." she took off running down
the aisle and disappeared, leaving Guy flabbergasted.
Five years later, Cressida is back in the same village,
using her new name and living with her cousin. The last person she expects to
see as she arranges the church flowers is Guy. Now out of the army, he has been
sent by his father to fix up his neglected estate and consider looking for a
bride. She's surprised that he does not recognize her and counts herself lucky
that she escapes before he can. Though she hopes he is just passing through,
Fate has other plans.
They meet again the next day, as Cressida takes a picnic
and her paints into the estate park as she is used to doing. She's again
startled by Guy, who calls her out on trespassing. Cressida isn't particularly
intimidated and, when he asks, tells Guy why she loves his land so much. She is
a gardener and landscaper at heart, telling him how she envisions the land. He
and his steward, Arthur, later prevail upon her to advise them on what needs to
be done.
There are sparks of attraction between Guy and Cressida
that both try to resist. Cressida has the secrets of who she is and why she ran
from him before that keep her from believing they have a future together. Guy
knows he's expected to marry well, and a country miss isn't acceptable to his
father. But the more time they spend together, the closer they grow. I enjoyed
their times together and seeing how right they were for each other. I
especially enjoyed watching Guy worry about her when she got sick after the
fall into the lake.
Things become awkward when she tells him the secret that
sent her running, but not that she was his bride. When Guy hires a detective to
track down his former bride, he also asks the detective to look into Cressida's
background. To say that Guy is shocked and angry to discover they are one and the
same would be putting it mildly. Their confrontation was eye-opening for both
as they argued over the right and wrong of Cressida's actions. I liked that
they came out the other side stronger in their relationship, and I had high
hopes their troubles were over.
But Fate wasn't done with them, and an unexpected twist
put the subject of Cressida's secret front and center again. This was a much more
complex issue, and I ached for both as it tore them apart. I wanted to shake
Guy for not prioritizing his feelings for Cressida and giving into the fear of
scandal. Fortunately, his niece had a better view of what was important and
made excellent points while talking to Guy about the problem. I loved seeing
what Guy did to make things right with Cressida. The ending was terrific, and I
loved seeing the truth come out.
I enjoyed the various secondary characters and their
influences on the actions of Guy and Cressida. My favorite was Arthur, Guy's
friend and fellow soldier, who became Guy's steward. I loved the friendship
between the two men and how Arthur was one of those who helped bring Guy and Cressida
together. Cousin Henrietta was lovely with her support of Cressida and belief
in the relationship between Guy and Cressida. Finally, I loved Guy's niece,
Penny, whose confidence in her Uncle Guy's ability to solve her problem helped
him see how to fix his.
No comments:
Post a Comment