Tread Softly Alice
Mrs Emma Cheevey is the surprised beneficiary of her aunt’s will, leaving her a fortune and a partly derelict house, which she sets about restoring. The men in her family, her husband and two sons, are in the army serving in South Africa. The historical background to the story is the siege of Mafeking, which took place from October 1899 to May 1900. Emma and her husband have been estranged for some years, so she decides to make Deepdale (the decaying house) her new home and grows closer to the solicitor who has helped her with her aunt’s affairs. Alice Ware, the 18-year-old daughter of her neighbours, meets Emma and her two sons and finds herself attracted to them both.
The authorial viewpoint shifts from one character to another, starting with Alice and moving to Emma. The book is a light-hearted read, and though it deals with some serious themes and some of the events seem rather improbable, the reader is in the safe hands of Jessica Blair (aka Bill Spence, author of over 70 books) and is guided to a satisfactorily romantic ending.
