An Elaborate Hoax
To comfort his ailing grandmother, David Cavanaugh informs her over the years that he not only married as she urged, but has two children. But when warned she is on her deathbed at last and wishes to see them before she dies, the bachelor is faced with a problem. Fortunately, he is able to borrow his godson and goddaughter from his close friends and to persuade their great-aunt Penny, a young widow, to play the role of his wife. When the grandmother makes an unexpected recovery, however, they find themselves trapped in the hoax.
The premise of this Regency is intriguing, if improbable, but it is not well handled. The prose is awkward, at times confusing; the plotting unfocused, losing sight of the developing relationship between David and Penny amidst various distractions; and the conclusion abrupt, leaving one to wonder how the complications will be resolved. Penny accepts David’s belated proposal of marriage, and dear old Gran seems content with this when they confess, but how will her friends and neighbors react, especially when the children leave?
