The Wrong Miss Richmond
Henry Richmond is a crusty patriarch widower with two daughters by separate marriages. He has brought the family to Bath to take the renowned water cures for his gout and to finalise the arranged marriage of the younger of his offspring, Jane. She is not averse to the match, but has a willful adventurous streak. Coming into contact with one of the new-fangled balloons, Jane recklessly accepts the attentions of its dashing pilot, William Grenfell, risking her standing in society and therefore her advantageous marriage. Older sister Christina, sensible, bookish, and unmoved by the intricacies of the society circuit, desperately attempts to moderate her sisters’ impulsiveness, but finds her own dormant heart stirring when she meets Jane’s betrothed Robert.
This might sound very formulaic, but in fact there are some intriguing little kinks in the narrative. It might be a bit too sweet for some palates – there’s not a lot of conflict and certainly not many surprises in the plot, but this rather misses the point. Much of the enjoyment derived from this sub-genre of historical romance comes from our inward rooting for true love to triumph over the excessively formal and exacting social mores of the period. Perhaps, in our overly permissive society, we secretly long not only for romance, but also for proper rules to kick against!
Anyway, I found this is a beautifully written and charming little tale. It totally captured my imagination.
