The Second Lady of Southvale

Rating:
Summary: One of her earlier books, and it shows...
Review: This is a decent Heath, but no more than that. Among her earlier works, I prefer MANNERBY'S LADY and THE MAKESHIFT MARRIAGE, which both combine superb travelogues or descriptions of scenery (a Heath trademark) with a thoroughly believable story. By comparison, this particular story is weak.

The setting is certainly interesting, in that the story begins in Washington DC in 1811 and shifts rapidly to England. The story is also an unusual one - of an American beauty who falls for an English diplomat, a widower mourning his first wife, at first sight. Having said all these, the Gothic elements seem way too melodramatic. The story already had so much promise of a betrothal and marriage forged at the time of strained relations (and then warfare) between the two countries. Adding to this, the mystery about the hero turning cold towards his intended already seemed a bit too much.

Since this is an old book, I will summarize what happens briefly. American beauty Rosalind Carberry falls in love with Lord Southvale (Philip de Grey) whom she meets at the Fourth of July ball in Washington DC. He tells her that he only came to the ball - a sensitive action given that he is a British diplomat - to meet her, and he fell for her at first sight. She responds favorably, and the couple become engaged the next day. The parents are not happy, but a wedding is planned, but never takes place because Lord Southvale is sent back to London for further instructions.

Rosalind follows him impulsively, only to discover that no one knows about her, and that her fiance has not mentioned their engagement to his own sister and aunt. What is worse, he is not around and cannot be found. And to top all this, his former brother-in-law is behaving atrociously to her. Some mysteries are solved rapidly when it is learned that his first wife is still alive (she had been believed drowned off Ireland) and that she has returned to him; her brother knew of this.

Philip had written to Rosalind explaining the situation, but the letter went astray or did not reach her in time. Unfortunately, Philip does not make his position clear to Rosalind, whose own reputation is now ruined because she has been chasing after a married man.

It turns out that the first wife Celia is no angel, as Philip had believed her, and that she had been having an affair while she was believed dead. The story ends with the brother attempting to stop Rosalind exposing this truth, by attacking both her and her maid. Philip rescues them both, and all will end well - although Philip will have to divorce Celia for adultery.

Divorce in a Regency romance is slightly unusual, even when the hero is an innocent party. I found the first half of the book very interesting, and the second half a bit harder to take both for this and other reasons. One of the problems I had was that Philip failed to make his position clear to Rosalind immediately; another problem I had was with Rosalind haring off after Philip, accompanied only by her maid. Both actions had logical answers and explanations, but still...

The biggest problem I had was with Philip taking back his first wife (or planning to take her back) so readily. Yes, honor would have demanded nothing less, but the man was surely blind and stupid not to have realized Celia's true character. [Apparently he had been hopelessly in love with Celia until he caught sight of Rosalind].

The second problem I had was with Philip loving his apparently deceased wife so passionately, that he would not take off his ring, and then falling for another woman at first sight. [This was a real problem with Rosalind's parents and brother, and I cannot but agree.] While I agree that a widower may fall for another woman, his hastiness seemed somehow contrived, even allowing for the lack of time and the constraints upon him.

My own wish was that the second half of the book had been different. No reappearance of a dead wife, but rather the constraints that would develop as war approached, and as the couple resolved their personal and political differences. But then for that kind of a book, I would recommend Joan Wolf's AN AMERICAN DUCHESS.

Rating:
Summary: One of her earlier books, and it shows...
Review: This is a decent Heath, but no more than that. Among her earlier works, I prefer MANNERBY'S LADY and THE MAKESHIFT MARRIAGE, which both combine superb travelogues or descriptions of scenery (a Heath trademark) with a thoroughly believable story. By comparison, this particular story is weak.

The setting is certainly interesting, in that the story begins in Washington DC in 1811 and shifts rapidly to England. The story is also an unusual one - of an American beauty who falls for an English diplomat, a widower mourning his first wife, at first sight. Having said all these, the Gothic elements seem way too melodramatic. The story already had so much promise of a betrothal and marriage forged at the time of strained relations (and then warfare) between the two countries. Adding to this, the mystery about the hero turning cold towards his intended already seemed a bit too much.

Since this is an old book, I will summarize what happens briefly. American beauty Rosalind Carberry falls in love with Lord Southvale (Philip de Grey) whom she meets at the Fourth of July ball in Washington DC. He tells her that he only came to the ball - a sensitive action given that he is a British diplomat - to meet her, and he fell for her at first sight. She responds favorably, and the couple become engaged the next day. The parents are not happy, but a wedding is planned, but never takes place because Lord Southvale is sent back to London for further instructions.

Rosalind follows him impulsively, only to discover that no one knows about her, and that her fiance has not mentioned their engagement to his own sister and aunt. What is worse, he is not around and cannot be found. And to top all this, his former brother-in-law is behaving atrociously to her. Some mysteries are solved rapidly when it is learned that his first wife is still alive (she had been believed drowned off Ireland) and that she has returned to him; her brother knew of this.

Philip had written to Rosalind explaining the situation, but the letter went astray or did not reach her in time. Unfortunately, Philip does not make his position clear to Rosalind, whose own reputation is now ruined because she has been chasing after a married man.

It turns out that the first wife Celia is no angel, as Philip had believed her, and that she had been having an affair while she was believed dead. The story ends with the brother attempting to stop Rosalind exposing this truth, by attacking both her and her maid. Philip rescues them both, and all will end well - although Philip will have to divorce Celia for adultery.

Divorce in a Regency romance is slightly unusual, even when the hero is an innocent party. I found the first half of the book very interesting, and the second half a bit harder to take both for this and other reasons. One of the problems I had was that Philip failed to make his position clear to Rosalind immediately; another problem I had was with Rosalind haring off after Philip, accompanied only by her maid. Both actions had logical answers and explanations, but still...

The biggest problem I had was with Philip taking back his first wife (or planning to take her back) so readily. Yes, honor would have demanded nothing less, but the man was surely blind and stupid not to have realized Celia's true character. [Apparently he had been hopelessly in love with Celia until he caught sight of Rosalind].

The second problem I had was with Philip loving his apparently deceased wife so passionately, that he would not take off his ring, and then falling for another woman at first sight. [This was a real problem with Rosalind's parents and brother, and I cannot but agree.] While I agree that a widower may fall for another woman, his hastiness seemed somehow contrived, even allowing for the lack of time and the constraints upon him.

My own wish was that the second half of the book had been different. No reappearance of a dead wife, but rather the constraints that would develop as war approached, and as the couple resolved their personal and political differences. But then for that kind of a book, I would recommend Joan Wolf's AN AMERICAN DUCHESS.