This is the 4th Aston book I have read, and once again she takes on the
antecedents of the Darcy family, made famous by the Jane Austen novel, "Pride
and Prejudice." In this book, Darcy's niece Phoebe finds herself retreating to
Pemberley in disgrace after she is involved in a scandal involving one particular
man. Also at the estate is her cousin Louisa Bingley, Jane's daughter, who
despite having her mother's good looks and having spent 3 seasons in London,
has failed to find a husband. At Pemberley, they find Mr. Drummond, the man
who has.be 0 hired to bril}flabout "Darcy's Dream" of redoing the old
greenhouses and landscaping there.
Also at the estate and taking care of the family's children is a governess who is a
French emigre, and who immediately gets on Phoebe's bad side for her
arrogance and severe attitude toward the youngsters. Things come to a head at
a ball given by the Darcy family which is attended by Mr. Stanhope, whom
Phoebe's father has refused to let her marry because of the Stanhope family's
political leanings and the man's own reputation. But the dance allows Mr
Stanhope to become a hero when he disgraces the French governess by
revealing her to be a spy. He is then allowed to explain his actions and love for
Phoebe, who agrees to marry him despite her families earlier objections.
Wallflower cousin Louisa has also found a match with Mr. Drummond, as they
share a love of flowers and nature.
This is one of Aston's better novels about the Darcy clan, as the action this time
does not seem contrived and predictable. Her writing style is a pleasure to read,
and lovers of Jane Austen will always enjoy hearing the name Darcy bandied
about, making this a perfect casual read for Regency fans.
Submitted by Gerti
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