Chapter 4 is simply a page break, as the story continues like there had been no break at all. The Earl makes an undying enemy of the Greedy Developer by kicking him out of Tiana’s castle, with threats of physical violence no less. Dude gets mega-points for that as far as I’m concerned.
It also wakes up Tiana to the fact she is in desperate straits and her parents dream, now hers apparently, of restoring the castle is an impossibility. This gives her the courage to ask The Earl if his offer of marriage is still open. He says it is and that she should really take the day to think about it, as it will be a decision to affect her for the rest of her life. He sets dinner plans for later that day so they can discuss things.
Tiana is 19. The Earl is 29. At least he is decent enough to realize what his marriage proposal will do to her reputation and the fact that she’s not lightly making this. At the same time, 29 and 19 don’t seem as far apart as say Marianne and Colonel Brandon from Sense and Sensibility. It’s still a gap though, which means that our cultural differences from now to 1903 haven’t changed in some of our underlying sensibilities.
You know, I have to say, I think I would have fit right into this story. That, or my emotional quotient is just about the same as Dame Cartland’s. Here’s a quote from Tiana as she is getting ready for dinner that night.
‘I always vowed,’ she reflected, ‘that I would only ever marry for love a man I could respect, who would be my friend and partner.
~Chapter 4, Love Saves the Day
That made me realize that both Mrs B and I have been blessed with being able to state that we got all those things when we married the other. We love each other, we respect each other and we are best friends. I know that isn’t the case with every couple, even happily married ones, so I am thankful that I got such a trifecta.
The rest of the chapter deals with one of the servants taking things amiss and planning on going to the Greedy Developer for nefarious reasons. We also get the engagement ring scene and the chapter ends with the wastrel cousin making a surprise entrance just after the engagement.
It is all so simple and trite and cliched. And I am loving every second of it. I can’t believe I wrote that, but it’s true. Reading this is like eating a white chocolate truffle. Just one little bit is enough to go a long way.
Chapter Five sees Tiana immediately having regrets and doubts about the wisdom of her choice. It doesn’t help that the Wastrel Cousin begins talking to her and talking about how “poor” he will become. Of course, The Earl sees them together, immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion and storms off in a jealous rage. Tiana rebuffs the Wastrel, who in turn writes to a former Lady Love of The Earl’s to come back and come between Tiana and The Earl. The Earl escorts Tiana back to her home and on the way they have “relationship” moment where they both realize that yes, this can work. The chapter ends with Lady Lover determining that only SHE can have The Earl and she swans off to England to put Tiana in her place.
Oh, this was one cliche on top of another. From the “old and jealous” reaction of The Earl to the “misunderstanding” to the “other woman”, they are all situations you’d expect to find in a soap opera. If I was just reading through this at my usual speed, I’d be well past this before all the issues caught up to my attention. I’d just enjoy it and blast on through like a whirlwind. That’s one unforeseen consequence of taking just a couple of chapters at a time.
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