My Dear Duchess [Large Print]

MY DEAR DUCHESS

Book Review for Amazon.com.
Tuesday, November 20, 2001
by Mozella R. Sunshine
Contact me at my new email address: mozellasunshine@mediaone.net

I will be looking for more books by Marion Chesney.

In spite of the frightening, escalating heinous, mercenary obstacles hurdled in the newly weds' path, it was a romance novel, after all. Therefore, I was able to endure the pain, confusion and suffering of the young bride who had known virtually nothing but heart aches and slights all her life. MY DEAR DUCHESS, is a gripping tale I couldn't put down. Upon completing it, I felt renewed strength in life, fate and admiration for real women and men who aren't afraid to stare evil point-blank in the face and triumph over it with love, truth and the determination to do the right things regardless of how others think and conventionally behave in the upper societal strata.

The second striking feature of the book was the British version of the English language! Give me a break! Would somebody please send a few million Websters to the British Isles, so souls like myself can curl up and read without having to consult various references to understand what the author is really saying!

(Truth is, I enjoyed every word of the book. I love looking up facts, words and learning new things. That's why I have shelves and boxes full of references and the reference librarians phone number handy. The above paragraph is actually, just a tease to emphasize the difference, diverseness, and richness our mother tongue and the intriguing manner that its' employed in MY DEAR DUCHESS. The syntax and vocabulary of this narrative is an adventure worth the reading even if you're not into the romance genre. Furthermore, I absolutely adore and at times try to imitate the British: "the people that civilized the world." Thanks Brits and Ms. Chesney.)

Characters: Miss Frederica Sayers, Henry Wright the Duke of Westerland, Miss Clarissa Sayers, The Honorable Jack Ferrand. Forced to stay in the schoolroom until her title hungry old stepsister is married, Miss Frederica Sayers can only watch the coming and going of visitors from the top of the stairs. Her step sister, Miss Clarissa Sayers, enjoys using her amazing beauty to manipulate men. Her latest conquest Mr. Henry Wright, tries to propose to her, only to be rejected for his lack of title. Taking his hurt pride home, Mr. Wright is shocked to find lawyers waiting for him, eager to inform him of his succession to the Title Duke of Westerland. However, as part of the will, Mr. Wight must marry to inherit the old Dukes fortune.

Miss Frederica, knowing her sister to have turned down Mr. Wright, ran away to his house to offer herself as his mistress. Mr. Wright, needing a bride, proposes to Miss Frederica, who of course accepts. The new Duke and Duchess have an enemy in The Honorable Jack Ferrand, who was expecting to inherit the title instead. Mr. Ferrand forces Clarissa into helping him keep the marriage apart, to avoid any offspring, by blackmailing her. Mr. Ferrand forced Clarissa to undress at gunpoint, revealing a birthmark which would give credence to the rumor that she had laid with him. The new Duchess has an enemy of her own in the old Groom of Chamber, Lawton, who ran the country house during the old Dukes life.

While in London, Mr. Ferrand makes many attempts to ruin Frederica's reputation in hopes that the Duke will divorce her. He even hires a French émigré to take her to an abandoned Inn. Frederica makes an incredible escape by using her hatpin to create a hole in the thatch roof. Mr. Ferrand almost succeeds in causing a divorce when he tricks Frederica into going to a common gambling hell. The Duke finds her there and banishes her to the country, to suffer at the hands of Lawton.

Frederica, with the help of a small knife boy, play a number of practical jokes on the Lawtons. The Duke soon discovers that he and Frederica have been the victims of Mr. Ferrand and sets off to the country to rescue his wife and confess that he is now in love with her.