And Viola, helpless in the face of a desolation that felt like rage, swept on, “Never taking no for an answer. Always thinking you can fix everything and everyone. So endlessly convinced you know best.”
“But I usually do know best,” offered Lady Marleigh in a small voice.
“You know nothing” – Viola’s voice rose in a wild shriek – “You know nothing of me.”
“I know – that you are family. And I know that I want you to be happy.”
Viola Carroll is the companion of Lady Marleigh. We are not told this explicitly, but Viola was formerly known as Lord Marleigh. Wounded at Waterloo, Marleigh takes the opportunity to remain dead in the eyes of the world and re-emerge in secret as Viola. She returns to her home in England and begins her new life as the companion of her brother’s wife.
However, when her best friend, the Duke of Gracewood, needs an intervention of sorts, Lady Marleigh insists on traveling to his estate with Viola in tow. Miranda, Gracewood’s teenage sister, is cooped up in the castle with him as he continues his descent into alcohol and laudanum addiction. After suffering a severe leg injury and losing his best friend in battle, Gracewood is inconsolable. Lady Marleigh is convinced that if Viola can help pull Gracewood back from the brink, then Miranda will be free to travel to London and participate in her first season, and hopefully catch a husband.
Viola does not want to face Gracewood. Even though she has changed in appearance and demeanor, she fears that Gracewood will recognize her. Worse than that, she fears that he will hate her for allowing him to believe her dead for the past two years.
When she sees what his injury, PTSD, and addiction have done to him, she cannot resist her need to help him. To her surprise, the man she called her closest friend has a vulnerable and gentle side. This endears her to him further, but also terrifies her as her feelings and deep knowledge of him become more difficult to hide.
Let me just start out by saying I love the writing style. I adored the character development of Viola and Gracewood. I think the main issue I had is that I just don’t give a Christmas cookie about Regency-era romance novels. That being said, this is a lovely and moving story. But it just wasn’t for me.
The first half of the book was heaven. I loved the angst and guilt as Viola and Gracewood grew closer. But the time in London bored me to tears. I really wish that we had been able to completely cut out the drama with Gracewood’s sister and instead focus on Lady Marleigh and Lady Lilypad. That’s not her name but I’m too lazy to look it up right now.
And that’s my one-and-a-half Cannonball milestone! Yay!