And when he learns that she’s practising to entice a husband, he can’t resist offering to tutor her in courtship.
While purposely spending time with her to explore her guilt or innocence, however, he’s irresistibly drawn to her beauty and kindness as well as her practicality and sharp tongue. James begins to search for a blackmailer, and Elizabeth is high on his list of suspects. Is it too coincidental that James’s Aunt Danbury needs his assistance in catching a blackmailer at the precise moment that Elizabeth needs a guinea pig? Perhaps, but neither Elizabeth nor James have reason to suspect that they are being lovingly manoeuvred. Posing as the new estate manager per his beloved Aunt Danbury’s instructions, he just happens to arrive at the Danbury estate on the very day that Elizabeth discovers the book. Enter James Sidwell, the Marquis of Riverdale. But first, she must find a man to practice her wiles on. Encouraged by her insistent sister, Elizabeth reluctantly agrees to learn the book’s rules well enough to catch a monied husband. So when she discovers the book How to Marry A Marquis in her employer’s library, she impulsively stuffs it into her reticule and takes it home. The only marriage prospect in sight is her landlord, Squire Nevins, but his lecherous gaze makes Elizabeth’s skin crawl. The oldest child of four well-bred orphans, she has managed to keep the wolf from their door for years, but she’s running out of options. This may be my shortest review ever.Elizabeth Hotchkiss needs to marry a wealthy man, and fast. Not a lot of substance but delightful anyway. Overall, not much to say! Fun, enjoyable, light read. Moreover, I just found out that a couple of these characters are in another of Quinn’s novels so I’m looking forward to seeking that out. I liked both characters and I didn’t even mind Elizabeth’s younger brothers and sisters. As for James, the marquis, he probably should have revealed his true identity to Elizabeth long before, but his secrecy is almost part of the fun. Elizabeth’s struggle, determination, and frustration all feel genuine. This is one of Quinn’s earlier books and it shows in the more stereotypical set-up, but it’s still a lot of fun. Unknowingly, she is already falling in love with one, as Lady Danbury’s new estate manager, Elizabeth’s tutor in the ways of flirtation, is actually a marquis. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so Elizabeth decides to somehow marry a rich man. Elizabeth acts as a companion to Lady Danbury, but that doesn’t pay enough for her to send her little brother, a viscount, to Eton like generations of his forebears have gone, nor even for their sustenance. Elizabeth Hotchkiss and her orphaned, poor, but noble family are in desperate need of a savior.
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