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Marriage a la Mode
A Scandal Over Love
The ton was in an uproar! The King was bringing divorce proceedings against the Queen. And Lady Melody Bainbridge was doing the same against the cruel lord she had wed a fey years before. Now forced to hide her face behind the veil of he fashionable leghorn hat, Melody found she could not stop Dunstan Hays, Earl of Erroll, from gazing at her. He had come to Kent to fetch a cherry-tree sapling for his home in the Highlands. It was perfectly logical for the sightseeing Melody to mistake the strong Scotsman for a gardener--his warm words made hope blossom again in her heart.
As for Dunstan, he was enchanted by Melody, whose voice sounded like a song. Once wounded by a fickle woman, he had sworn to remain a bachelor. Now he was rapidly falling for a lady no respectable gentleman dared court. Could the scandal of the season become a romance to remember as a man and a woman who'd sworn off happiness plunged--heart first--into love?
The ton was in an uproar! The King was bringing divorce proceedings against the Queen. And Lady Melody Bainbridge was doing the same against the cruel lord she had wed a fey years before. Now forced to hide her face behind the veil of he fashionable leghorn hat, Melody found she could not stop Dunstan Hays, Earl of Erroll, from gazing at her. He had come to Kent to fetch a cherry-tree sapling for his home in the Highlands. It was perfectly logical for the sightseeing Melody to mistake the strong Scotsman for a gardener--his warm words made hope blossom again in her heart.
As for Dunstan, he was enchanted by Melody, whose voice sounded like a song. Once wounded by a fickle woman, he had sworn to remain a bachelor. Now he was rapidly falling for a lady no respectable gentleman dared court. Could the scandal of the season become a romance to remember as a man and a woman who'd sworn off happiness plunged--heart first--into love?
Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1997
37 people want to read
About the author
Elisabeth Fairchild
24 books26 followersElisabeth Fairchild is half English and considers the British Isles her second home. With a degree in advertising from North Texas State University, Fairchild worked for ten years in advertising before turning to writing full-time.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 11, 2017
With only 222 pages, this little book, which was published 20 years ago, manages to delve successfully into a serious issue, not just skim its surface. And, although the "fall into love" part of the relationship here is not as convincing as it could be, mostly because of the heroine's behavior toward the hero at first, once they are in love it's a beautiful love story.
Many of Fairchild's Regencies have been converted to e-format. This one and another favorite of mine, LORD ENDICOTT'S APPETITE, have not been, unfortunately, and won't be read by many. Too bad, because this is closer to a realistic look at divorce in the 1800s than I've read in most HRs. It wasn't as easy to get a divorce (or even an annulment) as many recently-written HRs would have you believe. Even Prinny wasn't successful in his divorce proceedings against Queen Caroline.
And that brings me to the craftsmanship of this story. It begins with our hero Duncan Hays, Earl of Erroll, stuck in a London traffic jam near the royal residence caused by the swarm of people out to view the scandalous divorce spectacle. Duncan overhears a conversation in a nearby carriage and is entranced by the voice and laughter of a woman addressed as Melody by her carriage companion. They meet again, very coincidentally, at Tunbridge Wells, where he learns that that lovely voice belongs to the scandalous Lady Bainbridge, who has the gall to want to attempt divorce proceedings against her husband.
Melody is prickly at first. Her husband has been consistently unfaithful and both verbally and physically abusive. When she meets Duncan she is covered by a veil to hide her bruises and is not inclined to want anything to do with any man. But Duncan is so kind and so noble and so difficult to ignore that she learns to trust him and to love him.
The love story is quite touching because each is willing to sacrifice for the other. Duncan is willing to give up the chance for legitimate heirs and a scandal-free life just so he can have Melody at his side. Melody knows she must give up the possibility of life with this loving man because she brings too much scandal and baggage to the relationship. Meanwhile, we have the two divorce proceedings going on. Prinny attempting to rid himself of his queen and Melody's seemingly impossible attempts to get out of her abusive relationship.
This isn't a perfect story but it has some beautiful, warm and poignant moments. There are also great secondary characters, especially Duncan's mother, and backstory for Duncan, who had been disappointed in love some years before. All in all, this is interesting, well done and with a masterly ending which finds the H and h in another London traffic jam to bring us full circle.
One minor quibble I have with this is that, although there appears to be some good research by Fairchild to deal with the divorce issue, she is somewhat shaky about titles and address. The hero is Duncan Hays, Earl of Erroll. Shouldn't he be Lord Erroll? Instead she has him addressed as Lord Hays, and his mother is the Dowager Countess of Hays. Just saying. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Many of Fairchild's Regencies have been converted to e-format. This one and another favorite of mine, LORD ENDICOTT'S APPETITE, have not been, unfortunately, and won't be read by many. Too bad, because this is closer to a realistic look at divorce in the 1800s than I've read in most HRs. It wasn't as easy to get a divorce (or even an annulment) as many recently-written HRs would have you believe. Even Prinny wasn't successful in his divorce proceedings against Queen Caroline.
And that brings me to the craftsmanship of this story. It begins with our hero Duncan Hays, Earl of Erroll, stuck in a London traffic jam near the royal residence caused by the swarm of people out to view the scandalous divorce spectacle. Duncan overhears a conversation in a nearby carriage and is entranced by the voice and laughter of a woman addressed as Melody by her carriage companion. They meet again, very coincidentally, at Tunbridge Wells, where he learns that that lovely voice belongs to the scandalous Lady Bainbridge, who has the gall to want to attempt divorce proceedings against her husband.
Melody is prickly at first. Her husband has been consistently unfaithful and both verbally and physically abusive. When she meets Duncan she is covered by a veil to hide her bruises and is not inclined to want anything to do with any man. But Duncan is so kind and so noble and so difficult to ignore that she learns to trust him and to love him.
The love story is quite touching because each is willing to sacrifice for the other. Duncan is willing to give up the chance for legitimate heirs and a scandal-free life just so he can have Melody at his side. Melody knows she must give up the possibility of life with this loving man because she brings too much scandal and baggage to the relationship. Meanwhile, we have the two divorce proceedings going on. Prinny attempting to rid himself of his queen and Melody's seemingly impossible attempts to get out of her abusive relationship.
This isn't a perfect story but it has some beautiful, warm and poignant moments. There are also great secondary characters, especially Duncan's mother, and backstory for Duncan, who had been disappointed in love some years before. All in all, this is interesting, well done and with a masterly ending which finds the H and h in another London traffic jam to bring us full circle.
One minor quibble I have with this is that, although there appears to be some good research by Fairchild to deal with the divorce issue, she is somewhat shaky about titles and address. The hero is Duncan Hays, Earl of Erroll. Shouldn't he be Lord Erroll? Instead she has him addressed as Lord Hays, and his mother is the Dowager Countess of Hays. Just saying. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
June 30, 2018
3.5 stars
It is difficult to understand what a divorce meant to the British upperclass in 1820. Prinny was on the threshold of becoming king and was not permitted a dissolution of his marriage to Charlotte. On a side note: take a look at his illegal union with Maria Anne Fitzherbert.
~~~~~
Before her marriage to Lord Bainbridge, Melody viewed her world through rose-colored glasses. His true nature was revealed only afterward. The abuse, both physical and verbal, warped their brief alliance. That was over two years ago. Hiding her bruises behind a veil, the snickers and caustic remarks of the ton hurt while she pursued a divorce.
A laugh. It was ’refreshing, pleasant and unfettered’.
A brief misunderstanding: Melody assumed Dunstan Hays was a gentleman gardener.
Over a period of roughly two weeks, Mr Hays escorted Melody and her cousin Blanche to quiet entertainments. Initially cautious with bouts of anger, I found it difficult to ignore the reality of Melody falling in love in such a quick manner.
What sold me on the story was Ms. Fairchild’s style of writing. You can’t help but cheer on Dunstan. The author writes him in a kindly fashion but by no means perfect. I appreciated that. At the same time, she injected historical tidbits of Princess Charlotte. Rarely do we ever hear of her in Regency romances. All in all, an angsty but satisfying story.
It is difficult to understand what a divorce meant to the British upperclass in 1820. Prinny was on the threshold of becoming king and was not permitted a dissolution of his marriage to Charlotte. On a side note: take a look at his illegal union with Maria Anne Fitzherbert.
~~~~~
Before her marriage to Lord Bainbridge, Melody viewed her world through rose-colored glasses. His true nature was revealed only afterward. The abuse, both physical and verbal, warped their brief alliance. That was over two years ago. Hiding her bruises behind a veil, the snickers and caustic remarks of the ton hurt while she pursued a divorce.
A laugh. It was ’refreshing, pleasant and unfettered’.
A brief misunderstanding: Melody assumed Dunstan Hays was a gentleman gardener.
Over a period of roughly two weeks, Mr Hays escorted Melody and her cousin Blanche to quiet entertainments. Initially cautious with bouts of anger, I found it difficult to ignore the reality of Melody falling in love in such a quick manner.
What sold me on the story was Ms. Fairchild’s style of writing. You can’t help but cheer on Dunstan. The author writes him in a kindly fashion but by no means perfect. I appreciated that. At the same time, she injected historical tidbits of Princess Charlotte. Rarely do we ever hear of her in Regency romances. All in all, an angsty but satisfying story.
March 25, 2008
I think that one can find really sweet stories, true gems, in these Signet Editions. The line has been discontinued but whenever I find one I know I'll have a few hours of delightful reading.
Dunstan Hay, Earl of Erroll, becomes fascinated with a mysteriously veiled lady while visiting Tunbridge Wells. Behind the veil, he finds Lady Melody Bainbridge, a woman beaten and bruised by a husband she is seeking legal separation from. Melody is intrigued by the well-spoken and gentle manner with which Dunstan treats her. Dunstan, a confirmed bachelor, begins to lose his objections to attaching himself permanently to a female at the same time as he begins losing his heart to the courageous young lady. However, Melody's brutal husband is not totally out of the picture. He continues to torment Melody and tries to force money out of Dunstan by filing a countersuit against Melody for adultery. To free the woman he loves of such an evil being, Dunstan is willing to do almost anything. Will he be successful in removing Melody from such twisted clutches? Will Melody ever be free to marry the man she has come to love?
This book has an original plot. Set during the reign of King George VI Fairchild establishes a parallel between the attempt the king made to divorce his queen and the situation the heroine was suffering through trying to divorce her husband. In both cases the women's rights are gravely injured and are very different from the husband's. Fairchild shows a very sympathetic heroine to Queen Caroline's plight.
Other than that I found the main characters to be interesting and engaging, especially the hero who searches for a way to free the heroine and hopefully in a way that she can remarry. That can only be obtained in a somewhat tortured way as at the time divorced couples could not remarry. I found the way that their relationship, and later courtship, develops really nice and sweet.
There are not many secondary characters, the only major one is the Earl of Erroll's mother who at first doesn't seem very happy with the fact that her son as chosen such a scandalous bride. There seems to be a mystery attached to his cousin and his wife (Erroll's former beloved) and I was left wondering if they have their own book.
Grade: B
Dunstan Hay, Earl of Erroll, becomes fascinated with a mysteriously veiled lady while visiting Tunbridge Wells. Behind the veil, he finds Lady Melody Bainbridge, a woman beaten and bruised by a husband she is seeking legal separation from. Melody is intrigued by the well-spoken and gentle manner with which Dunstan treats her. Dunstan, a confirmed bachelor, begins to lose his objections to attaching himself permanently to a female at the same time as he begins losing his heart to the courageous young lady. However, Melody's brutal husband is not totally out of the picture. He continues to torment Melody and tries to force money out of Dunstan by filing a countersuit against Melody for adultery. To free the woman he loves of such an evil being, Dunstan is willing to do almost anything. Will he be successful in removing Melody from such twisted clutches? Will Melody ever be free to marry the man she has come to love?
This book has an original plot. Set during the reign of King George VI Fairchild establishes a parallel between the attempt the king made to divorce his queen and the situation the heroine was suffering through trying to divorce her husband. In both cases the women's rights are gravely injured and are very different from the husband's. Fairchild shows a very sympathetic heroine to Queen Caroline's plight.
Other than that I found the main characters to be interesting and engaging, especially the hero who searches for a way to free the heroine and hopefully in a way that she can remarry. That can only be obtained in a somewhat tortured way as at the time divorced couples could not remarry. I found the way that their relationship, and later courtship, develops really nice and sweet.
There are not many secondary characters, the only major one is the Earl of Erroll's mother who at first doesn't seem very happy with the fact that her son as chosen such a scandalous bride. There seems to be a mystery attached to his cousin and his wife (Erroll's former beloved) and I was left wondering if they have their own book.
Grade: B
December 30, 2021
3.5*
An unusual Regency, this one, with it's delving into divorce proceedings in the early 19th century. It required an act of parliament & even the Prince Regent couldn't obtain one. I'm often irritated by the ease with which other historical writers have their protagonists obtain a divorce or annulment - it was a very difficult task unless it met some extremely strict requirements.
The romance seemed secondary & I can't really see why Duncan would love Melody, she gave him no reason to.
It's a shame these Signet & Zebra Regencies are no longer available. They've been replaced by something more sensational & titillating, & not nearly as enjoyable.
An unusual Regency, this one, with it's delving into divorce proceedings in the early 19th century. It required an act of parliament & even the Prince Regent couldn't obtain one. I'm often irritated by the ease with which other historical writers have their protagonists obtain a divorce or annulment - it was a very difficult task unless it met some extremely strict requirements.
The romance seemed secondary & I can't really see why Duncan would love Melody, she gave him no reason to.
It's a shame these Signet & Zebra Regencies are no longer available. They've been replaced by something more sensational & titillating, & not nearly as enjoyable.
September 25, 2009
Regency
November 2, 2011
Elizabeth Fairchild is an author I have gloomed all her books and have them on my keeper shelf.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews