Twenty-six year old Henrietta Sandford is the unmarried sister of a country vicar. Her brother takes every opportunity to remind her how much she owes him and to bully Henrietta. Henrietta falls instantly in love with Lord Reckford, a handsome Corinthian when he visits a country assembly and pays Henrietta more attention than the local beauty. When a hitherto unknown great-aunt leaves Henrietta a fortune, Henrietta sets out for London accompanied by her eccentric elderly friend Miss Mattie Scattersworth and declares her intentions of marrying Lord Reckford. London society snubs Henrietta and she thinks about returning to the country when Lord Reckford discovers her prescence in London and takes her under his wing. Henrietta's happiness is marred by the fact that she seems to be going mad! Lord Reckford believes her sanity and is determined to figure out who is playing jokes on Henrietta. The joke turns deadly and Henrietta's life is in danger. She must rescue herself and her companion and figure out how to win Lord Reckford's hand in marriage before the story reaches the usual conclusion. Henrietta is an admirable character. She is charming and spirited and doesn't act like a debutnate, despite the fact that she is experiencing her first Season. Her companion provides the comic relief with wild romantic fantasies. However, I'm not a fan of gothic stories or mysteries and this one was both. It was not my favorite Chesney novel.
Henrietta is the downtrodden sister of a country vicar who believes she is doomed to a life looking after her brother and visiting the poor and sick of his parish. Then her great aunt leaves her a fortune and she decides to take London by storm and find herself a husband. Her friend, Mattie – and elderly spinster goes with her to act as chaperone but Henrietta soon finds society goes to Mattie’s head and she is having to restrain her wilder flights of fantasy. It soon becomes clear to the reader that someone has it in for Henrietta and after many strange and unpleasant happenings she starts to wonder whether she really is going mad.This is an entertaining and fast paced story with many twists and turns and many ambiguous people who might be friend or foe. I enjoyed reading it and laughed out loud at some of Henrietta and Mattie’s escapades. I thought all the characters were very well drawn and I liked Henrietta especially with her fighting spirit concealed behind her calm and quiet appearance. Mattie is a marvellous example of the middle aged or elderly women who this author does so well.
