This book has been well worth the wait; Benjamin Leigh is not the spoiled young man his parents trained him to be. Fortunately, while Ben was away at school, a mentor (his schoolmaster, Mr. Price) guided him to be honorable and honest. Now, Mr. Price's vicar notified Ben that his mentor had died. The vicar enclosed a letter from his dying schoolmaster, asking Ben to rescue his daughter, who would have nothing upon his death.
After a dispute with his parents over not breaking the entitlement, Ben is already stressed. This has been his parents' fondest wish so they could splurge on things they wanted without regard for keeping the estate whole.
Ben feels he must go to Birmingham to check on this young lady. They agree to marry and soon return to Ben's home and parents. Mrs. Leigh undermines her new daughter-in-law constantly, as long as Ben is not there. When Ben is in attendance, Mrs. Leigh uses sweet words with an undercut (that Ben does not understand because he's never been subjected to her wrath).
Like many before, the young couple are reticent about explaining their feelings. Mr. Leigh, sensing Nan's need for a father figure, encourages her and later drops that he needs Ben to break the entail. He begs her to entreat Ben to do as his parents wish. While they are abusing Nan, his parents threaten to throw the couple out of the ancestral home. This is definitely a page-turner, but the conflict was almost more than I could bear. Ben and Nan are young and unfamiliar with manipulation and bribery. They get a massive dose from Ben's parents.
After a dispute with his parents over not breaking the entitlement, Ben is already stressed. This has been his parents' fondest wish so they could splurge on things they wanted without regard for keeping the estate whole.
Ben feels he must go to Birmingham to check on this young lady. They agree to marry and soon return to Ben's home and parents. Mrs. Leigh undermines her new daughter-in-law constantly, as long as Ben is not there. When Ben is in attendance, Mrs. Leigh uses sweet words with an undercut (that Ben does not understand because he's never been subjected to her wrath).
Like many before, the young couple are reticent about explaining their feelings. Mr. Leigh, sensing Nan's need for a father figure, encourages her and later drops that he needs Ben to break the entail. He begs her to entreat Ben to do as his parents wish. While they are abusing Nan, his parents threaten to throw the couple out of the ancestral home. This is definitely a page-turner, but the conflict was almost more than I could bear. Ben and Nan are young and unfamiliar with manipulation and bribery. They get a massive dose from Ben's parents.
