Philippa Carr is the historical romance author
you may know as Victoria Holt (also a pen name). This is one of the stories in
her 20-book “Daughters of England” series but can be read as a stand alone. It
is followed closely by Voices in a Haunted
Room.
Set in the late 18th century,
beginning in England in 1767, it tells of beautiful Charlotte d'Aubigne
(“Lottie”) who, when she was twelve, learned her real father was a French comte
and her home was to be in France. She does not want to leave her beloved
English home nor does she want to leave “Dickon”, the boy she has always adored
and wanted to marry. But she is young and her English mother and French father
decide Dickon is not the best choice. So they take her away to Louis XV's
France and to her father’s great estate.
As the years pass, Lottie forgets her youth and
becomes emerged in all things French and the tumultuous times that follow the
American War. New love comes to her in the person of Charles de Tourville, a
man who, though inconstant, loves Lottie. But he wants to fight for America’s
liberty, so encouraged by Dickon (who has been a constant guest), Charles
leaves Lottie in France with their two children and goes off to fight. Lottie
is consoled by her family and her friend, Lisette, a bastard like herself.
This is a story steeped in the tumultuous
history of the times and provides a tale of jealousy and betrayal on many
levels. Lottie has a very practical nature that allows her to change from her
idealistic youth to a mature acceptance of the weaknesses in others. And coming
full circle, she returns to England for a visit to Dickon, who still remembers
her.
If you like Victoria Holt’s mysteries, this
romance might appeal. It did to me. Told from the first person, you are always
only in Lottie’s mind but you know the thoughts of others as they reveal them.
I liked the detail and the complicated relationships but the romance was a bit
disappointing, possibly because both Charles and Dickon were knaves. A more
compelling figure was Lottie’s father, the French comte. Still, it’s a very
good read and there are some exciting scenes.
VOICES IN A HAUNTED ROOM – A Passionate Story of
Betrayal and Love
Sometimes Victoria Holt surprises me. The Demon
Lover was one of those books (a bodice ripper!). And this is another
because it deals with the heroine’s adultery. It follows Knave of Hearts,
which I loved, and is a part of the Daughters of England series.
Raised in the grand chateau of Tourville in France,
young Claudine, with her widowed mother, flees the France as revolution
arrives. In England, at her mother's ancestral home, Claudine finds friendship
with her stepbrothers, twins David and Jonathan, with whom she is raised. When
she turns 17, her parents encourage her to marry one of the brothers. Both want
her so she has her choice. But Claudine would have them both.
David is kind, steady and scholarly. They share
many interests, but only Jonathan stirs her passion. When Jonathan suddenly
goes off to France with Claudine’s brother to rescue a relative, Claudine
marries David, thinking she is safe. But that doesn’t stop Jonathan from
pursuing her. Nor does it stop her passion from responding.
It's storytelling at its best. I was in suspense
for most of the book wondering how it would end (the cover tells you much since
Jonathan has fair hair). It’s a sad one but very well done.
Daughters of England Series
The Miracle
at St. Bruno's (1972)
The Lion
Triumphant (1974)
The Witch
from the Sea (1975)
Saraband for
Two Sisters (1976)
Lament for a
Lost Lover (1977)
The Love
Child (1978)
The Song of
the Siren (1980)
The Drop of
the Dice (1981)
later renamed "Will You Love Me in September"
The
Adulteress (1982)
Knave of
Hearts (1983)
originally titled Zipporah's Daughter
Voices in A
Haunted Room (1984)
The Return
of the Gypsy (1985)
Midsummer's
Eve (1986)
The Pool of
St. Branok (1987)
The
Changeling (1989)
The Black
Swan (1990)
A Time for
Silence (1991)
The Gossamer
Cord (1992)
We'll Meet
Again (1993)
Daughters of
England (1995)
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