Cassandra Ashbourne is surprised when she finds out she has received a generous inheritance in her maternal grandfather's will. The only stipulation is that she go and stay with her family for a month. Her family has been estranged from that side of the family ever since her mother, a rising aristocratic debutant, eloped with a naval officer. Since her mother's death, Cassandra has supported herself as a governess, but when that goes sour, she decides to accept the inheritance and meet her maternal relatives. She worries that they will be critical of her, a working class girl, but is pleasantly surprised when most of them are warm and welcoming. When she first meets Wm Rowley, the heir to the estate, she thinks he is a merciless tease, but as they spend time together their relationship starts to warm up as well. He is a rich, handsome, and charming gentleman, and she a poor governess. Will she ever feel at home in his world?
As you can tell from the summary, this is not an original storyline, but Ms Barker does a good job of telling the story in an appealing way. It is a bit like eating a favorite dessert. Even though you have eaten it dozens of times before, you still enjoy eating it again. Cassandra is a mixture of reserve and spunk. William is a charming tease. The relationship between Cassandra and her new found grandmother is sweet, and even her first experience with a ladies' maid is cute. Ms Barker has a good sense of humor, and there are some delightfully lighthearted scenes. I look forward to reading more by Ms Barker. (2018, 272 p.)
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