Narrated by Anna Bentinck
A Bachelor Establishment was published in 2015, but harks back to the Traditional Regency, with its strong observational humour and echoes of a comedy of manners. The attributed author is Isabella Barclay, which is actually the name of one of the characters created by Jodi Taylor in her St. Mary’s Chronicles, a series of novels based around a group of historians who travel through time to investigate major historical events. I’m not sure which book(s) Isabella Barclay appears in – but I rather like the idea of Ms. Taylor turning her into the author of historical romances.
Mrs Elinor Bascome, a widow in her forties, lives on the impoverished estate that by rights belongs to her late husband’s brother, George. But following the terrible events of one fateful night years ago, George fled his brother’s house and hasn’t been heard of since. So Elinor continues to live in reduced circumstances, secure in the knowledge that while she might not have much money, she is at least no longer subject to her husband’s physical abuse and her life is her own. Always a neck-and-neck rider, she’s galloping across the neighbouring land belonging to the absent Lord Ryde when she almost mows down an unknown man, who ends up – unharmed – in a ditch. Naturally, harsh words are exchanged – and Elinor then realises that the man, who is not much older than herself, must be Lord Ryde, returned from exile abroad.
Ryde – a hero very much in the Lord Damerel mould – left England some twenty years ago when his father threw him out owing to the scandal surrounding Ryde’s affair with a married lady and the subsequent duel, and he has returned rarely in the intervening years, even though his father is long since dead. He has spent those years drinking, gambling and wenching his way around Europe with his friend Mr. Martin, and has come home now only to strip the estate of everything he can sell with a view to heading off to make a life in America.
Both Ryde and Elinor return to their respective homes seething about their encounter and are frostily polite to each other at subsequent meetings. Their paths cross one morning while both are out riding – when a shot rings out and Elinor is wounded. Ryde takes charge of the situation immediately, and insists on taking Elinor to his run-down home, as it is closest. And from here on in, he doesn’t know what’s hit him. Much of the humour in the book comes from his reaction to his Bachelor Establishment suddenly being overrun by women – Elinor’s companion, her personal maid and the other servants deemed necessary to make her stay a comfortable one for her while not inconveniencing the establishment’s owner. Suddenly the rooms are clean and habitable, the place smells of lemon and beeswax instead of damp and musty air and the food is edible and served hot. But Ryde mustn’t become accustomed to a comfortable country life, not as he has no plans to stay in England.
As Elinor recovers, the pair begins to spend time together and find themselves opening up to one another in a way they have never done with anyone else. Even though the story takes place across little more than a week, the relationship that develops between them is nicely done and quite believable, as they reassess each other and fall into a genuine friendship. Elinor and Ryde are a more mature couple – he’s forty-five, she’s a bit younger – and both of them have been dealt a poor hand in life. They’ve made mistakes and suffered much, but they’re obviously both survivors, and there’s absolutely no question that they’re perfect for each other. There are moments of intense poignancy between them – such as when Elinor bitterly talks about how even her minimal choices were taken away from her – but there is humour, tenderness and affection, too, all conveyed with wit and subtlety. My one quibble about the romance is with the inclusion of the single (not explicit) sex scene which happens quite early on in their relationship and feels a little out of place; but otherwise, the love story is quite charming.
A Bachelor Establishment is probably best described as a romantic mystery because while the love story between Elinor and Ryde is central to the novel, the mystery elements – who shot Elinor and why? What if she wasn’t the intended target? What happened “That Night” when George Bascome was forced to flee? – are what propel the story forward and I can’t deny that I was as eager to uncover the answer to each of those questions as I was for Elinor and Ryde to declare the truth of their feelings. The story is written with a very secure touch and strong feel for the period, and the humour is wry and perfectly judged. But that said, the mystery is a bit predictable and some aspects of the dénouement are perhaps just a little too convenient.
Anna Bentinck is a British actress whose name I recognised on the cover, but about whom I knew nothing otherwise. Her performance here is a strong one and her softly modulated tone and manner of expression are perfectly suited to this sort of story, which relies more on clever humour and wit than it does upon mental lusting and raunchy sex scenes. I could imagine her narrating a Georgette Heyer book, for instance – I think she’d make a good job of it. Her narration is well-paced, her diction and enunciation are clear and she differentiates well between all the characters – especially the female ones, of which there are quite a few. Her male voices are decent, although she sometimes adds a slightly unattractive nasal tone to Ryde’s voice – but as the story progressed I noted that it disappears in his more intimate conversations with Elinor and only returns when he is being “lordly” or speaking to others. The supporting cast of secondary characters is well delineated, too, from Elinor’s no-nonsense companion, Alice, to Ryde’s friend Charles Martin who, I have to say sounds like he has a bit of a sore throat!; and her surly – and lazy – manservant, Munch, whose accent has a distinctly South African twang.
In spite of the slight reservations I’ve expressed, I enjoyed A Bachelor Establishment very much, and would certainly recommend it to others. If “Isabella Barclay” is inclined to write any more historical romances, I’m pretty sure I’ll be picking them up.
Caz
Narration: B+
Book Content: B
Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in (but at the very tame end)
Violence Rating: Minimal
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Audible Studios [jwl-utmce-widget id=32435]
I enjoyed reading this though I thought it fell apart in the last quarter. I was so shocked when Elinor was shot, but that was when the book really became interesting to me. I felt a little let down by the convenience of the ending too, especially with George. Still….I look forward to the next one, I like her style of writing regency romance, it’s a little more believable than some of the other stuff I’ve read this year.
Thanks for the review!
Yes, all the revelations in the last part went a bit too far and the ending was too pat. My content grade would have been higher otherwise, I think. But it kept me entertained and I’ll definitely pick up another by “Isabella Barclay” should she feel inclined to write one.