Penelope Goes to Portsmouth
Series: The Traveling Matchmaker, Book 3
By: Marion Chesney / Narrated By: Helen Lisanti
Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
Aha! And on this, Hannah’s third jaunt, the plot thickens!!!
Would it be presumptuous to say that on this, only the third book into the series, I think I may’ve found my favorite Matchmaker audiobook? Or p’raps I should qualify that with an: As of yet…?
But really, what a fun book, and I do so like that we’ve gotten deeper into Hannah’s personal life, her thoughts, her feelings, and it looks like a major character… or two? … or three? have been introduced.
Here the redoubtable Miss Pym is on her third grand adventure, this time a trip to Portsmouth to see the sea, a grand thing she’s never experienced. And who all should be on this coach but an outspoken American man, a shrill spinster-ish lady whose own personal coach is “just up ahead” as she would NEVER be riding a stage coach—she just had too much luggage, that’s all. Add to that a gorgeous young man, drunkenly chucked onboard, his gentleman friends warning Hannah that he might “cascade” all over her shoes, so beware. Plus a late arrival of a devastatingly lovely and oh so naive girl, rich as can be, and one who looks upon the young man, Lord Augustus, as being lazy and dissolute.
Hannah sees the two of them, and the matchmaking cogs start turning furiously in her head: What every broke and aimless titled gentleman needs is a weak woman behind him, willing to put up with everything. But alas, Penelope, though her money is tainted by the fact that her father is in trade… actually WORKS for a living, looks to Lord Augustus but finds him sorely lacking. Poor Hannah. She’ll just have to make do with many, many, MANY adventures on this journey.
There’s a young man who tugs at the heartstrings of both her and Penelope; he’s deaf, he’s mute, and he’s condemned to die after being accused of stealing an item of jewelry of the rich woman he works for. There’s Miss Trenton, the shrill woman, continually whining, screaming, sniveling; there’s the American man who continually shuts her up with scaaaaathing and rude and quite-American-like comments. There’s a kidnapping; there’s a horrific (And somewhat majestic) house fire; there are stage coach accidents galore.
There’s attempted murder even. And through it all, the most delightful thing keeps happening: Lord Augustus, despite his every intention, his every habit of sitting back and not caring, finds himself rising to each occasion, becoming a man of integrity and character, tho’ he’s a tad too lusty to ever be completely honorable. He and Penelope forge a friendship, and she can’t help it, but she starts taking to him very much. All thanks to Hannah’s pryings and proddings, her jiggering of situations, her relentless attention.
Helen Lisanti does a rock-solid job with her performance in this book as Penelope comes across as a true innocent, one who gets riled up every now and again, spitting like an angry little kitten. And Lisanti also perfectly captures a lollygagging Lord, an American from Virginia, an irate spinster-ish woman who feels misused at the drop of a hat, and a whole vast assortment of characters, some with evil-intent in their hearts.
The coach passengers become companions, the companions become couples, and it’s back to London for Miss Hannah Pym, this time with a deaf and mute footman who’s far too clever, and faaaaaar too handy with the gambling dice for his own good. This Benjamin Stubbs, tho’ he doesn’t speak, is a jolly good character, a fine addition, and I’m sooo looking forward to see what all sort of scrapes he gets himself and Hannah into.
Because when it comes right down to it? It’s Benjamin who makes sure that Hannah goes to the Opera with that confirmed old bachelor, the dashing Sir George Clarence. And it’s Benjamin who’ll be on the NEXT journey/adventure as Hannah seeks to soothe the pitty-pat-pat-patting of her heart after such an enchanted evening!
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