Sir Philip's Folly
Series: The Poor Relation, Book 4
By: Marion Chesney/ Narrated By: Davina Porter
Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
The poor relations at their most cunning—outwitting one of their own!
Book 4 of The Poor Relation series opens with the four remaining hotel partners in a glacial snit: Sir Philip has taken up with the slovenly wench, Mary Budge, and while the horny old man couldn’t be more delighted, the other three most certainly are not. To make matters worse, Miss Tonks, who’s coming into her own after shooting a highwayman dead at the end of Book 3, is actually rather heartsick here. She thought that perhaps, after the time she and Sir Philip spent together, SHE would be Sir Philip’s prospective bride. The poor spinster was indeed willing to settle for second best at this stage in her life… Third best? Er, FOURTH best?
She’s also dearly missing her best friend, Mrs. Budley, who just married and moved away. This makes Miss Tonks turn to a 19-year old girl, a hotel guest, for companionship. Arabella, the daughter of a vain and deluded widow, is still dressed in a school girl’s smocks, and looks like a child even though she SHOULD be having her own Season in London. Ah, but it’s the poor relations to the rescue with plans on bringing her out themselves.
And it’s Arabella who in turn comes up with the plan to hire an actor to stay at the hotel, pose as a very wealthy merchant, and woo the gluttonous Mrs. Budge. Woo her away from Sir Philip. Woo her the HELL away from the hotel. Add to that a handsome Lord, a widower also staying at the hotel, is Arabella’s man of choice (A problem since he sees her as a little girl and ruffles her hair and such all), and you’ve got a really stellar book in Sir Philip’s Folly. There’s no Lady Stanton to be the wicked foil, but there IS that leech, Mrs. Budge, and there IS Arabella’s mother who is absolutely certain that the Lord will make a fine papa for Arabella (Noooo! Arabella shouts!). And there’s also the ever-present humor and wickedly delicious writing of MC Beaton (Writing as Marion Chesney).
Davina Porter as always turns in a delightful performance. What I really, really love and appreciate in her, after this, Book 4, is how consistently she delivers each of the main characters. There is NEVER any blending of voices; each character’s voice remains his/her own throughout the series, distinct, unique. Then too, she brings new and wonderful characters to life with each book, making for some fun, fun, ROUSING listens.
I can’t wait to get into Book 5 of the series as the relations are getting older and more tired of running the decidedly successful hotel and are thinking of retirement. Well, Colonel Sandhurst would dearly love to marry Lady Fortescue and settle in the country. But Lady Fortescue, exhausted tho’ she may be, meets each new success with: We can raise our rates! And Sir Philip wants to marry Mrs. Budge and roll with her in the hay elsewhere.
But Miss Tonks? She’s the heart and soul of The Poor Relation hotel; it’s given her a life, given her dignity. It’s given her “bottom” and she’d very much like to stay in business forever.
…What will happen to them as we come to the final two audiobooks in the series…?
Stay tuned to find out!
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