Elizabeth Mansfield: The Girl with the Persian Shawl

In Suffolk, every unmarried young lady knows that, if she ever wants to find a match, she must walk, speak, eat, even laugh properly. A young woman looking to marry is always sweet and demure, charming and gracious, and, of course, deferential. But not Kate Rendell. An anomaly, Kate could not care less what people think of her and her tendency to speak her mind. Her suitors have all taken a disliking to this quirk of hers–and taken flight. And Kate has not minded. That is, until one man walks into her life…

When Harry Gerard, Lord Ainsworth, calls upon Kate to view her family’s much-admired painting of a girl with a Persian shawl, his hostess’s rudeness takes him by surprise and he leaves confused. But for all the gall she displayed during his visit, Kate finds herself thinking about him more and more. And she would never let anything stand between herself and the object of her desire–even if the obstacle is her beloved cousin…

Kate is a little more than the standard sassy heroine. When his quest to locate a family painting lands Lord Ainsworth at her door, she steamrolls over him with a verbal assault of rudeness.

I was a bit surprised, but his elegant rejoinder made me smile.

There is a lot of that type of quiet, slow interaction throughout the book; a rollicking romp this is not. Certain sentiments and set ups are very much in the vein of the traditional; from tone to table the immersion in the era feels complete, so the occasional serious smooch down was a bit eyebrow raising. Regardless, this was a novel that has a lot to like including excellent foils, ,house parties, funny characters, and some real will they/won’t they tension.

Harry has a reputation, at least as far as the provincials are concerned, for being a bit of a rake. And mistress of the manor (in spite of her mother’s presence) Kate, can’t get him out of her head. So when fate brings them together, more than sparks fly.

Although not as funny as maybe the material might have been in another’s writer’s hand, there is a patience with the time period that delivers a satisfying and engaging read with heart. The heroine is, perhaps rightfully, a bit of a bossy brat…but where some may find that off putting, I actually think it made her more sympathetic and interesting.

Altogether, the H/h are a bit off kilter from the traditional and in that sense remind me of the imperfect H/h of Heyer. Lord Ainsworth, for one, is neither beta nor alpha but still everything that a Regency gentleman should be. I love his appreciation for the heroine, maybe because of her flaws rather than in spite of them, and that he is immediately attracted to her ability to speak her mind.

This is a book that revolves around miscommunication, misinterpretation, and mistakes so there isn’t a lot of action or plot twists. The huge character arcs or deep psychological reveals aren’t there, either, if that is your thing. Instead, this is a book that’s central premise is about knowing your own heart, and allowing yourself to be surprised to what it tells you.

Of all the Mansfields I have read, so far this is my favorite, and one that I will probably reread. I recommend for those readers looking for a nice, quiet traditional RR to while away a day or two.

5 Stars 4.5 out of 6 A solid traditional Reg Rom with slightly unusual H/h