Violet

Author: Lauren Royal
Published: September 3, 2002 (Signet)
Category: Historical Romance
Series: Flower Trilogy #1
Rating: 10/10

It seems Lauren Royal's trilogies always get off to strong starts! I absolutely fell in love with the hero and heroine of Violet. Ford Chase, Viscount Lakefield, the youngest brother in the Chase family of the Jewel trilogy finally has his story told, and we're introduced to the Ashcroft sisters who live near his estate. Violet, the eldest and least beautiful (in her opinion), is the latest subject to one of her matchmaking mama's schemes, although she doesn't know it.

While on his way to Lakefield, Ford stops by Greystone, Colin and Amy's estate (from Amethyst), only to find that he won't be admitted because there's an outbreak of measles in the house. As their daughter Jewel hasn't caught it yet, Colin is begging Ford to take Jewel and her nursemaid to Lakefield. Ford, being an absentminded professor type of man (albeit a hot geek), isn't too crazy about having to take care of Jewel, but he figures the nursemaid will do all the work. Unfortunately, they realize the nursemaid's come down with the measles during the trip to Lakefield and drop her off in her home village to recover. Ford suddenly finds himself responsible for his little niece when he'd really like to be working on a new version of the pocket watch (one that has a minute hand).

Thanks to a rather coincidental visit by Lady Trentingham (Violet's mother), it's arranged that her son Rowan would make an excellent playmate for Jewel, a rambunctious and strong-willed little girl. And of course, she sent Violet along for the playdates. Violet is a shrinking violet, not one for being the center of attention, and Ford is attracted to this serious young woman who talks freely of her philosophical studies and shares actual conversation with him. He doesn't realize it yet, but he's falling for her, and it'll take him a while to realize this because he's so dense when it comes to women, even though he's acting like her beau. Soon after they first meet, Ford makes a pair of spectacles for her, as she is extremely nearsighted. This simple gesture changes Violet's world and she begins having feelings for the handsome viscount despite her determination to marry someone who doesn't want her for her inheritance... and Ford, with his dilapidated estate, is clearly in need of funds.

Their relationship is one of supporting each other's growth. Ford takes Violet to a ball honoring the Royal Society, introducing her to greats such as Isaac Newton and John Locke. Violet in turn, helps patent his newly improved pocket watch, which he has no inclination or ambition to sell. All he cared about was seeing if he could do it, and when it was done, it was time to move on to another project, like the deciphering of an ancient alchemical text that supposedly holds the secret to turning lead into gold.

Ford finally realizes that he'd like to marry Violet and have a family with her, but she rejects his marriage proposal, still believing that Ford wouldn't want to marry a plain girl like her unless it was for her fortune. To be fair, Ford doesn't really present a good picture to a girl with that idea in her head. He'd rather spend time working on his inventions and experiments than care for his property and the tenants. So Ford decides to fix up his house and lands, and make the ultimate sacrifice to show Violet that he means business when it comes to marrying her NOT for her money. He decides to sell the alchemy text, and when she finds out about it, she realizes that Ford really does love her and they're married shortly after that, as Violet's parents think she might be with child. She could've been, considering the times her mother schemed to get the unwitting lovebirds together alone.

We also see what could be a future novel, perhaps a trilogy about Colin and Amy's three children, for Jewel and Rowan. Jewel, as the precocious, confident little girl she is, has declared she will marry Rowan and that she loves him. Rowan doesn't exactly object, but he didn't like the kiss that Jewel pecked on his cheek. They didn't get off to the greatest of starts, with Rowan refusing to play, so Jewel gets revenge by playing a prank on him (she takes after her father, the official Chase prankster) and glued him to a chair rather cleverly.

This book made me giggle more than once, and it was really hard to hold it in on the subway. I have the rest of the Flower trilogy, which tells the stories of Violet's two younger sisters, but I'm going to ration them, rather than inhaling them all in a couple days. I have proofreading to finish anyways.