Having grown up at Wedderburn Castle in the serene Scottish Lowlands, Orin Hume is thrust into the dazzling realm of London society and Court circles as Poet Laureate of Britain. But at the height of his fame a former tragedy and his ties to a lass he once loved lead him home to Berwickshire again. When his return is further marred by lost love letters and scheming kin who conspire to keep the pair apart, can Lady Maryn Lockhart, now Duchess of Fordyce, forgive him? Or will the shadows of the past and the complexities of the present rewrite their love story? [back cover copy]
A MATTER OF HONOR by Laura Frantz is a charming read. A novella, and though shorter and thus having fewer characters and complexity than a full length novel, is every bit as engaging and delightful a journey to her promised happily-ever-afters as are her full-length works.
The story is set in Berwickshire (an area of the Scottish Borders), and the setting comes alive under Frantz’s pen—whether a misty spring morning on the Hume estate.
A windy overlook near Fast Castle ruins along the coast.
Or strolling one of many gardens. Reading this is actually more like watching a movie!
Though we’ve met many of the characters previously in Frantz’s novel THE ROSE AND THE THISTLE, readers need not be concerned if they haven’t read that. The characters are 24 years older, and Frantz presents each one with sufficient clarity and well-chosen detail that we immediately feel acquainted:
Lovell sent Orin a sharp look. “… Why has no English lass turned your head? You’ve been in London for years, ever since the—”
The unfinished sentence held the lash of a whip. “Ever since the accident, aye.” … He’d rather talk of anything but the accident. (p 12)
Summoning every shred of courage she had, and disguising her disfigurement as best she could, she said a prayer and sallied forth. She, who had hidden in a cottage for years, was being forced into the open like a hothouse flower. How she chafed at this new role. But determination to get off on the right foot with Grandfather’s tenants came first. (p 65)
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the person young Orin Hume has become—a kind, contemplative man of great honor and compassion. And his life-long friend, Maryn, who was to become his wife until a cruel accident, and then even crueler kinfolk, interfered. Frantz deftly reveals the depth of caring these two have for each other and the interference they’ve experienced. She deftly peels away layers of subterfuge and shows us the consequences—until it seems all but impossible they can untangle the schemes against them and find their way back to each other.
Should [Orin] seek his brother’s counsel … The laird was a very practical man. Suppose Everard tried to dissuade him? …. In truth, what mattered most was the Almighty’s opinion. Only [Orin] hadn’t asked Him.” (p72)
Would [Maryn] have done anything differently? The facts remained and trumped any fine feeling. She was part invalid. She could not do her own hair, could not dress without help. She could no longer ride a horse nor play the pianoforte … She could not even pick up a child …. Did that not preclude her from marriage? (p 78)
But as each makes decisions to move on with their life, and give of themselves to make the lives of others better, their view of each other changes. They grow and are emboldened to take risks in sharing their hearts. Their journey to each other is WONDERFUL reading—packed with beauty, honor, delightful scenes, and surprises a-plenty.
He looked as magnificent as she felt disheveled. Clad in a blue and black tartan coat and dark breeches, every inch of him was finely tailored but not overplayed. Time had done nothing to diminish his presence. (p 93)
You can purchase A MATTER OF HONOR on Amazon. And meet Laura online at her website or from there on social media.
Photo credit: Spring morning, woods & bluebells — Bing wallpaper; Coastal overlook, Fast Castle — Copyright 2024 Anne Burgess, www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7811838, licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence; Cottage garden — http://www.wandlenews.com/english-cottage-garden/; Letters — Laura Frantz Pinterest.
Pictured are a few that come alive in locations beyond the standard foreign fare of England or Paris.
The teaser on the back cover reveals some plot turns and challenges Lark and Magnus face, but in truth it barely hints at the perils the two endure. Or the stunning grace offered. As these two straddle competing wants, responsibilities, and expectations of others, their integrity and faithfulness is tested.
~ the precarious cliffside trail between croft and 
castle
Frantz’s skill continues to impress me. Settings that come alive, plot twists that ambush a reader, a worthy hero and heroine ~ she has it all. And more ~ the ability to portray characters with flaws as well as strengths, and always with respect. You’ll not find stock characters or stereotypical minorities in her stories. And she has an uncanny ability to convey a universal truth while giving us a peek into the private recesses of a heart, as when Lark thinks 