Review: A pleasant surprise
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 10, 2014
This story was a very pleasant surprise. When Violet's father Tom, is injured in a fire, she gives up her job and heads home to care for him. Shortly thereafter her family decides that Violet needs to find a new job while her Aunt cares for her father. Violet gets a job working as a scullery maid for Lord Hardcastle also known as the Marvellous Marvelo. One evening Lord Hardcastle has a dinner party that includes some of his famous friends. Violet begs her friend, Franny the parlor maid to allow her to clear the dishes so she can see the Marvellous Marvelo. When Violet enters the dining room she is disappointed to find that they have already left. She begins clearing the dirty dishes but there is a big covered platter in the middle of the table. If it was food, it would have been uncovered during dinner. But if not food what could it be? As Violet lifts the cover to find out, a white dove flies out. Violet lets a few choice word fly as she sets about catching the bird. She is very gentle as she climbs and reaches for the bird who hops right into her hand and stays as she carries it back to the platter where it hops right back on and Violet quickly returns the cover and calls the bird a name that would shame her mother. To her horror, she looks up and discovers that she is not alone but Lord Hardcastle and two of his guests have witnessed her shocking language.  She is sure that after only two months she is about to be fired but that is not Lord Hardcastle's plan. He offers her a choice, forfeit a days pay or submit to a spanking. She needs every penny to send home for her father's care so she chooses the spanking. This begins a relationship that grows from servant to colleague to romantic interest. There are some wonderful characters in this story. I loved Violet and Lord Hardcastle. They were people I would chose as friends as they were authentic and sincere. I also liked that Mrs Davenport was an unexpected friend to Violet.