The Earl's Masquerade

 I began the year in the middle of a series The Archer Family Series. This is a Regency Era romance mystery series. I like most other lovers of Period Drama was obsessed with Bridgerton on Netflix. I stumbled on the Archer Family by Amy Cowin on Audible Plus and it was in their streaming catalog included with membership. As it was cold and at no additional cost I gave the first book An Unwanted Heiress a try and was hooked on this delightful series. The series follows the loosely connected Archer Family as they find love and solve mysteries usually, but not always murder. I love the light-hearted happily ever after and dashing members of the Aristocracy and the high-spirited women who capture their hearts. 

In this case, we follow Hugh Castle The Earl of Monnow. Hugh had been ready to announce his engagement to a suitable lady at a ball in his home when before the announcement she runs off with a lover. While he was not in love with his intended his pride is wounded. To clear his head he goes sailing with his brother and they wreak, his bother dies. When Hugh finally gets to shore he finds the boat was sabotaged. To catch the killer he keeps his survival a secret while he investigates. 

In the meantime, Helen Archer young unmarried sister of the Duke of Peckham was in attendance at the ball. She is not acquainted with the family but was a house guest of an acquaintance of the Earl. Helen is considered old at 23, tall and plain. She has resigned herself to a life of comfortable spinsterhood. At the ball, Helen is wearing an exquisite family heirloom necklace. It is one of her family's prized jewels and an honor to be allowed to wear it. Sadly Helen distracted somehow misplaced the necklace at the ball. Too late she realizes that the loose clasp must have been too loose. 

On her slightly disreputable, irrepressible Uncle Archer suggests that she go back and retrieve the necklace on a pretense without anyone finding out. Helen agrees to save herself the humiliation of facing her brother and listening to her sister's smug satisfaction that she was not responsible enough to be trusted with the necklace. Left on her own as her Uncle has to leave on business she writes her family that she is extending her stay with her friend as she goes back to figure out how to get the heirloom without anyone knowing. 

Here we are introduced to yet another character, 10-year-old Edward Leigh-Brown has run away from his spinster great aunts.  He thinks they are alright but unable to keep up with an adventurous orphaned boy, they have made the decision to send him to live with his stern cousin instead. Edward decides to run away and fulfill his lifelong ambition of joining the Royal Navy. Edward knows he will have to start as a cabin boy and work his way up, but figures he can be Admiral by the time he's 20.  He sets out with a sack of fook and a general knowledge that he needs to get to London and the road that will take him there. 

Edward starts to realize that perhaps he underestimated the distance to London when he has run out of food on the second day and it rains. Thankfully he runs into a kind Lady Helen on the road. Helen can't bear to see the shivering, hungry boy and takes him to an Inn with her. Helen suspects he has run away but is unable to get any information from him. She decides to take him to London with her where she plans to engage the help of a well-known Inquiry Agency Second Sons which can be counted on for their silence and help. 

At Second Sons The Earl is mistaken by Helen as one of the detectives. Hugh decides that they should pose as brother and sister with Edward as the younger brother while they work at his estate.. The staff is expecting a new Stewart and Hugh thinks that Helen can pass as a Lady's Maid to his spinster aunt and Edward can be an errand boy. That way he can investigate who had access to his ruined boat and Helen can look for her missing heirloom and they can find out where Edward came from. 

Hugh grows a beard which makes him instantly unrecognizable to his long-time staff and his aunt who raised him. One servent remarks on a resemblance to the Earl but believes that the Late Earl being known as a womanizer must have fathered the new Stewart. This is where I lost the spell of pleasant belief. I want to believe in some universe in some time this lovely story could happen. But this was too much even for a predictable and by the numbers Regency Fairy tale. 

Of course, everything works out exactly as such a tale should. Hugh finds out who is responsible for the death of his brother, Helen finds her necklace and they fall madly in love. They both fall in love with Edward and it's revealed that Hugh is the cousin that Edward was to be sent to. Helen and Hugh get married and raise their ward and presumably live happily ever after. 

I enjoyed this book, not because of an interesting plot with interesting and complex characters, but because it wasn't any of those things. This is the type of book I read when I need reassurance that there are order and justice in the world. In this world, people find their soulmates, who love and respect them for their minds and personality while having sizzling sexual chemistry. In this world, the wicked are punished and orphans find loving homes. Smart, plain women are revealed to be beautiful in the eyes of dashing, handsome, and rich men.  

I enjoy complex books with complicated and grey heroes and I read many of those books as well but I think that we need books like The Earl's Masquerade to fill our needs for simple truths especially when those thruths are not true.