Reviewed by Francine
The Duke’s Regret is a rather poignant mature tale of a man and
wife from an arranged marriage, in which neither has done more than exact the requisite
duty in provision of an heir and a spare. Other children from the marriage became merely a matter of marital circumstance in the duke’s eyes, whereas his wife, Flora,
has devoted her earlier years to the children. Although
Gracechurch and stoicism have walked hand in hand through life in which duty to
his title and estate has been uppermost, much the same can be said of his wife
Flora, who wed a young man to whom she knew little of and knows little of still:
despite their eldest son is due to leave Harrow and de-camp to the dreaming
spires of the Oxford colleges.
Gracechurch is all but a stranger to Flora and the children, until
that is, one brief encounter with a man grieving the loss of a much loved son. Thus
regrets aplenty arise as Gracechurch ponders his earlier bitter resentment of an
arranged marriage. Whilst he is willing to attempt heartfelt reconciliation, uncertainty a successful outcome can ever be achieved prevails. Flora too faces the reality
attraction to one’s husband was not enough to win his heart at the outset, therefore
can she dare risk letting slip her guard against heartbreak and all that befell
her beforehand for a second time? All in all, this is a lovely story of a
mature couple who discover each other in a new adult light. Nonetheless, the
road to contentment is little short of an emotional minefield as equal measure
of guilt prevails in who was to blame in matters of withheld affections. A highly
recommended read for fans of mature friendship and romance!
