On the Way to Gretna Green by Marian Devon

Unfortunately the chemistry wasn't all that great. Claudia and 'Thorn' manage to get onto each other's nerves several times. This is a clean traditional Regency with some funny moments. And Rupert and Evelina may become an item again. Oh, and the aunt that was previously mentioned, is playing a matchmaking game. Lots of muckity-muck, with several moments thrown in bantering with Thornton. There is also a Russian Cossack that pursues her -AND- her attempt at getting her first book published. Except, upon seeing Claudia again, he hoped to rekindle the romance.even though he is married.with a child on the way.

During this time Claudia saw her old flame, the man who broke their engagement years before to marry a prosperous young lady. In the meantime, the young women formed a relationship with the gentlemen's aunt and became her guests at her home for a fortnight. What they did not realize is the teenagers had already figured that out for themselves. Convincing him it is for the best, they took off together to stop the young couple from making a big mistake. Along the way she found his elder brother, Lord Thornton, in the middle of a bout of wagering and excess drinking. When spinster Claudia Wentworth realized that her 15 year-old niece, Evelina, had eloped with one Rupert Hunt, she gave chase. The h also runs into her faithless ex-fiancé (who had thrown her over for a Russian heiress) who now wishes to rekindle the extinguished(?) flame, as well as a fierce Cossack admirer, while she tries to discover the identity of 'Sophy' - a name the H had let on during their initial adventure. Many humorous and banter-ific scenes follow. The h and the H gets constantly thrown at each other. One thing leads to another, and the H's aunt and the h become good friends and the h and her niece get invited to spend the season in London with her. The chase ends soon and they find the two young lovers already at logger heads and relieved to be rescued. So, when her niece and his brother (teenagers both) elope to Gretna Green, she gate crashes his card party and harangues him into chasing the young lovers. Their families may be (sometime) neighbors (one of his family's minor estate borders hers') but they've never met as their families are locked in an ancient feud - kept alive mostly by her brother. The h is a somewhat uptight but likable spinster while H, by contrast, is a carefree and droll charmer.

On the Way to Gretna Green by Marian Devon