The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn

Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy is the final book in Ms Quinn’s Smythe-Smith quartet, and while I think it’s the strongest of the four, it has keenly divided opinions amongst readers and listeners due to the actions of its eponymous hero, which, it has to be said, are very far from heroic.

Sir Richard Kenworthy, a baronet from Yorkshire, comes to London in search of a wife. A bride with a big fat dowry would be nice, but what he’s really looking for is someone who will marry him quickly. Having asked around, it seems to him that attending the annual Smythe-Smith musicale would be a good idea, as a family with five daughters is bound to have at least one that needs marrying off. The musicale is as dreadfully un-musical as ever, but Richard immediately discerns that one member of the ensemble is actually possessed of some degree of talent and finds himself unable to take his eyes from her.

Attempting to hide behind her cello, Iris Smythe-Smith is disconcerted to notice an unknown but rather good-looking man watching her throughout the performance. She’s not the kind of woman men usually notice and indeed, she prefers to fade into the background so she can practice her favourite pastime of observing the people of society and their foibles and idiosyncracies. She tries to sneak away immediately the performance finishes, but is surprised when the man who’d been watching her angles for an introduction.

Richard very quickly decides that Iris is the bride for him; he finds her attractive, she’s also intelligent and possessed of a quick wit, and after a few morning calls and drives in the park, he proposes to her. Iris is not at all averse to the idea of marrying him and asks for more time to get to know him, but that’s something Richard can’t give her. Knowing he’s acting like the worst kind of cad, he instead manoeuvres Iris into a compromising situation so that she has no alternative but to marry him straight away.

Iris is bewildered – she likes Richard very much and can’t understand why he’s rushing her to the altar. And Richard feels like the worst sort of cad, because he likes Iris, too, and had he not been faced with certain necessities, would have courted her properly. But the damage is done, the couple is married quickly and then leaves London for Richard’s northern estates.

The first part of the story is very well done, as Iris and Richard gradually get to know each other a little and find much common ground and pleasure in each other’s company. The author keeps Richard’s reasons for needing to marry so quickly vague enough to keep the listener guessing, but doesn’t harp on about it so much that it becomes frustrating.

The real problems start after the wedding when Richard refuses to consummate the marriage and doesn’t explain why. During the day, he’s kind and very attentive to Iris, offering her companionship and passionate kisses, but at night, he can’t get away from her fast enough, which naturally leaves her feeling frustrated and undesirable. What Iris can’t know of course, is that while Richard has his reasons for leaving her untouched, he wants her so desperately he doesn’t trust himself to be alone with her.

When Richard’s plan is finally revealed, I’ll admit, I thought it was a daft one. Then I thought about it a bit, and decided that it’s daft – but within the bounds of possibility, given the nature of the problem he was facing, and because of his need to atone for the guilt he feels over not having properly looked out for his two sisters following their father’s death. Not that that makes what he does acceptable – but he’s been caught between a rock and a hard place and doesn’t have much time to come up with a solution. For some listeners, Richard is going to be a disgusting manipulator, a man who took away a woman’s choices and then proceeded to try to force her into doing something she didn’t want to do. For others – myself included – he’s a decent man trying to do the right thing, but who has been backed into a corner and ends up making a very ill-advised decision.

Iris is a terrific heroine – very intelligent, witty, kind and ultimately a tower of emotional strength for both Richard and his sisters. Richard is harder to get to know, possibly because the author has to keep his motives hidden for much of our acquaintance with him, but in the early part of the book he’s affable and rather sweet; he’s clearly Iris’ match in wit and intelligence, and is possessed of a great deal of charm. It probably helps to have someone like Rosalyn Landor on board for a book like this in which it can be difficult to sympathise with one of the principals, because she’s so good at getting under the characters’ skins and reading between the lines. It’s obvious from early on that Richard is up to something, but even so, in her experienced hands (or vocal chords!) his charm – and his internal reservations – are very strongly present in her characterisation, so that the listener is reassured that whatever is going on, he’s not an out-and-out villain.

Ms Landor’s performance of the various female characters is, as ever, excellent. There are half-a-dozen secondary female characters in the story, from Iris’ mother to her younger sisters, and each is expertly differentiated and portrayed in an age-appropriate manner. She’s particularly good in her interpretation of Richard’s sister, Fleur – a strong-willed and acerbic young woman whose attitude towards her brother makes it even more difficult to understand or approve his actions. Iris, too, is brought vividly to life; she’s described as being pale in all aspects of her appearance – pale skin, pale hair, pale eyes – a woman used to fading into the background. But her personality is anything BUT pale – she’s quick-witted and sharp-tongued on occasion and Ms Landor really brings out her inner fire and resilliance, especially in the scene where she finally confronts Richard about his reluctance to consummate their marriage.

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy might not be a story that will appeal to everyone, but it’s superbly performed and very well written. Richard and Iris are clearly well-matched and their relationship, especially in the early stages, is delightful. Even after their marriage, when Richard keeps putting off telling Iris the truth because he wants to enjoy her company for as long as he can before any affection she has for him turns to hatred, one can sympathise with him and continue to enjoy the growing affection between them. It’s a book that has perhaps suffered from not being quite Ms Quinn’s usual fayre – in fact, this series has explored some darker themes than may usually be found in this author’s work but don’t that let that put you off.

Caz

Narration: A

Book Content: B-

Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence: None

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Harper Audio