HR-ML's Reviews > The Work of Art

Winner of the 2020 Holt Medallion.

England 1814. Gave this 3 stars. The hero, a good man,
was moody & unpredictable, and at times overreacted.
This had behind closed doors intimacy.

Her Grandpa raised Phyllida "Philly" in the country. Upon
his death, she was taken in my her Uncle Edgar, a London
financier & his widowed sister Mrs. Vale. Mrs. V. spoke down
to & criticized shy Philly. Who preferred to wear her old
clothing when dog-walking. Philly's female cousins acted
quarrelsome and subjected her to too-blunt comments.

Philly had auburn hair, one blue eye and one brown and
creamy skin. Some thought her an unconventional beauty.
Arthur Heywood, former army Captain, met w/ Edgar &
other men in London, concerning a poss. business venture.
He had a limp and was an earl's 2nd son. While talking
business, in walked Philly with her 4 rescue dogs (the one
she carried was lame). The MCs subsequently ran into
each other a few times in the park.

Her uncle gifted 23 year old Philly with one social season.
A duke, about 60, was attracted to and waltzed w/ her.
On another outing, she noticed he was mean to his dogs.
Long story short, the duke & Uncle Edgar arranged an
engagement contract w/o telling her. She rejected the
duke. She asked Art to adopt her dogs but he proposed
a MOC instead.

Art had war-related nightmares. Later he shared w/
Philly he was moody before the war & moodier after it.
I doubt Art's father would've brought his mistress to
newlywed Art's country home, w/ Philly there.

My fav. scene? When Philly and Art's scheming former
intended, spoke privately.