Never Say Duke – A Sheltered Maiden and a Viscount

It’s been a while since I read something in this series. I took a break to see if I could commit to the anthology I was trying to give a chance, but you all know how well that went so I’m back to this lovely heartwarming series.

The fourth volume focuses on Viscount Theo… I can’t spell his last name to save my life and Virginia Underwood who has made several appearances in previous novels. I liked Virginia right away for her always willing to lend a hand to critters in need, like her cat, Duke, and the birds in the aviary.

But, I knew right away that there was something authentic about her, she felt unwanted and always discarded by people who didn’t want or need her. The thing is, the author makes it very cryptic about what it is until you get to the end of the book. When she and Theo grow close, she talks to him about how she failed to find a suitable husband within a certain time period, how she struggled in social situations and from the looks of it, her parents disowned her and had her locked up for a brief period of time.

Bear in mind this is the 1800’s so things were a lot different back then for anyone with mental and social challenges, thank Primus it’s better now than it was during that era. Then, Virginia found a home in the village but never stopped worrying that people would no longer need her, be it friends, those in Marlowe castle, or possibly someone she could love.

I thought Theo was interesting in this story as well, he was a war veteran hoping to recover somewhere private before returning to London to wed a noblewoman he was promised to, even if he did not love her. But when he meets Virginia who nurses him back to health, he soon learns that being with someone he loves is far more important than reputation.

There were a lot of sweet moments in this story, nothing too steamy this time, and I like how the author maintains a balance of that, while still managing to deliver a heartfelt short story with very vivid scenery. I also thought it was cute how their mutual love for ice cream brought them together.

So, surprise, I was right about Virginia, she has autism, like me, even if the author never mentions it. My first clue to spotting it was when she said she felt socially awkward, kept to herself, and was always avoiding any situations that could make her uncomfortable or like she didn’t belong. I have always felt the same way in certain circumstances so I relate to Virginia a lot.

She didn’t deserve to have her parents throw her away because she was different and then she found someone who accepted her and that story is a win in my books, plus I love these regency stories so there’s that too.