LemonSky reviewed Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart
Review of 'Nine Coaches Waiting' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This is a Stewart novel that I have been wanting to read for some time. I was not disappointed.
Belinda "Linda" Martin is half French and was raised in France for a good portion of her life. After her parents are killed in a plane crash, she is sent to live in an orphanage in England, her father's home country. Linda's previous job was at an English boys' school, which she hated. She jumps at the opportunity to be the governess of the young Comte de Valmy in the French countryside. The boy's aunt and uncle want an English governess because they want little Philippe to learn the language. Linda does not tell them that she speaks French fluently, a deception that becomes increasingly hard to maintain.
Philippe is a sad, pathetic little fellow, mourning the recent loss of his parents in a plane crash, and separated from his favorite …
This is a Stewart novel that I have been wanting to read for some time. I was not disappointed.
Belinda "Linda" Martin is half French and was raised in France for a good portion of her life. After her parents are killed in a plane crash, she is sent to live in an orphanage in England, her father's home country. Linda's previous job was at an English boys' school, which she hated. She jumps at the opportunity to be the governess of the young Comte de Valmy in the French countryside. The boy's aunt and uncle want an English governess because they want little Philippe to learn the language. Linda does not tell them that she speaks French fluently, a deception that becomes increasingly hard to maintain.
Philippe is a sad, pathetic little fellow, mourning the recent loss of his parents in a plane crash, and separated from his favorite uncle, Hippolyte, an archaeologist who is out of the country. He is staying with his uncle, Leon, who is confined to a wheelchair due to an accident before Philippe was born. Leon is the heir if anything happens to Philippe. Leon's second wife, the beautiful, elegant Heloise, is the one who hires Linda and introduces her to Valmy. However, it is Leon's son Raoul (by his English first wife) who makes the biggest impression on Linda.
Just as Linda comes to love her new life - and her young charge - she discovers that not everything is so peaceful and wonderful about her new home. There are attempts on Philippe's life, and Linda realizes that she is the only person standing between Philippe and his killer. She does not know whom to trust.
Ms Stewart's writing is superb. She does an excellent job of descriptions and brings even secondary characters like the fashion designer Florimond and the young Englishman, William Blake, to life. Most of all, I loved Linda and little Philippe, who really blossoms under her care. Even the villains (well, two of them) are sympathetic. I also have a soft spot for a writer who drops references to John Keats, Jacobean drama, and Jane Eyre. That's something you don't see any more.
Very recommended.
