New Daily Online Read: His American Duchess by Anna Schmidt

Nice opening! I hope they all enjoy the ballet.

Seems like this is going to be an interesting read.  Good start!

Ok, her family lost their fortune, she doesn't sell her artwork (which is apparently very good), so tell me how is she affording to live abroad?????   Sounds like she was very sheltered, yet she's on her own.  WHat is her tie to Yves?  Wonder if we will get some of these answers soon... 

Hmmmm, this story has me intrigued and wanting to know more...   wonder how she hooked up with Yves...  sounds like she left America under a cloud of misfortune...still wondering how she is supporting herself.  Maybe the family isn't totally broke, but she seems to not want anything to do with them...

I'm curious about many things.  The story indicates that her father "ruined" them and, later, that she left to avoid romantic entanglements where the "gentleman" would expect something in return.  So, it sounds as though she broke off her engagement because, perhaps, in her diminished financial situation, her fiance thought he might expect liberties, perhaps, in exchange for her hand in marriage.

I also am curious as to what brought August to what I assume was Yves' shop in the beginning.  He had a driver waiting for him, but all he appeared to do was look at her art and then invite them to the ballet as his guests.  I wonder what his original intent for the visit was.

Like others have said, I wonder how she is supporting herself, since she has not wanted to sell her art.  I also wonder why someone who wants to avoid romance is a natural flirt.  That would seem to draw her into them rather than help her avoid them, I'd think. 

Last, but not least, I wonder what "web" Yves thinks Jeanne is trying to draw August into when he warns her that August is no fool.  He implies that she is somehow trying to ensnare August, but not as a patron, since she has not wanted to sell her art and not as a romantic interest.  Hmmm.  What else might she have in mind?  That one has me really curious.

Yes, I think it's pretty safe to say that we know at least one thing that she definitely is not looking for. 

FYI: Hard to give a lot of back story in this kind of writing (and of course, the editors are hoping you will read  or have already read SEASIDE CINDERELLA) but I can certainly see where you would have ????, dear readers. So here's the digest version of J's background: Jeanne was engaged to Gabe, the hero of SEASIDE CINDERELLA but broke it off when she realized that he was in love with his parents' housekeeper, Lucie. She also realized that her father had really used the engagement to cement his business dealings with Gabe and that's why she's estranged from her family. Gabe, being the honorable soul that he is made sure that her family did not lose everything and that Jeanne could live comfortably (if not luxuriously) in Paris. Hope that helps -- now I really must fly -- packing is calling!!! Anna

So glad you stopped by to share. I'm glad you made the connection for us, because I, too, thought she sounded familiar but couldn't place her. Now the lightbulb has clicked on!

Hope you have an uneventful move and can join us again soon.

Dream

I, too was wondering.  So obviously this means that I will have to buy two books?  Sneaky!  It will be interesting to watch this one unfold...

Good luck with your packing and move!  Thanks for filling in the digest version.  It helps.  There are still things I'm curious about, but that's a good thing.  It means you've written an intriguing story so far, and I am eager to read the rest to get some additional answers!

Yes, it answers many questions and leaves us with a few more to keep us coming back.

By the way, what was up with the teeny, tiny print in today's chapter?   [I see that's been fixed now as well as a problem on the main reads page, but eHarlequin must be adjusting things because various pages are looking very funky today!]

me too, Dream!  I am remembering more though.  I remember Luci and Gabe. I'm also recalling I didn't like her dad.   I will have to go find the book and skim through it again. I know as soon as i do that I will remember a lot more...

I'm still wondering how she met up with Yves...

Oh! He's going to make her a proposition.  Since this is steeple Hill, it couldn't be the usual type of proposition, so I wonder what he is going to propose?

I'm thinking he's going to ask her to do his portrait.  It says something about him commissioning her to do a portrait in the blurb. 

I wonder how much older he is than she is...    seems to me it didn't really matter how much older the men were then the women they married as long as the women were of child-bearing age.  Could be her mom's friend is just jealous...  wonder if she's going to be spreading rumors about Jeanne...

I'm amazed that people were staring simply because she walked into an open art gallery, where some other guests were also milling about, with her host and, earlier, simply because he is older than she and unmarried.  I think it was probably not so terribly uncommon for older men to court young women during that time period, especially, as someone mentioned, when progeny was a concern and when many women died in childbirth.  In any case, if he is courting her (as I'm sure he is, or soon will be), he is certainly doing it with attention to propriety, so I suppose part of what has everyone staring is the rumor about his former fiancée and whether or not he could have saved her. 

I'm glad that Jeanne is not paying too much attention to them so far!

Thanks for the info on Yves!  Hopefully it wasn't edited out, but in case it was, this is nice to know.

I think you might have made your way up north a bit too early....  We got some snow flakes in E. TN this afternoon.  I wish I was in Florida right now!!!!

Enjoy your night!

she's going to find it very difficult to resist August's charm.  Will he still have the sad look in his eyes after her first few sketches?

So happy you all seem to be drawn to August -- loved the 'wounded puppy' comment! And yes, I do pine for Florida but my friends down there tell me it was "only" in the sixties today with a cold wind -- hmmm, wonder if Florida ever heard of the wind chill factor!!! Take care all. ANNA

I suspect that when he sees the sketches, he will understand that she sees the real man and not just the facade and will like the sketches.

She should start as she means to go on.  If she wants to be trampled upon, she has just given him permission.  Of course, this is the first time.  If it happens again, she should get up and go.

If I'm remembering correctly, he was something like an hour and fifteen minutes late.  I would probably have left when the first message of apology for the delay came, if not before, with a message for him to reschedule.  Of course, it's hard to say for sure, since that was a different time.  He couldn't whip out his cell phone and give her a call.  If you were truly delayed in those days, unless you happened to have someone with you who could serve as a runner to carry your message, you couldn't exactly let the person who was awaiting you know what was holding you up.  Even if you had a runner, depending upon where you were and what caused the delay, he might or might not be able to get your message to the other person in a short period of time.  So, I'm thinking that people probably tended to be a bit more patient in those days, but an hour still seems like more than enough time to wait.  Still, up to that point, I probably wouldn't have been upset -- just a bit annoyed.

However, after hearing his explanation, I might have been a bit ticked off.  I think I'd have wondered, like someone else mentioned, whether there was not someone else who might have chased down the horse.  It was also the way he said it:  "And if I told you...?" as opposed to "This is what happened," as if feeling out what excuse might be suitable.  Perhaps they were at some distance away when the horse broke away, but if there were someone along who rode back to convey the Duke's apologies over the delay, then why couldn't that person have chased down the horse?  Perhaps the companion was on the horse when it broke away, which may have posed a danger of some kind for which the Duke felt he needed to take personal responsibility, but I would have expected him to let me know that in more detail and would have expected a more profuse apology and a request to stay if possible, rather than the assumption that I simply would since I had no further engagements. 

And, then, of course, there's the issue of the companion...  Not that they have established a dating relationship, but it's clear that there has been an attraction between them.  So, I'd be very curious about the companion and about the fact that he didn't put a name to the companion.  Hmmmm. 

All in all, this story is very interesting.  I can't wait to see where it goes after she completes the sketches.

Are they going to see his ectchings?  hmmm steeple hill, I guess not...

Wonder if he also painted and if that has something to do with whatever happened to put him in exile...  Lots to think about and guess at.

I wonder if we will find out who is companion was on the ride.  I also was surprised that she waited that long.   A half hour would have been more than enough -- than she should have left and "rescheduled."

Is he planning to show her other paintings or something else? 

I'm seriously thinking that I should put you on some sort of advice committee to help with my next book!! Believe me I struggled with having her wait that length of time -- like many of you I would have been SO outta there!! Keep the comments/speculation coming but first... have a lovely holiday weekend with hopefully many loved ones gathered near. May you give and receive love on all fronts at this special season and for the days and weeks to come!! All best, Anna

Dream said, "Anyone else want to hazard a guess on what he's about to show her?"

My first thought was a one eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater. 

What can I say?  I never seem to think of 'normal' things....