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A dead employer's legacy of five thousand pounds allows spinster Hannah Pym to resign from housekeeping and find adventure traveling the English countryside by stagecoach. But adventure soon finds Miss Pym traveling with Miss Emily Freemantle, a spoiled violet-eyed beauty fleeing an arranged marriage to a rake she has never met. When the girl's darkly handsome betrothed boards their stage, Miss Pym is certain Emily was rash to bolt from this aristocratic catch! So, as soon as the travelers show more repair to an inn, Miss Pym begins her matchmaking. Although Lord Ranger Harley complains he'll not marry an ungrateful minx, Miss Pym suspects once she's marshaled the couple into sharing intimate household chores, all romantic knots will be untangled!. show lessTags
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{First in The Travelling Matchmaker series; historical fiction, 1800, George III, adventure, light-hearted, romance, clean romance}(1990)
I think that this was an LT recommendation; it's by the author of the Agatha Raisin books and was similarly lighthearted fun. This story takes place in 1800 during the reign of George III, about a decade before the Regency but the framing premise was unusual in that a housekeeper receives a bequest of £5,000 sterling (about 1/2 - 3/4 million pounds today) which lifts her from the servant class into the middle classes and enables her to live independently.
Hannah Pym, now a 45 year old spinster, has advanced up the ranks to fulfil her ambition to become a housekeeper but the atmosphere of the house she show more works in has turned sombre in recent years. Her one spark of daily excitement comes from watching the stagecoach go past the manor house and, now that she can afford it, her ambition is to travel through England.
Her first trip, the subject of this book, is on the 'Exeter Flying Machine' since that is the stagecoach which passes the house every day, for which she buys an inside ticket (ie one that allows her to sit inside the coach). But it is the depth of winter and even getting to Kensington, her former abode (can you believe that where Harrod's is now was outside London then?), is an adventure - they are accosted by a highwayman and the ever-curious Miss Pym suspects that some of the passengers are not who they claim to be. There's a Miss Emily Freemantle, for instance, running away from an arranged marriage to a rake whom she's never met - and then he turns up as well, but not to claim his intended bride.
Inevitably they become snowed-in at an inn before they can complete their normally-three day journey (in fact a fair proportion of the passengers never make it to Exeter by the end of the book) - and then the adventures really start. Miss Pym takes charge, organising the disparate personalities to manage for themselves in the absence of the inn staff and along the way acts as matchmaker between some of the characters because she feels - rightly or wrongly - that they would be better suited together than to continue on the path that they've chosen for themselves.
This story was fairly short and sweet with a bit of derring-do - Miss Pym is no shrinking violet and she usually brings out the best in others, too. She isn't ashamed of her origins but she does understand that her travelling companions would react differently to her if they knew of them; she is essentially honest (though she does occasionally resort to subterfuge to get what she hopes is the best outcome) and does tell those who ask her directly. Long years of observation (and common sense) enable her to behave as appropriate to her new status but she often slips back into old assumptions (such as not knocking before entering a room, since servants were supposed to be invisible).
I enjoyed this book, which had some amusing touches.
On to the next adventure with Miss Pam!
(March 2025)
3.5-4 stars show less
I think that this was an LT recommendation; it's by the author of the Agatha Raisin books and was similarly lighthearted fun. This story takes place in 1800 during the reign of George III, about a decade before the Regency but the framing premise was unusual in that a housekeeper receives a bequest of £5,000 sterling (about 1/2 - 3/4 million pounds today) which lifts her from the servant class into the middle classes and enables her to live independently.
Hannah Pym, now a 45 year old spinster, has advanced up the ranks to fulfil her ambition to become a housekeeper but the atmosphere of the house she show more works in has turned sombre in recent years. Her one spark of daily excitement comes from watching the stagecoach go past the manor house and, now that she can afford it, her ambition is to travel through England.
Her first trip, the subject of this book, is on the 'Exeter Flying Machine' since that is the stagecoach which passes the house every day, for which she buys an inside ticket (ie one that allows her to sit inside the coach). But it is the depth of winter and even getting to Kensington, her former abode (can you believe that where Harrod's is now was outside London then?), is an adventure - they are accosted by a highwayman and the ever-curious Miss Pym suspects that some of the passengers are not who they claim to be. There's a Miss Emily Freemantle, for instance, running away from an arranged marriage to a rake whom she's never met - and then he turns up as well, but not to claim his intended bride.
Inevitably they become snowed-in at an inn before they can complete their normally-three day journey (in fact a fair proportion of the passengers never make it to Exeter by the end of the book) - and then the adventures really start. Miss Pym takes charge, organising the disparate personalities to manage for themselves in the absence of the inn staff and along the way acts as matchmaker between some of the characters because she feels - rightly or wrongly - that they would be better suited together than to continue on the path that they've chosen for themselves.
This story was fairly short and sweet with a bit of derring-do - Miss Pym is no shrinking violet and she usually brings out the best in others, too. She isn't ashamed of her origins but she does understand that her travelling companions would react differently to her if they knew of them; she is essentially honest (though she does occasionally resort to subterfuge to get what she hopes is the best outcome) and does tell those who ask her directly. Long years of observation (and common sense) enable her to behave as appropriate to her new status but she often slips back into old assumptions (such as not knocking before entering a room, since servants were supposed to be invisible).
I enjoyed this book, which had some amusing touches.
‘We are in need of your help,’ said Emily. ‘Mrs Bradley is s-stuck in the bath.’ She began to giggle helplessly, leaning against the kitchen door. Lord Harley began to laugh as well.Coach travel, in this story at least (I don't know enough historical detail to confirm it), seems to have blurred some class distinctions (between nobility and gentry using coaches rather than private travel means, for instance) and created others (whether you rode inside or outside the coach). Maybe I'll learn more in the other stories in this series.
The door opened a crack and Hannah’s cold eye surveyed the laughing pair. ‘Pull yourselves together,’ she admonished. ‘My lord, be as quick and deft as you can, for Mrs Bradley is sore embarrassed.’
They followed Hannah into the kitchen. Not only Mrs Bradley’s body was covered by a sheet but her face as well.
Give me your hands, Mrs Bradley,’ ordered Lord Harley. Two hands appeared from below the sheet. He gave a great heave. The bath tilted and more water flooded on the floor but Mrs Bradley remained stuck fast.
‘I am sorry about this,’ he said, bending over the coffin-shaped tin bath to examine her more closely. He took off his coat and rolled up his shirt-sleeves and slid his hands into the water under the sheet and then, as a squawk of sheer outrage rose from Mrs Bradley’s lips, under her bottom. With one almightly wrench he lifted her clear from the bath and set her down on her feet.
Panting and blushing, Mrs Bradley wrapped the sheet round her ample body.
‘Like Venus rising from the foam,’ said Lord Harley gently and kissed one plump cheek.
‘Oh, go on with you, me lord,’ giggled a newly coquettish Mrs Bradley.
On to the next adventure with Miss Pam!
(March 2025)
3.5-4 stars show less
Miss Pym has served in the same household since she was a 12 year old scullery maid. Now 45 and filling the very respectable role of housekeeper, she is concerned when her employer, a depressed recluse, dies (will she be able to find another job at her age?) and then utterly astounded to receive the substantial sum of 5000 pounds. She decides to have Adventures as she has longed to do through many years of seldom leaving the estate. Her idea of adventure is to buy a ticket to travel on the stagecoach, the destination being secondary to the very experience of travel. There's a lot of adventure on her first trip: an attempted robbery and a snowstorm that strands the travellers for days at a small inn, just for starters. Used to managing show more the affairs of a large house and straightening out her fellow servants' lives, Miss Pym cannot resist the temptation to fix things up for the rest of the travellers as well. Emily, who doesn't actually end up completing her trip to Exeter, is just one of the beneficiaries of Miss Pym's efforts!
Chesney as usual displays a deep understanding of class divisions and servants' roles during the period. This book (and the rest of the series) are cosy reads but not deep reading to return to often. I've read one or two of the others but I'm not likely to find any more at the library 35 years after publication nor do I feel motivated enough or wealthy enough to track them down via second-hand booksellers. Still I should like to know what became of our heroine if I ever come across another of the series. show less
Chesney as usual displays a deep understanding of class divisions and servants' roles during the period. This book (and the rest of the series) are cosy reads but not deep reading to return to often. I've read one or two of the others but I'm not likely to find any more at the library 35 years after publication nor do I feel motivated enough or wealthy enough to track them down via second-hand booksellers. Still I should like to know what became of our heroine if I ever come across another of the series. show less
Most romances focus on the hero and heroine. M.C. Beaton's Emily Goes to Exeter, the first in the Travelling Matchmaker series, is not like most romances. Instead of centering on the couple at hand, this story takes as its main character Miss Hannah Pym, the long time housekeeper of the late Mr. Clarence of Thornton Hall. It's 1800 and Miss Pym is fascinated by the stage coach, "flying machines," that gallops past the estate every day on its way to Exeter. Upon receiving a bequest in Mr. Clarence's will and encouraged by his kindly brother, she can finally indulge her greatest romantic fantasy, travelling by said stage coach. She arranges her affairs and sets out on what turns into quite an adventure. When the coachman runs the coach show more into a rut and a storm blows in, the passengers of the coach are stranded at a local inn where the proprietor's wife is under the weather herself. Miss Pym proves to be a keen observer of human nature and a woman of action, taking charge of both the inn and her fellow passengers to keep things running smoothly. She has to contend with one spoiled society miss, badly disguised as a young man, trying to run away from the match her parents have made for her, the match himself, a widow fearful of life alone and the bully she's eloping with, a mild mannered lawyer, and several others as well. As she watches her fellow passengers, she quietly determines to help them along in their romantic lives.
Hannah is a mightily capable character. She's smart and compassionate and thinks the best of almost everyone. She's also a bit of a busybody and it's easy to see that she is perfect as an accidental matchmaker. Her delight in the little freedom that riding the stage coach gives her is infectious. The plot is full of hijinks and the story gives off a feel of true joie de vivre. There's nothing very complicated here and the brevity of the tale means that the other characters are of necessity sketched only in broad outlines but it's a short, light, and charming book for those who are looking for a little lovable sweetness in their historical romances. show less
Hannah is a mightily capable character. She's smart and compassionate and thinks the best of almost everyone. She's also a bit of a busybody and it's easy to see that she is perfect as an accidental matchmaker. Her delight in the little freedom that riding the stage coach gives her is infectious. The plot is full of hijinks and the story gives off a feel of true joie de vivre. There's nothing very complicated here and the brevity of the tale means that the other characters are of necessity sketched only in broad outlines but it's a short, light, and charming book for those who are looking for a little lovable sweetness in their historical romances. show less
A well-written Regency romance is a fun read. This series promises to be one of the good ones. The main character is the "almost old" Miss Pym who, at the age of 45, finally can follow her dreams. When the travelers are stuck in a snowstorm, Miss Pym finds her forte as a matchmaker.
In a Regency, the reader knows what the end will be. Boy and girl will be suitably matched up. The important part is how they get there. With this series, I enjoyed the character of Miss Pym. She had lived her life vicariously but now is out in the wider world. I really empathize with that.
I would recommend this book to people who like the original Regencies, where the sexiest it gets is a passionate, but chaste, kiss. I have already acquired the sequel.
In a Regency, the reader knows what the end will be. Boy and girl will be suitably matched up. The important part is how they get there. With this series, I enjoyed the character of Miss Pym. She had lived her life vicariously but now is out in the wider world. I really empathize with that.
I would recommend this book to people who like the original Regencies, where the sexiest it gets is a passionate, but chaste, kiss. I have already acquired the sequel.
This was a surprisingly delightful read, the first of the regency traveling matchmaker series. It's the tale of Miss Hannah Pym, a housekeeper turned heiress. The inimitable Miss Pym has always wanted to travel by stagecoach, and now that she can, she hits the road for Exeter. Immediately, adventures come her way, and she deals with all of it and all the other characters in a humorous and capable manner. Not great literature, but a fun light read.
Charming book set in 1800, about a servant who inherits five thousand pounds and decides to travel the English countryside. Hijinks ensue, including a bit of mystery with a dash of romance.
Delicious in every way. Simple characters and a simple plot crafted beautifully. Such a joy to read like eating cake!
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M. C. Beaton's real name is Marion Chesney. She was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1936. She has written over a hundred books under her own name and other pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Helen Crampton, Jennie Tremaine, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester. She started her writing career while working as a fiction buyer for a bookstore in Glasgow. Working at show more one time or another as a theater critic, newspaper reporter, and editor, she used her British background to write a series of regency romances set in England and Scotland. Some of her regency romances include The Folly, Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue, and Regency Gold. In 1986, she was awarded the Romantic Times Award for Outstanding Regency Series Writer. She has also written two mystery series under the pseudonym M. C. Beaton: The Hamish Macbeth Series, which became the inspiration for a television show in England, and The Agatha Raisin Series, about a retired advertising executive. Her title His and Hers made The New York Times Best Seller List for 2012. Marion Chesney passed away on December 31, 2019 at the age of 83. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Series
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- Original title
- Emily Goes to Exeter
- Original publication date
- 1990-11
- People/Characters
- Emily Freemantle; Lord Ranger Harley; Hannah Pym
- Important places
- Exeter, Devon, England, UK
- Important events
- Regency Era
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- Members
- 233
- Popularity
- 140,083
- Reviews
- 11
- Rating
- (3.51)
- Languages
- English, German, Hungarian
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 26
- ASINs
- 11
