The Passionate Elopement

Curtain Wells is a town where nothing much happens except love, gossip, and the relentless pursuit of the next dance. When the lovesick Mr. Vernon arrives, he's immediately captivated by the elusive Phyllida Courteen, whose heart seems as difficult to capture as the town's famous mineral waters. But Vernon isn't the only suitor, and the intervention of the outrageously flamboyant Beau Ripple threatens to transform a simple courtship into a full-blown scandal. As the town gears up for its most anticipated ball of the year, relationships become tangled, reputations hang in the balance, and the question isn't whether love will triumph, but whether anyone will escape with their dignity intact. This is early Mackenzie at his most effervescent: a comedy of manners that treats the dramas of the heart with exactly the right amount of seriousness and silliness. For readers who crave light, witty romance with a touch of period charm and social satire.