Tilly

Edwardian Candlelight #4

by Jennie Tremaine, Marion Chesney

The Beast. That was what they called her. With her plump body and rough tomboy ways, she was more like a clown. It was hopeless. Poor, penniless Tilly could only sit among the chaperons as paid companion to the spiteful Lady Aileen and dream.

But suddenly Phillip, Marquess of Heppleford-- the most eligible bachelor of them all--up and married her. He meant to keep his freedom, fulfill the conditions of his father's will, and shock his aunts. He never imagined he'd return from a scandalous adventure in Paris to find a seductive beauty... a beauty who had learned that loving well is the best revenge...

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Fiction, Historical, Regency, Audiobook, Regency Romance

247 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1981

About the author

Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, M.C. Beaton, Sarah Chester.

Marion Gibbons (née Chesney) was a Scottish writer of romance and mystery novels. Marion wrote her historical romances under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, as well as several pseudonyms ( Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, and Charlotte Ward). Using the pseudonym M.C. Beaton she also wrote many popular mystery novels, most notably the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth mystery series. Both of these book series have been adapted for TV. Because of her great success with mystery novels her publishers both in the U.S. and abroad began using the M.C. Beaton pseudonym for all of her novels.

Reviews

[Ivy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tilly, the heroine in this story, was just like the sad, lonely and unhappy puppy standing in a corner all by his cute lonesome self ! I hadn't wanted to read this novel after the blurb described the heroine as a "beast" and when one of the reviews stated that the H had gone off with his mistress to Paris. But, curiosity got the better of me because I enjoy Marion Chesney's novels and I wanted to find out about the cheating H too. Suffice to say that I didn't like the H because he was even more shallow than yours truly. He only married Tilly because he needed a wife in order to meet the stringent demands of his father's will. He could've married any other woman since lots of debutantes were anxious to be a marchioness but he chose Tilly because she was so unattractive and meek that she wouldn't interfere with his life and he could just leave her in the country and go do whatever he wanted with whichever woman caught his fancy.

This was a bittersweet romance novel and an ugly duckling story. Tilly was the ugly duckling only daughter of an impoverished Earl. She's an overweight tomboy with no maternal influence who's infatuated with the H Phillip, the Marquess of Heppleford. Tilly's not ugly by any means; she just doesn't know how to make the most of her looks. After her father dies, she's left with no dowry and an annual income of only 50 pounds a year but that doesn't kill any of her romantic dreams for true love:



After her dad dies, she gets a job as a companion to a vicious duchess whose equally malicious daughter Amelia makes fun of her public and calls her the "Beast". In fact, the kind and gullible heroine doesn't even understand exactly how evil these 2 women are and there's one pathetic scene where Tilly thinks that Amelia is impressed with the way she looks but it's in fact the very opposite:


“Nonsense,” said Aileen. “Let me look at you, Tilly. Why, I never saw you look so grand. You’re magnificent. Leave her alone, Francine, and run along, do. Honestly, Tilly,” she went on as the maid reluctantly left the room. “You look grand!”

Tilly was surprised and gratified to see actual tears of emotion in Aileen’s eyes. She did not know that Aileen was trying to suffocate a delighted burst of giggles. The Beast had surpassed herself. She was too, too utterly marvelous. Just like a clown!

M.C. Beaton. Tilly (Kindle Locations 353-356). Constable & Robinson. Kindle Edition.

But Aileen eventually pays for being so evil to the heroine after the H marries Tilly. Tilly's married life starts off in a depressing manner, however. Phillip, the H, treated Tilly with a sort of distant brotherly fondness and left her at his country estate right after they got married. He wasn't interested in consummating the marriage because he didn't find poor Tilly attractive and he just rushed off to Paris where he embarked on a month long affair with a French courtesan/whore. Phillip's neglect and indifference were disgusting, in my opinion. He seemed to think that Tilly's feelings ought not to be hurt by all the scandalous gossip that was written about him and the courtesan, in the newspapers. He was a very selfish H who didn't deserve to be adored by Tilly. And that annoyed me even more ! Tilly was like a little puppy who keeps coming back for scoldings over and over again.

Tilly's maid was the one who helped her with her makeover from ugly duckling to beautiful swan. The maid taught her to dress properly, fix her curls correctly and to eat healthy foods so that she lost the extra pounds in a few months. By the time the adulterer H had gotten tired of his whore and returned home, Tilly was absolutely beautiful. The dirty douchebag H was pleased when he realized that his wife was now a curvaceous bombshell redhead and he starting panting after her to have sex with him. I just laughed bitterly because his "love" was far too convenient and it happened too quickly. Tilly did become a strong woman and she argued with him and gave him a good run for his money. But I still never grew to like Phillip. Tilly deserved a better man because she was a wonderful woman. The plot is also complicated by the fact that the H's cousin is trying to murder both him and Tilly. The cousin was the next in line to inherit the title and all the wealth that goes with the marquessate.

I didn't enjoy this all that much but I did have some fun laughing at how Aileen ended up getting the best comeuppance ever ! Aileen gets dumped by her fiance Toby because he decides to marry Tilly's maid and the next guy Aileen becomes engaged to also jilts her after he saw that she's a wicked, selfish shrew. Phillip and Tilly got their happy ever after ending and the H did grovel a lot but his cheating with the courtesan in Paris had soured me too much because of how much it had hurt the heroine when she read about it in the newspapers. Added to that was the fact that all her acquaintances in the Ton had been laughing at her and making jokes at her expense, as a result of the adultery.

[Alexia McDuffy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 81%
Tried so hard to finish, but this book is so badly written.

[Mela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it was so-so. Just one of the indistinctive (Edwardian) romances by Chesney.

I don't regret reading it, but I don't recommend it either. There are many better love stories by the author.

[2-2.5 stars]

[Ellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

the cheating??!! he slapped her??? the star is only for the ljttle plot twist at the end w Lady Eileen

[starryeyedjen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more my style: an innocent young girl schemes to make her marriage of convenience one of love and is nearly murdered in the process. :) I kind of missed Tilly's tomboyish ways by the end of the book, but there was no tamping down that spirit. I don't know if I'll continue past this series, as far as this author's work goes -- and there's a lot of them -- but they're short and sweet and mildly entertaining. And they've put me well ahead of my GR goal already. ;)

[MarilynLovesNature · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably a 4.5 or 5. This regency romance by Marion Chesney (It took me a while to find this listing since she used a different name other than her real name Marion Chesney or MC Beaton). I was really happy to discover this well written and entertaining regency romance, after reading many of them. The heroine was unusual in that she was a bit of a tomboy and used unladylike language, which was humorous. There were several unpleasant characters that the author described creatively. I liked the Marquess's friend, Toby and also the French lady's maid Francine, who befriended Tilly and made a difference in her life. The Marquess seemed pompous at first but I liked that he did not accept that Tilly was the butt of jokes used in entertaining "society", and spoke up for her even though she appeared unattractive. The story kept my interest throughout. It had the author's wit and poetic descriptions of nature, that add much to her books.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook read by Emma Powell.

I like Beaton's romances; they are generally a good balance of lightheartedness and slightly ridiculous melodrama, which is how Heyer wrote hers, so who are we to question.

This one however was let down by the hero/heroine pair. Tilly is quite likeable at the beginning, I think, but has to be completely transformed in manners and appearance to be attractive to her husband and society, which is rather a shame. I think Philip completely unlikeable. He enters the marriage with intentions of infidelity and fulfills those very quickly. He changes tune for Tilly only when his father's new will requires it and when she's past her transformation. He also hits her at one point. I'm sure some would appreciate this as realistic for the period, but it doesn't suit my preference in a romance, and I find it difficult to imagine that their hea is lasting.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tilly, nicknamed 'The Beast' by a nasty acquaintance, ends up being a swan after a makeover.

I read this book years ago and remember enjoying it. I thought I'd give it a quick skim before donating and instead ended up re-reading the majority of it. It has humor, a great heroine that I really cared about, and interesting side characters. Philip though - he's a flashback to how men were written in romance novels years ago (my copy of this book was published in 1987). He's probably an accurate representation of the time period but it's hard to switch off your 'ugh' factor after he's left Tilly immediately after their wedding to visit his mistress. I can rarely get through romances anymore so a re-read is evidence that this is a good one.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this five stars in part because of nostalgia. When I was not even in junior high, I was reading voraciously and just starting to read what my grandma loved: modern romance. I found Tilly in the attic, along with other rejected or forgotten books. I had never seen anything like it among her romances and I was intrigued. I fell in love with Tilly and I began a long love-affair with historical romances, especially regency romances. For this reason, I could never rate Tilly lower.

The writing is good, though a bit of an older style. The plotline is a bit cringe for many modern or liberal readers. Many of us, however, can understand how it feels to not fit in and be seen as unattractive or awkward and in that way, I think you can really connect with Tilly and her romantic plight.

[Patrizia · Rating 3 out of 5]

C'è chi a Natale si gode un cine-panettone e chi, invece, cerca un 'libro-panettone'. Per il secondo anno di seguito ho avuto la mano buona, con Marion Chesney/M.C. Beaton: un romanzo 'edoardiano' per ristorare lo spirito nelle pause tra ultimi-acquisti-cenone-pranzo-di Natale; non tanto emozionante da sottrarti ai tuoi doveri festivi, ma da leggere con il sorriso sulle labbra e con qualche momento di vera ilarità.
E se un libro – senza pretese di alta letteratura – è capace di raggiungere questo risultato, onore alla sua infaticabile autrice!

[grumpy_bookdragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tilly, a tomboy raised as a son, is a Lords daughter, but soon falls on hard times as her father dies heavily in debt because of a visit from the King. She gets a job as a companion for Lady Aileen, who creates stories of Tilly being a Beast.

The Marquess of Heppleford finds a will after his father saying he will marry within a month or forfeit his inheritance.

Lovely story, and loved Tillys development from unrural country bumpkin to charming young lady.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book about a girl changing from a young girl in to a young lady. This book was enjoyable to read. It moved along quickly and I liked the characters. The heroine wasn't spoilt. She got on with life and learned by her mistakes. She was a very fast learner.

[Tasneem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tilly's change from tomboy to beautiful seductress is wonderfully captured. I adored Francine and I totally get her practicality in marrying Tony. I find Beaton such an excellent critic of human weaknesses and strengths, and she writes about very real emotions and failings with humour and wit.

[Karen Darling · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book to be tedious.

[Mary Crotty · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute!

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay book. I dont like how much of the book was taken up with having to change her physical appearance to make her desirable.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember liking these a lot more. Plot seemed flat and underdeveloped.

[jacki yong · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Beast becomes Beauty

Tilly gives all us lumbering, tomboyish girls hope for a happy ending. A lovely, sympathetic tale of schoolgirl turned siren.

[Bookish]

DNF

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. Some funny scenes but I never really warmed up to the Marquess.

[Stormi (StormReads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book by M. C. Beaton and if I get the chance I would be up to reading some more of her books (or listening).

Poor Tilly is called the 'beast' because she is always made up horribly and is a little plump. She is left penniless when her father died and she is now resigned to being a paid chaperon. She is a tomboy and doesn't know anything really about how to dress or put on makeup and nobody really seems to want to help the they would just much rather make fun of her.

The Marquess Heppleford doesn't really want to get married but his father put in his will that he must marry within one month of the reading of the will or he forfeits his wealth to his nephew. Phillip is not happy with this and since he has to marry he decides to just floor everyone with his choice of Tilly. He states that it will be more of a business arrangement, but Tilly didn't exactly know what that meant until later. All she knows is that she fancies herself in love with him.

Phillip leaves Tilly on their wedding night to go back to Paris to be with his mistress. This leaves Tilly to all the gossip around town, but soon she hires a french maid she knew to give her a make over. With proper diet and knowledge of social graces she transforms from the beast to a butterfly and surprises Phillip when he comes home.

Tilly was very niave but she had gumption and that was what I liked about her. I think my favorite part was when she smacks the Marquess in the nose after he smacked her. It was their first fight and she held her own and it made me laugh.

I was not a real fan of Phillip even though he redeems himself at the end I found his actions deplorable. I mean, he left his new wife on their wedding night to go to his mistress! I would not have been as forgiving and Tilly was even if in love. He does something else that also makes me made but I don't want to mention it. Over all he just wasn't a very likable character in my eyes.

Despite not liking Phillip the books is really more about Tilly and what she does for love and so in that retrospect I enjoyed the novel. This was a quick listen and I enjoyed it and think that if you like historical romances you should give it a try.

The Narrator

This was read by Charlotte Anne Dore. The narrator was okay but she wasn't the best I have heard and her male voices were horrible and a bit grading on the ears. Once I got use to her it was okay but I think it would have been better with a different narrator.

[Jaimey · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a nutshell: Gauche and chubby Lady Tilly is left destitute when her father dies and ends up working for a neighbor, Lady Aileen, as her companion. Lady Aileen treats her abominably, and the Marquess of Heppleford steps in to rescue her, offering a marriage of convenience. He abandons her on their wedding day and she makes herself over with the help of her maid, Francine, determined to make him fall in love with her.

My opinion: Typical Marion Chesney except Edwardian instead of Regency. Little facts are dropped here and there but nothing too in depth or off topic. The storyline is fairly common but Ms Chesney manages a level of humor that causes the reader to suddenly bust out laughing. I believe Ms Chesney takes great delight in mocking the eccentricities of the upper classes of the time periods she portrays.

I found Tilly's metamorphosis quite believable. Considering she was chubby and made up like a clown before Francine got a hold of her, it makes sense that a simple makeover and diet could transform her into a physical beauty. As for her hoydenish behavior, she has a few relapses, showing that she was still the same underneath despite all the studying of etiquette she was made to do.

Honestly, I don't have much of an opinion of the hero. He was typical, I think, of his upbringing, feeling he had certain rights just because he was born male and wealthy. For all that, he was not too bad. Other than the cheating thing. That was reprehensible.

Overall, it was a light, enjoyable read.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frumpy tomboy The Honorable Matilda has been treated as a son for her whole life. She enjoys the hunt and does not dream of romance. She does entertain thoughts of becoming friends with the handsome Phillip, Marquess of Heppleford, a most eligible bachelor. When Tilly's father dies leaving her penniless, she becomes the hired companion of Lady Aileen who treats Tilly cruelly, referring to Tilly as "the Beast." Phillip learns that his eccentric late father left a will stipulating that Phillip will only inherit if he marries within two months of his father's death. Time is running out and Phillip feels sorry for Tilly and charms her into agreeing to marry him as a purely business relationship. Tilly readily agrees, being in love with the handsome Marquess, but without really understanding the arrangement. Phillip rushes off to his French courtesan leaving Tilly alone in England to weather the gossip. With help from her French maid, Tilly transforms into a fashionable lady. When Phillip returns to England after learning about a later will, he discovers his wife is the toast of the countryside and even his own best friend is in love with her. Tilly only has eyes for Phillip and she wants to win his heart. His sneaky cousin and snobby aunts try to interfere and nearly ruin the fledgling relationship. The plot moves slowly towards the usual end. I felt very sorry for Tilly and found her annoying for much of the book. None of the other characters are likable and the story just isn't as funny as Chesney's Regencies.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tilly is paid companion to the unpleasant Lady Aileen who has nicknamed her ‘The Beast’ and makes fun of her to all her friends. But Tilly has her dreams and it seems like a dream come true when Philip, Marquis of Heppleford, takes an interest in her and then proposes.

Their marriage seems doomed to disaster when Philip spends his wedding night with a courtesan in Paris but Tilly vows to make him fall in love with her. With the help of lady’s maid, Francine, she transforms herself into a well-dressed, well behaved and beautiful young woman though her transformation does not stop her snubbing those who try to upset her.

This is an entertaining light read which is set in the Edwardian era. I liked Tilly as a character and the eccentric guests at her first house party are amusing and well-drawn. I loved the way Tilly proved she could stand up for herself and I liked the way all the servants supported her and did their best to protect her.

This is not meant to be great literature but if you want a light hearted romance with a bit of a mystery thrown in for good measure then this will keep you amused for a few hours and leave you feeling relaxed at the end of it.

[Bettye McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning, it was difficult to find a likable character in this story. Matilda's father, crushed by debt and worry, suffers a fatal stroke and Tilly is left homeless and penniless.

When a neighbor offers her a position as paid companion to the daughter, Lady Aileen, Tilly sees no option but to accept. But Lady Aileen is cruel. She never misses an opportunity to ridicule and humiliate Tilly.

Lady Aileen is pursuing Philip, trying to wring a proposal from him. But when Philip sees how cruelly she treats Tilly, he has second thoughts. Philip must marry someone by the end of the month or lose his inheritance. It doesn't matter whom he marries, so why not Tilly? After all, he will be spending his time with his mistress.

From this point, there is much teeth-gnashing and transformation and a fine romance. The story is set in the Edwardian era, which is not my favorite, but I enjoyed the story.

[Giki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very light read and there is a lot of humour in it. Tilly is such a loveable character, she really saves the story, her marquess is a little one dimensional, but we love him because he instantly recognises the loathsome nature of lady Aileen and, although he does not immediately fall in love with her, he sees something wonderful in Tilly that no-one else does. The other characters are pretty much cardboard cut out, especially the villains, and there are a lot of villains in this story, all odious, without one redeeming feature between them. They are vain, proud, bullying, have bad skin or hairy faces, poor taste in clothes, are scottish, or gay, it is all very pantomime and in poor taste in places.
I did enjoy this book, though, Tilly is down to earth good fun. It is not quite unputdownable but definitely finishable, The plot is predictable but it does not demand much from the reader.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways, the plot of this book was better than some of the others because it didn't follow the formula of girl loses money, is treated badly by relative, somehow comes into her own and gets a Season, meets rich man, others plot to take her down, but marries rich man in the end. Instead, in this case, girl still loses money and is treated badly (though not by relatives), but is rescued right away by a rich man who needs to marry to inherit. They make a "business arrangement" though, of course, young Tilly is in love. So, it isn't so much about winning a husband as opposed to getting her husband to fall for her. What I did not like about it is that in this book more than most other, Tilly feels the need to change for her husband--lose weight, change her hair, learn how to be more lady-like, etc. It was that really horrible message for women, and it annoyed me quite a bit.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful story. Tilly, called mockingly "The Beast" goes from beloved tomboy daughter to penniless. To survive, she becomes paid companion to spiteful Lady Aileen. Lady Aileen's hopeful suitor the Marquess of Heppleford notices Tilly but dismisses her almost immediately. Fleeing and needing a respite from Aileen and her Mama, he flees to France. While there he receives a reminder of the terms of his father's will. He returns to England and instead of asking Aileen to marry him , he asks Tilly instead. She accepts his marriage "arrangement"proposal. From that moment, they are both in for some surprises. As always, M. C. Beaton, alias Marion Chesney, Jennie Tremaine, etc. delivers a delightfully romantic tale. I love all her works, no matter which name she is writing under.

[Lynne Tull · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the few books/series I would read again. These stories of Marion Chesney started me on my adventure...reading Regency Romance/Novels/History! There is not a set of books that will teach you more about the basics about life in Regency England. There are six series with six books each. I love them all. It must be a "past life" thing:)

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps rather predictable to start and definitely showing the era it was written in, the hero is definitely NOT a modern day hero. Still I very much enjoyed it.