Anne here, and for your entertainment, here's a little quiz on a book you haven't yet read — Marry In Scandal, which comes out on April 3rd. A few reviewers and some of the wenches have read it, but that's all.
So it's not testing anything—you can only guess at the answers — it's just for fun and to give you a little taste of the book, something a bit different from an excerpt or a blurb. In order to avoid spoilers I've ignored some pretty big plot points, so it might seem a little dull. I hope not.
So take a few guesses, make a note of your answers, check them by clicking the link at the bottom then come back and tell us how you went. I'll be giving a copy of Marry In Scandal to someone who leaves a comment.
1) In the prologue, our heroine's father sends his two young daughters away to school because:—
a) he has no time for girls.
b) he is ashamed of Lily.
c) their mother is dead.
d) All of the above.
2) Lily's severely fashionable Aunt Agatha recommended she go on a diet of:—
a) breast of chicken poached in milk.
b) salted lettuce and thin soup.
c) potatoes steeped in vinegar.
d) boiled turnips.
3) Lily's niece George suggested that Aunt Agatha was:—
a) a nasty, well-dressed skeleton.
b) a blackmailer.
c) a vitriolic dragon.
d) all of the above.
4) Lily doesn't want to go to the opera with Aunt Agatha because:—
a) Aunt Agatha has found a duke for Lily.
b) Aunt Agatha likes the kind of sophisticated, cynical men who always ignore Lily.
c) she has a secret assignation with a man
d) she has nothing suitable to wear.
5) At a ball, Lily is tricked into:—
a) going outside with a relative stranger
b) kissing a (human) rake in the garden
c) dancing with the most boring man in London
d) swapping her dance card with another girl.
6) When Lily gets into dreadful trouble she:—
a) realizes she can't expect help from anyone else.
b) finds unexpected strength in herself.
c) thinks up a clever way to escape
d) all of the above.
7) When our hero, Ned Galbraith meets Lily, he is:—
a) outside the gates of a nunnery
b) at the opera
c) watching a balloon ascension
d) on the way to a "naughty" house party
8) Which two things does our hero, Ned Galbraith, tell Lily in the carriage?
a) that she stinks.
b) to strip off all her clothes.
c) that she must marry him immediately.
d) that he's too drunk to drive.
9) Travelling along with Lily in the carriage, Galbraith passes the time by:—
a) sitting up on top with the driver
b) reading aloud to her from "Persuasion" by the author of "Pride and Prejudice"
c) playing cards and teaching her how to gamble.
d) sleeping
10) At the inn, Lily sleeps with:—
a) Galbraith
b) a young maidservant
c) the landlord's wife
d) a large, smelly dog
11) Lily is thrilled when Galbraith escorts her to Almacks, but is disappointed when:—
a) she learns he's only doing it to give the appearance of a courtship.
b) he doesn't dance with her all night.
c) he leaves early, disgusted at not being able to get a proper drink.
d) he doesn't know how to dance.
12) Lily receives the following pieces of advice on marriage. Match up the advice with the person who gave it — some gave more than one piece. Aunt Agatha, Emm (Lily's sister-in-law), Aunt Dottie.
a) "All men have mistresses. The male sex is incapable of fidelity."
b) "He provides you with his name, a home, a position in society and an allowance for the rest of your life. What more could a gel like you possibly want?”
c) "Trust your own instincts, my love. Don’t let anyone tell you what you feel. Listen only to your heart.”
d) "The wedding night . . . It is an unpleasantness we must all endure."
e) "Don’t expect Mr. Galbraith to understand how you’re feeling—men often need to have things explained to them.”
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Now you've made your guesses, click here and find out the answers. Then come back and tell us how you went.
Did you enjoy this? I must admit, when I'm making up the alternatives, I sometimes think, Oh, that would be fun. And a new story idea pops up.
What would your own advice to Lily be, about marriage?
I'll be giving a copy of Marry In Scandal to someone who leaves a comment.