Betty Neels had only a few plots – the Marriage of Convenience, the Other Woman, and Normal Courtship with Complications. Three for a Wedding fits the second, a straight-forward romance complicated by a gullible heroine, clueless hero and conniving Other Woman.
Sybil Brooks persuades her older sister, Phoebe, to take her place in an exchange scheme, where Phoebe works under a Dutch doctor to learn his cystic fibrosis techniques. Sybil is obnoxious, so it’s a good thing Betty wrote her a minor part, leaving Phoebe and her RDD (rich Dutch doctor) Lucius van Someren, to star.
Maureen, the governess for Peter, Lucius’ 10-year old adopted son, is The Other Woman, determined to marry Lucius and thoroughly nasty. Phoebe is just gullible enough to believe some of Maureen’s lies and tells herself she cannot say anything to Lucius because he might love Maureen.
Most of Betty Neels’ Other Women are unpleasant, greedy and selfish, but their main fault is wanting to marry the hero for his money and social position, not for love. Maureen is something different, truly an evil person. It’s incomprehensible that Phoebe would not say anything and believe that Lucius would rather not know some about some Maureen shenanigans.
I have a very hard time believing some of what Phoebe will keep quiet about. Even if Lucius in fact did love Maureen, he ought to know that:
- Maureen tries to beat Paul’s new puppy to death.
- Maureen threatens Paul, holding his puppy over his head, emotionally manipulates him
Lucius is oblivious to Maureen’s mean ways and ambitions. He’s supposed to be absent-minded but he’s a bit too clueless to be real, especially since he was astute enough to immediately realize Phoebe is not Sybil.
Phoebe and Lucius are both silly, but of course, that’s necessary for our plot to advance! Putting aside Maureen’s plots and evil lies we have a straightforward courtship. Lucius takes Phoebe out several times, kisses her like he means it, shows her his home, introduces her to his adopted son and family retainers. He makes the fatal Neels-land error, though, and tells Phoebe he intends to get married, but without telling her whom he intends for a wife. (Only Betty could get away with this. I don’t know anyone quite this dumb.)
Three for a Wedding is easy to read, with a well-done evil temptress, decent support characters in Phoebe’s fellow nurse and her fiance, and some heartfelt moments with the ill children. The obtuse Lucius and Phoebe are a bit over the top but still fun to read.
4 Stars
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