Public-domain ebook
Cynthia's Chauffeur
by Louis Tracy
Language: en13,796 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #31472.
About this book
Cynthia’s Chauffeur is a turn‑of‑the‑century romance that places a witty, self‑aware driver at the heart of a tangled social dance between an American lady, her French companion, and a host of aristocratic pretenders. The novel opens with a banter‑laden encounter between the eponymous chauffeur, Medenham, and a curious fellow named Smith, whose idle speculation about the cost of a car and the provenance of cigarettes quickly spirals into a series of sharp observations about class, deception and the precarious balance of duty. From the moment Medenham is summoned to ferry Cynthia Van Renen and her party through the limestone gorge of Cheddar, the narrative weaves together the mechanical precision of his Mercury, the looming threat of a rival French driver, and the uneasy alliances that form on the winding roads toward Bristol.
The prose is unmistakably Victorian, its sentences laced with elaborate description, period slang and a dry, observational humor that mirrors the social mores of the 1890s. The dialogue crackles with the formal yet playful exchanges of the era, while the landscape, cliffs, caves and rolling Mendip hills, is rendered in vivid, almost painterly detail. Readers who enjoy intricate period romances, especially those that blend travel, class intrigue and a dash of humor, will find the novel’s blend of romance and road‑adventure compelling. It will particularly appeal to fans of classic British love stories that privilege atmosphere and character over melodrama.
Characters in Cynthia's Chauffeur
- MedenhamTall, clean‑shaven man in a crisp Victorian chauffeur’s uniform, waistcoat, bow tie, polished boots
- SmithMiddle‑aged gentleman with moustache, tweed jacket, pocket watch, round spectacles, holding a cigar
- Cynthia Van RenenElegant American lady in a high‑necked silk gown, feathered hat, gloved hands, delicate parasol
The opening · free to read
By LOUIS TRACY
The scene opens in London on Derby day. A lovely American girl and her English chaperon had engaged a chauffeur to take them in his car on a thousand miles run for ten days. On his way to keep the appointment the car met with an accident, and a young Englishman, the son of an earl, happened to be in the vicinity. The chauffeur had once been in his employ, and when he saw his distress at the possible loss of a good customer he thought it would be a fine lark to go himself, in the guise of a chauffeur, and take the ladies on their journey.
The girl was beautiful and the pseudo chauffeur was young and romantic, and one of the strangest of love stories began.
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