A Fine Gentleman opens with Viscount Richard Hartville annoyed that Lady Hartville, his mother, has invited distant cousin, Caroline Carruthers, for an indefinite visit on his estate. It’s fairly obvious that Lady Hartville is playing matchmaker, but Richard finds Caroline too meek and sweet to suit his tastes. Very soon a mysterious four year old girl, Wilhelmina, appears at the door, saying that Lord Hartville is her papa. Richard fervently denies that the child is his “by-blow,” a claim that no one, not even his mother seems to take seriously. Naturally Caroline falls in love with the child, and the shopping trips to get Wilhelmina clothes, arguments over her care and future, serve to frame the interactions between the hero and heroine.

Things liven up still further with the arrival of Caroline’s brother and his handsome friend Giles Markingham, a gentleman obviously enamored of Caroline. The triangle that emerges takes Richard by surprise. Caroline is growing less meek and sweet by the minute and the emergence of this new personality is quite to his liking. On the other hand, Richard had assumed that, despite her claims to independence, the penniless Caroline would be delighted to have him as her husband if only he were willing. Now he has cause to wonder if he would be her first choice.

Caroline is an intelligent young woman whose personality was strongly influenced by her orphan childhood. She is determined to make sure that Wilhelmina is not sent to an orphanage just as she is determined not to burden Richard with the responsibility of supporting her as his wife or poor relation. Caroline is a bit infatuated with the handsome Mr. Markingham, and we can see why. The chemistry between he and Caroline makes him a threat to Richard.

Richard spends a lot of time away from the estate and I, for one, missed him. This book could have been terrific if only we understood him better and if the hero and heroine had been together more. We know that Richard has recently inherited his title and is frustrated with the weight of his responsibilities. Lady Hartville mentions that her son might well have fathered a child so we know he had a wilder life than the one he is presently living. Unfortunately, these hints are all we know of the man’s past. He is sometimes terribly witty, sometimes grumpy. We keep waiting for the Big Revelation that will explain why he thinks that Caroline is too sweet, and why he is attracted to her. We also want to hear what he is thinking about her, how he is falling in love and why he doesn’t declare himself. But Richard, Lord Hartville remains an attractive enigma.

This book just misses being a lot of fun and, in the end the problem is not only the murky characterization of the hero, but the lack of romance between Richard and Caroline. They are just not together enough. I had the feeling that the author, Laura Matthews, kept sending Richard away because she thought if he and Caroline spend too much time together they would fall in love too early. Richard doesn’t work hard enough to try and charm Caroline or to tell her what he thinks. Caroline is a very good character, and we learn a lot about her background, but she can’t carry the book or the love story all herself.

The period feeling in A Fine Gentleman is very good. I enjoyed the country estate setting with its visits to the local village. The resolution to the mystery of Wilhelmina’s paternity is a classic nineteenth century melodrama which I very much enjoyed.

A Fine Gentleman isn’t a bad book but since it is a Regency Romance, its love story should have been more compelling. Despite my reservations about the book, Regency Romance fans who enjoy humorous dialogue and settings outside of the clichéd walls of Almacks may enjoy it.