A Damsel in Distress
'A Damsel in Distress' Summary
Lady Maud Marsh, daughter of the widowed 7th Earl of Marshmoreton, is in love with Geoffrey Raymond, whom she met the previous summer in Wales. Maud has not revealed the man's name to her aristocratic family but has admitted that he is a penniless American. Her family, led by Lord Marshmoreton's haughty sister, Lady Caroline Byng, disapprove of the match and will not allow Maud to leave their home of Belpher Castle in Hampshire, in order to keep her from seeing the man. Lady Caroline wants her step-son, Reginald "Reggie" Byng, to marry Maud, though unbeknownst to her, Reggie is actually in love with Lord Marshmoreton's secretary, Alice Faraday. Lord Marshmoreton meekly listens to his sister, and to Alice, who is insistent that he write the history of his family, though he only wants to tend to his rose garden.
In London's Piccadilly, George Bevan, a bored and lonely American composer of successful musical comedies, sees a pretty girl in brown and laments that he has no justification to approach her, thinking that if only they were in the Middle Ages, he could approach her as a hero offering assistance to a damsel in distress. Depressed, George hails a taxicab, and is surprised when the girl in brown jumps into the cab and asks George to hide her. George wastes no time helping her hide from a stout, disagreeable, well-dressed young man. The man becomes angry and distracted when George knocks his silk hat off, allowing George and the girl to escape, but she soon disappears. George has fallen in love with her, though he does not know her name. Thanks to a newspaper report about the disagreeable young man (who spent the night in jail after punching a policeman), George discovers that the girl in brown was Lady Maud Marsh of Belpher Castle. He is not aware that she had sneaked off to London hoping to see Geoffrey.
The disagreeable man was Maud's brother Percy Marsh, Lord Belpher. At the castle, Percy mistakenly believes that George is the unsuitable man Maud is in love with, due to seeing her flee with him in a taxi, though Maud denies this. George, hoping to meet Maud again, rents a cottage near Belpher Castle. Meanwhile, George's friend and colleague Billie Dore, a chorus girl, visits the castle and bonds with Lord Marshmoreton over their shared love of roses.
George is able to see Maud again and offer further assistance to her, though Percy and Lady Caroline make it difficult for them to meet. Everyone at the castle comes to believe that George is the man Maud met in Wales, and George is delighted to hear from Reggie Byng and Lord Marshmoreton that Maud loves him. When George confesses his feelings to Maud, she explains that she loves a different man, Geoffrey Raymond. George is dejected, but remains a helpful friend to her. Reggie Byng elopes with Alice Faraday, and Lord Marshmoreton is relieved that Alice will no longer be his secretary. Billie tells the earl that George is rich due to his success as a composer and has good character.
Throughout these events, the servants of the castle are holding a sweepstake in which whoever drew the ticket with the name of the man Maud marries will win the money. At first, the cunning page-boy Albert is in a position to win if Maud marries "Mr. X" (an outsider, ostensibly the unknown American) and helps George, but after the butler Keggs (who drew Reggie Byng) blackmails Albert into trading tickets, Keggs becomes George's ally instead. Keggs convinces Lord Belpher to invite George to a dinner party at the castle, where George proves to be popular.
Lady Caroline and Percy continue to disapprove of George, but Lord Marshmoreton, who still believes George is the man Maud has wanted to marry all along, defies his sister and publicly announces that Maud and George are engaged. The earl also marries Billie. George suggests that Maud elope with Geoffrey to avoid awkward explanations. She meets with Geoffrey in London, only to discover that Geoffrey is nothing like she remembers. Though he has inherited a great deal of money, he is now overweight, talks only of food, and is being sued for a breach of promise case after a recent flirtation with another girl. Maud leaves Geoffrey and realizes she is in love with George. She tells George and they happily agree to get married.
Book Details
Author
P. G. Wodehouse
England
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. Wodehouse was a prolific writer throughout his life, publishing more than ninety bo...
More on P. G. WodehouseDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
Fern's Hollow by Hesba Stretton
"In a small village in the English countryside, there is a mysterious hollow where no one dares to go. Some say it is haunted by the ghosts of childre...
The City That Was by Stephen Smith
The City That Was is a mystery novel that will take you on a journey to a lost city. The year is 1876. A young woman named Elizabeth travels to the A...
Christopher Cricket on Cats by Anthony Henderson Euwer
In this captivating tale, Christopher Cricket, a peculiar and wise cricket with a knack for spinning tales, finds himself immersed in the captivating...
A Texas Matchmaker by Andy Adams
In the wild west, there's only one thing more dangerous than a gunfight: a Texas matchmaker. Meet Molly Sinclair, the most sought-after matchmaker in...
The Subjection Of Isabel Carnaby by Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler
In the opulent world of London's high society, a tempestuous secret lies concealed behind the impeccable facade of Isabel Carnaby. In "The Subjection...
The House Behind the Cedars by Charles Chesnutt
The story occurs in the southern American states of North and South Carolina a few years following the American Civil War. Rena Walden, a young woman...
Mrs. Armytage, or Female Domination by Catherine Grace Frances Gore
In the heart of Victorian society, where social class and appearances reign supreme, Mrs. Armytage stands as a formidable matriarch, wielding her infl...
Frigid Fracas by Mack Reynolds
It takes readers on a thrilling interstellar adventure set in the chilling expanse of Jupiter's moon, Europa. As humanity ventures deeper into the cos...
Antonia by George Sand
Will love conquer all? An entertaining novel of growth in light of societal pressures of propriety, finance and inheritance of 19th century France. In...
The Love of Landry by Paul Laurence Dunbar
This takes readers on a poignant journey through the complexities of love, race, and societal barriers. Set in the backdrop of post-Civil War America,...
Reviews for A Damsel in Distress
No reviews posted or approved, yet...