Christina

In a lively drawing‑room of genteel society, a group of friends turns a simple newspaper column into a comedy of manners. Young Layton, ever the schemer, flings cushions and jokes about matrimonial ads while coaxing his well‑heeled cousin Rupert Mernside—an attractive, charismatic bachelor whose reputation for charm has made his single status a town curiosity. The dialogue crackles with wit, revealing a world where money, reputation, and the promise of domestic bliss collide in the most amusing of ways.

The story follows Rupert as well‑meaning relatives and meddling acquaintances launch a series of playful plots to find him a suitable match. Through banter, misunderstandings, and the occasional earnest confession, the novel sketches the delicate dance of courtship in an era that values both propriety and personal desire. Listeners will be drawn into a bright, humorous portrait of love’s early negotiations, set against the backdrop of early‑twentieth‑century social rituals.