A loud scene erupts, where Lord Widmore, Hester's brother, and the family chaplain lecture Gary on compromising Hester, and Gen Summercourt tells him that he has to marry Amanda. In the end, all is sorted out. Gary points out that noone thinks any ill of the 2 ladies, that they are seen as his sister and niece, and that he has no desire to marry Amanda. Neil tells Gen Summercourt that he can take care of Amanda very well and that he can stop her from giving free rein to her imagination, while allowing her a role as a soldier's wife. Reluctantly, the general gives his consent and he and Neil and Amanda leave the inn, to go off and arrange their marriage.
Hester tells Lord Widmore that she is staying at the inn, and that Hildebrand is there with them to play propriety, so she will not be compromised... Widmore is very angry with her and says that he washes his hands of her.
After they have gone, Gary asks Hester to marry him, saying that while he had held her in affection for a long time, he had not been in love with her... now he knows her better and he is in love with her. She feels now that she can accept him, since she has been in love with him for years, but has never felt that she could marry him when he did not care deeply for her. They declare their love for each other and plan to marry as soon as he is fully recovered.
Sprig Muslin is a short light novel but it has great charm. It reminds me of Some Like it Hot, in the way the characters make up stories and act fantastically. Hester is older than some heroines but a very sympathetic and likable character, who becomes more likable as she blossoms in the affection of Gary, Hildebrand and Amanda. Amanda is silly at times but usually quite shrewd, and is devoted to Neil...
I've read it many times and will probably read it many more times.
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