Ladies-in-waiting

Ladies-in-Waiting is a playful, affectionate collection of romantic tales about women poised on the edge of marriage, independence, and self-discovery. From the first pages, Kate Douglas Wiggin blends comedy with tenderness, following bright, witty Miss Thomasina Tucker as she leaves Hoboken for London and crosses paths with Fergus Appleton, a thoughtful, lonely man whose reserve is slowly undone by her voice, her flowers, and her irrepressible spirit. Their courtship unfolds through music, memory, and missed connections, while Tommy's own story reveals the hard realities behind her cheerfulness: orphaned, under a harsh uncle's roof, she earns her living as a singer, forms a quartet, and turns modest talent and clever presentation into real professional promise. The book widens into small-town New England, where love is equally practical and surprising. Amanda Dalton's engagement to Caleb Kimball, and Huldah Rumford's anxious ожидание of Pitt Packard, are shaped by gossip, superstition, domestic labor, and the stubborn negotiations of pride and affection. Warm, comic, and observant, these stories celebrate women who must make their own way before they can be "in waiting" for love. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.