The Duchess's Tattoo: Thoughts on THE AMERICAN HEIRESS

By Daisy Goodwin

"Anyone suffering Downton Abbey withdrawal symptoms (who isn't?) will find an instant tonic in Daisy Goodwin's The American Heiress. The story of Cora Cash, an American heiress in the 1890s who bags an English duke, this is a deliciously evocative first novel that lingers in the mind." --Allison Pearson, New York Times bestselling author of I Don't Know How She Does It and I Think I Love You

"For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return for a title and social status. But money didn't always buy them happiness." —DAISY GOODWIN IN THE DAILY MAIL

Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts', suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England.

In "The Duchess's Tattoo", Cora Cash is desperate to be a fashionable lady of society. Despite her title and her wealth, she finds that English society is not that welcoming to "The American Duchess." When Cora spies a distinctive snake tattoo on her mother-in-law's wrist, she decides that she must have one as well.

It is up to the talented tattoo artist to save "The American Duchess" from herself.

In addition to the short story, "The Duchess Tattoo", this also contains a letter from the author, Daisy Goodwin, on writing THE AMERICAN HEIRESS, an excerpt from "Titled Americans", an authentic quarterly publication from 1890 which listed all of the eligible titled bachelors still on the market, and an excerpt from AN AMERICAN HEIRESS, a moving and brilliantly entertaining debut novel coming from St. Martin's Press in June.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Apr 26, 2011
• ISBN: 9781429997300

Daisy Goodwin

Daisy Goodwin is a television producer and writer. She is married with two children and lives in London.

Book preview

Contents

The Duchess’s Tattoo

Daisy Goodwin on writing The American Heiress

Preview

The Duchess’s Tattoo

by Daisy Goodwin, author of The American Heiress

London 1895

Mr. Palmer was working on the thirty pieces of silver when the bell rang. He was experimenting with a shade of mauve that gave the blood money just the right tinge. It was his subtle palette that made him the choice of the discerning customer, that and the artistry of his designs which paid for these premises in fashionable Bond Street, a long way from the back room in Cable Street where he had started out, inking the names of sweethearts onto the brawny biceps of sailors. Palmer dared to hope that one day his art would be considered sufficiently respectable to allow him to display a royal warrant. He was, after all, as entitled to one as Asprey’s the jewellers next door. Hadn’t he practiced his craft on His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and his son the Duke of York? He had even worked for the Duchess of York, although he doubted whether he would ever be allowed to display her coat of arms.

There’s someone here to see you, sir. Betty’s voice interrupted his thoughts. A lady," she added in a whisper.

Palmer put down his needle. We’ll finish this later, Sam. Another hour or two should do it.

Sam got up from the table, where he had been lying face down, and stretched out his massive shoulders. Christ and his disciples were ranged across his back, from Doubting Thomas on the right shoulder to Judas on the left. The Son of God was blessing the bread and wine somewhere to the left of Sam’s spine.

It was Palmer’s most magnificent piece yet. He was going to display it at the Berlin Exhibition, along with his depiction of M. Eiffel’s extraordinary tower, which stretched up the back of the sailor’s right calf.

The tattooist pushed back the heavy velvet portiere that hung over the door to his studio and went into the small waiting room. He saw at once that Betty had been correct in describing his visitor as a lady. Although most of his female visitors were well dressed, there was often a touch of gaudiness that betrayed their humble origins. But this woman was the real thing. She was wearing a navy blue costume trimmed with sable, and a neat round hat with a veil. She was so impeccably turned out that Palmer wondered whether she might be foreign, French perhaps. English ladies, in his experience, cultivated a certain shabbiness; he thought of the minute darn on his last Countess’s jacket sleeve. But this young woman looked as though she had never worn anything that wasn’t brand new.

From habit, Palmer looked for skin and found a thin band of flesh between her glove and the top of her sleeve. He could see from the dusting of hairs that she was a redhead, with the waxy white skin that would make the perfect background to one of his more elegant designs. Too often his most delicate work was obscured by darker hair.

He introduced himself and asked, How can I help you, madam? He did not pause for her to tell him her name as, in his experience, his female clients, the respectable ones at least, preferred at this stage to remain anonymous. His visitor lifted her veil and he could see that she was young, barely into her twenties, he guessed. There was something familiar about her face. Was she an actress after all? Surely not; she was too shy to be on the stage. The woman looked at him, and he saw that her eyes were such a light brown as to be almost golden.

She cleared her throat and said hesitantly, I was given your name by the Duch…I mean by an acquaintance.

She stopped, blushing at her own slip. Palmer could tell from the sound of her voice that she was an American and, from the size of the diamond drops dangling from

Reviews for The Duchess's Tattoo

[mhanover10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I quite enjoyed this book. Daisy did a great job of capturing England back in the late 1800's. You get to know the characters, you get pulled into the storyline and the stories and you can really visualize everyone and the surroundings without her having to go into too much details. It flows very nicely. It's a nice and enjoyable read. I would recommend this book.

[decaturmamaof2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

thought it was well-written and intriguing, but at the end it sort of peters out without a satisfying close -- I really wanted to know more about the small/side characters (the Hummingbird Man, the maid) too!

[heatherlinc · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Oh dear, this book was a disaster from the start. It was way too long and slow for my liking, and very little actually happened. "The American Heiress" did have a fairly strong "Downton Abbey" feel to it, although it lacked the excitement and wonderfully diverse characters that the tv series had. Personally I thought the characters in this book were flat and one-dimensional, and I disliked them all. From the start Cora was spoilt and foolish and nothing really changed, so there was zero character growth throughout the novel.As for Duke Ivo, for a central male protagonist, he was pathetic! He had no redeeming features and, despite claiming that he loved Cora, he became angry at her when she discovered his indiscretions. How dare he! Then there were his mood swings - there were numerous times when I could cheerfully slapped him.Overall, "The American Heiress" was a weak, underwhelming read. It had the potential to be better, but was basically a poor, historical Mills and Boon romance without any substance.

[mrsrk-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The main character in this book, Cora, seems to me was inspired by the life of Consuelo Balsam (née Vanderbilt, ex-Duchess of Marlborough), also an American. Differently from Consuelo, though, Cora is spirited and has a mind of her own. But like Consuelo, Cora has a domineering mother, very much like Alva Vanderbilt, Mrs. Cash (who is also a Southerner like Consuelo’s mother). From their trips in the family yacht, to the contraption Mrs. Vanderbilt used to put on Consuelo in order to keep her spine straight, many are the similarities. In Consuelo’s book (The Glitter and the Gold) she tells the same story Cora mentions: that of waiting for the butler to send someone to make the fire, a task much below his rank, while her grace almost froze! As with Consuelo, Cora’s groom leaves her for a hunting trip until the night before the wedding. A nice read.

[tikamajere-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very loosely based on Downton Abbey, enjoyable twist at the end

[chrisway · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was ok.

[pharrm_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rebecca meets Downton Abbey

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A rich American debutante whose family seeks a royal title for her, and a titled but money-strapped Duke, may seem like an ideal coupling, but this relationship is not the stuff of fairy tales. Cora, a bit head-strong, falls in love with the Duke, and he is taken with her, but has a shadowed past. Interesting characters, both main and secondary, add much enjoyment to this sweeping tale that sometimes seems like it will never end. The plot drags a bit in the middle, but the conclusion makes the journey worthwhile.

[ingrid98684 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was billed as a Downton Abbey read, but really is more akin to Rebecca. Not terrible, but disappointing because I was anticipating the former. The "mystery" really isn't much of a mystery and the ending is weak.

[purseproblm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this in a goodreads First reads giveaway.
This is a typical period romance. She is a rich American heiress, He's a titled Englishman. They both have secrets, and perhaps other options. I enjoyed it once I got past some of the beginning. It was a fluffy period read for me

[elizabethanns_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Predictable but well structured to make it enjoyable.

[lbswiener · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The American Heiress: A Novel is a book that one asks oneself, why was this written? The young heiress from America had a riding accident and wound up in the arms of a Duke. The story went downhill from this point. It was not the kind of book that one learns about the history of one country or the other. It was not the kind of story that one feels any kinship towards the characters. The story just drudged on and on. Consequently, the book only received three stars in this review.

[jennybeast · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very intersting to see a portrayal of the American side of the regency era. The book kind of stressed me out, though -- has quite a quota of tension, drama and unkindness, even if all seems to come right in the end.

[pollyannapitbull · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great characters.

Terrifically woven tale. Characters were well defined. The plot was ever so slightly twisty in the end. Well done on many fronts.

[_lily__1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The American Heiress by Dasiy GoodwinReviewed by Moirae the fates book reviews.Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage. (Synopsis provided by goodreads)I thought that the story line was interesting and I wanted to like this book more then I did. However for me, there were some parts that felt like they could have been cut out and the readers would not have missed anything. Other parts of this book seemed to be very slow and still others felt glossed over. I had a hard time liking the characters, even the ones you are suppose to like.That being said, I still enjoyed the book. The way it was written kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next and that kept me reading, which is a mark of a good book isn’t it?I found the book hard to put down and in the end I felt that some of the characters redeemed themselves. Which is a plus in my opinion. The dialogue was good even though I didn’t find the characters to be very believable at certain parts of the book.I found the writing good overall the historical aspect of the book was very good.Overall rating *** 3 out of 5 starsCover art The cover art is beautiful I love it.Obtained I relieved a copy from the publisher for review thank you.

[olivermagnus · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is about beautiful and wealthy Cora Cash, one of the richest girls in America. Her family has everything except a title, so Cora's mother is determined to have her marry royalty. They head off to England, where there are plenty of dukes looking for wealthy American wives to help defray the cost of their aging estates.

Cora accidentally falls off her horse and is found and rescued by Ivo Maltravers, Duke of Wareham. Cora find the whole thing utterly romantic and within a few days they are engaged. There is no doubt Ivo is marrying Cora for her money and though Cora knows that, she still thinks they are “in love”. The story then proceeds with Cora making lots of social blunders and "polite society" making fun of Cora.

I usually enjoy historical fiction set in the early Twentieth Century but this was an exception. If you're looking for a captivating historical read, look somewhere else. The one saving grace, and the reason I kept reading, was the occasional chapter narrated by Cora's lady's maid, Bertha, a young black woman who describes some of the action from her perspective.

[haymaai · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

‘The American Heiress’ is an enthralling story about a willful, young American debutante, Cora Cash, who falls in love and marries a British Duke, Lord Wareham. Cora’s family is astoundingly rich, and when she weds the cash-strapped, but handsome Lord Wareham, or Ivo, she is unprepared for the aloof and sometimes distant emotional nature of her marriage. Set in the late 1800’s, this story reminds me somewhat of Downton Abbey, whose main character, also named Cora, weds into a family of British aristocracy. Throughout this novel, Cora Cash struggles to navigate her way through the constraints of affluent British society and to please her brooding and secretive husband, Ivo. Without giving too much away, I will say that I was unprepared for the way that the story was resolved, and I was unable to relate to her choice of action at the end. Nevertheless, ‘The American Heiress’ seems to offer a well-researched and interesting depiction of a wealthy American debutante. It presents a fascinating snapshot into a magnificent era, much removed from our lives today.

[bigorangecat_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Brain candy. Easy, fun and fluffy read.

[mrsdanaalbasha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first time in Saturday, December 10, 2011, that I saw this cover, I thought it looked so beautiful, I was a bit unsure if I should buy it or not but now I'm glad I did. I started reading this novel in Friday, March 7, 2014, and one review that mentioned the similarities between this book and Downton Abbey got it right.

[pennsylady · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return for a title and social status."Cora Cash was one such young woman....a daughter of flour fortuneMother's sole purpose seemed to be Cora's refinement and ultimate marriage to British title.I found our path through the British social scene to be witty, moving and entertaining.There are secrets, traps and betrayals and decisions involving money and happiness.I agree with the author (Daisy Goodwin) on the merits of audio. Ithink it gives a distinct freshness and connection to the characters and the time period.4*

[cjservis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I guess I would not recommend this book. Midway the story sort of stalled for me, and I just stopped caring about the characters. I did manage to finish it though. I felt the writing was mediocre.

[kefeeney-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Slow to get going but definitely worth sticking with. In a nutshell, the premier fin de siecle American heiress, Cora Cash, travels to Europe after her childhood friend and love snubs her. Through a fortunate accident she then lands the most eligible bachelor. Dazzling wealth, a title, and what she thinks is love and happiness surround her until a stark truth comes to light. All is not as it seems as she navigates the treacherous social scene of the old world English aristocracy, especially with a rival love interest seeking to thwart and humiliate her. Though not a new story line, the characters are well developed, the scene set dramatically, and the ending a bit surprising. Not quite on par with Austen but still a satisfying read.

[NickiKalupa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good read.

[judithrs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

American Heiress. Daisy Goodwin. 2010. Goodwin’s novel is a classic romance and a quick read for those who like a fast, interesting read. It is a modern retelling of the novels of James and Wharton about wealthy American women who go to Europe to find to find a husband among the poor lesser nobility who need money to maintain their life style and ancestral homes. This book contains are the expected descriptions of the life styles of wealthy Americans and poor English gentry. It also includes a social climbing mother, a hateful mother-in-law, a spurned lover, and, of course the beautiful American girl and the handsome duke. It is fun to read if you like this sort of novel.American Heiress. Daisy Goodwin. 2010. Goodwin’s novel is a classic romance and a quick read for those who like a fast, interesting read. It is a modern retelling of the novels of James and Wharton about wealthy American women who go to Europe to find to find a husband among the poor lesser nobility who need money to maintain their life style and ancestral homes. This book contains are the expected descriptions of the life styles of wealthy Americans and poor English gentry. It also includes a social climbing mother, a hateful mother-in-law, a spurned lover, and, of course the beautiful American girl and the handsome duke. It is fun to read if you like this sort of novel.

[kebets_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was totally enthralled with Downton Abbey - watching as many episodes on Netflix that I could. So, this was a great follow up book!The story takes place at a time when America was filled with new millionaires due to all the industries here while England was filled with dilapidated estates in need of cash. The idea of an American heiress traveling to England with deep pockets in need of a husband is a great place to start the story.Cora Cash is a filthy rich spoiled daughter of a flour baron and an incredibly driven mother. Mrs. Cash's sole purpose seems to be proving her importance through what she can buy and that includes her gilded daughter. Then a fateful coming out party and a flaming headress sends the mother and daughter to England to branch out and find a husband.And that is where the book gets better. I liked Cora so much more when she was growing up - when she was becoming her own person, not her mother's shadow. But, it is a book - so true love doesn't come easily! There is an evil mother-in-law, a lost love that doesn't want to stay lost, and all the mysteries of English country living. Cora is the most real personality in this glittering facade.I was a little disappointed in how quickly the book came to an end. There was a lot of build-up and then - boom - it was over. That left me wanting more! But, I would recommend this! It's a great tale and a fun summer read!

[silva_44 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you are a fan of Jane Austen and/or Edith Wharton, do not believe the reviewers who claim that this book is similar to the remarkable literature produced by these fabulous writers. Daisy Goodwin's work falls flat for several reasons. One, she inserts a modern voice into the work; the characters sound decidedly too 21st century. Secondly, the grammatical errors alone were enough to induce me to stop reading. Every page was rife with comma splices. Has Goodwin never heard of a period or a semicolon? And third, the work lacks the depth of a novel such as The Age of Innocence, which is, in my humble opinion, one of the most perfect novels ever written. I definitely do not recommend this book to anyone expecting something resembling good literature.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is the late 19th century. When rich American Cora and her mother head to Europe to find Cora a husband with a title, Cora doesn't actually expect to fall in love. But she does. She and Ivo soon get married and Cora moves to England. However, their life isn't what Cora expected it to be. Despite not liking most of the characters in the book, I quite liked the book. But wow, what a bunch of stuck-up rich catty people! However, it was still entertaining to read.

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loosely based on the life of Consuelo Vanderbilt, the author did a very credible job of portraying the loneliness of life as a Duchess in England. Far away from America, and the busy social life of balls, dinners and high society, now, life in a cold castle visited by those with titles and a multitude of layers upon layers of social snobbery, Cora Cash longs to fit in and understand all the rules.Knowing that she was married for her wealth, longing for love and loyalty, Cora must hold her head up high as the poisonous darts hit their mark of vulnerability.Money cannot buy love, but it can buy a title, a castle that your wealth must repair, and the sad company of those who thrive on nastiness.Recommended.

[dpappas_25 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not a single shining head turned in her direction as she followed Lord Bridport into the throng. Cora was not sure how she felt about this, to be anonymous was an unfamiliar sensation.I picked this up from the clearance rack at my local Half Price Books because not only did the cover catch my eye but the book summary made it seem like a book that was right up my alley. While Cora was a character that I did like, I spent the whole time reading this book feeling sorry for her. It seemed like she was always being put down by some of the other characters (mostly the bitchy women she was surrounded by) and I kept yelling at her to get a backbone and either slap the bitchy women or start speaking up for herself. Cora may be extremely rich but she is also naive.This book has been compared with some great authors (Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, and Daphne du Maurier) but what I found that could be compared to some classic literary greats was the relationship between Cora and the Duke. I could definitely see shades of Heathcliff and Catherine in regards to the Duke and another character in this book. I also could see shades of Scarlett, Ashley, and Melanie in Cora and Duke's relationship (I figure Cora would be the 'Melanie' in this situation). I was never quite satisfied with the relationship between Cora and the Duke but that is probably because I never liked the Duke.I liked that not only did readers follow Cora but they also followed her maid (I guess you could call her that, I don't really remember the correct term) Bertha. To see how their lives really differed but were also quite similar in some ways added extra depth to the story. I didn't really like any of the other secondary characters (well probably except for Teddy) because they all treated Cora like garbage.All throughout the book I was impatiently waiting for Cora to stick up for herself. After the revelations towards the end I was excited to see Cora finally get a backbone. Quite frankly they were not revelations to readers because even though it was new to Cora readers could see it coming from a mile. I was really disappointed with the ending and it felt like quite the letdown. The ending looked for sure like it was going one way but then it took a turn for the worse and I was not pleased with how the characters ended up. It didn't seem like anything changed at all and I hated seeing Cora end up where she did.

[michigantrumpet_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A Gilded Age romance based largely on the true life of Consuelo Vanderbilt, wealthiest of debutantes and winner of the 'marriage sweepstakes', capturing a British Duke. These American lovelies were the prize in the calculated trade of immense dowry for European title. In this story, our beautiful heroine's last name -- Cora Cash -- is a telling mash up of her namesake Lady Grantham of Downton Abbey fame and the attributes most cherished in these youthful heiresses. The romance itself (for me, at least) was rather tedious, particularly towards the end. More engaging was the side story involving Cora's beloved colored maid from the US. Overall, this was a fast read and wore its research fairly lightly. It will appeal to fans of the above and below stairs machinations of TV series, such as Downton Abbey. For those wanting a little more substance, try To Marry an English Lord. Also, Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: A Story of a Mother and a Daughter in the Gilded Age.. More generally isFortune's Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt.