Books to Love: An Unexpected Peril
“Any person who pitted themselves against mountains must be fashioned of something indomitable.”
This line may be in reference to Alice Baker-Greene, the deceased mountaineer around whom An Unexpected Peril revolves, but truly this line is a banner to be waved above Veronica Speedwell. Perhaps she does not scale actual cliffs and summits, but she does indeed pit herself against mountains.
An Unexpected Peril was an unexpected delight for me. While I always enjoy Deanna Raybourn’s books, this one in particular gripped me. I believe it is because it was a keenly personal one for Veronica.
A Unexpected Peril allows Veronica to explore the life to which she should have been born and yet do so without the imminent threat to her person from members within that household. The emotional waves crest and crash quite often in this book, though not in a soppy, sappy, undisciplined manner, a thing for which I am immensely grateful. I admire the way Vernoica navigates the ups and downs.
Veronica Speedwell is a woman who knows her mind. She knows herself and her capabilities. Furthermore, she is forthright about her flaws. However, as is the way of human nature, we are not always perfectly honest with ourselves when it comes to true introspection. So, when Veronica gets the proverbial bee in her bonnet to investigate what really happened to Alice Baker-Greene the fateful day when she fell to her death climbing the Teufelstreppe in the small nation of Alpenwald, she maintains that it is because she wants to see truth revealed and justice done.
From one small observation Stoker makes while unpacking Alice Baker-Greene’s belongings for the honorary homage exhibit the Curiosity Club is hosting, Veronica determines that Baker-Greene was murdered. She declares this in front of the Alpenwald Princess Gisela, inadvertently, and from there a series of events unfolds almost if their own volition.
First, the death of such a famous mountaineer in a nation known chiefly for its mountaineering, particularly in regard to the summit of the Teufelstreppe, has left a black mark on Alpenwald. The princess wishes to honor Baker-Greene for her achievements as well as minimize the damage her death has done to the tourism of her country. An accident is one thing; murder is quite another.
Second, though Veronica is hell for leather that Stoker and her begin an investigation immediately, there are diplomatic problems. They cannot start any sort of inquiry in a foreign nation. They have no grounds and no back up from Scotland Yard. When Stoker points out the flimsy proof, their diplomatic issues, and the fact that he’s down right done in from all their sleuthing, Veronica is almost peevish in her response to him. It’s murder, and there’s no other recourse for them but to investigate. Period. She won’t hear another word about it. In fact, she very nearly accuses Stoker of being a coward for not wanting to see a miscarriage of justice rectified.
I found myself a little stupefied at her reaction, I’ll admit. However, in the next scene (Ch 6), she visits her vivarium where the last of her Malachite butterflies has come to his final rest. It might seem an odd place to put what seems to be an aside, delving into the reasons why Veronica has pursued a life as a lepidopterist, but in the quiet words of those pages much is revealed.
“I sat in the fragrant steamy air of the vivarium, perspiration pearling my temples, and marveled at this exquisite creature with his viridian wings, so delicate they seemed hardly capable of holding his weight aloft. And yet they had, bearing him throughout his adventures until at long last his voyaging was done… Known to his friends at Hercules. It was a curious thing to write an epitaph for a butterfly, but it seemed wrong not to honor the dead when we had known them, not matter how small.”
This particular portion is not only beautifully written, but it elegantly and eloquently conveys the impetus behind why Veronica is so moved to find out the truth behind Alice’s death. Stoker’s objections to investigating make logical sense, particularly given the harrowing adventure endured on their last investigation. It stands to reason that he would want to stand down. It almost felt unfeeling of Veronica in the prior chapter to unbraid him so and then give him the cold shoulder when he doesn’t kowtow. But this small vignette into her passion and profession is a good insight into her very soul. Her tenderness and her compassion and joy in the beauty of nature fully realized in itself is what drives her to see justice done and injustice purged. Though she had only once met Alice at the Curiosity Club, the impression the mountaineer left on Veronica is enough for her to need to see justice met.
However, there is more to Veronica’s need to investigate. For many, many months, Veronica has largely maintained her residence in England. She has gone on no expeditions to hunt her beloved lepidoptera. She has contented herself with organizing and cataloguing the butterfly collection in the Belvedere. In short, she’s bored.
“The remedy, I had found, was movement. To hurls one’s few possessions into a carpetbag and embark for a new adventure was the only solace. To leave behind one’s woes in a damp and fogbound land, awakening in brilliant sunshine, the air heavy with spices and the promise of new endeavors, this was true happiness.”
Certainly, she’s had several investigations that were all perilous in nature and all which provide that sense of movement that compels her. One might think that is enough adventure to satiate her appetite. Perhaps, if the circumstance were different, it would be. However, during these adventures, she’s built a community around herself. Her relationships have taken on new, and as is the case with Stoker, deeply intimate meaning for her life.
“I was accustomed to living my life as unfettered as one of my beloved butterflies, and these new bonds of attachment brought with them not only connection and warmth but a dreadful sensation of loss when my companions were not present.”
You see, her usual recourse of escape is not open to her. Whether she likes it or not, her life feels like it’s not hers alone. And she is uncertain how she feels about this. If one thing she is certain, though, it makes her very uncomfortable indeed.
Furthermore, given the burgeoning nature of her relationship with Stoker, she’s trepidatious as to what next steps to make.
That’s why when the possibility of foul play presents itself, Veronica snatches at it like a life line. Of course, she’s correct. Justice needs to be served. Alice Baker-Greene was murdered and those responsible have not been apprehended. And regardless of whether he’s reluctant or not, Stoker follows her as they plummet into unknown danger.
“I understand you, Veronica, because I am you. I know that England is too small and too safe to contain you because it confines me as well. Do you think a day does not pass that I do not long to be aboard a ship, salt spray in my face and sails snapping in the wind, bound for the other side of the world? We have known such liberty, such wideness of experience that most can only imagine. And we will know such things again,” he promised. “But I should reconcile myself to the fact that whilst we are here, we must take our adventures where we can.”
What they don’t expect is to be pressed into the unlikely service of standing in for royalty. Princess Gisela of Alpenwald is missing, as her lady in waiting explains to Veronica, and, given the uncanny resemblance between the princess and Ms. Speedwell, would Veronica pretty please sub for the errant princess to help stem all the international fracas about to be unleashed.
The risks are mounting and Veronica is positively excited about it all. Stoker’s enthusiasm is nearly non-existent. Nevertheless, she dons the royal duds and diamonds and debuts as Princess Gisela. But, Veronica gets more than she bargained for, and I’m not just talking about the death treats and near miss bombings.
“I was still myself, as much plain Veronica Speedwell as I had ever been, but since I had been presented to them as a princess, they believed it. The jewels and the gown and the fact that people called me “Highness” had somehow rendered me almost sacred, and there was a touch of worshipfulness I did not entirely like. Strip away the costly trappings and I was no more or less than any of them, I thought angrily. And yet they could not see past the dazzling display of wealth and power.”
I appreciate this plot line because it does not surround Veronica’s royal heritage but she gets to explore the actual experience of walking out a very public royal life. The realizations and sympathies she encounters within herself provide tremendous growth for her character but also humanize her in a way I have not seen heretofore.
Veronica is always so in control of herself. She knows her mind so well at all times. But in An Unexpected Peril, she learns a vast deal about herself, things she had hidden away from, things she did not what to consider, things that frightened her. Though apprehending a murderer, challenging social norms, and even enacting a successful façade for famous dignitaries and royalty are all mountains to be scaled, contending head on with one’s own fears, foibles, and flaws showcases Veronica’s indomitable spirit best of all.
“It occurred to me then that, were it not for an accident of birth, a peculiarity of the law, I might have rightfully worn such things. I was the child of a prince, the descendant of queens, and the blood in my veins was no less blue for having been mixed with an Irish actress’s. If her marriage had been recognized, I would have worn such garments from my youth, enjoyed the adulation and the applause. But I would also have stifled my own spirit, I reflected. Those quirks of character that made me the woman I had become were because I had been given the freedom to do as I pleased. No royal protocol dictated my upbringing; no august personages dictated my education. I had been at liberty to study as I wished, pursuing my own interests and friendships, embarking upon travels and learning to rely upon no one but myself. I had not had the privileges of royalty, but neither had I endured the privations, and of these I could number many.”
I appreciate this aside because it allows Veronica a taste of what she could have had, and if the machinations of her uncle has succeeded, could have stepped into. However, she is a woman who knows herself. And though it is impossible to say she has no regrets, it is good to see that the avant-garde choices she made for her life are the ones she is most contented with.
All this warp and weft weaves together into a rich tapestry of suspense, thrills, and- at times- mayhem. But perhaps the aspect of this book that I appreciated most is the unfolding of the relationship between Stoker and Veronica. Many enjoy the anticipation before two characters ‘get together’ as the modern vernacular would have it. However, I prefer to see the growth of two individuals who have come together already, how their relationship progresses and how they grow together as well as separated secure in their love for one another.
“You are not among the good that has happened to me. You are the best of all that I have known. You are what I searched for when I left that house and wandered this earth, boy and man. You are the part of myself I never thought to find because I did not even dare to dream you existed. You are all that I want and more than I deserve, and I will go to my grave thanking a god in whom I do not believe for bringing me to you.”
Much like the lepidoptera that Veronica hunts, her relationship with Stoker is both delicate, subtle even, as well as awe inspiring. In A Dangerous Collaboration, we saw the beginnings of the emergence from the chrysalis. In An Unexpected Peril, we see the butterfly unfurl it’s magnificent, iridescent wings for the first time. Like with all first times, their newness is marked with a measure of trepidation. But, the desire to fly is innate and will not be denied. There are real fears and worries, but with honesty and a measure of bravery, they face them together.
This may be my favorite offering in the Veronica Speedwell series, although that is hard to say as I so enjoyed A Treacherous Curse and A Dangerous Collaboration immensely. Two words- Egyptology and Cornwall. But I digress. An Unexpected Peril offers new aspects of Veronica and Stoker as well as a foray into mountaineering and the international climate in Europe as Bismarck made his mark.
The only criticism- if you can call it that- is that Raybourn does seem to over beat the drum where women’s suffrage and equality is concerned. I understand the reasoning, truly, but the constant reminder of women being underestimated, limited, and repressed by men did get a little tiresome. I know Veronica is a singular woman who knows her mind and acts according to her conscience, which puts her at odds with the societal norms of her day. But her actions demonstrate this more eloquently than the multiple mentions and reminders do. Furthermore, with the inclusion of characters like Lady C, Lady Wellingtonia, Princess Gisela, Alice Baker-Greene, and even Aunt Vicky, this books positively brims with strong, independent women who walk out their decisions with integrity and gumption.
As always, Deanna Raybourn’s attention to detail is fastidious and her historical knowledge is exemplary. These Veronica Speedwell books just keep getting better and better. I highly recommend An Unexpected Peril to anyone who enjoys an engaging story, fleshed out characters, meticulous historical research, and superb writing. Honestly, however you like to read- digital or hard copy- get this book. It is a satisfying read.
