However, part of his new wife's
dowry is her father's club, which has fallen on hard times. Our hero
becomes fascinated by the club. To protect his assets, he becomes
directly involved in running the club and subsequently discovers he has a
knack for business. 150+ years later, the guy would get an MBA and buy
up a bunch of resorts: same principle.
I find the subsequent relationship satisfyingly believable on a psychological level.
Running a club is a bit low-class, but the guy has nothing to lose and
everything to gain by taking charge. His motivation is also believable:
his lovely wife doesn't inspire him to take an interest; he takes an
interest because he (initially) wants to sell the club at a good price.
The impulse comes from him, not her endearing example.
In other words, he works to find a purpose for himself in life; he doesn't wait around for his wife to nudge him into finding a purpose.
And the spousal relationship moves back onto voluntary grounds. It is about how Sebastian and Evangeline relate to each other. A redeemed rake who honestly falls in love, he is smart and self-aware enough to know that this time he had better make this relationship work. Evangeline is soft-spoken and gentle with a spine of steel. She has a sense of her own worth, to which Sebastian responds.
Believable relationship--and a nice break from the usual "I'm so independent, I must argue" characters in romance.
