“Lumawoo, look.”

From Maryrose Wood‘s The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Unseen Guest.

For just under a year, Penelope Lumley has been the governess to the three formerly-wild children that Lord and Lady Ashton took in: Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia Incorrigible.  When everyone at Ashton Place learns that Lord Ashton’s Mother, Widow Ashton, and her companion and prospective lover, Admiral Faucet, are coming to visit, everyone in the household quickly prepares for their arrival.  Penelope and the children are fascinated by both the Admiral’s daring adventures and Widow Ashton’s mysterious and sad family history.  When Admiral Faucet learns of Alexander and Beowulf’s tracking skills, he enlists their help in locating his escaped ostrich.  Concerned for the children’s safety in the woods and as part of Lord Ashton’s armed search party, Penelope informs Admiral Faucet that she and Cassiopeia will be accompanying the boys on the journey.  The more time that Penelope spends with Admiral Faucet, especially after he proposes to the wealthy Widow Ashton, the more the young governess realizes that he is not the kind of man he claims to be.  However, when Penelope and the children are separated from Admiral Faucet, the Incorrigibles take her to the cave where they lived before coming to Ashton Place, and Penelope quickly realizes that the children’s past is filled with more mystery than she realized.

As the third installment in Wood’s captivating, fun series, this book allows the characters and mystery to really develop.  The illustrations scattered through the book help the reader connect with the quick-flowing story.  The Unseen Guest is a solid addition to the series and will leave readers ready to jump into the next book.