Cupid's Understudy

"Cupid's Understudy" by Salisbury Field is a light and romantic story, probably from the early 1900s, that takes place mainly in sunny California. It looks at love, who people are, and where they fit in society, shown through Elizabeth Middleton's experiences and her relationships, all changed by her father's surprising wealth from finding gold. When Elizabeth travels from New York to California as a result of her change in fortunes, she meets Blakely Porter, a civil engineer, and they start to fall in love, but face problems because Blakely’s mother doesn't like Elizabeth. With fancy parties and even a grand duke showing up, the story builds up to Elizabeth dealing with what society expects of her and her family's reactions as she and Blakely plan their wedding and try to avoid problems from Blakely's wealthy family.