Mary Carleton, Counterfeit Princess – The Public Domain Review

Mary admits a surprising amount about her own deception. She claims not to lie about the big things. She is German and her is innocent – ​​of bigamy. However, she readily admits that she has kept the greedy Carleton family in line. Upon her arrival at the inn, she exposed her jewelry and letters to gain credit and respect. But when she perceived “clear and public signs” of their plot to ensnare her, she devised her own “counterplan,” suggesting a greater estate and a nobler lineage than she might possess. As she tells it, greed drives their plans, an innate resourcefulness and harmless love of mischief drives hers. Instead of condemnation, she deserves applause because “it was very difficult to portray greatness for so long without mistakes or errors.” As to what exactly she owns, in Germany, Mary teases the reader: “Whether I have that estate they dreamed of, it matters not,” she writes, adding, “I am not much to blame, if I have it and hide it.”