Goings-on at Lord C’s Estate

On November 25, 2023

My dear Clarissa,

Such goings on we have had here in Kent at F Manor with our new Lord C and his mother and their house party guests!

We, of course were invited tonight to dinner and the ball that followed. Lord C’s mother, Mrs. Y, puts on such airs, if you ask me, and was in a fair snit when the weather gods had the nerve to spoil her plans for a late night of dancing. It was a perilous and very wet walk home—yes, my beloved refused to take out the carriage—and though I was soaked and chilled to my bones, I could not rest tonight until I put pen to paper and write to you.

I tell you, Clarissa, there is something funny about that woman, Mrs. Y, and that household, with servants coming and going as if Lord C… Well, anyone could see that his attention was on one guest in particular, a Scots lady, in a very fine gown though I couldn’t work out whether she fancied him or not.

There are wedding bells on the horizon, mark my words, if he can but convince that red-haired hoyden to accept, and if he can untie his mother’s apron strings. Not that Mrs. Y would condescend to wear one of those.

But oh, what a grand pool of interesting tidbits there were, for those who could see, like you and me, my dearest friend. No less than a duke and his duchess, a marquess—a very shady one if I do say so, and I do—and our Sir H, (you remember I wrote that he is home now?) whispering in the corner with the shady marquess’s sister.

What occurred after we left? And what will the morrow bring? I have fortuitously left behind my vinaigrette—my old one, not the silver filigree case you sent me for Christmas. My Betsy will fetch it back for me tomorrow, along with whatever news she can learn. She is very good at ferreting out information.

I just may have a juicy ondit for Mr. Clemens at the Teatime Tattler!

I must hasten to bed. My lord and master is calling.

Your dear friend,

Harriet

The Earl’s Scottish Hoyden

When her family’s business reunites a Scottish lass with the English earl who jilted her last Christmas, she vows, by all means, to protect her heart.

Edme Beecham was not disappointed in love last Christmas when Lord Cottingwith abruptly departed the Duke of Kinmarty’s Yuletide party. No, the Earl was too old to be so shy, but there it was. He’d latched on to her own talkative self because he’d found Edme, a girl among a multitude of brothers of all ages, comfortable company.

Thus, when an invitation to join a Yuletide party at Furningwood, his family’s estate, arrives, she’s alarmed to feel her hopes rising, and determined to stay home. But the earl is a valuable political and business connection, and her brother insists she go.

After one youthful lapse, Trenton Yardley, Earl of Cottingwith, has set about being a better man than his late uncle and cousin, and restoring the fortunes of his family, without submitting himself to the sort of fortune-hunting marriage his mother wants for him. He has a secret, and only the right woman will do for him, one with a generous heart and a sense of humor. He’d thought he’d found her last year in Edme Beecham, but an emergency had called him home before he could press his suit further.

The cold, aloof girl who appears at his home for Christmas could not be his Scottish hoyden, could she?

The Earl’s Scottish Hoyden is a standalone romance, Book 5 in The Upstart Christmas Brides Series.

Release day is December 5, 2023.

Universal Pre-order Link:

https://books2read.com/TheEarlsScottishHoyden

About the author

USA Today bestselling author and Bluestocking Belle Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature but prefers the happier world of romance fiction. Her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., but after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California where she shares a midcentury home with a golden-eyed terrier and a feisty chihuahua.

Find her at:

Website: https://alinakfield.com/

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alina-K.-Field/e/B00DZHWOKY

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alinakfield

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlinaKField

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It’s Harvest Festival Time

By Alina Field

On October 7, 2023

In Teatime Tattler

News you need to hear from Reabridge

Dear Mr. Clemens,

You’ve been getting dispatches from Reabridge for the last several weeks about the goings-on here.

Well, things are about to come to a head, not that your reporter, Frank, will learn anything. He’s spent most of his time walking out with that tavern wench.

The harvest is almost finished, a good one this year. Why it’s so good, one of our local stewards passed out in a field. Had to be carried out on a wagon. Everyone else is about ready to throw down their sickles and kick up their heels at this year’s festival.

Speaking of that, our head Morris man broke his leg, and the farmer he wants to replace him is so cow-eyed over the girl he found sleeping in his dairy shed he’s refusing to serve as his replacement. Doesn’t want to look foolish he says.

The doctor’s finally stoppered his bottle for now, and good thing. One of the local gentry is about to give birth, and it’s to be twins, they say. The lady’s a widow with naught but girls, and about to lose her home to a greedy panting heir. Sad, that.

There’s another Frenchy in town, a man this time, swanning around looking down his nose at the yokels. Friend of one of the captains who just came back, otherwise our men would have hauled him onto the next coach.

All that news is about us common Englishmen, but the lords and ladies are up to things too. Not that we have so many titled folk around here. But the ones we do have–well Frank probably didn’t tell you the rumor about stolen jewels. Yep. Don’t know exactly whose it was but we can pretty well finger a visitor for the deed. Not a lord or a sir, but one of them Corinthians they talk about. He’s been running up debt and now he’s skulking around the stalls going up for the festival. Up to no good.

Hope this reaches you in time to jump on the mail coach and come see for yourself.

Sincerely,

A Reabridger Who Knows What’s Going On

About the Book: Under the Harvest Moon

As the village of Reabridge in Cheshire prepares for the first Harvest Festival following Waterloo, families are overjoyed to welcome back their loved ones from the war.

But excitement quickly turns to mystery when mere weeks before the festival, an orphaned child turns up in the town—a toddler born near Toulouse to an English mother who left clues that tie her to Reabridge.

With two prominent families feuding for generations and the central event of the Harvest Moon festival looming, tensions rise, and secrets begin to surface.

Nine award winning and bestselling authors have combined their talents to create this engaging and enchanting collection of interrelated tales. Under the Harvest Moon promises an unforgettable read for fans of Regency romance.

Story blurbs here: https://bluestockingbelles.net/belles-joint-projects/under-the-harvest-moon/

Preorder now: https://books2read.com/UnderHarvestMoon

Release Day October 10, 2023

Do Not Listen to Busy-Bodies

By Alina Field

On August 26, 2023

In Teatime Tattler

Dear Mr. Clemens,

As a faithful reader of your publication, I must say, I’ve never heard such awful drivel in my life as what’s come out of Eunice Fillmore’s pen! Why, her comments about the gentlemen and ladies visiting Reabridge for the harvest season are dreadful calumny. The French ladies she complained about are as proper as any Englishwoman and a good deal more refined than Eunice. Why one of them is a titled lady–an English lord’s widow. Another has taken it upon herself to tend to an orphaned child until the vicar can work out a home for the babe.

And the French girl who Eunice says appeared out of nowhere? What poppycock that is, for I myself remember her as a tiny young girl–another orphan–residing with one of our most prominent families as their ward.

Send a reporter, if you will. I’m sure he’ll be able to warm the hearts of your readers with a story about the town’s efforts to restore a frightened young babe to his family. Otherwise, you’ll not find anything more than a group of happy villagers celebrating both the return of their loved ones from war and a very fine harvest.

Yours sincerely,

A lady of much better standing in Reabridge than Miss Eunice Fillmore!

About the Book: Under the Harvest Moon

As the village of Reabridge in Cheshire prepares for the first Harvest Festival following Waterloo, families are overjoyed to welcome back their loved ones from the war.

But excitement quickly turns to mystery when mere weeks before the festival, an orphaned child turns up in the town—a toddler born near Toulouse to an English mother who left clues that tie her to Reabridge.

With two prominent families feuding for generations and the central event of the Harvest Moon festival looming, tensions rise, and secrets begin to surface.

Nine award winning and bestselling authors have combined their talents to create this engaging and enchanting collection of interrelated tales. Under the Harvest Moon promises an unforgettable read for fans of Regency romance.

Story blurbs here: https://bluestockingbelles.net/belles-joint-projects/under-the-harvest-moon/

Preorder now: https://books2read.com/UnderHarvestMoon

Includes Under the Champagne Moon, by Alina K. Field

Orphaned as a child by the French Revolution, Fleur Hardouin’s road has not been easy. Homeless again, she seeks an advantageous marriage as a matter of security. But when she crosses paths with a handsome young captain who, years ago, came to her rescue, she must choose between her heart’s desire and practicality.

Saved from French troops by a French vintner, Gareth Ardleigh promised to find his rescuer’s granddaughter, Fleur, for a marriage that will unite two branches of the family business. But when he finds her, he must choose between honoring a promise or pursuing the woman he loves.

Release Day October 10, 2023

Another Dispatch from Reabridge

By Alina Field

On July 8, 2023

In Teatime Tattler

Dear Mr. Clemens,

As I reported some days ago (and was gratified to see included in your publication) chaos continues to reign here and it would behoove you, I say most respectfully, to send a reporter to investigate.

There are just far too many French women muddling about with our menfolk. And as if we didn’t have enough of our own boys returning from the army, we have others just visiting and bringing with them foreign ways. Why, one of them is an officer said to have learned some fancy way of opening foreign bottles from Napoleon himself. Not to mention that he’s said to have smuggled in some sort of fancy wine under the noses of the Customs Officers.

That one is residing, of all things, at the home of our local Justice of the Peace. A family friend, they say, but he’s been seen taking up with a French woman, a gel who appeared out of nowhere with an older woman in tow, an old relic who claims to be English and a Lady. Hah. I doubt it. She is said to have set her cap for our Justice of the Peace while her little French friend cavorts with the officer and chases about town seeking her own fortune.

Do send a reporter! I am far too busy with baking for the Harvest Festival to investigate and send regular dispatches. There is much to report, even among the Quality of our town!

Yours Sincerely,

Eunice Fillmore, spinster.

About the Book: Under the Harvest Moon

As the village of Reabridge in Cheshire prepares for the first Harvest Festival following Waterloo, families are overjoyed to welcome back their loved ones from the war.

But excitement quickly turns to mystery when mere weeks before the festival, an orphaned child turns up in the town—a toddler born near Toulouse to an English mother who left clues that tie her to Reabridge.

With two prominent families feuding for generations and the central event of the Harvest Moon festival looming, tensions rise, and secrets begin to surface.

Nine award winning and bestselling authors have combined their talents to create this engaging and enchanting collection of interrelated tales. Under the Harvest Moon promises an unforgettable read for fans of Regency romance.

Story blurbs here: https://bluestockingbelles.net/belles-joint-projects/under-the-harvest-moon/

Preorder now: https://books2read.com/UnderHarvestMoon

Includes Under the Champagne Moon, by Alina K. Field

Orphaned as a child by the French Revolution, Fleur Hardouin’s road has not been easy. Homeless again, she seeks an advantageous marriage as a matter of security. But when she crosses paths with a handsome young captain who, years ago, came to her rescue, she must choose between her heart’s desire and practicality.

Saved from French troops by a French vintner, Gareth Ardleigh promised to find his rescuer’s granddaughter, Fleur, for a marriage that will unite two branches of the family business. But when he finds her, he must choose between honoring a promise or pursuing the woman he loves.

Release Day October 10, 2023

Eyewitness to a Scandalous Reunion

By Alina Field

On June 3, 2023

In Teatime Tattler

Dear Readers,

The Teatime Tattler received a most interesting post from a reliable informant, a lady who is a true friend to this publication. You will not see this news anywhere else!

So, without further ado…

My Dear Mr. Clemens,

Last night, I had the honor of attending a most prestigious entertainment at the home of Lady P. It was cheek by jowl as the best of these events are. One could look left and then right and find something of value to your readers.

Nevertheless, I have resolved to report on the most diverting episode of the evening, the reunion of a Scotsman and his former wife. I am told that their divorce some two decades ago—yes, Mr. Clemens, decades!—was fraught with allegations of infidelity on the part of the lady. (As such matters are—and dare I say how unfair it is to the ladies with wandering husbands?)

But I digress. The Scotsman—I shall call him Lord C, for indeed he bears a title besides a military rank from his twenty years in service to the Crown. His former wife, Mrs. D, as she calls herself (though she never remarried), arrived on the arm of a much younger Lord M who claimed to be a cousin. In fact, he declared within hearing of all nearby that the lady was not his mistress!

I suppose the young lord did not wish to be called out by Lord C, for indeed, though Lord C wore no regimentals, he has the appearance of a fierce warrior; and though he staggered about, it was whispered to me that he was not drunk, but merely recovering from wounds.

May I venture to say that it was not old wounds that had him wobbling—but much-deserved guilt and regret. For Mrs. D is a dignified and quite beautiful lady, despite not being in the first bloom of youth. There was much whispering behind hands. I suspect that once published, this news will be one for the betting books.

Will he and the lady reunite, or not?

Fated Hearts, A Love After All Retelling of the Scottish Play

Plagued by hellish memories and rattling visions of battle to come, a Scottish Baron returning from two decades at war meets the daughter he denied was his, and the wife he divorced, and learns that everything he’d believed to be true was a lie. What he can’t deny is that she’s the only woman he’s ever loved. They’re not the young lovers they once were, but when passion flares, it burns more hotly than ever it did in their youth.

They soon discover, it wasn’t fate that drove them apart, but a jealous enemy, who played on his youthful arrogance and her vulnerability. Now that old enemy has resurfaced, more treacherous than ever. When his lady falls into a trap, can he reach her in time to rescue this love that never died?

Excerpt

A crush was what they called these suffocating occasions, and the term was apt.

Major Finnley Macbeth, Scottish baron and late of his majesty’s Highland Brigade, shifted his weight from the leg that still ached like the devil, and scanned the room for his quarry, an undersecretary in the Home Office who he’d met at the army’s winter quarters in Frenada.

From his spot near a damask covered wall, he measured each breath, trying to calm his rising unease. The heavy scent of perfume mixed with fine beeswax and hothouse florals unsettled more than his stomach. The shimmering silks and waving plumes threatened to stir the disquieting visions plaguing him lately.

Fire, explosions, rain, the screams of men and horse.

He squeezed his hands into fists. These were not the hellish memories of the recent past, dammit, but rattling visions of some battle yet to come.

Or not. Foretelling the future was for Travellers and crones, wasn’t it? Not battle-hardened men like himself.

He inhaled slowly, holding the breath for a count, and then eased the air out. Best keep his purpose in mind—he was here to track down Sir Thomas Abernathy, lately arrived in London, and rumored to be attending this rout.

His gaze swept the room, seeking the distinctive bald pate. In spite of his own forty-three years, his eyesight was still keen enough to make out a sniper or spot the dust of a fleeing stag. Keen enough as well to relish the deep décolletages and clinging, delicate, almost transparent skirts on display this night, a vision far more cheering than the one the Sight was showing him.

A more modestly clad woman stood alone halfway across the ballroom, her back turned to him, surveying the room as he was doing.

A memory stabbed him, laced with an old shame. He’d once known a lass with hair like this, so abundant, so near to black. The lady tonight had crowned all the loveliness with dark feathers, like a glorious cormorant. His hand itched to pull out those feathers and rake his hands through the tumble of hair, as he’d once done…

He caught a steadying breath. It couldn’t be her. He’d simply been without a woman too long.

And these visions plaguing him of he knew not what? That foolishness grew from naught but fatigue, the wages of war, and the steady company of too much death. Napoleon had been defeated. He must put the memories of battle and that more distant passion aside. The lovely lady with feathers atop her head was only a stranger wondering where her man had got to.

Yet he couldn’t turn away. As he watched, she pivoted one way, and then the other, allowing a glimpse of dangling earbobs and a firm chin.

Drawn to her, he stepped out on his bad leg just as she turned.

Pain shot through his hip. The room threatened to fall away but he held onto the pain, let it shore him up whilst he swore a silent curse.

It was her.

Fated Hearts is only 99 cents through June 30, 2023

Buy link: https://books2read.com/u/bQdyPP

About the Author

Award winning and USA Today bestselling author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but prefers the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California, where she shares a midcentury home with her a spunky, blond rescued terrier and a sociable chihuahua. She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring. Though hard at work on her next series of romantic adventures, she loves to hear from readers!