The Tattler received this dispatch from Cambridge some time ago. We reprint it to coincide with sale of the fifth edition of Poetry by the Female Authors of Ancient Greece.
S. Clemens
The weather here turned ugly last week; strong winds and icy rain made the streets miserable. The Ladies’ Sewing and Charitable Project Association met in spite of that at Abigail Clarke’s home. Abigail, agog with news, clearly cared little for the niceties of such events, which may explain why her soda bread, dry as wood, had little taste.
The tea (a fine oolong) had scarcely found its way into every cup before she burst out with, “You will never guess what She has done now.”
One did not need to ask who “She” was. The main topic this past year has been the doings of Lady Georgiana Hayden, in residence at Helsington Cottage, an unnatural creature if ever I saw one. When her great aunt sat in residence she kept to herself and provided little fodder for our little discussions. At first the niece did the same, but that was before her true eccentricity exhibited itself for all to see.
Of course, the ladies could hardly wait to hear what had happened now, but Abigail would draw out her story for effect. “Well, you’ve heard about her writing, have you not?” she began. Well, of course we had. The unnatural creature claims to study Greek. It’s no wonder she’s never married if you ask me. No man would want a wife who spouted Plato. Can you imagine if she did that in the marriage bed?
“Get on with it Abigail,” Molly Harding urged, giving voice to all of us. “What has happened now?”
“Last week I heard she petitioned to use the Wren Library at Trinity College,” Eliza Barlowe sniffed. “As if they would admit a woman to that place.”
“Woman she may be,” Abigail intoned, drawing attention back to herself, “But lady she is not. My Ernest told me…” Here she dropped her voice so we all had to lean in. She looked around at each of us to make sure we were attentive. How could we not be? “She approached one of the fellows in his premises.”
I can tell you every woman in that room sat back, stunned. I demanded more information. “Who?” I dared not ask why she went there. Some things are not fit for ladies’ conversation.
“Watterson. He sent her on her way fast enough. She asked for tutoring! Can you imagine such a thing? She may be a duke’s daughter but asking a fellow of a great university for private lessons is, is—“ She sputtered so bad that she couldn’t finish. She didn’t need to.
After a moment Abigail pulled herself together and added, “That Hayden woman is no better than she should be, mark my words. She reads Greek? Who really believes that?”
I would have pointed out that my husband, sole proprietor of one of the better bookstores—all of Cambridge knows Groghan’s Scholarly Bookshop—told me she orders highly inappropriate books and manuscripts. He only services her order because, after all, if he didn’t another store might. He makes sure she pays a pretty penny. I didn’t get a chance to say it.
The replies that might have been made died on our lips when Abigail’s maid of all work admitted two more ladies. Edwina Potter stood in the doorway looking like she’d eaten something foul. She didn’t come alone. Towering behind her stood Lady Georgiana Hayden herself, fire in her eyes and a frown on her face. No true lady would have eavesdropped! How Edwina thought that woman would be welcome I cannot say.
You may assume that the rest of the meeting, such as it was, lurched on with awkward silences. Molly Harding, ever the jolly molly, attempted greeting as false as it was cheerful. Edwina Potter attempted to introduce church matters, cooking, and sewing for the poor with little success.
The meeting came to a swift end. Next month we meet at Molly Harding’s lovely home. One can only hope for more superior fare than the cold tea and dry bread Abigail served, but perhaps equally titillating gossip. One doubts She will have the nerve to show her face.
Your devoted correspondent
Mrs. Virgil Groghan
_____________________________________________
Alas, poor Georgiana! She does eventually find a tutor who teaches her more than she bargained for.
About Dangerous Works
A little Greek is one thing; the art of love is another. Only one man ever tried to teach Lady Georgiana Hayden both. If it takes a scandalous affair to teach her what she needs to complete her work, she will risk it. Major Andrew Mallet returns to Cambridge a battle scarred hero and would be scholar. His last encounter with Georgiana cost him eleven years of his life. Determined to avoid her, he seeks work to heal his soul and make his scholar father proud. The work she offers risks his career, his peace of mind, and (worst of all) his heart. Can he protect himself from a woman who almost destroyed him? Does he want to?
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Carol Roddy – Author
About Caroline Warfield
Bluestocking Belle, history buff, traveler, would-be adventurer, former tech writer and library technology professional, Caroline Warfield has now retired to the urban wilds of Eastern Pennsylvania, and divides her time between writing and seeking adventures with her grandbuddy and the prince among men she married.
Edmond Worthington, 9th Duke of Hartford looked up in annoyance when his study door slammed opened, the paintings on the walls trembling from the force. He had wondered how long it would take his younger brother to find him once he was told the news.
Brandon once more crossed the room to take hold of two crystal glasses before surveying his choice of liquor. He grabbed the whiskey. “Perhaps I should bring the bottle.” Setting the glasses down, he began pouring, not bothering to be neat about it.
This is an original piece and prequel to Sherry Ewing’s work in progress, Nothing But Time. Sherry picked up her first historical romance when she was a teenager and has been hooked ever since. A bestselling author, she writes historical & time travel romances to awaken the soul one heart at a time. Always wanting to write a novel but busy raising her children, she finally took the plunge in 2008 and wrote her first Regency. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Beau Monde & the Bluestocking Belles. Sherry is currently working on her next novel and when not writing, she can be found in the San Francisco area at her day job as an Information Technology Specialist. You can learn more about Sherry and her published work here on her page with the Belles or on these social medial outlets:
Believing that she has been misplaced in time, Helena Lloyd travels back two hundred years in an attempt to find out where she belongs.
Susana Ellis has always had stories in her head waiting to come out, especially when she learned to read and her imagination began to soar. A former teacher, Susana lives in Toledo, Ohio in the summer and Florida in the winter. She is a member of the Central Florida Romance Writers and the Beau Monde chapters of RWA and Maumee Valley Romance Inc.