Category: Teatime Tattler Page 23 of 153

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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Secrets Unveiled in Westerfield Manor

By Rue Allyn

On November 22, 2023

In Teatime Tattler

Greetings, dear readers, and gather around as we delve into the enchanting tapestry of Westerfield Manor, where secrets lie beneath the polished veneer of Regency high society. In the historic halls of this venerable estate, a tale of mystery, love, and destiny unfolds—a tale that has tongues wagging and quills at the ready in the hallowed realms of gossip.

Lady Genevieve, a paragon of grace and refinement, and the dashing Lord Ashford have become the unsuspecting protagonists in a challenge that transcends time and family ties. Their quest? To unearth the concealed secrets that have lingered within Westerfield Manor for generations, like whispers carried on the wind.

At the heart of this clandestine adventure is a missing treasure—a brooch of exquisite craftsmanship, whispered to possess a magic of its own. Lady Genevieve, with her keen intellect and unwavering resolve, joins forces with the charismatic Lord Ashford to solve the riddles of the past. As the clock ticks towards the midnight deadline, the duo races against time, navigating the labyrinth of Westerfield Manor in search of answers.

Secret letters passed through the ages like precious heirlooms reveal a saga of love and intrigue that transcends the boundaries of time. The very walls of the manor seem to whisper tales of an age-old romance, echoing the sentiments of a bygone era.

Amidst the flickering candlelight and the rustle of silk gowns, Lady Genevieve and Lord Ashford find themselves entangled in a web of mystery and desire. As they draw closer to the truth, their own bond deepens, mirroring the profound magic that only true love can conjure. It is a love that defies the constraints of a society bound by rules and expectations.

As the clock strikes midnight, the secrets of Westerfield Manor are laid bare, and the legacy of a family is rewritten. The enduring commitment of Lady Genevieve and Lord Ashford serves as a testament to the transformative power of love—a force that illuminates even the darkest corners of the past.

Dear readers, as we pen down this tale of whispered secrets and hidden desires, let us raise our quills to Lady Genevieve and Lord Ashford, the architects of a love story that transcends time and societal constraints. May their journey inspire us all to look beyond the façade and seek the enduring magic that lies within the recesses of our own hearts.

Until next time, dear readers, who knows what secrets may be unveiled in Ms. Casie’s next story? I am certain it will be a tale to savor and enjoy.

About The Lady and the Christmas Brooch: Amidst the splendor of a Christmas ball, Lady Genevieve and a charming rogue Lord Ashford find the secret to her destinies intertwined in an antique brooch. Can their growing love defy society’s demands, or will their love reveal the true magic of the season?

In the historic halls of Westerfield Manor, an entwined tale of mystery, love, and destiny unfolds. Lady Genevieve and Lord Ashford embark on a challenge to uncover the hidden family secrets that span generations—before midnight. Amidst the allure of the past, they find themselves drawn into a web of intrigue fueled by secret letters, a missing treasured brooch, and the whispers of an age-old romance. As midnight draws near, Genevieve and Ashford’s bond deepens, revealing that true love, like the secrets of the past, is illuminated by those willing to look beyond the bounds of a restricted society. In a spellbinding story weaving together destiny and unwavering commitment, the legacy of a family finds itself rewritten by the enduring and profound magic that only love can offer.

About Christmastide Kisses, a Bluestocking Belles with Friends collection: Six charming holiday season romances from award-winning and best-selling authors. The Bluestocking Belles and Friends brighten your holidays with:

A beleaguered uncle whose wards have run off every governess–what he needs is a wife, if only he can persuade the latest applicant
A country solicitor who becomes an earl and then finds a secret that changes everything
A very proper clergyman battles very improper urges when he and a lady with a murky past find themselves snowbound
A viscount whose search to unearth generations-old family secrets kindles the fire of love for his lovely search partner
A former army captain wonders if the best friend of his ex-fiancee is the woman he should have married
A vicar with a misspent youth and the duke’s daughter who brings out the best in him

Six gentlemen and the ladies with whom they discover the power of a Christmastide Kiss.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Christmastide-Kisses-Bluestocking-Friends-Collection-ebook/dp/B0CNL3HRKG

Shocking scandal rocks village just before Christmas

By Jude Knight

On November 18, 2023

In Jude Knight, Teatime Tattler

My dearest Madeline

You will never believe who I met coming out of the church this morning. You shall not be able to guess, so I shall tell you. Lissette Parslow.

Yes, I know. We were both certain she would never dare to show her face in Fairview again. Not after what she did. But there she was, chatting to the vicar for all the world as if butter would not melt in her mouth. You would think Vicar would know better, for he was curate back then, when it all happened.

But there. He is too good for this world, as I’m sure all of Fairview would agree, and that wife of his encourages him in his misplaced kindness. Well. She would, would she not? We do not forget that she remained friends with Lissie Parslow even after it became obvious what the trollop had been up to. Yes, and who with, for who else could it have been, when she never left the manor, and him with an eye for a pretty girl, as all the village knew–and most of England, too, come to that.

“Lissie Parslow,” I said to her. “You have come back.” I should have thought my expression was enough to put the fear of God into her, for she knows what she did. But she always was a pert baggage. The countess made too much of her, and I always said so, did I not, Madeline?”

“I am Mrs Penworth now,” she replied. “And is it still Miss Albright?”

The cheek of it, Madeline. “Is there a Mr Penworth?” I snapped back. A fair question, given her history!

“Now, now, ladies,” said the vicar. “A little Christmas charity, if you would be so kind.”

So I put him on the spot, right there in front of the brazen hussy. “Do you suppose, vicar,” I said, “that Christian charity applies to those who seduced their lady’s husband and got themselves with child?”

You will never, in a million years, guess what he said. I tell you true, Madeline. He said, “Yes, that is exactly what I suppose. I also suppose that we are instructed not to judge the circumstances of others, when we do not know the facts. Judge not, Miss Albright, lest ye be judged.”

I was so shocked, I did not know what to say, and before I could recover, they both said good day. The Parslow woman–or Penworth, if that is her real name–walked off along the road, and Vicar went back into the church.

But that is not the whole story. On Sunday, when I went to church, she was there, sitting with a man whom I must suppose is Penworth, whether she is married to him or not. Madeline, they were sitting in the earl’s pew with the new earl himself, and with a girl of about the age our dear departed countess was when she came to our village. I could not see her face from where I was sitting, but I had to suppose she was Lissie Parslow’s daughter, and how she came to be sitting in the earl’s pew, I could not fathom.

Not, at least, until the homily was over and the vicar invited the earl to stand up and speak. What he had to say, Madeline, changed everything.

Find out more in A Countess by Christmas, by Jude Knight, a novella in Christmastide Kisses, the Bluestocking Belles with Friends collection that is coming out on 26th December.

Story blurbs and the buy links for the book will be added to our project page over the next week.

Be Wary of What You Read in the Paper

By Bluestocking Belles

On November 11, 2023

In Teatime Tattler

The Teatime Tattler September 1813

Letters to The Teatime Tattler October 10, 1813

To the editor,

I write to alert you to a misleading advert that has appeared in this paper frequently this autumn, to wit the one entitled “Governess Wanted.” I am one of the foolish women who responded. I therefore can knowledgeably warn any gently-bred lady who considers the position to run the other way.

While the county in question may appear pleasant in the brief summer, its bleak landscape grows drearier with every mile north and every month,closer to a dark, cold winter. The “gracious manor” saw better days under one of the earlier Georges perhaps. Grim and neglected, it is woefully understaffed forcing a governess to activities not expected of one in her position. The mentioned accommodations might be considered comfortable but were hardly attractive. Shabby describes much of the manor.

Description of his lordship’s wards as “bright” fails to mention that they lack manners. The little demons are as civilized as savages. As to the viscount himself, a more grim and taciturn oaf I have yet to meet. That is, he is taciturn until his intemperate anger gets out of control. I would shudder to report the words he said when we parted ways.

Tilly Wilkins, unemployed governess

PS Return fare was provided as promised

About the Story

Duncan Laidlaw, newly and expectantly raised to Viscount Mildrum, is in trouble. He’s been saddled with a neglected estate, an equally neglected and shabby household, and three wild and undisciplined children, his cousin’s step-children. They may not be his blood, but they are his to care for.

After several failed attempts he has concluded that what he needs first isn’t a governess, it is a wife, someone who can help him bring order to his home. He turns to his friend, vicar Micah Turner, to send one.

What an outrageous request! Yet, Micah happens to know just the woman. She’d be perfect for Duncan, if he can convince her. The only way to find out is to plunge her into the middle of the chaos.

“Duncan’s Twelfth Night Miracle” by Caroline Warfield appears in the next Bluestocking Belles’ holiday collection, a bundle of sweet and saucy romances for your holiday leisure, Boxing Day and beyond. Each is a short tale perfect for an evening’s quiet read over hot cocoa and candlelight. Watch for it later this month.

A new woman seeks to marry from an advert! She shall not have him!

By Cerise DeLand

On October 28, 2023

In Cerise Deland, gossip, Historical Period, Regency (19th century Britain), Teatime Tattler

I write to you today, dear Tattler, to tell of an outrage in my village. What do you say to a lady who sails all the way from London to the south shore of Wales, all to get a husband?

And to take one who has advertised to get you to come hither?

Is that not a ridiculous venture?

Sight unseen to agree to travel hundreds of miles to a sordid little town and devilihs house like the tumbledown Rambles of the barons of Rhouse and Gary? This is a sprawling, ugly monstrosity built by Normans, kept by men who made their living stealing what bounty floated up from the shores.

A wicked house it is too. Filled with wicked men who take women for their money and their land. Hollow men who fill themselves up with the dowries of naive girls and who ravaged them…and any others they wish.

The barons of this house and this lineage are thieves and charlatans. What woman would want such a man as husband?

I didn’t. Yet I had to. My father demanded it of me and where else was I to go, sicne my fiance’s father had already defiled me, eh?

Now this girl comes. Silly thing. She will not have this new baron to wed. I will see to it.

Warn your female readers not to accept a man’s hand if they know him not. It is not wise. It is not safe.

I warn you. Do not answer an advert to become a wife of a Welsh baron. He had only danger and heartache in store for you.

Sincerely,

~ Desperate Lady

*****

When a young widow wishes to marry again, will the man she grows to love ask more than she can give?

Mrs. Tynley Wallingford yearns for a quiet, comforting marriage to a man whom she can respect. She’ll go to any lengths to find the best candidate who can respect her, in turn. Even correspond with one fellow at length before she agrees that Kendryck Hollens is the man whose words awaken her desire for a husband she might grow to love.

Tynley takes a risk and sails to Wales with the best intentions. She finds in Kendryck a man with a noble ambition—and a family filled with age-old conflict and despair.

Kendryck Hollens returns home to Wales after fifteen years abroad, a stranger to his cantankerous family. He assumes his rightful title as baron of the legendary house of Strade and attempts to change the dastardly reputation of his ancestors, and put his siblings on the right path to a purposeful life.

Thrilled that Tynley has come to his home, he notices that her presence creates challenges among those in his family. But he feels assured she can help him obtain what he wants most in this world.

When a tragedy threatens to ruin his ambition and his family, he fears the price of endurance will ruin Tynley’s personal objective too—and drive her from him.

How much can one ask of one whom they love? Are any prices too high?

*****

Kendryck put his two hands to her cheeks. “I told myself I would not take you like a villain.”

“Hmmm,” Tynely said as she considered that with a tip of her head this way and that. Then she pulled at the end of his beautifully tied cravat and said, “You aren’t.”

He took her by the shoulders. “Not against the stables, not in a carriage. We must be in a bed.”

“I do agree.” She sank to lick the skin of his corded neck. “But one must have a few bites of bliss before the main course.” She undid the button of his soft linen shirt and kissed the hollow of his throat. “Otherwise, one’s appetite is not prepared.”

He laughed, he groaned, then he pressed her flush to his chest. “You should have told me you were a tease.”

She rolled her eyes. “Why? Isn’t this more fun?”

He hooted. His grip on her was mighty and seductive. “What should I know, my darling?”

“About…?”

“Making love to you.”

She bent to his mouth and licked his bottom lip. “That I will be as needy as you.”

“Thank God.”

“That I will want all of you as mine.”

“I rejoice at it. And? Anything else?”

“That I am yours completely and you may have me at your will,” she whispered and took one of his fingers and nipped the end, “as long as I may have you at mine.”

BUY LINK: https://books2read.com/u/4jBX90

Cerise DeLand is the USA TODAY Bestselling Author who believes love brings rich rewards from a life lived with honesty, valor—and a functioning funnybone.

Known for her poetic elegance and accuracy of detail, she’s won awards for many of the more than 70 novels she’s written.

Her work has been nearly life-long! First published in 1991 by Kensington, then Pocket Books, St. Martin’s Press and independent presses, she is now published by DRAGONBLADE PUBLISHING. Plus her books have been monthly selections of the Doubleday Book Club and the Mystery Guild.

To research, she’s dived into the oldest texts and dustiest library shelves. She travels abroad taking good walking shoes, big notebooks, trusty pens and a camera! She visits chateaux and country homes she loves to people with her own imaginary characters.

And at home every day? She cooks. (Every night.) Never dusts. (That can be a problem.) She goes swimming or pumps iron once a week and tries (desperately) to grow vegetables in her arid backyard in south Texas!

Website:

https://www.cerisedeland.com

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Cerise-DeLand/e/B0089DS2N2/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cerise.deland/

Blog: https://cerisedeland.blogspot.com/