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Be Wary of What You Read in the Paper

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.

 

That Lovely French Emigre is not to be Trusted

Dear Sir,

I am here to report a tale of treason. It involves a lovely French emigre and one of our finest English families! 

You must print this so that this lady—a princess of Bourbon blood, too—does not corrupt this good English family completely.

It began weeks ago when our renowned MP, Sir R—was pushed into the and run over by a careless coachman. He nearly died. He has lost his leg to amputation. But I ask you, who put the coachman up to the heinous crime???

I say it was this Miss Marguerite, aka ‘Daisy’ M—. Yes, she of the famous M— family, comtes of Normandy. Cousins to the new King Louis and his family. She has hidden in our country, lo these many years with her large elusive family, who are nothing more than thieves and charlatans themselves! 

Why has she appeared at our poor Sir R—’s home? And at such an importune time?

Why does she remain? 

I tell you why. I have it on good authority that she seduces SIr R’s nephew. He is younger than his uncle and handsome as a god. 

You must stop her seduction. She is dangerous and will only once again ruin the name of Sir R’s nephew. After all, he was once suspected of murder. Though the true criminal was never caught, Sir R’s nephew must not fall for this lady and further lose whatever reputation he has left.

Spread the word, dear sir.

Daisy M— is not to trusted.

***

Excerpt, BECAUSE OF YOU, Copyright, Cerise DeLand 2023. All rights reserved.

“You are most kind,” Daisy told her host as the servant departed. “And I have intruded. I do beg your pardon. I had no idea Mr. Ruxton was injured.”

“Sir Daniel,” Garrick said with a tone of polite correction.

She tipped her head. “Excuse me?”

“My uncle is Sir Daniel Ruxton, Baronet Ruxton. Eighth of his line.”

“Forgive me. I had no idea.”

He walked toward her and took the settee opposite. An arm flung across the back, crossing one leg over the other, he regarded her. His perusal this time was friendlier than before, but inquisitive. “You truly have no idea who my uncle is?”

She knew not what his phrasing implied. She told him what she could. “I do know that he wrote to me for weeks. That he is a widower with two young daughters whom he loves dearly. That he wishes for himself to have a normal life again, which, since the death of his wife, he has not enjoyed.”

With knitted brows, he took that in as if he weighed it in his heart. “My uncle is a kind man, a good one, Miss Molyneaux. He does suffer with this injury. I will tell you that. We do pray for his recovery.” 

“As do I, sir. As do I. Oh, not…not because I wish an apology. Not now. But because one should not suffer so dearly. Life is difficult enough without…without chaos.” And now chaos was hers. If Sir Daniel did not marry her, chaos was once again hers.

“Just so.” Mr. Ruxton pressed his hands together. “I gather you understand that well.”

She stared at him. “I do.”

He inclined his head toward her. “The chaos of your particular memories.”

She flinched. Her particular memories. She successfully hid them most of the time. 

“The Terror?”

Oui.” Would she never escape it? “The Great Terror.”

“I must ask, miss, why precisely were my uncle and you to meet at Gunter’s?”

“He was to bring me home and—”

“Pardon me.” The man blinked. “You would come…here with him?”

“That’s normal. I mean—”

The man’s angelic eyes turned a shocking green. “To live?”

“Well, yes. That is the way.”

“You were to be his…” He gazed around the room, looking for a word.

“Wife.”

***

MATRIMONY! #2  BECAUSE OF YOU

Love does not advertise. Love is not proud. 

But when a young woman has nothing left but pride, she places an ad and hopes for a husband to treasure.

Miss ‘Daisy’ Molyneaux is desperate. All her family is dead. Her home in Normandy, attacked by mobs. Now that the little general has abdicated, she has a chance to gain back her lands. But she needs a husband who will help her regain her rights. So she pays to post an advert for a husband.

When the man who answers is not one she could ever love, but his nephew could be, can she accept his proposal?

Garrick Ruxton appears to her like a golden-haired hero, a handsome creature who saves her from an imperfect marriage. Garrick vows to  accompany Daisy to France and, in the bargain, solve his own problem. His shipments, meant for British forces on the Continent, constantly go missing. He knows not who or how or why the thieves steal his goods. Worse, someone has attempted to kill his uncle. Daisy, too. 

Garrick must find all those guilty before he is accused of treason. Before Daisy loses all hope of regaining her rights. And before they both lose the one chance they have to find happiness together.

BUY LINK: 

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Cerise DeLand is the USA TODAY bestselling author who hates to dust, loves to cook and write!

Visit her: http://cerisedeland.com

She is mine and I will take her back! Help me!

I write to you today, Tattler, in search of the woman I need to take back to my home. She has escaped me. Having written to that other nefarious newspaper that publishes adverts for those who wish to find spouses, she has gone to London and become the lover of a fellow who is not worthy of her.  

I appeal to you to help me find her. He has taken her away, supposedly to marry her.

But I will not care. Married or not. Ruined by him or not, I will have her back. She is mine. Has always been mine. I care not that she resembles my dead wife. She is lovelier than that one and my wife knew it. Knew I craved this one.

If you hear from her, Tattler, you must write to me. I track her now. Papers in London and Brighton papers say the couple has gone to Brighton. 

I will take her from him when they least expect me. I will show her that she is meant for me alone. No matter what she thinks.

MATRIMONY! #1. IF I LOVED YOU

Love does not advertise. Love counts no wrongs.

But when a young woman needs to escape, she’ll take an ad to find a man she can adore.

Verity Carr wants a new life in a new town far from her old home—and the vile threat to her body and soul. She comes from a fine family, has a good education and a bold ambition to become a portrait artist. She’s ready to live her life with a man who will value her. A husband she can can respect—and in time, hopefully love. Yet valiant though she is, she questions if she can escape her past and one who will not let her go.

Can a gentleman to whom great wrong was done, build a new life with a true wife and leave the past behind?

Miles St.John Armstrong never should have wed his first wife. He vows to select a new one with logic and careful investigation—via advertisement. The young lady he selects is Verity Carr who is no ordinary woman. She has charm, wit and a beauty that sears his soul. No wonder theirs is a relationship built quickly on admiration and trust. No wonder their marriage becomes one built of mutual mad passion. 

But devoted as they are, their past comes to call.

And it asks of them the ultimate question: Can their love withstand the tempest and survive the terror?

AUTHOR Cerise DeLand invites you to read her newest in a dramatically different romantic suspense inspired by the adverts to a spouse in Regency period!

Excerpt, IF I LOVED YOU. Copyright, 2023, Cerise DeLand.

Miles  had not known her for more than a few hours, but he’d seen her shock over such a sizable bequest. Certainly he could revel in the good fortune of anyone. But if she had suspicions about who had given her such a large inheritance and did not wish to discuss it with him, he could understand that, too. But her new-found gain, enough to support her at current standards in meager means for her lifetime, could lead her to break their agreement to marry. The possibility of losing her created an ache in his heart. A place he’d never expected to feel anything at all ever again. 

As they entered the Grosvenor Gate and passed the park wall, she strode more slowly and breathed more deeply. They took a turn on the path south and one glance at her told him she was more at ease.

“I hate to spoil your enjoyment,” he said, “but I think we should not walk here much longer. The shadows grow deeper.”

“You are right, of course.” She had her hands in her coat pockets as she stopped and spun toward him. “You have been very good to me today.”

He raised a hand, his smile wry. “No more gratitude, please. I am quite thanked.”

She stopped, faced him and tipped her head, suddenly the coquette, though to him, she did not seem to have planned the spontaneity of such an attitude. She was without guile—and he valued that unexpected characteristic more than he could ever have imagined.

“You are a darling man,” she said with an honesty that emphasized her simplicity and lack of artifice.

“You are kind to think so.” He remembered a few instances when the moniker he deserved was the opposite. Savage. Insane. Gullible. All came to mind in a rush of bile. 

She put her hands to his and held tightly. “Do you still want to marry a woman you barely know?”

“I’d like to marry you, if you’ll have me.”

She shook her head as if the whole idea were impossible. “Why? Why?”

“I want a wife. A friend. I am lonely. You seem a gentle soul. I think we would do well together.”

“I cannot imagine that you have not met a thousand young ladies you know better than me who would not make you a friend and wife because they do know you better.”

But they knew his past, too. His wife. “I would never find happiness with any I’ve met. They see me as the mill owner, a cit with a new title, an upstart viscount, too rich for his title. They also see me as a widower.” Not knowing I am more aggrieved than grieving. 

She stood immobile, only her large eyes searching his for what he would not reveal. “Did you love her?”

“When I married her, yes.”

“And do you miss her?”

“No.”

She nodded. “I see. Then your loneliness comes not from her lack.”

“No. It does not.”

She gulped. “Do you want children?”

He blinked and peered up at the deep blue clouds scudding across a darker moonlit sky. “I have not wished for that in many years. But now,” he said as he met her frank gaze, “I believe I would.”

She smiled as if he’d just given her the keys to the kingdom. “I would, too.”

He stepped closer to her, dropped her hands and cupped her shoulders. Her luscious curves fit into the planes of his suddenly very needy self. “Might we proceed to getting them?”

She arched her neck and let her eyes dance into his. “First we must be wed.”

“Will day after tomorrow do?”

“Quite well,” she said on a delighted laugh. “And then we must become better friends.”

He sent his fingers up into the heavy coil of hair at her nape. Her skin was as soft as charmeuse and her hair smelled of lavender. She’d been in his arms often today and her need had been great. Now, he would test to see if she might come for a new and startling reason. Might she come because she could want him? Want him as a man? As her lover?

She pulled back a little, a question on her plump lips. “Friends kiss.”

“They do,” he said with a smile that grew from a friend’s to a ravenous man’s. “Shall we?”

She studied his mouth and swallowed hard. “Oh, yes. From the moment I heard your voice on the Great North Road, I have wanted to know how you taste.”

“Well, then,” he said as he loomed over her lips, “we must not delay.”

 She circled her arms around his shoulders and pushed up on her toes. “Please don’t.”

The temptation to take her with all the ardor he bore her raged through him. He could not devour her like a satyr. He was a man who had foresworn passion and love. A man of reason and temperance. But then…

She put her lips to his, a brush of warm temptation. The sensation of her desire met the one of his quest as if two stars collided in the dark of night. Blinded by it, he groaned and caught her up. Her mouth was lush, and as his tongue invaded, he knew how hot her body was. How sweet. He swept the inside of her mouth and felt her complete surrender. This was what he’d craved. A woman who might love him.

He pulled away, breathless, cupping her cheek. “Darling, we must stop.”

In the shadows of the soft spring evening, she tipped her head and smiled at him. “You’ll kiss me again?”

“As often as you wish.”

There again was that sweet woman who drew him to her with the artless look of enchantment. “Must I tell you each time?”

“No,” he said on a laugh and hugged her close, then set her from him. “Only look at me like that, my darling, and I am yours.”

“As I am forever yours,” she said and put her arm in his to turn and walk home. 

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A Mysterious Disappearance

May 10th, 1818

My Dearest Emily,

I cannot begin to tell you of the accusations and ferment roiling among the district families.  I’m at my wit’s end, I truly am.  My truest friend in the world, Victoria Covington, has gone missing.  No warning nor suspicions were raised beforehand.  I visited her on the morning of May 4th, though her uncle’s many house guests were everywhere.  As mistress of Belton Park, she felt the demands keenly.  Then, shortly after I bid her goodbye, she simply vanished.  Disappeared.  Gone.

No one saw her leave or spoke to her after I left.  I cannot understand it.  If she had a beau or planned to elope, she would have told me.  Regardless, that is not possible as all her clothes were undisturbed.

Tory would never have left her beloved Park willingly, she loved it so.  She must have been abducted, but who would do such a thing?  All the guests were accounted for and because of the large number of guests out enjoying the spring weather, no one could have entered the house and left with her without being seen.  And stranger still are the items which went missing with her.

I ask you to write to me of any strange doings you might hear of in Petworth and around the district.  Any information may be of help.  I have enclosed the newspaper notice with the details.  I must go.  I hear a search party returning to Belton Park, where I am at the moment attempting to help.

Your loving cousin,

Kitty.

                                        MISSING

Lord Reginald Covington has reported his niece missing to the District Magistrate at Horsham, Sussex.  Miss Victoria Covington has not been seen since Monday last.  Baron Covington and she were hosting a large house party at his estate, Belton Park, Sussex, near Petworth, with many notables attending.  Miss Covington had been well received in London during her first Season last spring. Lord Covington is said to be distraught over her disappearance.

The unusual circumstances surrounding the disappearance are numerous. Miss Covington went missing among a house full of guests, many enjoying the surrounding grounds at the time, but no one witnessed her departure.  Guests reported seeing her enter the family music room with a new volume of poetry, which cannot be located. A family friend places her there before noon time.  Also missing was a family heirloom, a Queen Anne love seat.  However, her personal effects were not disturbed.  She is 5 feet, 3 inches tall, with blonde hair.  When last seen she was wearing a blue morning dress. The Baron is offering a reward of £200 for any information concerning her whereabouts.  Contact Sir Terrance Aperton, District Magistrate, Coarse Lane, Horsham with the particulars.

Except from Touching Time:

Her smile turned to a frown. She used to enjoy the company of men, not avoid it, but since her coming out, the only interest they displayed was for her sizable dowry. Apparently, her oft-heralded beauty only made her more bankable.

“Oh, Kitty, my uncle, as kind as he is, also views me as income. The interest from my dowry is what keeps the Covington finances from a reckoning with the wolves. As he can’t touch my dowry or live without the interest, I have to receive a marriage offer from someone wealthy—very wealthy—if I am to obtain his blessing.” She gave a shrug at Kitty’s shocked expression. “Of course, he will negotiate the marriage settlement to make himself the trustee of any jointure I obtained.”

“I had no idea. It is beyond awful! What can you do?”

“I don’t know.” Neither her uncle nor her many admirers were interested in her, Miss Victoria Ann Covington. “Do you think there exists a man who could appreciate me for myself?”

Kitty sagely nodded at the question, but after a moment’s reflection said, “It is a shame, but I am quite certain men are hardly ever interested in women that way.”

Love exploring history, writing and Romance?

Visit B.W. Haggart’s website:  www.bwhaggart.com

Victoria Covington is mysteriously propelled two hundred years into the future. She must not only learn to live in the 21st century, but also keep her beloved Belton Park from being sold to a handsome, but ungentlemanly American, who simply wants the estate to further his own business plans.

Start reading Touching Time!

https://www.amazon.com/Touching-Time-Romancing-Book-ebook/dp/B09HVF2C1B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2YYNQODABGSTT  

Shackled and dressed in a neon orange jumpsuit, art thief Cassie Sinatore awaits extradition at Heathrow Airport.  An accident with a nearby experimental radar plane throws Cassie back in time, dumping her in a wooded countryside.  The rider who discovers her is charismatic, more compelling than any man she has ever met.  She chalks up the man’s Regency outfit and odd behavior to the eccentricity of the rich. Or maybe he is just a nutbar, but the man is offering a ride.

Start reading Stealing Time

https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Time-B-W-Haggart-ebook/dp/B08BWZCL2H/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=stealing+time&qid=1632502969&s=books&sr=1-3

Both are available in kindleunlimited!

An Earl with Two Mistresses in the Same House?

Dearest Readers,

The Tattler is certainly no stranger to scandals and rumors, but this latest news from the countryside even brings a blush to our faces. A dear friend has just returned from a ball held at the Earl of Rothden’s country estate and reports that the earl had not one, but two mistresses present.

The earl has long been associated with a certain Lady M, whom our witness saw at the ball. However, our witness later spied the Earl sweeping an unknown miss into the shadows and come out looking quite flushed. Is it any wonder that he should act so scandalously with friends like Lord Twisden? You may recall, dear readers, that Lord Twisden was in the Tattler just last week when he was caught indecent with Major Waler’s wife!

Rumors have circulated for the last few months that the Earl broke his arrangement with Lady M. Yet we must wonder if those rumors are true with her attendance at the ball. Even if they are true, who is the mysterious young miss the Earl was spotted with? Be assured that The Tattler will not rest until her identity is discovered.

The Earl’s Timely Wallflower

Never let destiny meddle in your romantic affairs…

When Lily Bennett became the caretaker of her teenage sister, it came at the expense of her hopes, dreams, and the home she grew up in. Now that her sister is grown and on her own, Lily struggles to find a place to call home. She wants to feel part of a family again and intends to mend the broken relationships with her siblings. That is, until she discovers an unusual timepiece that lands her in Regency England. And at the feet of one of the most eligible men in society. Unfortunately, he believes that she’s crazy. Any attraction Lily feels for the stubborn man is clearly one-sided. Too bad she’s stuck with him until she can figure out how to get home.

Gabriel Hawthorne, Earl of Rothden, has decided to host one last house party before returning to London for the dreaded season where every simpering chit and money-hungry mother will hover around him like flies. Add to that his sister’s hunt for a husband and Gabriel would rather shoot himself than a grouse. Still, it’s his duty to find his sister a suitable match, which he’ll do after one last bit of respite to shore up his defenses. A respite interrupted when a pretty little wallflower in scandalous clothes lands at his feet claiming to be from the future. He’d turn her over to doctors if she weren’t so damn intriguing. Suddenly, all thoughts of London, responsibilities, and simpering debutantes don’t seem half as hard as getting Lily to stay with him.

But when his ex-mistress arrives unannounced at the house party, she makes every effort to drive a wedge between the fragile bond Gabriel and Lily have forged. If she succeeds, he could lose Lily forever. And if Lily finds a way back to her time, he may have to follow her.

Because the Earl of Rothden always gets what he wants. Even when it’s a wallflower from the future.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3lYSzNm

(also available in KU)

Excerpt: Gabriel finds Lily in the library late one night…

“What about a family of your own? A husband and children?” His stomach tightened unaccountably at the thought.

“Some future dream, I suppose.”

“Any other future dreams?”

Lily chewed her lip. “There should be.”

“Perhaps it is time to think about the things that you want, Lily.”

“Maybe. Right now, I want to find a clock maker. All I found was a book on the theory of trade in the world.”

“Excellent choice. That book should put you right to sleep.”

“Would you like one for yourself?” Lily handed him the book. Her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled.

“Ah, no. I was hoping for something even more dull. The General View of Agriculture perhaps.”

“At home, I read every night in bed. It helped settle my mind so that I could sleep.”

“What did you read?”

“Romance. I only read romances.”

His Lily was a romantic. Did she read them and dream of a great romance of her own?

“I don’t suppose you have any?” she asked, although by her tone, she thought he wouldn’t.

His lips tugged up. “Violet snuck a few romances into the library, hoping that I wouldn’t notice.” He reached behind her, pressing himself that much closer, to run a finger over the leather spines.

She sucked in a breath.

The air changed between them, like the charge before a lightning strike. Heady and breathless. Something about this woman drew him. The more he learned about her, the more he desired her. Her strength and intelligence shone through every conversation, and Gabriel found himself deeply attracted to that combination.

Gabriel rested his other hand on the bookshelf, caging her in. He looked down into her eyes, illuminated only by the candle flame. The darkness wrapped around them, cocooning them in shadows. A branch brushed the window outside, and the house creaked. The silence of the night cast a spell, weaving between them, tugging them closer. It was as if they’d slipped into the land of dreams, where nothing felt real.

Lily pressed her hands to his chest. She didn’t push him away.

He wanted to feel her soft hands against his bare skin, but his dressing gown and sleep shirt were in the way. She stroked over his chest, then dipped her fingers under the edge of his velvet robe.

Closer to where he wanted her hands.

He dipped his head and traced his nose along her hairline, breathing her in. She arched into him, brushing her hips against his.

Her eyes widened when she felt his hard cock, and a shuddering breath left her lips.

“You fit against me perfectly,” he whispered. “When we danced, this is what I imagined.”

 

 

Bio and Social Media Links:

Aurrora St. James writes sexy historical and paranormal/fantasy romances featuring tough heroes, strong women, quirky characters, and a touch of humor added in for spice. She loves coffee, making her own journals, old B, C, and D-movies, and the magic of a happily ever after.

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