Dear Readers,
We at The Teatime Tattler have recently received this letter with advice for parents:
Though your hours are drawn out in ceaseless anxiety for the welfare of your children, and the purpose of your every action be to see them placed in the happiest and most respectable situation, do not think to find them grateful! No! It is best to be taught by lessons learnt by other unfortunate parents, who have been foiled in every worthy attempt to settle their children according to their rights and stations.
Only this week, at a house party given by an eminently respectable matron, and gathering several titled and eligible gentlemen for the perusal of the many daughters of nobility attending, one young lady was rumored to have been desired by her mother to endeavor to captivate the recently widowed duke. But Miss S not only ignored this most reasonable and prudent wish but went so far as to seek out the companionship of the house librarian instead! As another rumor has it that the young lady was in possession of a mouse figurine that could grant wishes, one can only presume she is touched in the head, which may have played a role in her perverse desire to thwart her mama’s designs.
But even less comprehensible is a certain Lord G’s ingratitude in failing to make efforts effectual enough to attach one of the many eligible young ladies his unwearied mother has thrown in his way over the past four years. As his lordship is neither young nor addle-brained, the only excuse for his undutiful behavior must be ingratitude–though a close source claims he carries the willow for a lady still single, and still residing in the neighborhood. But even should this prove the case, one cannot conceive of what he is about to throw all his mother’s careful schemes to the wind when this mysterious lady has already once refused him.
These examples must give any fond parent pause before setting out to construct a child’s future. Wisdom and experience ought to prevail, but when Love is allowed a say, one may very well be set for disappointment in one’s child’s ultimate choice.
Hearts in Bloom: A Regency Anthology
Authors: Judith Hale Everett, Rosanne E. Lortz, GL Robinson, K. Lyn Smith, Caroline Warfield
Blurb: A spring anthology brimming with all the hope, heartache, and thrill of first love. Mysterious admirers, magical talismans, spirited matchmakers, and a bit of creative persistence overcome the obstacles to true love, no matter how daunting!
Stories Featured:
Well Done, Harry! by Caroline Warfield
Blurb: A young lady hounded by her mother to make a brilliant match at a house party finds herself falling for a mere librarian, and her only hope is an ancient mouse figurine that grants wishes—but all too often with disastrous consequences!
Author Bio: Award-winning author Caroline Warfield lets her characters lead her to adventures in England and the far-flung corners of the British Empire while she nudges them to explore the riskiest territory of all, the human heart. Find Caroline on her website, https://www.carolinewarfield.com
To Blush Unseen, by Judith Hale Everett
Blurb: Having failed once more to attain a bride suitable to his exacting mother’s tastes, a viscount determines it is time to put his happiness before duty and once more pursue the less-than-perfect lady he has loved all his life.
Author Bio: Judith Hale Everett grew up surrounded by Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen novels, which formed the foundation for her lifelong love affair with the Regency. Add to that her obsession with the English language and you’ve got one hopelessly literate romantic! Visit her website: https://judithhaleeverett.com
Mia Selwyn lives in the shadows, an unwanted poor relation in the house of her viscount uncle. When her cousin’s hoydenish attempt to meet the supposed heir sees her drenched, ill, and in need of nursing, Mia is sent to care for her. Though warned to stay clear of the despised Kendrick, she is drawn into the dark undercurrents among the mismatched collection of residents and enthralled by the enigmatic Mr. Kendrick.
And where is the duke? Find out in Duke in Name Only 
Recently, one Seth Caulfield, boldly bearing the earl’s surname, appeared in London wearing the uniform of a naval officer of sorts. One gathered he bore the rank of surgeon, a warranted rank, not one of a gentleman to be sure. He had the look of a Caulfield about him, however, and no sooner than he had appeared than he was welcomed to the earl’s table and given full support. It appeared that another one of the, if you’ll pardon our language, Clarion Bastards has appeared on the scene. (I apologize if ladies take offense but we do like to speak the truth, and the man is well, not legitimate at all.)
About the Story
Dearest Mr. Clemens, thank you for the delightful Tea you arranged for my sister and I before we left London. As you predicted, there is much delicious information to be had at Sir Peter and Lady Somerville’s house party in the lovely Sussex countryside. My sister Prudence will have already alerted you to the goings on of the night rider Captain Midnight. There will be more on that subject!
Betsy Carmichael, recently dismissed from one of London’s most prestigious addresses wrung her hands and bit her lip.
Belinda Westcott doesn’t want to injure the Earl of Ridgemont. She merely wants to humiliate him. After all, one good prank deserves a payback. How could she anticipate that it would go so terribly wrong, or that he would turn out to be nothing like she expected?