lady’s secret life – Home of the Bluestocking Belles

We had the singular pleasure of attending Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey Barton’s garden party. It was an event long anticipated and the grounds were quite perfection with fountains, flowers and trees shaped as elephants.

However, to everyone’s surprise, all attention was rivetted on Mr. Barton’s younger sister, Miss Lettuce Barton. Miss Barton has seldom attracted our attention. She is a quiet individual more likely to nod off than to utter a witticism. Indeed, her chief accomplishment was at the time of her birth when she curried favour with her namesake, an elderly relative of considerable means.

However, we digress. Miss Barton arrived, wearing a gray ensemble and was greeted by her mother. The elder Mrs. Barton favours more brilliant hues and we have heard rumours that she is understandably distressed by her daughter’s eccentricities. (Indeed, we have it on excellent authority that Miss Barton has purchased a house and lives alone with only servants.) Such a crushing blow must have greatly distressed her mother and we feel for dear Mrs. Barton from the very depth of our maternal heart.

But again, we digress. Almost immediately after Miss Barton’s arrival at the aforementioned garden party, Lady Elsie Beauchamp collapsed. It is rumoured that Lady Beauchamp is in a delicate condition. This apparently (and surprisingly) spurred Miss Barton into action. She almost sprinted across the lawn and then barked orders to all and sundry, in a manner more suited to a military leader than a gentlewoman of good breeding.

By the by, ‘all and sundry’ also included Lady Beauchamp’s brother, the reclusive and heroic Lord Anthony Ashcroft. For those readers who have been living under a rock, Lord Anthony was recently wounded in the Napoleonic wars. He is seldom seen in public and we feel honoured to have made his acquaintance.

But back to the garden party- dear Lady Beauchamp regained consciousness and was able to walk. In this, she was assisted by Miss Barton and Lord Anthony. Indeed, Miss Barton again assumed peculiar control in a fashion quite unbecoming to a lady.

While their departure quite put a damper on the festivities, we find that our curiosity is piqued. What motivated the quiet Miss Barton to behave in such a fashion? Was it an attempt to gain the attention of the reclusive Lord Anthony? If so, his stony countenance suggested no approbation. Or did she do so to irk her long suffering mother? If so, our observations would suggest that she had succeeded to a considerable degree.

Or is there some other reason? Are there depths hidden under that demure exterior? Or secrets not yet fully disclosed?

Rest assured, that should this writer discover any additional information, we shall immediately disclose the details within this missive.

A Debutante in Disguise

A society lady
…with a secret!

Determined to help people, Letty Barton has a double life – she’s a trained doctor! No-one must know ‘Dr Hatfield’ is actually a woman. Called to an emergency, she comes face to face with her patient’s brother, Lord Anthony Ashcroft… They’d once shared a spark-filled flirtation – now he’s a brooding, scarred war-hero. But how long will it be before he recognizes her, beneath her disguise, and the sparks begin to fly once more…?