Tag: Regency romance Page 28 of 49

A Mother Demands Intervention

On August 19, 2020

Loyal Readers of The Teatime Tattler,

A letter has come to our attention, borrowed by a lady who insists it must be returned before her mother-in-law discovers it is missing. A well born chit, once embroiled in a huge scandal, seems headed toward another.

My dear Gwen,

I hope this letter finds you, John, and my precious granddaughter, Cecily, well. I vow to make the journey to Yorkshire one day to visit, but my bones are tired and cross these days. Perhaps in the fall.

You remember the Moreland’s eldest daughter? I attended her presentation ball and your friend, Emily, was there with her mother. Such a charming girl, but so foolish. Lydia, your sister-in-law saw her dancing with Lord Cardmore. A waltz! Has she no shame? He threw her over and ran off with that chit, Carolyn Woodley, seven years ago. You remember the scandal, do you not? The gel’s mother caught them together in his bedchamber. He claimed it was a trap, but no one believed him.

I am writing to give you some distressing news about your dearest friend, Lady Emily. I hope you can write to her and dissuade her from the disastrous course she is undertaking.

To make matters worse, Lydia insists she saw Lady Emily and Lord Cardmore on the terrace in an improper embrace. I cannot countenance it. The poor gel has lost all sense of self-esteem. Just because Cardmore is a widower and war hero now does not mean she should flaunt propriety and associate with him again. Does she expect to renew their betrothal after he shamefully betrayed her?

I know you think Lydia has a waspish tongue and yes, she does like to tattle, but I’ve always liked Emily and I hate to see her heading for disaster. Plus there’s a terrible rumor afoot that Cardmore is not what he should be, if you get my meaning. We all know he was once overly fond of drink and now they say he is overly fond of the laudanum. Are we destined to allow opium eaters in our midst?

Poor Emily. I hope you can pound some sense in her. I hate to see her become a spinster, but some rogues are not worth it.

Your loving mother

About the Book

Haunted by questions and her own insecurities, Lady Emily Sinclair longs to discover why her betrothed abandoned her and married another. Seven years have passed, but the pain of his betrayal still lingers, buried beneath layers of humiliation and mistrust. When he returns after the Napoleonic Wars, she vows to avoid him. If only her foolish heart felt the same.

Broken and addicted to his medication, widower Andrew Quimby, Lord Cardmore, rattles around his ancient manor, oblivious to his deteriorating health and state of mind. When he learns the woman he was forced to abandon remains unmarried, he vows to try to win her back, even if it means returning to a society he despises.

But Andrew soon discovers he has a secret enemy. Threatening notes appear and sinister accidents put those in his inner circle in danger. Can he overcome his demons in time to keep them safe or will everyone and everything he loves disappear forever.

Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F2LVR5B/

About the Author

Author of eight books on California history and fifteen romance novels, Pamela Gibson is a former City Manager who lives in the Nevada desert. Having spent the last three years messing about in boats, a hobby that included a five-thousand-mile trip in a 32-foot Nordic Tug, she now spends most of her time indoors happily reading,writing,cooking and keeping up with the antics of Ralph, the Rescue Cat. If you want to learn more about her activities go to https://www.pamelagibsonwrites.com and sign up for her quarterly newsletter and occasional blog. Or follow her in these places:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pamgibsonwrites/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/pamgibsonwrites

Website: www.pamelagibsonwrites.com

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/pamgibsonwrites

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Pamela-Gibson/e/B00MKVB4XE

Cambridge Ladies Take Tea

By Caroline Warfield

On August 8, 2020

In Teatime Tattler

Mrs. Bailey to Mrs. Smythe

First, my dear friend, I wish to thank you for hosting the Cambridge Wives Monthly Tea last May when I was indisposed. Now my turn has come again and I find myself in a quandary. Do you suppose one is required to invite that woman who dwells at Helsington? Duke’s daughter she may be, but I was never comfortable with the woman. Some have hinted we ought to ask her again if only for the titillation (Margaret Evans said that, can you believe it). Mrs. Potter still receives the woman.

Mrs. Smythe to Mrs. Clarke

Poor Maud Bailey seems to feel obliged to invite Lady Georgiana to tea this month. (If “lady” is accurate in her case.) Rumors do swirl, and Maud would get to the bottom of them if she could. She fears Margaret Evans, for one, takes salacious interest. What do you think?

Mrs. Clarke to Mrs. Evans

My dear Margaret, your Christian Righteousness continues to inspire! I understand you wish to invite the Duke of Sudbury’s Scandalous Daughter to tea—in order to let her defend against Certain Rumors, of course. I beg you do not push this issue!! I myself saw the truth of the matter. As you well know I live across the lane from Doctor Mallet’s recently returned son. Hero and fine soldier he may be, but he is not immune to a Woman’s Wiles. I personally witnessed her coming for his bachelor house at various hours. Admittedly it has been in the middle of the day but there is no chaperone in sight. When confronted she claimed she went there for help with her studies, that the man is her tutor. Who could believe such a thing! Greek indeed. She must think we’re all Babes to believe such a thing.

Mrs. Evans to Mrs. Bailey

Do not invite That Woman no matter what Molly Harding or Edwina Potter say. We’ll all hear what Abigail Clarke has to report.

About the Book

Even poetry, with its musical lyrics and sensual traps, is dangerous when you partner with the love of your life. It can quickly lead past improper to positively scandalous. A battered war hero and an abused woman come together in an emotionally complex story about the seductive power of words and the triumph of love over fear.

Lady Georgiana Hayden learned very young to keep her heart safe. She learned to keep loneliness at bay through work. If it takes a scandalous affair to teach her what she needs to complete her work, she will risk it. If the man in question chooses not to teach her, she will use any means at her disposal to change his mind. She is determined to give voice to the ancient women whose poetry has long been neglected.

Some scars cut deeper than others. Major Andrew Mallet returns to Cambridge a battle scarred hero. He dared to love Georgiana once and suffered swift retribution from her powerful family. The encounter 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?

About the Author

Caroline Warfield writes family-centered novels set in the Regency, Late Georgian, and Victorian eras. She lives in quarantine with the love of her life, while writing new stories. A lover of owls, history, and travel, she is also a Bluestocking Belle.

Royal Rumors From Aldonia

By Guest author

On July 8, 2020

In Teatime Tattler

Dearest Readers,

Have you heard the news? Word from Aldonia is that our illustrious Crown Prince is finally in the market for a princess.

With the prince’s two younger siblings married off, it was only a matter of time that Prince Christopher found a bride.

My sources in the palace, however, tell me that the search may have hit a bit of a snag.

Not because of anything our dear prince has done, of course. Nay, it seems that the arrival of a certain English miss has caught a few eyes.

Though the lady’s connections are undeniably good, we’re not all that convinced that she is fit to be a queen.

Have no fear, dear readers. As you well know, Prince Christopher has never acted in a way that is anything less than perfect. And he has only ever put crown and country before all else.

But we must wonder; why do our sources tell us that he’s been acting somewhat out of character around the gel?

And word has it that the mysterious Lady L’s cousin was very much in line to take the crown. Will there be familial discord? And will our dear prince shock us all with an unexpected announcement soon?

We doubt that he’d do anything to shock us. But then, considering his brother ran off to England, and his sister married the help, one can never tell.

We shall keep our eyes and ears very much open, and report back when we have even a sniff of scandal about our fearless leader.

The Teatime Tattler’s Aldonia Correspondent

About the Book

Heavy is the heart that wears the crown…

Prince Christopher Wesselbach learned from a young age that crown and country come before everything else.

Now, as Crown Prince and future king, he knows that duty to the throne requires him to marry.

But he also knows from bitter experience that women are fickle and not to be trusted. So, he’ll choose a wife based on what Aldonia needs in a queen and nothing else. He won’t allow a woman to change the life he chooses to live, and he won’t be foolish enough to let his heart get involved in the decision.

Lady Lucia Allenwood does not fit in with royalty. If stealing from the queen wasn’t proof enough of that, then engaging in illicit meetings with a handsome stranger certainly was.

But her cousin seems to have caught the interest of the elusive Prince Christopher and so Lucy must do her best to stay out of trouble, and not disgrace the family name.

Despite their best intentions, Lucy and Christopher can’t seem to stay out of each other’s ways, and when they clash, sparks inevitably fly.

But can Christopher learn to trust? Not just a lady, but his own heart?

And will Lucy be able to redeem this royal?

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Knu1Hu

Amazon UK & Ire: https://amzn.to/2xJHo2b

Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Apple Books | Goodreads

About the Author

Nadine Millard is a bestselling writer hailing from Dublin, Ireland.

When she’s not writing historical romance, she’s managing her chaotic household of three children, a husband and a very spoiled dog!

She’s a big fan of coffee and wine with a good book and will often be found at her laptop at 2am when a book idea strikes.

An Interview With a Vulgar Man

By Guest author

On June 24, 2020

In Teatime Tattler

In my capacity as occasional contributor to the Teatime Tattler, I was most fortunate to arrange an interview with Corvus, the caricaturist who took London society by storm over a year ago.

No one knows Corvus’s real name or even what he looks like. For the interview, he was completely screened from my sight. All I could discern, judging by his voice and accent, is that he is an Englishman, likely of the merchant class—educated, but lacking what is known as ton. I am relieved to know that he is not a gentleman of birth, for no such man would stoop to publishing vulgar caricatures, making game of the highest and best of English society—including Lady Rosamund Phipps, one of the stars in the firmament of the beau monde.

As if that were not dreadful enough, some of his caricatures indicate that he has a tendre for Lady Rosamund! When I taxed him with his impudence at coveting a lady so far above him, he gave a chuckle that sent a shiver down my spine. “I wouldn’t let just anyone birch me.”

Horrors! How crass of him to refer to that ghastly drawing in which poor Lady Rosamund is doing just that. Can you conceive of anything more insulting—to expose his bare bottom to the world and suggest that Lady Rosamund would enjoy punishing him in such a way?

Although, I must say, I have it on the best of authority that Lady Rosamund did indeed say that Corvus deserved a birching. I believe we all agree with that, but never that she wished to inflict the punishment in person. Naturally, she would send a burly footman to accomplish such a disagreeable task.

“Why,” I asked him, “do you put your artistic talent to such a base use?” The reason was obvious—filthy lucre.

He laughed again. “Money, of course. That’s what you expected me to say, isn’t it? And it’s true, the caricatures are a valuable means of support for me. But that’s not all.”

“Admiration?” I wished he could see my brows raised in haughty inquiry.

“It is always a pleasure when one’s art is appreciated by others,” he said. “I’m sure you write gossip for the same reason. Deplorable as gossip is, the way you phrase it is a form of art.”

I admit, I didn’t know whether to be offended or complimented. So much for haughtiness.

I sensed his grin at my expense. “I draw to amuse the populace,” he said after a pause. “To show for their delectation the folly, venality, and indifference of the upper classes. Not that they don’t already suffer from this every day of their lives, but to have it displayed for the lower classes to see and laugh at whilst at the same time it embarrasses their so-called betters… Maybe that’s why I do it.”

There ended the interview, gentle readers. I leave it to you to decide what you think of Corvus, and whether you will continue to enjoy—or deplore—his caricatures. However, I believe we all are agreed in wondering who he is, who will unmask him…and what punishment Lady Rosamund will devise for him when that day comes.

About the Book

Lady Rosamund Phipps, daughter of an earl, has a secret. Well, more than one. Such as the fact that she’s so uninterested in sex that she married a man who promised to leave her alone and stick to his mistress. And a secret only her family knows—the mortifying compulsion to check things over and over. Society condemns people like her to asylums. But when she discovers the dead body of a footman on the stairs, everything she’s tried to hide for years may be spilled out in broad daylight.

First the anonymous caricaturist, Corvus, implicates Lady Rosamund in a series of scandalous prints. Worse, though, are the poison pen letters that indicate someone knows the shameful secret of her compulsions. She cannot do detective work on her own without seeming odder than she already is, but she has no choice if she is to unmask both Corvus and the poison pen.

Will Corvus prove to be an ally or an enemy? With the anonymous poison pen still out there, her sanity—and her life—are at stake.

Buy links:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087BBLLNL/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B087BBLLNL/

Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B087BBLLNL/

Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B087BBLLNL/

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lady-rosamund-and-the-poison-pen-barbara-monajem/1136829963

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lady-rosamund-and-the-poison-pen

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/lady-rosamund-and-the-poison-pen/id1507264864

About the Author

Rumor has it that Barbara Monajem is descended from English aristocrats. If one keeps to verifiable claims, however, her ancestors include London shopkeepers and hardy Canadian pioneers. As far as personal attributes go, she suffers from an annoying tendency to check and recheck anything and everything, usually for no good reason. Hopefully all this helps to explain her decision to write from the point of view of a compulsive English lady with a lot to learn about how the other ninety-nine percent lived in 1811 or so.

As for qualifications, Barbara is the author of over twenty historical romances and a few mysteries, for which she has won several awards. On the other hand, she has no artistic talent and therefore is really stretching it to write about an artist who draws wickedly good caricatures. But she’s doing it anyway, because he’s irresistible. To her, anyway. Not so much to the aristocratic lady. Or at least not yet.

Social media links:

Website: http://www.BarbaraMonajem.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/barbara.monajem

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BarbaraMonajem Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3270624.Barbara_Monajem

Strange Visitors and Feats of Daring at Stanwell Manor

By Guest author

On June 17, 2020

In Teatime Tattler

The Teatime Tattler, October 21, 1815 Dearest Readers:

In my unrelenting desire to keep you all informed of the news in Town, this writer would be remiss if I failed to report on the latest breeze shaking the Ton.

As we all know, the Kerrington family has provided this column with never-ending tales of scandal and strange doings in the past. We all know of the notorious life and embarrassing death of the late Earl of Dayton. I recently reported about the eccentric behavior of the elderly Countess,who deliberately mashed Sir Broderick’s foot with her cane at the Duchess of Brundsbury’s Soiree. He limped for a wee

There was hope that in returning from his brave service at Waterloo, Colonel Kerrington would take up the mantle of Earl and bring a much- needed discipline and normalcy to the family. That hope may have been in vain.

It seems just this last week, a strange Italian woman unexpectedly has taken up residence at the Kerrington estate, a Contessa Cassandra Sinatore. Appearing out of nowhere, she is said to be the companion to Lady Kerrington and under the protection of the new Earl of Drayton. Tall and dark, her presence has set tongues to dancing. Yet, that was only the beginning.

Not four days in residence, this mystery woman climbed forty feet straight up a manor wall to save a small child from falling off the tin roof, astounding the family and servants who witnessed it.

The Countess exclaimed she scaled the wall like a ‘cursed spider.’ While accounts of this miraculous, heroic feat have been circulating Town, rumor has it that she wasn’t wearing a dress when she saved the child. The term roof dancer has also been whispered about.

Happily, we will all have an opportunity to see this enigmatic acrobat and ask our questions of the Kerrington family, for they are all coming to Town. The Duke of Devonshire is hosting a ball and because of her derring- do, the Contessa Sinatore is the guest of honor. Will the Kerringtons and their mysterious guest supply more scandals or has their reputation taken a turn for the better? Whatever the answer, you all read it first here at The Teatime Tattler!

About the Book

A close up of a person

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A Cat Burglar is Thrust Back in Time

Art Thief Cassie Sinatore: Shackled and dressed in a neon orange jumpsuit, she 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.

Lord Ross Kerrington: The new Earl of Drayton, having returned from the wars in 1815, finds the Kerrington family in turmoil, lunatic women who make him consider returning to the army. The alluring woman he discovers in the estate’s Greyfield Woods strikes him as equally mad. The woman wears bizarre attire, acting with a peculiar cheekiness that borders on insolence. Considering the very real dangers a madwoman faces encountering the surrounding inhabitants, he decides to bring her home to safety until he can decide what to do with her. Unexpectedly, his family has other ideas.

Meeting the Kerrington family, Cassie finally realizes she is trapped 200 years in the past. Faced with the frightening situation, she resolves to win her independence using her cat-burglar skills. Then things get complicated.

Against her will, she finds herself caring about the Kerrington family, fighting a powerful attraction to the very proper Ross. Dependent on the Kerringtons’ good will, Cassie finds it increasingly difficult to navigate London society, the family, and even more, her growing passion for Ross.

Besides, someone is trying to kill him.

Stealing Time will be available on Amazon Kindle July 15^th.

bwhaggart.com will premier at the same time offering more information, blogs and book reviews.