Dear Mr. Clemens,
I wish to respond to the very detrimental letter published in The Tattler on Jan. 18th of this year and signed D. Cummins (https://bluestockingbelles.net/danger-for-her-grace-of-h/). It can be no secret despite the use of initials that the letter is written by my cousin, Mr. Donald Cummins and includes thinly veiled and insulting references to myself Mis M. P. C and other proteges of Her Grace of H. I must admonish you, Mr. Clemens for publishing this pack of lies and speculation. The Tattler has a reputation as a scandal sheet but also a reputation for scrupulous verification of claims made by its contributors. Mr. D. Cummins knows nothing of me or my character. In fact his assertions are based on hearsay and innuendo.
The events which lead to the storm of rumor that surrounds me never occurred. I was at the time, so hurt that I had not the strength to defend myself. Thanks to the kindness of Her Grace of H, and the other members of The Ladies’ Society for the Care of the Widows and Orphans of Fallen Heroes and the Children of Wounded Veterans I have found the strength and courage to expose Mr. D. Cummins’ claims for the lies they are.
Though my circumstances have been impoverished during the past several year, I can say with pride that I have never behaved in any manner unbecoming a young woman of quality. It is due to Her Grace of H. and my fellow Ladies Society friends that I was in a position for others to recognize my true worth. Thus, I am pleased to confirm the announcement published elsewhere in this issue of the Tattler that I am engaged to wed Major Lord Arthur Trevor PenRhydderch, twenty-first Earl of Trehallow. I have been aquainted with Lord Trehallow all of my life. Since his return from the war that friendship has deepened into a love able to withstand the worst sort of rumor and innuendo. This I have gained the courage needed to rebutt the slander of Mr. D. Cummins, and respectuflly request that the Tattler publish a retraction and apology for publishing his letter.
Respectfully,
Miss, M. P. C.
Dear Readers,
It is with deep empathy that we gladly publish an apology to Miss M. P. C. However, we cannot publish a retraction because as noted in our codicil to Mr. D. Cummins’ letter, the opinions and beliefs stated therein are not those of this publication or it’s editor. In fact, we remind our readers and Miss M. P. C. of the editorial statement published in the same column as Mr. D. Cummins’ epistle. I quote, ” We publish this letter in the interests of fair play and welcome any epistles countering the concerns of its author. We cannot help but wonder if the concerned “D. Cummins.” might be a relative of the Miss C. mentioned in the letter. Perhaps a relative who has benefitted from the young woman’s difficulties and would prefer to see her banished from society rather than reformed. We are well acquainted with Her Grace of H’s kindness and wisdom. She is an unlikely dupe, so we welcome any response either in support or in opposition to the concerns noted in the letter above.”
In accordance with that invitation for responses, we publish the above letter from Miss M. P. C. and once again tender our apologies for any harm done due to a misunderstanding of this publications policies.
Sincerely S. Clemens.
About My One True Love, included in the boxset Fire & Frost:
Major Arthur Trevor PenRhyddyrch, Earl of Trehallow, returned to Wales from war and found his best friend gone. No one would speak her name let alone tell him where she might be. Then he found her in the frosty London fog of January 1814 only to lose her in the next moment.
When Miss Mary Percival Cummins saw Trevor in the fog, she ran. She knew he would hate her once he heard what others said, and the memory of their friendship was too dear for her to survive knowing he despised her.
But fate and the Duchess of Haverford had different plans. Her Grace knew, if they did not, that these two friends deserved the happiness of finding their one true love.
About Fire & Frost: The ladies of London, led by the indomitable Duchess of Haverford plot a campaign to feed the hungry, care for the fallen—and bring the neglectful Parliament to heel. Their campaign involves strategy, persuasion, and a wee bit of fun. Pamphlets are all well and good, but auctioning a lady’s company along with her basket of delicious treats is bound to get more attention. When the Thames freezes over, the ladies take to the ice at the Frost Fair. With handsome gentlemen at hand, what could be better for their purposes than a little Fire & Frost?
Buy Links (Available for Pre-order now. Release date Feb. 4, 2020):
Amazon Global: UK BR CA DE ES FR IN IT JP MX NL UK
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