You may not be aware dear reader, but the Earl and Countess of Stapleton have once again held their infamous Twelfth Night Ball and holiday house party. Oh, the scandals that have come from this get together this year are shocking, truly.
The only good I would say is the fact that there seem to be just as many marriages. I am afraid the marriage mart for the upcoming season may be lacking many eligible Lords for the taking. Lady Stapleton has lured some of the most notable from around England and they took the bait.
From Lord Milford, who reportedly ran to his aunt’s to hide from yet another marriage trap, drunk with no clothes but those on his back, to the Earl of Wicke and Selborne who we all know has been pining for one certain lady since we can all remember. Then there is poor Sarah Sommers, Lord Stapleton’s new ward, we were all hoping she would find a place at last, poor dear.
And, dear reader, you will be shocked, but after their failed elopement from the very same house party ten years ago, Lady Stapleton brought the Earl of Eddignton and Viscountess Newcroft back to the scene of their crime. I am titillated to hear if the second time was the charm for these two.
It is a well-known fact that where Holly Mayweather goes, scandal will follow. It is no doubt that Lady Stapleton meant for it by inviting such a compromised lady to the gathering. Perhaps even she found a gentleman willing to accept her spirited ways, we shall have to wait to hear on that account though I am afraid.
The scandal I am afraid is not held to only those actively looking for a partner either. I have heard talk of a scandal brewing between a lady’s companion and one of the guests. Something about a wager I understand. Most shocking indeed!
As we of good manners can only hope that such tantalizing scandals do not leave the walls of Willoughby Castle, however this reporter has it from a reliable source that the topsy turvy marriage making has indeed bled into the surrounding neighborhoods, when Mr. Will Sinclair returns home to his parents’ estate in the local town of Bumpstead Hollow, only to find that Miss Violet Hotchkiss remains without a husband and has firmly put herself into the category of bluestocking.
All in all gentle reader, I am going to propose that in light of the goings on in Sussex over the holiday season, perhaps the place to find a husband next year may only happen Once Upon a Twelfth Night.
About the Book
I have it on good authority that there will soon be a tell all anthology of the sordid details. The first to have access will be the members of the Haute Ton Reader Society. Please feel free to join this group and be the first to hear all the latest on dits! https://www.facebook.com/groups/hautetonreadersociety/
About Clair Brett
Author of numerous Historical romances, including the Improper Wives for Proper Lords series, Clair Brett lives in NH with her ever emptying nest which includes her children when they visit, two cats, one willful dog, and a mean Pitbull mix, that will lick you to death and run into her kennel when you speak loudly, and an ever harassed husband who takes it all in stride. A lover of all things Regency Clair, was hooked when she first read Jane Austen. She is a firm believer that a reader finds a piece of who they are or learns something about the world with every book they read. She wants her readers to be empowered and to have a refreshed belief in the goodness of people and the power of love after reading her work.
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