Monday for Tea

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Tea with England’s Newest Duchess

Her Grace of Haverford watched her guest enter the room. What a stunning young lady.

England’s newest duchess was dressed in a peach-colored gown of the first stare. It fit her to perfection. She carried a reticule that matched the pattern of the dress, and wore short gloves in a slightly paler shade. Discreet diamonds sparkled at her ears and a delicate pearl and diamond pendant lay on her chest suspended by a chain of what looked to be white gold.

However, Eleanor was used to such displays. What caught her attention was the woman’s eyes. Dark, nearly ebon eyes possessed of a penetrating depth that could have frightened, had the expression they held not been so openly curious. She had raven wing hair, a cream and honey complexion, and deep rose-hued lips. A delicate slope of nose sat between two symmetrical and classically high cheeks. Her slim figure moved with a thoughtless grace that the most practiced diamond of the season would never be able to match. Stunning yes, but all paled beneath that depthless stare.

Eleanor knew next to nothing about the wife Margris had chosen, but she needed only to see the woman to know she was formidable.

“Welcome to Haverford House, Your Grace.”

An impish smile formed, lighting up those eyes. “I am not certain I will ever become accustomed to having a title, Your Grace.”

“I suspect you will do very well with it.” Smiling back, she gestured to a chair that faced her own. “Please sit. And please address me as Aunt Eleanor, as your husband and many of my younger friends do.”

“Thank you, Aunt Eleanor.” A very slight quaver in the lady’s voice revealed that she suffered some uneasiness. Possibly she’d been told the Duchess of Haverford was a powerful woman who could make or break a young woman’s hopes and dreams with a single word. “My full name is Celestine, but my intimates call me Celie. Of course, you may be more comfortable calling me niece.” The new Duchess of Margris settled herself. “I am very pleased to meet you.”

“As I am pleased to meet you. It is fortunate that we could both be available this afternoon. I understand from my son that between shopping and your husband you are being kept quite busy. How do you take your tea?”

“Just lemon, if you please.”

Eleanor filled a cup and handed it over.

Celie added two small biscuits to the edge of the saucer and placed the beverage and all on a tiny pie crust table beside her chair.

“Caleb—my husband—is occupied nearly all of every day with business at the home office. He says that even though Britain is now officially at peace with the United States there is much work to be done to ensure the treaty of Ghent remains strong.”

“Aldridge, too, is very occupied with what is happening in Europe. Too many lives have been lost or changed forever, and not usually for the better. We must pray that the next encounter with Napoleon will settle matters for once and for all.” Her Grace paused to sip her tea. “Do I understand correctly,” Eleanor continued. “That while you lived in New Orleans, you helped enslaved people escape to freedom.”

“I was one of many.”

“But you are here and others are not. You must have been in danger much of the time.”

Celie looked down at her tea. “Helping the enslaved to escape is against the law in New Orleans. Had I been caught; I could have been enslaved myself.”

“Oh heavens. Would that happen to anyone who helped escapees, or just…” Her Grace of Haverford let her words trail off. She blushed. “I’m sorry, I don’t usually make such gaffs.”

Celie laughed. “Yes, I have one quarter negro blood in my veins. However, I do not trade on it. I prefer to make my way by my merits. Just as I prefer people who ask questions instead of leaping to unwarranted conclusions.”

Eleanor accepted the reassurance that Her Grace of Magris had taken no offense. “You are wise for one so young.”

“Wisdom is not exclusive to the elderly” the younger woman chided gently. “It is the purview of any who learn from experience. I was fortunate to have not only my own experiences to learn from but also those of my mother.”

“Tell me about her.”

Celie seemed eager to do so. “She is what is known as a ‘free woman of color.’ Meaning she is not enslaved. She possesses documents that prevent her ever being enslaved. However, that did not make her life easy, just easier than most people of color. She was born and raised in St. Domingue where she met my father. Because laws and custom forbid the marriage of white and colored, she became his ménagère, and moved to New Orleans where he had his sugar plantation.”

“Ménagère? That is a contractual relationship between a man and woman much like a marriage but there is no marriage involved.”

“You are very well informed, Your Grace.”

“I’ve had cause to study marriage law and contracts and ran across the term in my research.”

Celie raised an enquiring brow, but Eleanor’s marriage and the other problems her family suffered because of that institution were not for discussion, even with women she’d known for years. Time for a change of subject.  “Being Duchess of Haverford affords me a number of advantages few women possess.” One must always focus on the positives. “One of the advantages is the ability to support a number of charities. Last February, when the Thames froze over, the merchants of London held a Frost Fair on the frozen river. My friends and I took advantage of the opportunity to host a ball with the intent of raising funds to help returning soldiers and their families also the families of our deceased heroes.”

“I would love to help if there are charitable organizations that assist the men returning from war.” Celie spoke with an enthusiasm Eleanor could not doubt.

Eleanor smiled, and set her tea aside. “In that case. Let me tell you about the Ladies’ Society For The Care of the Widows and Orphans of Fallen Heroes and the Children of Wounded Veterans.”

Celie’s response to the ridiculous name was diplomatic. “That’s a very long name.”

“And we do some very difficult work. At last year’s ball and other events during the year, we raised several tens of thousands of pounds and have put it to very good use. However, treating the wounded in body and spirit, helping to support families, to house, feed, clothe and school orphans is a tremendous undertaking. We’ve almost exhausted the funds we raised last year.”

“We are, if I understand correctly, in the height of the London season,” Celie observed. “I’m sure I could persuade Caleb to allow me to hold a charitable ball or reception for your organization.”

“That is very kind of you my dear, but what if I, and the other committee members hold a reception to welcome you into the ton,” Eleanor suggested. “We could have a number of English artists create paintings and sculptures for auction during the reception.”

“I like that idea, Aunt Eleanor, “but only if we hold the reception for a large number of returning veterans. They deserve public recognition for the great work they’ve done. You could still introduce me to the ton, but I would not like to be the center of attention when those men need it so much more that I.”

“Your modesty does you credit. Since you are agreeable, let me ring for my secretary and we can start planning immediately. The Ladies Society will meet next week. I’d like you to attend the meeting so I may introduce you. Then you and I can present our plans and seek the aid of the other members of the Society.”

“That is an excellent idea. May I use one of your footmen to send a note round to my husband at the home office explaining that I am delayed. We had dinner plans that may need to change.”

“Certainly. I’ll instruct my secretary to bring pen and paper for you. Now here is what I think we should do first….”

Celie is the heroine of the third book in my Duchess series, here’s a little more information about the book.

About The Creole Duchess: A duke in disguise, a creole miss determined to get her own way, a curse, and two nations at war, is love even possible?

New Orleans Creole, Miss Celestine St. Cyr-Duval refuses to live under the thumb of some man chosen by her parents. Celie will do everything to keep freedom of choice for herself and others. But fate interferes in the form of a duke disguised as British businessman, Caleb Elmond. A relationship with Caleb would find approval with her mother, but both Celie and Caleb have secrets that put them on opposite sides of a great conflict and could destroy them both.

With the Battle of New Orleans looming, can these two strangers from warring countries compromise and protect each other, or will fear and betrayal end both their lives?

The Creole Duchess, Duchess Series Book Three is expected to launch in late 2023. The pre-order price of $0.99 for this long-awaited conclusion to the Duchess Series ends on release day.

Available for Pre-order at .99 cents until October 30, launch day. Amazon   Other Retailers.

About Rue Allyn: Author of historical and contemporary romances, Rue Allyn fell in love with happily ever after the day she heard her first story. (She claims she was a precocious little brat who read at the age of two but could hear much earlier than that.) She studied literature for far too many years before discovering that writing stories was much more fun than writing about them. One of her greatest pleasures as an author is being able to read the story before anyone else. Rue is happily married to her sweetheart of many, many years. Insatiably curious, an avid reader and traveler, she loves to hear from readers about their favorite books and real-life adventures. Crazy Cat stories are especially welcome. You can contact her at Rue@RueAllyn.com. She can’t wait to hear from you.

Find Rue OnLine: WEBSITE   FB    AMAZON    GOODREADS   BOOKBUB

 

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Tea with Queen Guinevere

Gwen came through a dark swirling tunnel into what looked like the kind of historic townhouse that has public tours, except that it was polished to the nth degree and many of the items looked new. A man was waiting for her, and if he wasn’t a butler she was a marshmallow. He conducted her through a pair of double doors and onto a terrace where a woman of mature years was seated on a cane chair beside a table laden with cakes and tea. Tea – something she’d sorely missed in the Dark Ages.

“Queen Guinevere, I assume,” the lady said.

“The Duchess of Haverford,” Gwen replied, for that was the name on the invitation she had received.

“Please be seated, your majesty,” said the duchess. “Would you like some tea?” 

Taking the offered seat, Gwen looked at the offerings on the table. “Yes, please. I’ve often longed for a nice cup of tea back in the 5th century. Sadly impossible. It’s all watered beer and some rather rough wine. We do get some Falernian imported from the Mediterranean from time to time though, and that’s worth having.”

“I have coffee, too, if you prefer it,” the duchess offered. “Or hot chocolate, though I personally find that a little bitter.”

“Definitely tea—hot and strong as I’ve so often longed for. And some of those fancy cakes.” Another thing that didn’t really exist in the Dark Ages, and which Gwen had often found herself daydreaming about.

“Please, your majesty,” the duchess said, as she passed over a cup of hot strong tea and a plate of little iced cakes, “tell me a little bit about yourself.”

“I’m very happy to be here with you, Duchess. Is that the right way to address a duchess? I’m not used to the gentility of this period, and there were no duchesses back in the Dark Ages. In fact, the term ‘your majesty’ didn’t exist then so I’m more at home with being just called my Lady by my subjects, or Gwen by my friends. I’m more used to a thatched Great Hall and a roaring fire with the carcass of an ox roasting over it. What would you like to know about me?

“Do call me Eleanor,” the duchess said with a smile. “And I’ll call you Gwen, if I may. The note that said you were coming commented you were from the twenty-first and the fifth centuries. How did that come about?”

Gwen nodded. “I consider you a new friend so Gwen will be fine. And as to my origins – I suppose you’d say they were a little unusual. I was born at the end of the 20th century and married in the 5th, about 1500 years before I was born.  But I’m afraid I can’t give you an exact date, as back then no one used the same way of dating as we do nowadays, or in your time. That didn’t come in until later. I tried guessing but it was all ‘the twentieth year of the reign of High King Uthyr’ or such like.”

Gwen took another sip of her tea and continued. “I arrived in the 5th century quite by chance, or so I thought, but it turned out I was expected by at least one person.” She smiled. “I’d gone with my boyfriend to scatter my father’s ashes. My dad was an Arthurian scholar, convinced the legendary king was real. I went up Glastonbury Tor first thing in the morning and found a gold ring inside the ruined tower on the top. I picked it up and whoosh, I was back in the 5th century. Of course, time travel was furthest from my mind. I just thought I was lost to start with, and then that I’d stumbled upon a reenactment group. Some might say I was stupid not to realise from the start what had happened, but think about it – if it happened to you, you just would be looking for a rational explanation and time travel would not be it.” She gave a wry smile. “And Merlin was the one expecting me.”

“So there really is a Merlin?”

Gwen nodded. “There is. A lot of characters from the oldest legends really existed. But there’s no Lancelot or Galahad – they were later medieval additions, and Lancelot was French! Not a sign of him in the Dark Ages. It was quite fascinating seeing which of the legends turned out to have been based on fact.” She smiled. “As I’ve said, my dad was an Arthurian scholar, convinced the legendary king was real. I can’t help thinking he’d be impressed to discover his only daughter ended up being Queen Guinevere! After all, he named me and my twin brother after the king and queen. It’s rather surreal being named after yourself.”

“You met Arthur in the fifth century and married him. Or is that just a legend?”

Gwen said, “No, that much is true. I married in the last year of the reign of King Uthyr Pendragon. Actually, right before he died—it was his last command to his son Arthur before his death. And I had no way of refusing. If I had, I’d have risked ending up being married to his older son, Arthur’s not at all attractive half-brother. Not a fate I relished. I found Arthur attractive, but I wasn’t in love with him at that point. It was just the safest thing to do. So I agreed to marry him.”

Eleanor nodded thoughtfully. “In my own time, women often have little choice about whom they marry, as I know to my cost. Please, do have another cake and continue. I am fascinated.”

“Back then Glastonbury Tor was an island in a lot of low lying wetlands and the monks at the abbey escorted me along their secret causeway to the local lord’s stronghold. I was silly enough to ask Merlin, who I met there, if it was Camelot. He’d never heard that name before. I should have guessed that, as it’s really based on the Roman name for Colchester—Camulodunum. Camelot never existed – it was added in about the same time the Lancelot stories were created. Where I found myself was a place called Din Cadan, which back where I come from was known as South Cadbury Castle—not a stone castle, you understand, but a refortified Iron Age hillfort. Not much in the way of mod cons. I don’t know about you, but I was used to flushing toilets. What I got there was a leather bucket in a corner. A rather smelly leather bucket.”

“It must have been a shock,” Eleanor commented.

Gwen nodded her agreement. “It took me quite a while to accustom myself to life in the 5th century. At first, all I wanted to do was get back to my old world, but there was no chance of that. Firstly, it was a good ten miles back to Glastonbury across marshlands I could drown in, and secondly, I couldn’t get out of the fortress. Guards on all the gates. So I just had to put up and shut up. And then Arthur came back. He’d been away fighting somewhere on the south coast – against Saxon raiders. And, well, wow. Quite wow.”

Eleanor sighed. “I have felt that wow,” she confided. “We have stories about your husband in our day, of course, but stories don’t always represent the man.”

Gwen chuckled. “Talk about unreconstructed and totally out of touch with his feminine side (as we’d say back in my old world but probably not in yours). Do you know what the first thing (not quite but pretty nearly) he said to me was? You have good childbearing hips. Not the way to a girl’s heart. I nearly gave him a slap, only I thought it might get me into trouble.”

“Good childbearing hips are an asset,” Eleanor replied, seriously. “I take it, though, that he won you around?”

“He did,” Gwen confirmed. “It helped a lot that he wasn’t hard on the eye. Tall, muscled but not huge, a real horseman. Dark hair and dark eyes, bit of stubble going on. And quite sharp and witty when he wants to be. But whatever I do, I can’t undo his first 23 years of being a Dark Age lordling used to women knowing their places. He has his moments. Moments when I’ve thought a few angry words about his attitude.”

“Stubborn arrogant men can be difficult to live with,” Eleanor said, with feeling.

“And then I discovered I was pregnant,” Gwen said. “Normally, this would make a young newly wed wife happy, but I wasn’t, and the reason I wasn’t was that I was terrified. I knew all about how women died in childbirth back then and I didn’t want that happening to me. I wrestled with my conscience about this for a while, and in the end I asked Merlin what he could see of my future. And he was his typical self—non-commital. What he said was ‘I see you with him to the end, if there is one’. As if that was any help. But I did feel a bit better about the pregnancy after that.”

“Tell me, what aspects of the legend have you found to be true?” Eleanor asked.

“Well… I found out straight away that Arthur really existed, and Merlin, but as I said, there was no sign of a Lancelot or Galahad. I was pleased about that as this vindicated my father’s research.” She bit her lip. “The sword in the stone turned out to be all my fault, and at the risk of giving away some spoilers, so did Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake. And my father had told me about a list of battles written in a ninth century book by a monk called Nennius—they turned out to be true as well. Lots of the people from legend appeared and became my friends.”

Gwen frowned. “At first, I thought my only friend was Merlin, but I made a few mistakes with him. He’s pretty manipulative. And he insisted I was the one who’d make Arthur the king of legend. So I told him no, it was him, and that he’d set a sword in a stone which only the true High King could pull out. Big mistake. That one came back to bite me on the bum. If you don’t mind me saying that. Possibly not a saying you’d use as a duchess. In fact, Merlin has turned out also not to be the sort of person you play chess with. That would be my advice—never play chess with a man who can see the future, at least some of the time. And that was my fault too because they didn’t have chess back then so I introduced it.” She grinned. “I also introduced stirrups which made riding a lot more comfortable. And thank goodness there were no sidesaddles back then – I got to ride astride as I was used to doing.”

Eleanor shuddered. “A manipulative man is a dangerous thing. I can only imagine what it is like to have one with magic.”

Gwen nodded. “He’s had his moments. Luckily for me he’s never really got angry with me, nor I with him, but I know exactly what he’s capable of because I’ve seen it. I can’t tell you, as that would be a huge spoiler for book six.”

“But I can divulge something else. Something not a lot of people know. Arthur had children. I expect you guessed that as I said I became pregnant. I can’t tell you anything else about that though, as that would also be to spoil the story. The children are very important to the story and have major roles to play. And of course, there’s Medraut, called Mordred in later legends. Not a nice fellow at all, but again I can’t give too much away about him. All I’ll say is watch this space as he grows up.”

Eleanor poured more tea. “What would you most like to have been able to share with your father?”

Gwen smiled. “The first time Arthur and I went to bed together after we were married, I decided that was NOT something I wanted to share with my father! I’d been wanting to share some of the other stuff but not that. Little did he know he’d end up being grandfather to his hero’s children. That’s one thing I’ve often wished I could tell him.” She shook her head. “And something a little weird – before one of the battles, Arthur and I were in a location both of us had visited as children but fifteen hundred years apart. We’d both been there with our fathers and stood virtually on the same spot. I wish my father could have known that. I believe my biographer has also stood there. Odd, but rather poignant, don’t you think?”

“And what about the end of the legend?” Eleanor asked. “Is that true? Does Arthur lie sleeping still, waiting for the moment when Britain needs him? Did he go to Avalon?”

Gwen smiled a secretive smile. “Now that would be a spoiler, wouldn’t it? You’ll have to read the last book, The Road to Avalon, to find that one out. I’ll just say this – I think you’ll like the ending.”

Look here to read The Dream of Macsen Wledig, an article on the Welsh story of Emperor Maximus, whose sword comes to Fil’s Arthur.

Meet Fil Reid

Fil Reid, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, writes historical fiction with romance from a canal boat in the South of England. She won the Dragonblade New Writers’ Competition in its inaugural year with book one of her six book Guinevere series. Next year she has a four book regency series coming out – The Cornish Ladies. She has ridden for most of her life and worked with horses in many fields, as well as a spell as a rent collector – a job that involved a lot of cups of tea and cake with old ladies who didn’t believe in paying with Direct Debits. In what little spare time she gets from writing, she likes to knit and sew and has made clothes and toys for her grandchildren.
The Guinevere series:
  • The Dragon Ring
  • The Bear’s Heart
  • The Sword
  • Warrior Queen
  • The Quest for Excalibur
  • The Road to Avalon (to come)

Buy from series page on Amazon, or read from KU.

Fil’s links:

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Tea with Lady Faith

Lady Faith Afton surveyed the large pile of open bags and boxes. Containers of all sorts with their contents strewn about the comfortable sitting room of the suite she’d occupied at Haverford House for the past two weeks.

“I don’t know how I will get all of this back to Reabridge.”

“I’m certain we have a spare carriage or two you may borrow,” the duchess said.

“I also don’t know how I can ever thank you for inviting me to stay while I shopped for my trousseau. Your advice on styles and colors has been invaluable.”

“ Nonsense Faith, my dear. We’ve been friends since we were in the schoolroom. I would have been greatly offended had you come to London on this blessed errand and not sought me out. Besides, we always had great fun shopping together when you lived in London.”

Faith smiled. “Those are very precious memories. It is good to see you Eleanor. You’ve always had such a steadying influence on me.”

“You’ve a steady enough hand yourself with that young niece of yours, if I understand correctly what you have told me of her.”

Faith sipped the last of her tea and set the cup aside.

“Oh, Charité is the best of nieces and quite practical. She would have come with me, but she and her husband Thom, my Isaac’s son, are working tirelessly to set up the day school they are founding for the local children.”

“They won’t be taking in boarders?” Eleanor asked.

“Not for the first year or two. Thom wants to establish a local reputation before branching out to teach other students.”

“Very wise. How are they financing the school?”

“Thom, who reached the rank of Captain under Wellington is very organized and thorough. Before making any definite plans or commitments, he spoke with the leading families in Reabridge and gained their support. The Duke of San Sebastian purchased and donated the land and buildings where the school will be located. Other prominent men of the area are contributing time, labour and funds. All was so well in order that we expect the school to open within a year.”

Eleanor nodded, thoughtfully. “That is a massive undertaking.”

“You would know, Eleanor,” Faith said, “You’ve sponsored educational projects throughout the country.”

“Especially for young women.”

“My niece will be working with Thom at the school so there will be education and training for all. Not just the boys.”

“Quite foresighted of the Captain,” Eleanor said, approvingly.

Faith’s eyes gleamed. “I doubt very much Charité would allow him to have it any other way. She is a force of nature, my niece.”

“Excellent.” The Duchess of Haverford put down her tea. “May I refill your cup, Faith?”

“No, I might burst if I try to consume more.” She bowed her head and looked at her hands, twisting the ring her fiancé had given her as a symbol of their love and pending marriage.

“Very well.” Eleanor sat back and waited. Something had been troubling Faith from the moment she arrived. However, she’d taken none of the many opportunities to unburden herself that Eleanor had created. Sometimes one simply had to wait.

“I have a confession to make, my friend.”

Eleanor sat forward, placing a hand on Faith’s arm. “Tell me.”

“It’s silly, really.”

Eleanor smiled and shook her head. “I doubt that.”

“At my age, I should not be nervous about my wedding night,” Faith insisted.

“Some nerves before marriage are normal, Faith.”

“But I am far from a blushing innocent. Heavens, I’ve been married before. Although, Afton, God rest him, was not the most tender of lovers. He did his duty. I regret to this day I was unable to conceive.” Faith sighed.

“You must not blame yourself.”

“I don’t.” She shook her head. “Not really. I know that both man and woman are needed to produce a babe, and the fault could lie with either or neither. I accept that God did not mean for me to be a mother. Yet, I can still regret that I was not.”

“Very well,” Eleanor agreed, “but surely this is not why you are suffering nerves about your coming nuptials.”

“No. Neither Isaac nor I expect or wish for the blessings received by Abraham in his old age.”

“Then why the nerves.”

“It’s just that…well…I’m old. I’m not the lovely young thing I was when Afton courted and married me.”

Eleanor restrained a laugh. “Do you imagine that Dr. Owen wishes you were other than you are. That you were young and sylph-like.”

“No, no. Isaac is the kindest and most loving of men.”

“Is he not older than you?”

“By a year or two.”

“And is he an Adonis?” Eleanor persisted.

“Nooo. I wouldn’t say that,” Faith acknowledged. “Although he is a very distinguished figure of a man.”

“Do you like his kisses.”

Faith blushed. “I’d not wed him if I didn’t.”

“Worry not, my friend. Your nerves will cease the morning after your wedding night.”

Lady Afton covered her face with her hands. When she dropped them, she was smiling. You are right. I’m dithering over nothing.”

There was a twinkle in Eleanor’s eyes “Most likely. But it is an exciting time, nonetheless. I suggest you enjoy it.”

“I promise to do so.”

“Now let us ring for the maids and begin packing. You have much to do before departing tomorrow morning.”


This conversation between the Duchess of Haverford and Lady Faith Afton, mentions Captain Thom Owen and Mrs.Charité Owen nee du Pessac. Thom and charite are hero and heroine of my novella, A Harvest Blessing one of the stories in the Bluestocking Belles with Friends collection Under the Harvest Moon.

About A Harvest Blessing:ter Waterloo, Captain Thom Owen is uncertain what to do with himself. Then fate casts Charité du Pessac and her aunt in his path. No gentleman would abandon a damsel as brave and kind as Miss du Pessac, but how can he help her? With no clear solution in mind, Thom escorts the ladies home to his father.

Charité ‘s aunt believes her niece and the captain are engaged, and Charité fears the captain’s father will not welcome them. She is French after all, and while the captain might not object to her nationality, others—like his father—might disapprove of a marriage between former enemies.

About Under the Harvest Moon

A Bluestocking Belles with Friends Collection

By Caroline Warfield, Jude Knight, Sherry Ewing, Cerise DeLand, Elizabeth Ellen Carter, Collette Cameron, Mary Lancaster, Alina K. Field, and Rue Allyn

As the village of Reabridge in Cheshire prepares for the first Harvest Festival following Waterloo, families are overjoyed to welcome back their loved ones from the war.

But excitement quickly turns to mystery when mere weeks before the festival, an orphaned child turns up in the town—a toddler born near Toulouse to an English mother who left clues that tie her to Reabridge.

With two prominent families feuding for generations and the central event of the Harvest Moon festival looming, tensions rise, and secrets begin to surface.

Nine award winning and bestselling authors have combined their talents to create this engaging and enchanting collection of interrelated tales. Under the Harvest Moon promises an unforgettable read for fans of Regency romance.

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/UnderHarvestMoon

About Rue Allyn:

Author of historical and contemporary romances, Rue Allyn fell in love with happily ever after the day she heard her first story. (She claims she was a precocious little brat who read at the age of two but she could hear much earlier than that.) She studied literature for far too many years before discovering that writing stories was much more fun than writing about them. One of her greatest pleasures as an author is being able to share her stories with so many other readers. Rue is happily married to her sweetheart of many, many years.

Insatiably curious, and avid reader and traveler, she loves to hear from readers about their favorite books and real-life adventures. Crazy Cat stories are especially welcome. You may contact her at Rue@RueAllyn.com. She can’t wait to hear from you.

Find Rue OnLine: WEBSITE   FB    AMAZON    GOODREADS   BOOKBUB

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Tea with a doting mother

Eleanor, the Duchess of Winshire always greeted the Duchess of Kingston with warmth and courtesy. More so than if she had actually liked the woman, for Eleanor held that courtesy and kindness was a duty that one owed to oneself, however unworthy the recipient. 

Today, she was struggling to maintain her facade. “And so you see, duchess,” said the other lady, “that scoundrel has kept my poor daughter-in-law’s baby from her out of sheer spite. My son’s baby, too, as the world knows, though she was born during my daughter-in-law’s unfortunate first marriage. Heaven alone knows how he treats the dear little girl.”

“Very well, or so I understand from Cordelia Deerhaven,” Eleanor replied. “Cordelia says that John Forsythe is besotted with his daughter.”

“But duchess,” Kingston’s duchess complained, “of course, Lady Deerhaven would make that claim. But the little girl is not Forsythe’s so why should he treat her well? And how do we know that he does?”

“I am sure you do not intend to imply that Cordelia lies, duchess,” Eleanor said. Mendacious of her, for she was certain that her guest meant to imply that very thing. “She is, after all, a lady of excellent reputation.” Unlike the other duchess’s daughter-in-law, who had abandoned little Jane years ago to run off with the married lover who had got her with child before she trapped poor John Forsythe into marriage.  whom she had since married. Neither of them had shown any interest in the child until the last few weeks.

“Cordelia and her husband visit Cumbria frequently, and she has mentioned many times over the years how much Captain Forsythe loves Jane. I do not know, duchess, how often you have visited…?” That was even more of a lie. Eleanor knew perfectly well that the Kingstons had never visited; had never even written to enquire about the good health and wellbeing of the little girl who was John Forsythe’s in every way except blood.

The Duchess of Kingston stood, her mouth puckered as if she had sucked on the lemon, and her nose in the air. “I can see you have made up your mind to support that reprobate Forsythe. I see no point in prolonging this conversation. Rest assured that my husband and I will do everything we can to support our son and his wife in his efforts to bring our granddaughter back where she belongs.”

Eleanor stood, as well. “I can assure you, your grace, that even if I was not an intimate friend of the family, I and my family would still be doing everything we can to ensure that a happy little girl is not ripped away from the place where she belongs by people who have not shown any interest in her for her entire life to date. My butler will show you out.”

***

The ton refused to support Lord and Lady Tenby and Tenby’s ducal parents in their demands to have Jane Forsythe handed over. Their legal challenge failed in the courts, for part of the settlement of the divorce Lady Tenby had demanded had been  absolution from any responsibility for or interest in her daughter. The Tenby’s therefore kidnapped the child, inadvertently taking with them Pauline Turner, who loved both the child and John Forsythe.

This story and what happened next is told in Perchance to Dream, out on September 7th.

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Tea with a marchioness

Eleanor invited her visitor to sit. “Cordelia, my dear, I am so glad you could come to visit. Have you heard any news?”

“Indeed, Your Grace,” said the Marchioness of Deerhaven, “I have had a letter from Paris. They have found her!”

Eleanor felt faint with relief. Ever since Deerhaven’s little niece had been abducted, she had been worrying about the child. Yes, the woman who stole her was the child’s own natural mother, but a more self-centred female Eleanor had never met, and her second husband was no better.

“I am so glad,” she said. “Have they managed to retrieve her? When will they be home?”

The marchioness leaned forward. “Let me tell you the whole story,” she said.

Cordelia was left behind when her husband went to Paris to look for his brother and his niece. Read all about what happened in Paris in Perchance to Dream, published 7 September 2023.

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Tea with the duke

“Mama,” said the Duke of Haverford, strolling into his mother’s private parlour, “I have come to ask a favour.”

”Sit down, Anthony, and let me pour you a cup of tea,” the Duchess of Winshire replied. Since she abandoned widowhood to marry again, she did not see nearly as much of her son as when they lived in the same house. “What can I do to help you?”

Haverford accepted tea, prepared just the way he liked it, and two of the three tiny iced cakes that his mother adored. She had a standing order with Marcel Fournier, the proprietor and chef at Fournier’s Tea Rooms. Haverford thought of suggesting that his darling wife also placed such an order. They really were delicious.

Mama waited patiently until he had eaten the first cake, then raised one eyebrow in question. “It is for Lion, Mama—the Earl of Ruthford. Or, rather, for one of his exploring officers and the man’s wife.”

“Is this to do with that man who calls himself the Kingpin?” Mama asked. “Dorothea, Ruthford’s countess, was telling our ladies about it just a few days ago. Lion and his men think the villian is one of us, Anthony. Dorothea wanted to know the names of men who had suddenly came into money without a known source.”

“It is the same case, Mama. They have reason to believe that Lady Blakeley is involved in some way, and they want to set up a situation in which they can talk to her without the villain knowing. The couple I mentioned? The Kingpin is threatening their child.”

Mama was too polite to snort, but her expression said clearly that she thought the plan misguided. “I am quite prepared to believe that Margaret Blakeley is involved in villainy, but I very much doubt that she is a minion. That woman doesn’t take orders from anyone.”

“Be that as it may, the plan is to give her a titled neighbour who invites her to tea. Something quite normal and casual that neither she nor any of her friends will regard as suspicious. They need a genuine person. Someone who is in Debretts but isn’t well known in London, preferably isn’t in England ,and won’t mind if Lion’s man’s wife pretends to be her.”

“That is easy,” replied Mama. “Eloisa Ormond. My second cousin on my mother’s side. She has not been in England since we were girls. Her father married her off to the Earl of Ormond the year before I married your father, and lived in Scotland until she was widowed ten years ago. She has been travelling ever since. Her last letter was sent from a place called Bali, which is, apparently, in the East Indies.”

“Cousin Eloise,” the duke repeated. “Mama, that is perfect.”

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Tea with Margaret

Eleanor, Duchess of Winshire, invited Margaret, Countess Charmain to stay on after the meeting. Eleanor did not know Lady Charmain well, and was keen to remedy the lack. She already knew that the lady was an unusual young lady.

It was not that she had inherited an earldom in her own right. That was simply an accidental combination of the historical wording of the earldom’s founding documents and the lack of a male heir in the current generation.

Nor was it that, young as she was, she ran her estates and investments with confidence, efficiency and flair — better, in fact, than most men of her age. Eleanor took it for granted that a lady was just as capable as a gentleman with the same training and education, and that women in their early twenties were often more sensible than their male counterparts.

One point of interest was that the countess was a skilled herbalist. Two of the young people in Eleanor’s new family by marriage ran a clinic on the outskirts of a London slum, and both Ruth, her husband’s daughter, and Nate, her husband’s nephew-in-law, spoke highly of Lady Charmain’s knowledge and her empathy for those she treated.

The other was that the lady had — or so gossip suggested — turned down every proposal she had received through the last two seasons. Did she intend to remain single? Or was she disappointed with the crop of husbands currently on offer. Eleanor hoped to find out. She would be happy to put Lady Charmain in the way of meeting young men with more interests than the cut of a coat or the conformation of a horse.

As it happened, Lady Charmain spoke before Eleanor could introduce the topic of her possible spouse. “Your Grace, I am glad you asked me to stay on today. I have something to ask you. I have accepted your invitation to your annual debut ball. I wonder if I might bring a gentleman as my escort?”

“Of course, my dear,” said Eleanor, wondering who it might be. Gossip linked Lady Charmain’s name with that of Lord Snowden, who was more than twice her age, and with his son, who was nothing but a cub, still wet behind the ears.

Lady Charmain blushed, which was interesting. “The fact of the matter is, that he is not in Society, Your Grace. You should know that, while his behaviour is that of a gentleman, his birth is… In fact, I do not know what his birth is, but he works, Your Grace.”

“I have no problem with that,” Eleanor said, amused. “People must eat, after all. Indeed, I have more respect for a gentleman who earns his own living than one who is idle while living on credit.”

Lady Charmain looked as if she wanted to say more. She bit her lip as she thought about it.

Eleanor was even more amused. Clearly, there was a tale to be told. “Go on, Lady Charmain. I am hard to shock, I assure you.”

“He is the book keeper in a br– in a house of ill repute,” Lady Charmain blurted, then blushed a fiery red and covered her lips with the fingertips of both hands.

A sentence guaranteed to set off alarm bells! But Lady Charmain was a grown woman, and not one of Eleanor’s family or protegees. Best to proceed cautiously. “And what is this gentleman to you, may I ask?”

“I owe him a favour,” Lady Charmain explained. “He saved my life, you see. He has asked to escort me to several Society functions, which seems a small return on so great a service.” She heaved a sigh. “Let me tell you the whole. It is, after all, what I came here to do, since I could not think it right to possibly cause a stir without warning you.”

***

This scene relates my coming release, Snowy and the Seven Doves. (Out next Thursday) Here’s the flashback to Snowy’s rescue of Margaret.

She is walking through a narrow alley in the dusk, her mind still on the patient, a badly beaten woman, whom she had visited in a tumble-down building in the stews.

Without warning, men appear out of the darkness. Her footman goes down before either of them can react, felled by a cosh to the head. She shrinks back against a wall, and they gather around her, hooting and laughing, enjoying her fear. She understands little of their thieves cant, but she is not a fool. She knows what they have in mind.

She stands over the footman’s unconscious body, jabbing at her attackers with her umbrella, vowing to inflict as much pain as possible before they take her.

Suddenly, another man is there. An incredibly handsome man, with close-cropped dark hair and the build of a Greek god. Two of her five attackers go down under his assault, out of the fight.

She fights the other three at his side until they flee. He turns to her, and she looks into his grey eyes and prepares to thank him. He speaks first.

“What the hell is a lady like you doing here? This is not Mayfair, princess. You cannot walk around the slums as if you own them.” A well-educated voice. The tones of a gentleman of her own class. An indignant reply is on the tip of her tongue, but before she can say a word, her mind disappears down a spiral of darkness.

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Tea with Margaret and Pauline

Lady Charmain looked none the worse for her awful experience, though her friend Miss Turner hovered over her as if she might collapse at any moment. Eleanor, the Duchess of Winshire, was acquainted with the two of them. Lady Charmain she knew very well. Eleanor had been friends with her mother. Miss Turner was more of an unknown. She had not impressed at first meeting several years ago, but had remained with her step-brother after her mother and sister were exiled for crimes against him and his wife. From all accounts, Miss Turner had not put a foot wrong since. Eleanor believed in second chances and would give the woman the benefit of the doubt.

She knew about the other woman in the room, too, though they had not met. Miss Trent was a personal guard, hired from Moriarty Protection to defend Lady Charmain after several attacks on her betrothed. Unusual to have a woman in that role, but how clever. Miss Trent could follow Lady Charmain into places no man could or should go.

“The men have gone downstairs to interview the scoundrel who slandered Lady Charmain,” reported Sophia, wife to Winshire’s eldest son and therefore Eleanor’s daughter-in-law. “They will join us in time to share a pot of tea, Aunt Eleanor. Jamie will have coffee, of course.”

Eleanor was not going to discuss the nasty scene in the ballroom that had led to the incarceration of the man Sophia rightly called ‘the scoundrel’. She knew just the topic to introduce to lighten the mood. “How are plans for the wedding, Margaret, my dear? Have you chosen your gown? I am so looking forward to witnessing the occasion.”

(This scene wasn’t in Snowy and the Seven Doves, out on August 10th. Instead, we follow Snowy down into the cellars. “First, they visited the Duke of Winshire, where Margaret and Pauline were scooped up by Lady Sutton and taken upstairs to visit with the duchess. Miss Trent followed behind the ladies, as silent and inconspicuous as a shadow.” After the scene in the cellars, “Snowy and the duke joined the ladies. They were discussing the wedding; apparently, the duke and duchess would be in attendance. Snowy wondered if the invitation had originated with the duchess, but since Margaret seemed happy, he said nothing. They then went for their drive in the Park. It was almost anticlimactic that nothing happened.” Not that this was the end. Indeed, 20% of the book and the worst attack of all remained to be told.)

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Tea with a worried mother

 

An excerpt post. In Revealed in Mist, Her Grace sets my heroine’s mind at ease.

Prue hesitated in the street outside her next destination. Callers needed to present their card at the gate, be escorted to the front door and delivered to the butler, then wait to be announced. On most days of the week, uninvited guests below a certain rank in society would have difficulty making it past the first obstacle, but on Thursday afternoons, the Duchess of Haverford was ‘at home’ to petitioners.

Past encounters had always been initiated by Her Grace. A scented note would arrive by footman, and Prue would obey the summons and receive the duchess’s commission. Though she was always gracious, never, by word or deed, had Her Grace indicated that she and Prue had any closer relationship than employer and agent.

The entrance and public rooms of Haverford House were designed to impress lesser mortals with the greatness of the family—and their own lesser status. Prue was ushered to a room just off the lofty entrance hall. Small by Haverford standards, this waiting area nonetheless dwarfed the people waiting to see the duchess.

Two women, one middle-aged and the other a copy some twenty years younger, nervously perched on two of the ladder-backed chairs lining one wall. Next to them, but several chairs along, a lean young man with an anxious frown pretended to read some papers, shuffling them frequently, peering over the tops of his spectacles at the door to the next room. Two men strolled slowly along the wall, examining the large paintings and conversing in low whispers. A lone woman walked back and forth before the small window, hushing the baby fretting on her shoulder.

Prue took a seat and prepared for a wait. She would not tremble. She had nothing to fear. Both Tolliver and David said so, and Aldridge, too. But how she wished the waiting was over.

It seemed a long time but was only a few minutes, before a servant hurried in and approached her.

“Miss Virtue? Her Grace will see you now.”

Prue gave the other occupants an apologetic nod and followed the servant.

The duchess received her in a pretty parlour, somehow cosy despite its grand scale. Prue curtseyed to her and the woman with her. Were all petitioners waved to a seat on an elegant sofa facing Her Grace? Addressed as ‘my dear’? Asked if they should care for a cup of tea?

“Miss Virtue takes her tea black, with a slice of lemon,” the duchess told her companion. Or was the woman her secretary?

“Miss Virtue, my companion, Miss Grant. Miss Grant, Miss Virtue has been of great service to me and to those I love. I am always at home to her.”

Was Miss Grant one of the army of relatives for whom Her Grace had found employment, or perhaps one of the dozens of noble godchildren she sponsored? The young woman did not have the look of either Aldridge or his brother, nor of their parents. Prue murmured a greeting.

“I was not expecting you, Miss Virtue, was I? Is anything wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, Your Grace. I just… I have some questions, Ma’am.”

“You should have sent a note, my dear. I will always take time to see you. I was happy to give a good report of you to my friend Lady Georgiana, of course.” As she spoke, the duchess took the tea cup from Miss Grant and passed it to her.

“Your Grace, I would like to speak with you alone, if I may. I beg your pardon, Miss Grant. I do not mean to be discourteous.”

The duchess stopped her own cup partway to her lips and put it carefully back into the saucer, examining Prue’s face carefully.

When she spoke, it was to Miss Grant. “Celia, my dear, will you let those waiting know that I will be delayed…” she consulted her lapel watch, “…thirty-five minutes, but I will see them all today? Perhaps you could arrange refreshments for them? Return on the half hour, please. That is all the time I can spare, Miss Virtue. If you need longer, I will ask you to wait or return another day.”

Prue shook her head. “The time will be ample, Ma’am. Thank you.”

As Miss Grant left the room, Prue was silent, collecting her thoughts. The duchess waited.

“You knew about Antonia. You have known all along.” Prue shifted uneasily. She had not intended to sound accusing.

The duchess inclined her head, her face showing nothing but calm. “Since shortly after her birth.”

Prue did not know how to ask the questions that crowded her mind, but the duchess had exhausted her noble patience, which was, after all, on a schedule. “What is it you wish to know, Miss Virtue? Why I said nothing?” Her voice softened, and her eyes were compassionate. “I read your sister’s letter, and thought to write back and offer you and the child a place with me. I did not think a home filled with such… such judgement could be happy for either of you. But family is best, if it can be contrived. And there was Aldridge. I was unsure how things had been left between you. He seemed to feel a genuine fondness; I thought he might… He has more charm than is helpful in such situations, and I did not want my granddaughter raised… Well. That is not to the point now.”

She took a deep breath. So she was not as calm as she seemed, either. “I sent someone I trust to check whether you needed my intervention, and found you had left the letter writer to live with another sister. A more hospitable environment, my agent thought.”

Prue knew who the duchess’s trusted messenger was. “Tolliver.”

Her Grace nodded. “Yes. Thomas and I have an equal commitment to protecting and championing those to whom the Grenfords owe a duty.”

“You and I have met since, Your Grace.”

“Your secrets are yours to keep or share, Miss Virtue. I have often wished to ask after your daughter, but I did not wish to intrude. My son’s carelessness changed your life in ways for which I can never compensate. The Grenfords have responsibilities here, but no rights.”

Prue felt suddenly dizzy as her tension drained away.

“I was afraid,” she admitted. “I knew about the three girls: the young ladies you are raising. I thought you might… I feared you would take Antonia. Aldridge told me you would not, and so did David and Tolliver.”

The duchess leaned forward to pat Prue’s hand. “Oh, my dear. I am so sorry you were worried. Matilda, Jessica, and Frances had no one else, and at the time we found them I did not understand that a quieter life in a less prominent household would have served them better. Frances was the last I took into my own home, and that was nearly ten years ago. Now Thomas and I do better by those we find. But there, done is done, and the girls and I love one another dearly.”

She had kept Prue’s hand in hers, and she now gave it a comforting squeeze. “I can assure you, Miss Virtue, I have never taken a child from a mother, or from relatives who cared. The future those little girls faced,” she shuddered at the thought, “was unutterably grim.”

She sat back, and picked up her abandoned cup to take a sip. “You say Aldridge reassured you. He knows about his daughter, then?”

“He has met her, Your Grace. He saved us from a dastardly villain. It was quite heroic.” Prue found herself telling the duchess about the attack in Tidbury End. “I would like to talk to the Dowager Lady Selby, but she has not been at home,” she finished. “Surely she would be concerned at the plight of her grandchildren?”

Her Grace wrinkled her nose and frowned, her lip curling. “Not from what I know of her, my dear. But have young Wakefield escort you to my ball on Thursday. I shall arrange for you to have a private interview with Lady Selby.”

A discreet knock at the door warned the duchess their time was nearly up. The Duchess of Haverford stood and walked Prue to the door, and Prue found herself enfolded in a tight embrace. “I shall continue to rely upon you for your professional services from time to time, my dear, and will be pleased to say a good word if ever it can help you. You will let me know if there is anything else I can do,” she commanded. “Should the opportunity arise, I would dearly love to meet your daughter, entirely at your discretion.” She turned her head away, but not before Prue had seen the glistening eyes.

Prue curtseyed. “My association with you has always been to my benefit, Your Grace; I am certain such acquaintance with the House of Haverford can only be to Antonia’s advantage.”

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Tea with Mrs Clifford

The innkeeper could not be more apologetic. There had been a misunderstanding. He had not been expecting Her Grace until the next day. The letter requiring a private parlour to be set aside for her comfort for an hour in the afternoon specifically said Thursday. He was terribly sorry.

Eleanor listened as her major domo conceded that they were a day early, but demanded the private parlour anyway.

“But I cannot turn out the lady currently using it,” the innkeeper protested. “She is elderly, and not too well.”

The major domo was of the view that his great lady’s convenience superseded the needs of anyone else, so it was time for Eleanor to intervene.

“If your guest would be kind enough to share the parlour for an hour, I shall do very well,” she said. “And if not, you might perhaps have a bedchamber I could use?”

The innkeeper looked even more worried, and no wonder. Eleanor’s impetuous decision to bring her plans forward a day had landed her in this town on the day some sporting event was about to take place. Her major domo was not prepared to discuss the nature of the match, so Eleanor assumed it was boxing or something equally unfit for the gentle sensibilities of ladies.

Fortunately for the poor innkeeper’s peace of mind, the lady in the parlour proved willling to share, and Eleanor spent a pleasant hour with her feet up, a nice hot cup of tea, some delightful ginger biscuits, and the company of Mrs Clifford, the original occupant of the parlour.

Eleanor knew who Mrs Clifford was, of course, but did not embarrass the lady by mentioning it. And she was a lady, by her behaviour. Indeed, as mistress to the recently deceased Marquess of Raithby, she had been more faithful to the gentleman over thirty or more years than the marquess’s wife. Kinder to his children, too.

Eleanor said none of that, but simply talked about the purpose of her trip. “My foster daughter’s confinement is fast approaching, and I completed the last of the obligations that kept me in London, so I wished to wait not a moment more. I must beg your pardon for intruding on your peace. It is entirely my fault for leaving early.”

Mrs Clifford raised a hand in demurral. “It is my pleasure to have your company, Your Grace.” She paused, then confided, “I am also travelling to see a beloved relative. My sister’s child. She lives in the village where I spent my childhood, and I wish to see it and her one more time before…” She trailed off, but Eleanor could finish the sentence in her own mind. It was clear that Mrs Clifford was very ill.

“Do you have far to go?” Eleanor asked, and discovered that the other lady was going all the way to the Wirral Peninsula in Cheshire.

“I am travelling a day and resting a day,” she assured Eleanor. “I shall see Rosabel one more time, and I shall be happy.”

Eleanor’s maid popped her head around the corner of the door to let Eleanor know the carriage was ready. Eleanor stood, and could not resist saying, “I hope the rest of your journey goes well, Mrs Clifford. And may I express my sincere condolences on your loss? Raithby was a great man.”

Mrs Clifford’s raised her eyebrows but smiled. “He was, Your Grace. He was.”

Mrs Clifford is a secondary character–and a scandal–in Grasp the Thorn, published tomorrow.