twin heroines

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Tea with Iris and Ivy

The two girls paused in the doorway. They were as alike as two peas in a pod, and the expression on both faces said, why has this duchess asked to see us?

“Come on in, ladies,” Eleanor said. “Please, take a seat. Which of you is Iris and which Ivy?”

They were both beauties. If their stepmama managed a Season in York for them, they would be a huge success, even with little dowry. And Lady Seahaven would give them that chance, if Eleanor’s information proved to be accurate.

“I am Iris,” said the girl whose cream-coloured gown was trimmed with purple ribbons. The other, in a dress nearly identical except for the green ribbons replied at the same moment. “I am Ivy.”

“I should say Lady Iris and Lady Ivy, should I not?” Eleanor asked.

The sisters looked at one another.

Eleanor spoke before they could decide what to say. “I had the pleasure of meeting up with your sister, Lady Dorothea, last week, when I asked to meet the cook of the delightful cakes I enjoyed with my tea. Speaking of which, how do you take your tea? Milk? Cream? Sugar?”

Another of those looks, full of the kind of communication known only to twins. Iris spoke for them both, asking for tea with a small quantity of cream and a half spoon of sugar.

Eleanor continued speaking as she prepared the cups. “Hearing that the lovely miniatures of the landscape had been painted by a pair of Bigglesworth twins, I remembered that Henry Seahaven had twin daughters. By his third wife, was it not?”

Iris nodded. “Did you know our mother, Your Grace? We do not remember her.”

“I am sorry, Iris. I did not have that pleasure. I knew your father. He came to London to vote his seat in Parliament, and we were occasionally at the same entertainments, but your mother married here in the north and stayed here through most of her marriage. You appear to have inherited her artistic talent, young ladies.”

The girls blushed, duplicate roses blooming on their cheeks.

“Tell me about yourselves,” Eleanor invited.

Shyly at first, but with increasing confidence, they spoke of their lives in a little cottage in a village near Harrogate, where they sold their artwork to tourists such as Eleanor, who had come to take the waters.

It was clear that they had no thought of a Season or of romance. Their attention was all on helping their family. What charming and well-behaved young ladies these Bigglesworth girls were! Eleanor determined to help them if she could. Perhaps, if the opportunity she had heard about came through, Eleanor could put the word in the ear of a few hostesses to ensure that the girls had plenty of invititations?

Iris and Ivy Bigglesworth are the heroines of Elizabeth Ellen Carter’s  “The Four to One Fancy”, a story in Desperate Daughters. On preorder now. Only 99c until publication.

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Spotlight on “The Four to One Fancy” in Desperate Daughters

The Four-to-One Fancy: By Elizabeth Ellen Carter

Fate has given twins Ivy and Iris Bigglesworth a season in York. They vow to marry only brothers so the sisters will never be apart. But what are the odds of finding and falling in love with  two eligible brothers? However, there are potential substitutes. Hearts race when they meet two handsome cousins who are betting their future on a risky racing venture. Soon the twins learn there are more than fortunes to be lost on a four-to-one fancy.

And 8 other great stories.

Excerpt

Silence fell between them for good long minutes before Ivy asked. “What kind of gentleman would you like to marry?”

Iris considered the question a moment before shrugging a shoulder.

“He must be kind. I’d like him to be handsome. Most of all, he must love family because I would want you to visit me often.”

“That worries me as much as not finding husbands,” Ivy confessed. “What if we do? We would marry and be apart for the first time in our lives.”

The notion caused Iris to stop. She turned to her sister.

“I… I can’t imagine not seeing you every day,” she said.

They remained there on the pavement, each lost in their own thoughts.

“Do you think there may be brothers in attendance?”

“There might,” said Iris, tilting her head. “We would need to see an invitation list to be sure. Why do you ask?”

Ivy raised her chin in firm resolve. “It is the only way forward. By marrying brothers, we would be sure to see each other more often than if we married anyone else. We have to marry brothers. It is the only way.”

The twins found the stationers. They sought out the most colorful paper in stock and tallied it up. It was slightly more than they could afford.

While the clerk looked at them expectantly, Iris and Ivy exchanged a glance. Each knew what the other was thinking—they had a few coppers they’d intended to spend on new paint brushes. If they reused the ones they brought with them, they could afford it.

Ivy pushed the paint brushes aside on the counter and handed over the coins for the paper.

Now the basket was exceedingly heavy. Each twin took the handle, carrying the load between them. It was awkward, but it was the only way it could be done.

Iris returned to her contemplation.

Brothers.

Yes! That was the only solution. She and Ivy would simply have to find brothers to marry.

See the project page at the Bluestocking Belles’ website for more information.

Desperate Daughters is on preorder for publication on 17 May. Order now to get the preorder price of 99c