I wanted to share with you what I’ve been working on, and why I’ve been neglecting my blog. First, my viscount story (modern-day romance, set in France) is getting closer to being ready. I’ve had 8 beta reads, and it’s currently in the hands of the last 3. After that, with the corrections made, I will publish it. (I do love the freedom of self-publishing).
Meanwhile, I’ve started the regency novel. Let me tell you, it’s almost excruciating how slow it is to write because I have to stop constantly and research things. I’ll tell you at the end of this post the kinds of things I researched in order to write this ONE chapter.
Yes, it needs work and this is a rough draft. And I know it’s kind of unfair to post rough drafts on my blog, especially when I go nearly to the end and then leaving you hanging for a year until you get the conclusion, like I did with the viscount. You hate that, don’t you?
But it’s hard for me to both blog and write, so here is what has been absorbing my focus.
CHAPTER ONE – September 1813
Eleanor Daventry’s posture had not yet flagged when the carriage turned on the winding road that led to Allinthridge Estate.
“Aunt Martha, we’re here.” The older lady gasped and sat up with a start. She fumbled in her reticule for her vinaigrette, and Eleanor opened the window and leaned out. “There’s a rider in the distance heading towards the estate. A gentleman. I wonder who else might be visiting.” She pulled her head back in and gave her aunt a sympathetic glance. “You are unwell. I wish we had stopped at the inn. The journey would not have been so hard on you if we had traveled in easy stages.”
Lady Daventry closed her eyes and shook her head. “No, we would have arrived too late. And a public inn is no place for you without a gentleman escort and only me as your guardian.”
“Aunt.” Eleanor’s voice was filled with affection and only the barest trace of exasperation. “I can manage a public inn. And it would have done you good. But never mind. We can ask that you’re shown straight to your room, and that your supper is brought to you.”
“You’ll do no such thing. I’m not an invalid. As your guardian, I’ll remain with you throughout supper.”
Eleanor bit her lip and a dimple peeped out. She stared at the green meadow and the copse of trees in the distance. “I have the smallest recollection of this place. I wonder that Lord Allinthridge didn’t invite me more often. Although, I suppose… ” Her voice trailed away as the carriage sped towards the estate, whose rows of windows were filled with golden iridescence from the setting sun.
The doors to the manor swung inward before the carriage came to a halt. Two liveried men marched down the steps and one opened the carriage door; the other stood at attention to assist Eleanor and her aunt as they stepped down. Eleanor extended her gloved hand. This is a relief. I wondered what my reception might be.
The housekeeper stepped aside from the doorway to allow Eleanor and her aunt to pass. “Good evening. I am Mrs. Bilks. May I take your pelisse, M’lady? Miss?” She gestured to two maids who stood by holding candles. Her gaze returned to the two women. “If both of you will come with me, I’ll show you to your rooms. We keep country hours here and serve dinner at six o’clock.”
The two women trailed behind the housekeeper. “I’m very glad of it,” Lady Daventry said, huffing as they climbed the winding staircase. “I prefer country hours, but this leaves us only an hour to dress. Is there a spare lady’s maid who can assist us, as we’ve brought none.”
“We’ve seen to it, m’lady. Preparations have been made for extra visitors, and we hired a girl from the village. She’s inexperienced in the ways of a lady’s maid, but she can dress hair expertly.”
“Thank you. Her help will be most welcome.”
The housekeeper led them along the railing towards the wing that held their accommodations, and Eleanor looked down at the footmen who were still in place. She had a flash of sympathy for them. How boring their days must be, and with little choice to do something different.
A movement drew her gaze, and she turned to see a gentleman entering the foyer in mud-splattered breeches. A quick glance told her he was tall, blond, and rather gaunt for his height. When he saw her, he drew back a step and murmured something to one of the footmen who immediately left his place. Without another look, he walked back through the door and Eleanor faced forward again.
“… in adjoining rooms where you’ll be quite comfortable. I’ve had the scullery maid stoke the fire so you can warm up.”
“Would you be so kind as to bring my aunt some tea?” Lady Daventry frowned at Eleanor but did not demur. She knew her aunt must feel more poorly than she let on. “I can dress my own hair.”
“No, Eleanor—”
“M’lady, if you please?” Mrs. Bilks interrupted when Aunt Martha’s voice trailed away. “I will bring you the tea myself while Betsy dresses Miss Daventry’s hair, and when you’ve had your tea, she can see to you.”
“That would be lovely.”
Eleanor entered the room assigned to her and found it was larger than the room she had stayed in during her only previous visit, and that the view was far superior. Here was another sign of a most cordial welcome. My guardian must have made arrangements before he succumbed to his illness.
She sank into the bed, which was plump with feathers, and took a moment to center her breathing. When her mother left, she learned that focusing on breathing in and out allowed her to keep the panic at bay. She processed the upcoming meeting with the solicitor tomorrow, which she hoped would give her the freedom she desired. If not, she was determined to look for a position as a governess. She could not be a burden to her aunt any longer.
As she removed pins from her hair as she sat on the felted stool in front of the glass, her thoughts went to the gentleman who had drawn back from her line of view as soon as he spotted her. Was he also here to attend tomorrow’s meeting? She would find out soon enough at dinner, she assumed.
The village girl was not long in coming. She began to unlace the back of her dress with deft fingers, although Eleanor could sense she was shaking. “Betsy, is it?” The girl nodded. “Thank you for your help. You’re doing a fine job.” She smiled at her in the mirror. The girl blushed, dropped a curtsy, and continued her work with more vigour.
Eleanor slipped on her evening gown—a pale yellow crepe that would offset her brown hair and brown eyes—as the girl shook out her travel dress and laid it on the bed. “Miss, if you don’t mind, I’ll take this downstairs during dinner and see to the mud.”
“Yes, please do. Now come and lace me up so you’ll have time to dress my hair and assist my aunt. It wouldn’t do for us to be late to dinner.” She remained standing as Betsy pulled her dress tight, then sat down and watched the maid weave long braids around the chignon and coax her rather insipid brown hair into curls that sprang next to her cheeks.
She turned her head to view her profile. “You are truly gifted. I don’t think I’ve ever looked so well.” Eleanor faced the pink-cheeked girl and bestowed another smile, causing Betsy to curtsy again and mumble something inarticulate. “I can put my own jewelry on. Will you see to my aunt now?” The girl nodded and scurried out the room.
When Eleanor was satisfied with her appearance, she knocked at her aunt’s door. A quick glance told her everything. “Aunt, you really cannot go down,” she protested. “You’re too ill!”
Her aunt’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m afraid you are right, but I cannot allow you to have dinner alone with the earl.”
“The earl! What do you mean?”
“The former earl’s successor is here. He will be present at the reading of the will. We had thought he was still on the battlefield, but Mrs. Bilks just informed me he resigned his commission and has taken up residence on the estate.”
Oh, so that’s the gentleman I saw… Eleanor chewed her lip. Normally she bucked against the restraints of chaperonage, but she rarely ventured out of her intimate circle of acquaintances. The image of the strange gentleman drawing back out of sight gave her pause, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to dine alone with him, even if a maid were present. “If he’s here, I suppose I must send word down that I will take dinner in my room.”
“No. I will send for Mrs. Bilks. Betsy will you—?” The young maid darted off to fetch her superior, and Aunt Martha held a hand to her forehead. “Eleanor, I do not wish for you to stay in your room all evening because I am discomposed. Mrs. Bilks will have to serve as chaperone in my place, but you will come to your room after dinner instead of going to the drawing room.”
“Yes, Aunt.” Eleanor sat on the footstool at her feet, took her aunt’s hands in her own, and rubbed them.
Aunt Martha patted her niece’s hand with the ghost of a smile. “You are unusually pliable, my child.”
“Aunt! I am not unfeeling!” Eleanor chuckled. “Truthfully, I’m uncomfortable knowing my guardian’s successor is here. I did not wish to meet him during the reading of the will. I don’t know why.”
Her aunt sighed but did not comment. There was a knock, and when the housekeeper entered, Eleanor stood up. “My aunt is unwell and cannot go to dinner. Let us get her comfortably situated. And then—” She again turned to her aunt for guidance.
“Mrs. Bilks, you can have Betsy assist me into bed.” Lady Daventry pushed away Eleanor’s hands. “I would like you to accompany Miss Daventry to dinner. Please send my regrets that I am unable to make the earl’s acquaintance, but I don’t like the idea of my niece eating dinner alone in her room.”
“Yes, m’lday.” Mrs. Bilks opened the door and Betsy slipped inside. She motioned for her to assist the older woman, while she turned to the younger. “Miss, will you follow me?”
Eleanor kissed her aunt’s cheek. “Rest well, dear Aunt. I shall hope for your company tomorrow morning.” She followed the housekeeper into the dim corridor, feeling vulnerable and a sense of doom. Like a lamb to the slaughter, she mused and suddenly repressed a giggle.
Mrs. Bilks turned the knob and ushered Eleanor into a brightly lit drawing room where a gentleman—the gentleman was standing facing the fire. Even from behind she recognized his blond mane. The blue superfine coat stretched across undeniably broad shoulders, even if they lacked substance. The tail of his coat hid the rest. Not that she was looking.
He turned.
“M’lord, may I present Miss Daventry.” The housekeeper allowed time for the gentleman to cross the room and stand before the young lady. “Miss, this is Lord Allinthridge.” The earl bowed, and Eleanor curtsied. Then she peeked at his face. His eyes were haunted.
The housekeeper continued. “Lady Daventry is unwell and cannot join you for dinner. She has asked me to accompany Miss Daventry to the dining room.” The earl nodded his acquiescence and gestured forward. They were silent until the first course had been served, and the footmen were standing with the housekeeper discreetly against the wall behind them.
The earl cleared his throat. “Miss Daventry, I hope your travel was agreeable.”
She noticed his smile did not reach his eyes. “Apart from my poor aunt’s suffering, it was very agreeable. I do not travel much and was—” She faltered as he knocked over his glass of claret and the red stain bled through the tablecloth.
“Excuse me.” His voice was gruff as the butler jumped in to refill his glass, and the footman mopped up the stain.
Eleanor worked her lips, wondering if it would be more polite to stay silent or to speak. She took two spoonfuls of her egg ball soup. Finally, the silence grew unbearable. “My lord, I understand you’ve resigned your commission. Were you in the Peninsula?”
The earl took a moment before responding. It seemed as if he were concentrating on keeping his hand steady as he took a pull of his wine. “Yes, Vitoria was my last battle. It was a convenient time to leave the army with such a victory behind us.”
After another silence, he motioned for the footman to bring the jellies to his dinner companion. “Mr. Harvey informed me of your presence at the reading of the will tomorrow. As it will not be read until 2:00, would you like to have a horse saddled in the morning?”
“That would be kind of you.” Eleanor declined the roast beef that was being offered and accepted the sole. “I do not often have this pleasure.”
“I can lend you my groom. Unfortunately I have a meeting with the bailiff, which will last the morning.” He grimaced and resumed eating, not—it appeared—expecting a response.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her feeling of dread growing acute. She was not an experienced conversationalist, and this was only the second course. The dinner would be unbearable.
When the silence had gone on too long, he broke it. “You are situated at Sussex, I believe?”
Why is it so uncomfortable to converse with him? Please let this meal not have too many courses. “For the time being, I am under the protection of Lady Daventry, who resides in Sussex. My guardian—the former Earl of Allinthridge—consigned me to her care when… when I lost my parents,” she resumed, her composed voice hiding any internal turmoil. “My father’s friendship with your uncle, as you might know, was of long date.”
“I’m afraid I’ve not yet had time to apprehend this branch of the family’s genealogy or its acquaintances. I was made aware of my succession to the land and title only when my uncle’s illness reached a critical juncture.”
Eleanor would have liked to have asked what relationship he had to the former earl and what his feelings were on discovering he was a man of property—among other things—but these inquiries could not be uttered. Instead she resorted to the weather.
“Did you encounter much rain on your return to England?”
“There was a great deal of sun in Spain, so the English rain was well-met.” He chewed his beef thoughtfully and stared at the emerald green curtains that shut the evening light from the dining room.
Eleanor sighed. Besides being an uncomfortable man, he is a prose. She endured this and other desultory remarks until the earl finally stood, signaling the end of the meal. His square jaw held no softness, his deep voice no inflection or warmth. “Mrs. Bilks will see to your comfort. If you want anything, you need only ask.”
“Thank you, my lord.” She inclined her head and followed the housekeeper out the door. The candle threatened to extinguish in the cool, drafty corridor. It is so unpleasant here. If tomorrow I am accorded even a competence I will no longer be at anyone’s mercy.
* * *
So that’s chapter one! This is what I researched while writing it:
Timeline of the battles in the Peninsular war
Napoleonic wars (for Eleanor’s father)
Name of material in both her dress and his coat. (A lot of times, I’m pretty sure I know the answer, but I want to be sure).
How to address specific titles, and the use of the last name versus the title
Names of servants, roles of servants, how to address servants
Names of gentry and peerage
Timing of London season (so I could start the novel at the right time)
Entailment and settlement of deeds for the reading of the will
Country hours – what time dinner is served
Correct chaperonage in a country house
Regions and cities in England to determine where she would live
How many courses in a meal and what was served
Vehicles used during the regency era.
And I know there is more. And that’s just the first chapter. Oh, I do hope it will get easier. 😉
Such craftsmanship! Bravo to you for the dedication!
Thanks – in some sense it’s easy because I devour regency books and live in that world in my head. But yes, putting pen to paper changes things if I don’t want to be humiliated by misrepresenting the facts.
It’s a great beginning!
Thanks Anne!
Thanks for the inside look! I loved it and already feel so much build up between the characters. Looking forward to reading more.
Yay! Thanks Traci!
Love it, love it, love it.
Bernadette, I sort of squealed and jumped up and down when I read your comment. It was such a boost to the ego. Thank you! 🙂
You know already that I love your writing; getting an inside peek at your research makes this post especially wonderful.
Keep it up, my friend. And I’m certain the research will become easier because each fact you use will be relevant throughout the story…
julie gardner recently posted…An Abundance of Coincidence
I’ve let it slide this past week with everything going on, but I’m about to tackle it again. You’ll be the first to know about the progress!
I’m so glad you’re starting another novel, thanks for sharing this. You’re such a gifted writer!
Thank you Kris. You’ve always been such a support of my writing and I so appreciate it. 🙂