Jillian Chantal

This week’s word is writing. I cheated a little and used handwriting. I have now finished the Regency story and am thinking of naming it The Duke and the Orphan or do you guys think The Orphan and the Duke sounds better?

To set the scene, the duke is giving a ball for his sisters’ coming out and they want to invite Amelia but know she has no suitable gown so they are discussing how they can provide one for her and sending her a letter to get her to meet them at the dressmaker’s shop on the pretext of helping them choose their own gowns..

Check the other tales out here.

“But how will we get her a gown?”

“Maybe the seamstress can figure her measurements from looking at her. I’m sure they’ve made a number of gowns that way.” They walked down the hall.

“My goodness, Basil. Have you thought about what you would do if your tailor tried to sell you a garment he hadn’t measured you for?” Saffron laughed.

“That’s true but I am doing my best here to get you what you want. Miss Amelia at your ball and in an appropriate gown. All without offending her.”

“Basil’s right, Saffron. Let’s see if that will work. We can certainly ask.” Jonquil led the way to Basil’s desk and picked up a pen. She held it out to her sister. “You have better handwriting than I do. You write it.”

Saffron stepped over, pushed Archimedes out of Basil’s chair and sat. “Why is our cat always in here with you, Basil? If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was your pet, not ours.”

“The creature seems to like it in here.” Basil shrugged then grinned as a thought came to him. “Maybe because it’s so quiet in here. Not like in your area of the house.”

“I think you quite like his company and are afraid to mention it.” Saffron dipped the pen and wrote on the piece of paper in front of her. “We’ve all heard the way you growl and mumble in here when you’re working on your accounts. I’m sure Archimedes doesn’t like all that noise.”

Basil realized she was right about one thing. Somehow that blasted mouser had made himself indispensable to the man. The animal seemed to somehow ease some of Basil’s anxiousness at being the duke. Who knew a seven-pound ball of fur could work such a miracle?

Deciding not to arm his sisters with that information, Basil stood silent while Saffron finished the letter.

This week’s word prompt for Tuesday Tales is bloom. I am about 25,000 words in on the regency story I’m working on and sharing a bit more of it this week. The heroine is Amelia and she has an odious cousin who makes her life miserable. Miss Vonda Van Eisenga makes the hero’s life hard and this scene is where the three ladies are all in one place for the first time.  I hope you enjoy. Remember, it’s not edited. Here’s the link to the other tales for the week using the same prompt.

The next few days went by fast. Amelia had fallen into a routine of visiting the duke’s home in the mornings and leaving the girls with certain tasks to perform in the afternoon. Susan, of course, accompanied her each time but they only saw the duke on occasion and from a distance. It was as if he were deliberately avoiding them. Amelia didn’t blame him at all. If she could live her life away from Susan, she would do so in an instant.

Amelia did sometimes notice the duke around and usually it was when his sisters were practicing with their trains. She would see him peeking in at them as if intrigued by the process. They walked around the ballroom frontwards and backwards for what seemed like hours. Susan even deigned to join in herself on occasion.

They practiced the curtsy over and over as well with the Lady Saffron and Lady Jonquil practicing the queen’s kiss on their brow and Susan practicing kissing the queen’s hand. Amelia played the part of the queen and made sure they knew their parts as they differed slightly as the sisters were daughters of a duke.

On the Monday of the second week they’d worked together, the week that the girls’ court presentation gowns would be ready on Friday and the day Amelia planned to add the feathers to their practice sessions, there was a visitor when Amelia and Susan arrived at the front door.

The woman was tall, dark-haired and reminded her of some of the statues she’d seen at the British Museum. Very stately, but cold. And as some people might say, the first bloom of youth was off her cheeks.

Amelia pushed that uncharitable thought away. She herself, although only nineteen years old now, was most likely to end up a spinster with no dowry and no title. She might be young at the moment but one day she would be pitied by someone and it wouldn’t be pleasant.

“Come in, Miss Amelia. This is Miss Vonda Van Eizenga. She’s here to see Basil.” Saffron stood in the hallway behind the butler as he let Amelia and Susan inside.

The older woman inclined her head and with something that Amelia presumed was supposed to be a smile but was more like a grimace, said, “How do you do?”

Susan stepped in front of Amelia and introduced herself. “You’re here to see the duke?”

“I am indeed. We’re old friends and neighbors. My family’s estate abuts the duke’s country seat.” The lady’s face continued to hold an expression of distaste. “And what brings you here?”

“My cousin is assisting the duke’s sisters in their coming out.”

“And that necessitates your presence how?” Miss Van Eizenga asked Susan.

“I hardly think my relationship with the duke is any of your concern,” Susan said.

“You have no relationship with my brother, Miss Mandeville. Why pretend to something that isn’t?” Saffron asked as she showed the ladies into the parlor. “We’ll leave the two of you here to wait for Basil while we go up and practice with the feathers that I see Miss Amelia has in her hands.”

I’ve been tied up with life too much lately to be involved in Tuesday Tales but I am back now. With a different story. I kind of hit a dead end on the one I was sharing and am mulling over how to raise the stakes in it to make it better. In the meantime, I have started a new Regency story. The word of the week is tiger. Be sure to read the other great stories by clicking here. 

Taking a deep breath before entering, Basil made the expression on his face into a semblance of welcome. “Good morning, Miss Van Eizenga. How are you today?”

“I am well and am here to invite you to a soiree.”

“Invite me?”

“Why act so shocked? Do you think no one would desire your company?”

“It’s not that. I am still very busy getting myself used to the duties of my title and have no time for such diversions. But should you choose to invite my sisters who are coming out this year, I would be quite grateful.”

“I’m afraid I cannot do so for you see, I am here to find myself an escort and I’d rather hoped that you would say yes.”

“Isn’t it normally the gentleman who seeks out the lady in these circumstances?” Basil knew he was being too direct but he needed to make clear to this young woman that he was never going to be inclined to be her escort. Wouldn’t it be better for her to face that now rather than later?

“You’re being difficult, your grace. You men are all alike.”

“What do you mean? Have you asked other men to escort you who have declined?”

“Of course not. I’ve only come to you because you are the only one I want.”

“Then I am exceedingly sorry.” Basil bowed but was firm in his denial of the lady’s request. He was not going to become embroiled in some relationship with a woman who he had no doubt would try to entrap him if she could.

“You sir, are the one who is exceedingly unkind.” She turned as if to sit on the settee but let out a screech instead.

Archimedes let out a screech of his own and bowed his back up. He hissed at Miss Van Eizenga and ears flat, didn’t seem about to cede his ground to her.

Basil bit back a laugh. Never would he have thought the creature would give him such pleasure. The cat had made his opinion clear of their visitor and would that a duke could do the same.

“Get that awful animal out of here.” Miss Van Eizenga pointed at Archimedes with an index finger that shook. Basil wasn’t sure if it was with rage or with fright but either way, he had no intention of making the cat leave.

“I’m sorry, that’s Saffron and Jonquil’s pet. He’s harmless.”

“He is not. He’s like a wild tiger or something.”

“Oh no. Tigers are much larger and more dangerous.”

“I don’t agree. This animal is wild. He must go.”

“I’m afraid not. I cannot disappoint my sisters by being unkind to their pet.”

“Then I must take my leave, sir.” Miss Van Eizenga turned on her heel and strode out of the room.

Once she was gone, Basil picked up Archimedes and cuddled him. “You were wonderful. I owe you a debt of gratitude.”