Her Secret Beau – Leenie Brown

Story Setting Collage: Bath, England

Her Secret Beau is the first of two stories in my Touches of Austen series that are set in Bath. So, I thought it’d be fun to gather a bunch of images from Deposit Photos (since I’ve never been to Bath, sadly) and make a setting collage.

I like having a few images in my mind when I am writing or reading a story, and these do relate to different scenes in the story as there are a few in gardens, one at the hero’s town home, and of course, the Assembly Rooms. There’s also a scene where the Abbey is mentioned. So, these all seemed to fit the theme.

I’ve selected to share chapter 10 in which you will find the scene where the Abbey is mentioned. We are about halfway through the story by this chapter, and the scheme that Grace is perpetrating is full swing. Here are the basics just so you’re not confused when you read the excerpt below.

Grace Love is secretly courting Mr. Blakesley (Walter). She is pretending to love Mr. Norman (of whom her mother does not really approve, though he’s a lovely fellow). the Claytons (Graeme and Bea) and the Sheltons (Roger and Victoria) know all about Grace’s scheme and why she deems it necessary. The reason behind the subterfuge: Felicity Love, Grace’s sister. I think that’s probably enough details to set you up to read what follows.

Enjoy!

The August 2022 Saturday Broadsheet

The Saturday Broadsheet, with all my writing life updates, is now available at the link at the bottom of this short post.

In this issue of the Broadsheet you will find:

Info about what is posting on my blog. (As if you didn’t know, right? LOL)
An update on my current writing project.
Info about several books that are on sale.
And in the story connections section, you will find some illustrations of characters in and a few lines from a Shakespearean play that appears in one of my books.

CLICK HERE TO READ THis Month’s SATURDAY BROADSHEET

Have a great weekend!

I hope you have time to read a book.

I’ll be back on Wednesday (hopefully) with a Story Connection, and then again, on Thursday with a new chapter of His Inconvenient Choice.

The March 2022 Saturday Broadsheet

The Saturday Broadsheet, with all my writing life updates, is now available at the link at the bottom of this short post.

In this issue of the Broadsheet you will find:

Info about what is posting on my blog. (As if you didn’t know, right? LOL)
Info about my writing and publishing news.
Info about any book promotions. (Want to get So Very Unexpected for $0.99? You can do that this week.)
And a story and art connection (It’s a Music Monday sort of connection for those who remember Music Mondays. 🙂 )

CLICK HERE TO READ THE March 2022 SATURDAY BROADSHEET

Have a great weekend!

I hope you have time to read a book.

I’ll be back on Thursday with a new chapter of The Beginning of Prudence.

360 Degrees of You (SHeDAISY)

I came across this song used with some clips of period drama men on YouTube, but that video would not let me share it on my blog other than as a link >> this link. So, I searched for another video with this song that would let me share. (That’s obviously the video below. ;))

I could just see the lovely Miss Grace Love, from Her Secret Beau, singing this song to her romantic hero. It seems to be the style of song she would like. (Not that she would sing it in company, of course, but definitely in private. She’s sneaky like that. LOL)

Her romantic hero is Walter Blakesley, and he’s the sort of gentleman who would enjoy having this song sang to him in private. (Because he enjoys Grace’s mysterious side. He did call her his mysterious angel in the chapter from which the excerpt below is extracted.)

MAILING LIST PATREON

Ball Dress (c. 1825, Ackermann)

Fashion Plate (Ball Dress). England, London, March 1, 1825. Hand-colored engraving on paper. Rudolph Ackermann (England, London, 1764-1834). Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I couldn’t resist giving a longer excerpt today as this exchange is just too fun to shorten any more than I did. 🙂

“I am sorry,” she said softly, “but I was hoping for someone else to claim my hand for the next dance.” Her cheeks grew rosy.

“No one has asked you,” Shelton muttered.

“No, but if I give this dance to Mr. Blakesley then I will not be free if another arrives to ask.”

Roger Shelton’s brow furrowed. “You did not mention this before.”

“Because I did not know the gentleman’s name. One must not speak of a hope to dance with someone to whom she has not been introduced.” She cast a glance in Mr. Norman’s direction. “However, that is no longer a problem.”

“Norman?” the question flew out of Walter’s mouth.

Grace’s head bobbed up and down. “Though it is forward to even admit to it.”

Forward was not the word Walter would use for it. “Well, then, Norman, do not keep the lady waiting.” Walter knew his tone was less than gracious.

Grace put a hand on his arm but then withdrew it quickly. “Do not be discouraged, Mr. Blakesley. It is not that I do not wish to dance with you. It is just that I had hoped to speak to Mr. Norman.”

“You had?” Roger echoed the question in Walter’s mind.

“Yes, I would like some advice.” Her hands were twisting in a nervous sort of fashion. “About a condition.”

What was she about?

“You wish to speak to him because he is a physician?” Mrs. Shelton’s tone was incredulous.

Grace’s head bobbed up and down as she pulled her lower lip between her teeth. Walter would put ten pounds on it that the chit was lying.

“You did not know he was a physician until just now,” Mrs. Clayton said.

“But he looked like one,” Grace declared.

“He looked like one?” Skepticism filled Roger’s question. Apparently, no one else quite believed Miss Love’s story any more than Walter did.

[from Her Secret Beau]

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