My girls and where they go

 When the author likes travelling, she takes her girls along

London

Kitty travels from Cheshire down to London most unwillingly. Who wants to stay with a great-aunt they've never met? But London turns out to be exciting and dangerous. And the great-aunt has a trick or two up her sleeve. And Grosvenor Square is an impressive place to stay in.

The Wild Card

Bath

Sarah stays in Bath with her friend Lizzie, whose uncle has gout. In fact most of the people in this story are invalids of various sorts, but all miraculously cured by the end of it [except for the evil villain, of course.]

                                                    

In All Honour

Brighton

Anna ends up in Brighton, finds a group of friends and enjoys all the pleasures of a seaside holiday. There are some rather unsavoury undercurrents but in the end all turns out splendidly. 

           The Rake's Challenge

SOME OF THE GIRLS GO FURTHER AFIELD

Constantinople [now Istanbul]

Olivia, too scandalous to remain in polite society, joins her brother in Constantinople. She falls in love with the place and the way of life there, but, as always, where Olivia goes, trouble soon follows.

    

Scandalous Lady

[There are similarities between Prinny's Brighton Pavilion and the Sultan's summer palace...]

   

   

Ax-les-Thermes - London - Hartwell House, Buckinghamshire

Louise gets drawn into a quest that takes her from London to the Pyrenees, back home then to the French King in exile at Hartwell House, and back to France, pursued all the way by Napoleon's ruthless agents.

The Rake and His Honour 

                                             

                                     Thermal Baths, Ax-les-Thermes

   London - Constantinople [now Istanbul]

Rose is NOT really keen on travel and adventure, but she makes the best of matters. Getting drawn into a highly dangerous plot is hard enough, but when the Sultan's powerful chief minister falls for her, however will she extricate herself from this oh so delicate situation....?

April and May         

                                           

                                            Toilette in the harem by Osman Hamdi Bey

My girls

 Another writer complained recently that 'Regency heroines only have music and embroidery as hobbies'. 

So of course, my girls want to speak up in their own defence.

Kitty from Cheshire. 'Mama insisted I learn to play the pianoforte and to sing. I enjoy sewing, and I ride but my main interest is helping in the local hospital. Poor folk deserve help when they are ill.'

Sarah from Wiltshire. 'I was taught to play and I can sing reasonably well. It takes most of my time to run the estate for my brother, but he gambles all the money away. Whenever possible, I enjoy reading novels.'

   

Kitty                                     Sarah

Rose from Berkshire. 'I went to the Abbey School in Reading. My main talent is drawing, and it helps me earn enough to be independent. Unfortunately, it also drew me into a highly dangerous plot.'

Anna from Hampshire. 'When dearest papa died, mama remarried. Then I was sent to school in Bath until I was past 19 years of age. I can play the pianoforte and I have a good reading voice. My friends and I have sworn to live a life of adventure like Lord Byron's Childe Harold. So I am setting off to fulfill my first quest NOW.'

Rose 

                                   Anna

                                                                               

Olivia from Gloucestershire. 'Well, I can play the pianoforte if I have to. I prefer to listen to other people's playing. I draw well enough for my brother to want my sketches of the ancient buildings he loves to explore, and I can run an estate. I adore riding and I am a crack shot. Most of all I want to travel to exotic lands.'

Louise from London. 'My family are Huguenots. We work as silversmiths and I design jewellery. I used to enjoy riding before we moved into town. Of course I can sew, mending garments and making new ones is an essential skill, like it or not.'

Olivia                                    Louise

And then there's Nell, but her father has locked her in her room so she can't run away....

and what about Sonya, desperate to lead a raid against the Turkish scouts invading Hungary?

Yet they can sew and play an instrument, among other skills and interests.

I don't know about Lucinda yet, she hasn't told me so far.

Book and Bag

 My Book and my Bag

        Two passions that have stayed with me through the long years.

        And now I write books as well as read them...

                         ... and always have a proper book in my bag for any spare moment.

An old tradition, another New Year's Day.

Why do the people of Cwm Gwaun in South Wales celebrate the New Year on 13th January?  

Village of Cwm Gwaun [courtesy of Wikipedia]

In 1752 Britain changed the calendar to come into line with the rest of Europe. 
Eleven days were lost and from that time the New Year began on 1st January.

But in Cwm Gwaun they have maintained their New Year celebration according to the old calendar.

The video below shows how the villagers, especially the children, enjoy this tradition.

                                                       Hen Galan [New Year]   **

        [  ** credit to creator =   https://www.twinkl.co.uk/teaching-wiki/hen-galan# ]

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! (Happy New Year!)

An armchair escape into a time of danger and intrigue - on Free Offer for this week.

                                                  The Rake and his Honour

FRANCE  Summer 1813.... a time of uncertainty and intrigue. Napoleon clings on to power, but a revolt is brewing. Disciplined Louise Fauriel and easy-going rake Arnaut de Montailhac are an unlikely pair, linked by the need to smuggle letters that can change the course of France’s future. With Napoleon’s vengeful agents never more than one step behind, there’s no time for love in the desperate race to succeed in their mission.

From the lakes and mountains of the French Pyrenees 

to London    

                                     Cavendish Square [credit to creator]

and Hartwell House near Aylesbury, the tense pursuit never stops. 

And the danger continues all the way to a breath-taking climax.

Chalk and cheese....?

Or in a more modern fashion .......

Enemies to lovers.

Joachim, the youngest of the three Montailhac brothers is [usually] a perfect gentleman. Athletic, hard-working and keen to prove himself, Joachim supervises his father's estates and livestock. Given the harsh terrain in the Pyrenees, it's a full-time job.

When two troubled girls  - his mother's guests - arrive for a visit, they add horribly to his workload. Sophie, the younger sister, is totally out of control. Within 24 hours of arriving, she sets the whole household by the ears. 

The older sister, Nell, is so pinched and sullen, Joachim calls her 'Miss Dismal' to himself. Any conversation between them ends in misunderstanding or disagreement. 

For Joachim, being gentlemanly keeps getting ever more difficult. 

Nell is suffering from depression. Hostile to everyone, she can't help her snappy response to Joachim, especially as he is not only gentlemanly but most attractive. NOT what she wants at all.

It's going to take something very unexpected to shake these two out of their dislike into some kind of alliance.  

                                                     A Lady's Honour

                                                     a new Montailhac story

11th December 1282

 11th December marks the anniversary of the death of the last native Prince of Wales.

Llewelyn ap Gruffydd

Tywysog Cymru

View of Llyn Llydaw from Crib Goch

[courtesy of Wikipedia]

https://youtu.be/UHbCYpOtSPY

Video by Sian Ifan2, and the lament sung in the mellow voice of Daffydd Ifan

 Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf 

at the ceremony for the Treaty of Montgomery 1267

Memorial stone to Llewelyn ap Gruffydd at Abbey Cwm Hir

[photo by Britain Express]