"Encouragement" (Book 1), by Gratiana Lovelace, 2016 (Completed)

Ch. 18 (PG): Lady Elizabeth's turn to be wooed

"Encouragement, A Regency Tale of Love and Romance",  Ch. 18 (PG): Lady Elizabeth's turn to be wooed, November 23, 2016 Gratiana Lovelace (Post #1004) 

[From time to time, I will illustrate my story characters with: Richard Armitage as Lord Christian Blount Earl of Sussex, Kate Winslet and Emma Lady Hamilton as Lady Madeline Lucretia Sinclair, Dame Maggie Smith as Lady Lucretia Beckham Knott, Jessica Brown Findlay as Lady Elizabeth Blount, Crispin Bonham-Carter as Lord Harold Blount, Dame Judi Dench as Lady Catherine Blount the Dowager Countess of Sussex, Rupert Penry Jones as Lord Duncan the Viscount Lindsay, Corin Redgrave as Squire Sutton Sinclair, Amanda Root as Mrs. Russell, and others as noted.]

Authors Content Note: "Encouragement" is a frothy love story with sometimes humorous and sometimes dramatic themes of love and relationships. It will mostly be at the PG and PG-13 movie levels. Specific chapters or passages may have a further rating of: D for dramatic emotions, and LS for love scenes that are tenderly sensuous and not explicit. And I will rate the chapters accordingly. If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide for a chapter, then please do not read that chapter. This is my disclaimer. And as is my habit, I will summarize the previous chapter's events at the beginning of each chapter.

Author's recap from the previous chapter: At Lady Elizabeth Blount's presentation ball, her brother Lord Christian Blount the Earl of Sussex and his betrothed Lady Madeline had a heart to heart talk, confirming their wishes to marry each other—on affectionate terms. And the love of Lady Elizabeth's heart-- Lord Duncan the Viscount Lindsay, heir to the Duke of York—is attentive and kind to her, with dances and escorting her to supper where they chat most amiably. Yet, Lord Duncan is honor bound to wed another—and Lady Elizabeth does not know it yet.

"Encouragement, A Regency Tale of Love and Romance", Ch. 18 (PG): Lady Elizabeth's turn to be wooed

In the following days after her presentation ball, Lady Elizabeth Blount receives cards, nosegays, and callers—in addition to the posies sent by her considerate elder brothers Lord Christian and Lord Harold. This pleases her enormously. She had been so nervous about the prospect of meeting men--other than her brothers or elderly family friends—that she had forgotten that great attention would come her way as a debutante from a distinguished family, with what many presume will be an equally distinguished dowry.


But her dear friend Lady Madeline Sinclair is busy with wedding planning to Lady Elizabeth's brother Lord Christian Blount the Earl of Sussex--with her trousseau, her gown fittings and final flower selections for her bridal bouquet, and such at her Grandmama Lady Knott'sLondon townhouse. Lady Elizabeth understands that with the wedding three days away, all is bedlam over at Lady Knott's London townhouse where her granddaughter Lady Madeline resides with her.   So Lady Elizabeth Blount does not have her friend by her side—as she was with her for Lady Madeline's first week of suitors. But if Lady Elizabeth gets her wish [(2) right], Lord Duncan the Viscount Lindsay will be among her suitors.

Of Lady Elizabeth's second day of visitors to her family's London mansion Sussex House on Tuesday, February 20, 1816 are Sebastian Dunne His Grace the Duke of Lincoln--among other admirers who have turned their attentions to Lady Elizabeth now that her dowry is assured, such as Lord Richard Tottenham and Lord Bernard Quincy. These three gentlemen had also paid their attentions to Lady Madeline Sinclair before her betrothal to Lord Christian Blount. One might wonder if these three wander from debutante to debutante as each weekend brings a fresh new face to society?

And not to be left out, Lord Duncan the Viscount Lindsay and heir to the Duke of York also visits daily—though he knows that he is honor bound elsewhere, he cannot refrain from visiting Lady Elizabeth. He feels a pull that he cannot explain—for he had always thought of Lady Lizzie as a little sister. Yet she is a little sister no longer, but a young lady upon the cusp of her womanhood. And Lord Duncan is quickly becoming mesmerized with her—however inappropriate it is for him to do so.