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

Ch. 19 (PG): Angry words imperil a betrothal

"Encouragement, A Regency Tale of Love and Romance", Ch. 19 (PG): Angry words imperil a betrothal, November 29, 2016 Gratiana Lovelace (Post #1007)

[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: The days following Lady Elizabeth's presentation ball, she is flattered and flirted with—wooed, bot be more precise. And it is high time that she received her due. Though at seventeen years old, she is just debuting into London Society. And among her admirers are two Dukes, one Viscount, and an Earl—fitting for the granddaughter and sister of an Earl. However she returns her affections for only one of the suitors, Lord Duncan, the Viscount Lindsay. Yet, she does not know that he is not technically free to pay his addresses to her since he has an obligation betrothal to fulfill—to his late brother's fiancé, Lady Constance Knightsbridge. So the situation is delicate—and not likely to improve.

"Encouragement, A Regency Tale of Love and Romance", Ch. 19: Angry words imperil a betrothal

However, that same Tuesday afternoon of February 20, 1816 when Christian Lord Sussex, returns home to Sussex House from his tailor for his wedding suit and then from his club where he had congratulations heaped upon him for his upcoming nuptials—with much ribald ribbing about his stamina with so young a bride that he tried his best to ignore--he learns from his grandmother the Lady Catherine the Dowager Countess of Sussex that his younger sister Lady Elizabeth has been taken on a riding outing in Hyde Park by Lord Duncan the Viscount Lindsay. Lord Christian as brother and head of the family as the Earl of Sussex is livid.

Christian Lord Sussex: "Hyde Park!?! Oh Grandmother! You let Lizzie go with Lord Duncan to parade around the park for all to see, as if he were a suitor of hers? As if he were courting her?"

Dow. Countess: "Calm Down, Christy!" She bristles for his chiding tone. Despite the fact that Lord Christian is now the head of the family as Earl, he is still her grandson. "It is Winter and very few brave the cold. So they might not be seen by anyone. And Lord Duncan is respectable—he is a Viscount and heir to a Dukedom. You have known him almost all of your life. What objection do you have of him?"

Christian Lord Sussex: "None! Except that he is already pledged to another!" He blurts out without preamble.

Dow. Countess: "No!" She covers her mouth in shock. "Why have I not heard of this sooner?" She shakes her head with her hand at her temple. "What folly!"

Lord Christian: "Well, the circumstances are peculiar. Since Lord Duncan is to succeed his late brother Lord Alfred as the Ducal heir when his father dies, he also acquired his late brother's betrothed from ten years ago."