Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!
This week I’m continuing snippets from my upcoming Regency Christmas novella, It Happened Under the Mistletoe. It’s a companion piece to last year’s It Happened at Christmas, and is the story of Roger, Lord Daventry (friend of Nicholas, Lord Benberry from It Happened at Christmas) and Lady Sylvia Montgomery.
I now have the blurb!
BLURB:
Christmas magic under the mistletoe…
Roger, Lord Daventry is contemplating a quiet Christmas at his home in Bath—until he literally falls at the feet of beautiful Lady Sylvia Montgomery. He and Lady Sylvia have an immediate attraction, but everyone is leaving London for their country homes for the holidays. Roger says his goodbyes, hoping to meet Sylvia again in the spring.
Lady Sylvia, however, has other plans.
Cajoling her parents into spending Christmas in Bath, Lady Sylvia is thrilled to meet Lord Daventry once more at the city’s Assembly Rooms. She and Roger manage a tryst under the mistletoe and Roger is ready to make a declaration for Sylvia’s hand. But when her father is called away on business, and her brother, Lord Chumleigh, arrives to chaperone Sylvia, Roger recognizes a man from his past who can sabotage his hopes of marriage to Sylvia.
To set the scene, Roger has come with his cousin to a winter’s ball in London to meet the young lady the cousin is enamored of. But Roger loses his cousin in the crowd, and ends up careening around the room, landing on his knees in front of someone in a white gown.
This week I’ve skipped ahead a few chapters, to a Winter Ball that is the end of the Little Season in London. So Sylvia and Roger have seen each other a few times. We are in Sylvia’s POV and she speaks to her mother first.
EXCERPT:
“Have you seen Lord Daventry this evening, Mamma? I have promised him the supper dance, but I do not believe he is here yet.”
Her mother nodded to an acquaintance before replying, “There are three more sets before the supper dance, Sylvia, so I am certain Lord Daventry will put in an appearance in plenty of time. He has seemed most attentive to you since we met, however, I do hope, Sylvia, that you have not set your cap at him so quickly. You are not technically out yet, not until next Season, and I insist you meet all the eligible young gentlemen in the spring before you decide which one will be the most advantageous match.”
Heartbeat speeding up, Sylvia shot her mother a scandalized glance. What on earth was Mamma talking about? “The most advantageous match is the one I make with the gentleman I love, Mamma–there is nothing else that matters.”
“Nonsense,” her mother turned a steely eye on her, “a young lady must weigh not only her affection for a gentleman, but his character, his status, and his wealth or at least his prospects. Lord Daventry seems to have the necessary qualities, I grant you, but you will not know who else might be just as attractive or eligible until the spring.”
And now to finish the scene :
“Your father and I will insist that you wait until your come-out before deciding on the gentleman who will be your husband.”
Sylvia opened her mouth to reply that she would not agree to such a stipulation, but shut her lips before she said a word. There was no reason to antagonize her mother at this point. If she did indeed set her heart on Lord Daventry, she would deal with her parents’ decree then. Although, if truth be told, she was becoming more and more inclined to favor Lord Daventry as a potential partner for more than a dance.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe and other Yuletide Tales, an anthology of five of my Christmas novellas, will release this Tuesday, December 1 for just .99. Please keep an eye out for the release party here on my blog!
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.
Christmas Romance Novellas
by Jenna Jaxon
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
I’m so glad I don’t live in Regency England. So many rules and customs and other parties weighing in on everything!
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Sounds like her mother is looking out for her and wants her to keep her options open.
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Mama’s looking out for her daughter’s interests in the way they did back then.
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She is indeed! And rightly so.:)
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Oh, yes, she’s definitely fallen for him. It’s a pity that that’s not enough for her parents. Great snippet!
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Thank you, Jessica! Well, parents tended to look at the big picture, and knowing it was a commitment for life, they wanted the best for their children.
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She’s a smart young lady, saving her arguments for later. Enjoyed the excerpt!
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Thank you, Veronica! Yes, she’s got a good head on her shoulders.
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Hmmm…in the days of parents picking a husband for a young lady, it would be difficult for her to wait when a particular suitor strikes her fancy!
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Very difficult, but it was often in the girl’s best interests for her to be sure she got the best match possible. There was very little divorce in Regency England, and it couldn’t be brought by the woman. Only a man could ask for a divorce on the grounds of adultery. So you needed to be sure of a man’s character before you married him cause then you were stuck with him!
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Whew! Courtship was like a royalty game of chess for them. 🙂 I
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Exactly, Teresa! And you have more than the two players–the two prospective partners plus family on both sides interfering. No wonder a lot of them chose to elope to Gretna Green.
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I wonder if he opinion of Lord Daventry would be adversely affected if he fails to show up for her dance?
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She would likely be piqued, but I doubt any serious damage would be done to her opinion–depending on his reason for being absent. 🙂
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I see. She knows enough to trust him, then.
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