Elin Gregory

It’s that time again – Wednesday, aka hump day – so time for another snippet of Regency lunacy.

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Aubrey looked at his sister’s angelic face and his heart sank. Slowly, and with many pauses and digressions, he related the terrible events of the previous evening. He told the story very badly, unable to describe the anguished expression on Chum’s face as he gasped “I lost it, Aubrey, I lost it!” and his own strange breathlessness as he realised who was holding the vital slip of paper so carelessly between his fingers or his horror when that soft, mocking voice said “I appear to hold a note of yours, my boy. Do you want to settle up tonight or shall I collect her in the morning?”

“I thought I would have some time to sort things out,” he told his sister, “but he has moved too fast for me. I had hoped you would never have to know.”

“Who?” Cicely demanded in rising panic. “What has he done?”

“Look,” Aubrey said simply and handed her a folded sheet of newsprint.

Holding it at arms length, Cicely could just make out her own name set in bold type. Biting her lip, she groped for her spectacles and read:

“Sir Aubrey Stanton-Rivers, Bart., of Stanton Parva, Bucks., is pleased to announce the engagement of his only sister, Lady Cicely Caroline, to Lord Patrick FitzRoy, son of the Right Honourable Lord Gerald FitzRoy, 12th Earl of Innisidhe. An early wedding is anticipated.”

~~~

Cheeky, what?

Here are the rest of the posts : http://humpdayhook.blogspot.co.uk