Elin Gregory

Wednesday is Hump Day – this means it’s Hump Day Hook time! Hump Day Hook – where a bunch of authors provide snippets for each other’s delectation, education, elevation and so forth.

My snippet is from an untitled Regency romance parody that I wrote in the 1980s. In this section Lady Cicely is discussing her suddenly acquired fiance with her scapegrace brother, who really didn’t mean to lose her at cards, it sort of just happened, and he’s just as shocked as she is that there’s an announcement about the engagement in the Gazette.

~~~

“I’m so sorry, Sissy,” Aubrey was saying as she crushed the paper between her hands. “I can only assume that it is intended as a joke.”
“Well, it isn’t very funny,” Cicely was close to tears. “I am going to be a laughing stock. Oh, Aubrey – I’m engaged to a man I’ve never even seen!” She stood up and went to her desk, fumbling for paper and a wafer. “I’ll write to him immediately and demand that he put a rebuttal in tomorrow’s paper along with a full apology.” Her hands were shaking so much that she almost dropped her pen.
“Truth to tell, Sis,” Aubrey said, wearily, “I should imagine that this will come as something of a surprise to him. I’ve never seen any man drink as much as he did last night and survive.”
“With any luck, he didn’t. That would solve all our problems.” Cicely sniffed and plied her hankie. “What is this FitzRoy like anyway?”
“Patrick FitzRoy? He’s Irish.”
“With a name like that,” Cicely snapped, “he’d hardly be Italian!”

~~~

Here are the other contributors.