Read this lovely excerpt for a taste of Tailored Truths!
Propositioned at the Opera
A signal bell from the orchestra below, and the dimming of the gas lights that bordered the stage, heralded a noisy return of those who had left their seats. For a minute or two, it seemed to Margaret that the people who had been chatting were rushing their conversations to conclude them before the Second Act began. The buzz of expectancy around the auditorium was quite a palpable delight.
Margaret decided that attending a theatre performance truly was a brand new and tremendously exciting experience and being clad almost as beautifully as the women around her was a thrill in itself.
The second and third acts made more sense and Margaret found she was thoroughly enjoying the opera. They had had some refreshments during the longer second interval so when the shorter third one came, she expected a continuation of their dissection of the opera. She was quite unprepared for the corridor door to the box being rapped upon before it opened, obscuring her in behind it.
“Forgive my intrusion. I noticed your party and came across to pay my respects.”
Margaret gulped. The voice was definitely familiar. She didn’t need to lean forwards to know that it was the Earl of Sefton who stepped in past her to greet the others before he closed the door behind him.
The conversation which followed made clear that the Earl of Sefton had already met Mister and Mistress Grainger. The performance was briefly commented upon before the earl made to take his leave again after the signal for the end of the short interval rang clear and the gas lighting was dimmed.
Margaret opened the corridor door, shifting back a little to allow him more space to exit. She found that she was then the recipient of his attention, his focus on her alone. The expression in his gaze was akin to admiration but it veiled something else, something more expectant. His words were a whisper since the auditorium had quietened down, expectantly awaiting the orchestra to resume.
“You are looking particularly fetching tonight, Miss Law.”
Margaret stared at him, hoping her swallow wasn’t heard by the others, the flustering inside her not something she wanted to happen. How was she supposed to respond to a comment like that? Coming from an earl?
The almost smile that she’d detected on his face slipped away when he realised she wasn’t gushing her thanks, and wasn’t saying anything at all.
“But I digress. The school that I mentioned the other day?”
Margaret managed a brief nod. “My Lord, I do remember.”
“You may be pleased to know that my architect and I finally agreed on the last of the plans, yesterday. Building work will begin very soon.” There was a momentary pause before he continued, the intensity of his eyes illuminated by the nearest corridor lamplight. “I wondered if you would be interested in seeing the plans the day after tomorrow, when I have some free afternoon time, Miss Law? A fresh eye from one who has knowledge of the pupil being taught has to be a good thing at this stage.”
Disappointment warred with quite a degree of embarrassment at his words, but more from the renewed speculation in his expression. It took no more than an instant to decide to appear obtuse about any possible inference that he wasn’t just going to show plans to her.
“Oh, I would have loved to look at the architect’s drawings, My Lord,” she said. “I’d be very interested in seeing them, but unfortunately I won’t be here. Miss Marianne is returning to Dundee tomorrow.”
“Ah, in that case I will bid you goodbye, Miss Law.”
The door shut silently behind him leaving Margaret quite perplexed. His slight aloofness was much as it had been at Croxteth Hall, but as Marianne had mentioned days before there was more than a hint of something in the earl’s eyes that indicated an anticipation – about more than his building project.
An eagerness about anything more personal would have been a disaster, Margaret was sure of that. He was definitely a tempting morsel, a handsome man indeed who just might have been considering an illicit liaison with someone like her. Though perhaps she had just been reading him completely wrongly and it was just because he had made her pulse increase.
She was thankful that Marianne had heard none of the conversation as she slipped down onto her seat, the music restarting and the stage curtain fluttering upwards. She willed the twitching inside her stomach to settle down.
Is self-supporting success enough for Margaret Law or will her future also include an adoring husband and children? She might secretly yearn for that though how can she avoid a repeat of relationship deceptions that disenchanted her so much during her teenage years?
Employment as a lady’s maid and then as a private tutor in Liverpool in the 1860s bring thrilling opportunities Margaret could never have envisaged. Though when those posts end, her educational aspirations must be shelved again. Reliance on her sewing skills is paramount for survival when she returns to Dundee.
Meeting Sandy Watson means love, marriage and starting a family – though not necessarily in that order – are a striking development though it entails a move north to Peterhead. Yet, how can Margaret shed her fear of commitment and her independence and take the plunge?
Jessie, her sister-at-heart, is settled in Glasgow. Frequent letters are a life-line between them but when it all goes horribly wrong the contents of Margaret’s correspondence don’t necessarily mirror her awful day-to-day realities.
Nancy Jardine writes historical adventure fiction, historical saga, time travel historical adventure and contemporary mysteries.
Research, grandchildren, gardening fill up her day in the castle country of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, when not writing or promoting her writing. Interacting with readers is a joy at Book and Craft Fairs where she signs / sells paperback versions of her novels. She enjoys giving author presentations on her books and on Ancient Roman Scotland.
Memberships include: Historical Novel Society, Scottish Association of Writers, Federation of Writers Scotland, Romantic Novelists’ Association, and the Alliance of Independent Authors.
She is self-published with Ocelot Press.
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