Lord Felix and Miss Fraser

 

Lord Felix Brockworth

So, I've started writing 'Lord Felix and Miss Fraser', and just like when I was writing 'Lord Nathaniel's Nemesis' I'm not finding it easy. Perhaps, being a female, it's harder to get into a male character's mindset. But I'm plodding on, and ideas are beginning to come in a lot faster and funnier. I do like to have a bit of light relief in my novels, though it's sometimes quite hard to find the appropriate situation and repartee.

Catriona - still reserved and worried

When I first started writing this novel, it was planned to be a simple, straightforward romance, with a bit of drama, and the requisite happy ending. However, as I progressed, I realised it's really about how Felix, the drop-dead-gorgeous, devil-may-care, blonde Adonis of the Brockworth family, matures from a 'Rakeling' (a term coined by Septimus Maitland as someone who is not a truly committed rake), into a truly admirable mature man.

Felix has finally tracked down Catriona to Strathlochy Castle

Of course it takes a woman of real backbone to prompt this transformation, and the mysterious Miss Catriona Fraser (really Lady Madeleine, Anne Catriona, de Hauteville, Fraser, Vaisey), is just the woman to do it, however reluctantly! Catriona has been living a double life, first as an unusual orphan who has found her way into Lady Mary's Charity School, where Lady Serena, Felix's eldest sister, develops a special interest in her, and then as the star seamstress at Madame Tiffany's fashionable modiste's in London's elite West End.

Despite the fact that Catriona has denied any detailed knowledge of her past, both Serena and Felix feel that Catriona is hiding a very mysterious past, and wonder what could possibly keep her so determined to keep quiet about it. And they are right. Since being whisked away at the age of four when both her parents were killed in a carriage 'accident', Catriona has been told that she must remain anonymous in case the people who arranged her parents' demise seek her death too. She blocks their path to the property and title that she stands to inherit outright when she reaches her twenty-first birthday.

And those are enough spoilers for now! 

So the action in this novel starts in London, moves to Wales for a very short period, but the  meat of the story takes place in Scotland, finally ending up back in London (well, that's the plot at the moment. But then stories have a habit of changing direction all on their own!)

Felix and Catriona at the Duerr's Ball

Now Scotland holds a very special place in my heart. When my children were a lot younger, we spent a lot of time there - so much so that my son, when asked at Disney World in Florida, where he came from, he promptly answered 'Scotland' despite being English born and bred (he still likes Scotland, and I suspect may end up living there!). 

So why do I like Scotland so much? Well, it's different - very different to England, and despite the three hundred years+ since the Act of Union, there are many there who would still like to sever the knot with London completely and become a truly independent nation. They are in a minority, however, and so the slightly tricky union continues.

And a tricky union forms a key element in this story. I'm not going to reveal more than that, but I will just say that the difficulties that arise from it are the making of Felix! More updates, as I progress.

Bye for now, Detta

Eryngium giganteum 'Miss Willmott's Ghost'

 

Eryngium giganteum 'Miss Willmott's Ghost'

Eryngium giganteum ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’ is one of those plants that carries both horticultural charm and a delightful slice of gardening folklore. At its core, it is a biennial sea holly, tall and architectural, with striking silver-white bracts that surround a conical, thistle-like flower head. Yet its reputation extends far beyond its appearance. It has become a symbol of eccentric gardening passion, a plant that seems to haunt borders with its shimmering presence and the story attached to its name.

The plant typically reaches around 90–120 cm in height, forming a bold vertical accent in summer borders. Its most distinctive feature is the ghostly, metallic sheen of its bracts, which catch the light in a way few other plants manage. These bracts surround a central dome of tiny flowers, creating a structure that is both intricate and sculptural. The foliage, in contrast, is a softer green, deeply lobed and slightly spiny. When the plant is in full bloom, the combination of textures and tones gives it an almost ethereal quality, which explains why gardeners prize it for adding drama to mixed plantings.

As a biennial, ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’ spends its first year forming a rosette of leaves before sending up its tall flowering stems in the second. After flowering and setting seed, the plant dies, but it often self-sows generously. This habit contributes to its reputation for appearing unexpectedly in gardens, sometimes in places where it was never deliberately planted. The seeds germinate best in open, well-drained soil, particularly in sunny positions. Once established, the plant is remarkably tolerant of drought and poor soil, making it a reliable choice for gardeners who appreciate low-maintenance structure.

Miss Ellen Willmott - a true eccentric Edwardian plants-woman (Wiki-commons)

The folklore surrounding the plant is inseparable from its identity. Ellen Willmott, the Edwardian plants-woman for whom it is named, was known for her formidable personality and her deep love of gardening. According to legend, she would secretly scatter seeds of this eryngium in the gardens she visited, ensuring that the ghostly silver plants would appear later as a reminder of her presence. Whether the story is entirely true hardly matters; it has become part of the plant’s mystique, adding a human dimension to its botanical appeal.

In design terms, ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’ works beautifully in gravel gardens, prairie-style plantings, and cottage borders. Its spiky form contrasts well with soft grasses, airy perennials like Verbena bonariensis, or the rounded blooms of roses. It also makes an excellent cut flower, fresh or dried, retaining its silvery colour for months. Because of its height and distinctive silhouette, it can serve as a focal point or as a repeating vertical element that ties a planting scheme together.

Ultimately, Eryngium giganteum ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’ is more than just a plant; it is a conversation piece, a historical curiosity, and a striking ornamental all at once. Its combination of resilience, beauty, and story makes it a favourite among gardeners who appreciate plants with personality.

It’s a great plant to dot around the garden as a focal point and a gap filler. It is easy to grow, even if its biennial nature is a bit of a pain. Enjoy!

Detta

P.S. The species type of Eryngium giganteum originated in the Caucasus and Northern Iran. Unfortunately I have not yet been able to establish when it was first introduced into this country.

Lady Rosamund's Recluse

 

Well, we've got to the editing and proof-reading stages - hoorah! As you probably know, I wrote the first draft of Lady Rosamund whilst I was grappling with the storyline of Lord Nathaniel - Rosamund's storyline was just there, ready to go, fully formed in my head. 

However, the downside of such a situation is that though it appears to be a more than satisfactory story to oneself, it may not be crystal clear to a reader. This means that the editing process can be a little more painful, as you realise that though your main characters are fine, the backstory and the heft of the plot may need a little filling out.

But I'm getting there, and I have to say that I love the two main protagonists in this story - Rosamund and Petroc. They are the most 'real' to me of all my characters. Yes, my friends will realise that there is quite a lot of the young me in Rosamund, but she is cleverer and far braver than I ever was.

Those of you who have read the first three books of the 'The Brockworth Chronicles' series will know that amongst Rosamund's many interests, she has developed a bit of an obsession about one of her ancestors, Lady Thomasina Brockworth (nee Tregannon). However, she has reached the limit of what information she can source at home or in London (see the Chronicle), and her attempts to elicit some information from the current Keeper of Kothgorr Castle (the Tregannon's ancestral home), Petroc Tregannon, has met with absolutely no success.

Petroc Tregannon on the beach below Kothgorr castle.

But then, whilst enduring 'The Season' she comes across an advert in the Times inviting
applications for the post of temporary assistant over the summer season at Kothgorr Castle, acting as assistant to the Viscount and helping sort documents in the muniments room. Despite the fact that Rosamund has labelled Petroc Tregannon 'the rudest man in the world', she knows that this is the perfect, and perhaps only opportunity that she will get to riffle through the Tregannon's records at her leisure!

The fly in the ointment is, of course, that they will be expecting applications from males only, and how on earth could she persuade her family to allow her to work in a single gentleman's home? Mmm - a conundrum.

But Rosamund isn't going to allow such trifling considerations get in her way, is she? Certainly, her feisty ancestress, Lady Thomasina, would not! So Rosamund sends off her application, posing as Mr Ross Fothergill, never for one moment anticipating all the scrapes and dangers she might encounter in the rather forbidding granite pile of Kothgorr Castle.

A vague idea of how imagine Kothgorr Castle to look on a stormy day.

Hopefully 'Lady Rosamund's Recluse will be published sometime in May. Of all the four books, I've written about the Brockworth family so far, this is, by far, my favourite. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.  Detta 

First Draft of LNN finished - at last!

 

The seemingly dour (but is he?) Nathaniel Brockworth

Well, Yes, it's taken forever, but the first draft of 'Lord Nathaniel's Nemesis' is complete, and I'm happy with it. Getting to know the two lead characters has taken a while, because, it turns out, that they are a lot more complex people than those in the first two books: 'Lady Isabel's Inheritance' and 'Lady Serena's Secret'. I think that it was always inevitable that characters who do not conform to the standard male and female tropes of romantic fiction were going to be harder to write. The usual simple formula of historical romances would not be enough to explain why these two very different people, from wildly different backgrounds, would meet and fall in love. (Historical Romantic fiction tropes: strong overbearing, gorgeous male; beautiful, but tricky, aristocratic female - do not fit well in this story. Nathaniel tends to be rather self-effacing and Rebecca isn't even aristocratic!) 

Rebecca Northley - beautiful, rich heiress, but an outsider as far as High Society is concerned.
She is a commoner associated with business and trade, and is therefore only valued by many for her fortune.

I probably should have realised that this would be a tricky task long ago, when I was finding it hard to find an interesting story line which would fit the characters I wanted to portray. The classic story lines would just not work. So I eventually found myself going down pathways that had definitely not even occurred to me when I started writing this novel. But slowly and surely Rebecca and Nathaniel's story unfolded - with forays into places I knew from my University days, and very unladylike occupations for Rebecca. But at least the story held together as a plot!

Yes! A Roman mosaic and a vineyard producing English sparkling wine - how on earth do those fit into the plot? They do, I assure you!

 You know the old saying 'still waters run deep' - that is certainly true for Nathaniel, who superficially comes across as a bit bland. Not so, under his dour frowning façade, lies a passionate man, who is not quite so comfortable expressing himself on a personal level as the rest of the Brockworths, and therefore takes a little more time to get to know. However, fate intervenes and faced with the possibility of losing the love of his life, Rebecca, Nathaniel finds himself playing the unexpected and rather uncomfortable role of knight in shining armour. Despite these heroics, all still does not go well in his pursuit of his soul-mate, and drastic methods have to be contemplated by a man happier standing in the shadows, than taking overtly bold steps to avert disaster.

The magnificent frontage of Harewood House

Without giving too much away, the plot shifts around quite a lot in this novel, including London, Oxfordshire and finally to Seth Northley's (Rebecca's father) imposing mansion in Hampshire. I have unashamedly based this over-the-top Palladian pile on the wonderful Harewood House, near Harrogate Yorkshire, which we visited in September. I just loved this house - so beautifully kept and built by the nouveaux very riche of the mid-eighteenth century Lascelles family (though the Lascelles family, had been in fact, respectable gentry in the area since early medieval times. However, my story story does not relate to them other than referencing the gorgeous house).

The fabulous Gallery which appears as Chicheley Place's ballroom in 'Lord Nathaniel's Nemesis'

So now I have to sit down and start the second draft, and fill out the story to make it a riveting read. I just hope hope that is a smoother process than developing the first draft!

I'm hoping to finish the second draft by the New Year, but a publication date in 2026 is probably a realistic prediction, and I'm not even going to speculate on which month!

                           In the meantime, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Jewellery and Characters

 

Rebecca wearing the emeralds that she has inherited from her mother (also a green-eyed redhead). A bit over the top? Nathaniel thinks so.

 I'm not a person who has a lot of jewellery. Most days of the year you will find me wearing my wedding ring only. It's not that I don't like jewellery, but I find that I'm quite picky about what I do like. I suppose my tastes were formed when as a schoolgirl, a group of us would sometimes add a small detour to our journey on our way home, to ogle the treasures to be viewed in the best jewellers in Preston, Whittles, (in our opinion) at that time. They were, of course, the most expensive jewellers in town too. There we would stand, and pick out the engagement ring that we were going to have, when the (very rich) man of our dreams declared his undying love for us and showered us with all our teenage, avaricious, heart's desires!

I always focussed on the lovely emerald cut (yes it is a thing), emerald and diamond ring, which even in those days had a price tag in the thousands, if I recall correctly. It looked something like the ring pictured below, but with slightly bigger diamonds if memory serves. Like all good jewellers, Whittles had that special arrangement of lights that made the diamonds flash, and the emerald glow. Amazingly alluring!

 

In my latest book, 'Lord Nathaniel's Nemesis', Nathaniel will present the love of his life with a similar ring. She already has some very impressive jewellery, including some whopping emeralds. Unfortunately these are more suitable for a lady of more advanced years who is valiantly still trying to impress, and using  jewels to attract attention. Nathaniel is quite certain that his love requires little embellishment - nature has endowed her with more than sufficient beauty. So this ring, though still reflecting the colour of her eyes, is a token of his love and devotion. As he explains that he has chosen the emerald for it's unusual brilliance of colour, clarity and lack of flaws, he shows the care that has gone into that choice. It is an expression of his his deep feelings for her. He has seen her character and her intrinsic perfection in his eyes. He also points out that in some cultures emeralds are a symbol of new beginnings - you'll have to read the book to find out why that statement is significant!

So, as you may have guessed, I have moved on from that avaricious teenager, and look more for meaning in people and things, than the mere flash of conspicuously costly baubles. I'm not saying that I would refuse that wonderful ring if given to me with a suitable expression of devotion. I wouldn't. However, I live in hope rather than expectation!

Anyway, getting back to jewels and what they mean in my novels. No doubt Nathaniel will present her with a matching pendant and earrings by the end of the story - something like those below, I'm sure!

Though jewellery does not feature heavily in my novels (a bit more in Lady Serena's Secret, as she designs jewellery secretly), it is a metaphor for the deep regard of our male protagonist for his love, always. Hew in Lady Serena's Secret, manages to get hold of some of her original designs (as yet, unexecuted), and has 'The Lotus Ring' made for her in his own workshop. Hew has compared Serena to the Lotus flower, and written a poem in Persian for her, expressing his romantic vision of her. A man who writes poetry, commissions original jewellery for you, and is tall dark and handsome. Be still my beating heart! Below is what I think Serena's jewellery might look like!

 

The Lotus Parure - though I think they would all be in yellow gold - Serena has honey blonde hair, and yellow gold would be more traditional back then.

I have to admit that the Lotus jewellery would be highly impractical - can you imagine how that ring would catch on everything? But ladies of High Society did not have to be practical - they had maids for all that! I just imagine the thrill one would get just looking at something so unique and special, remembering the sentiments expressed when it was given. (That's the romantic in me coming out!)

And finally we are only told of one gift from Theo to Isabel in Book One : Lady Isabel's Inheritance. (Presumably she got the heirloom family engagement ring - what an omission by me!). It is described as an oval locket encrusted with Aquamarines to match Isabel's eyes. Theo thinks diamonds are too cold to reflect her personality. Once again, it is the personal thought and sentiment that goes into the choice of jewellery that matters. That it is an expression of love rather than a commodity. 

Isabel's locket. This is the nearest that I can get my current Ai programme to generate something close to the description. The B for Brockworth should be more elaborate and larger. I'll keep trying and if I come up with something closer to my mental image - I will post it here.

Take note gentlemen - we ladies are quietly suckers for a bit of heartfelt sentiment, especially when it is packaged so beautifully!

Lord Nathaniel's Nemesis

 

Lord Nathaniel Brockworth - The serious member of the Brockworth family
copyright Elizabeth Marchetti design (Etsy)

Well, it was all going swimmingly and then I started on the next novel in the series 'Lord Nathaniel's Nemesis', and the further I have got in, the more I realized that the current plot line just isn't going to cut it. There are bits I like, but I feel the main story line is, as the saying goes, as dull as ditch-water. Even I'm finding it boring!

So, regrettably I'm going to have to cut an awful lot of what I've written already, and go back to the drawing board. Fortunately, I have a much better story-line in mind, which will bring back some familiar characters from the first two books, 'Lady Isabel's Inheritance' and 'Lady Serena's Secret'. Much more promising.

 Update 21/06/2025 - Well, the new plot is much better, but I'm not going to tempt fate by releasing spoilers this early. I know what the problem with the the first attempt was - I had come up with an idea which I thought was interesting, but in fact focused too much on a rather esoteric subject, rather than the people involved. 

This is a problem for me, as I am a bit of a magpie and always on the lookout for an interesting new subject to get my teeth into. In my enthusiasm, I tend to forget that historical romances are about people and circumstances, and not about facts. 

Anyway, I'm now getting to the first big drama scene, and am looking forward to tempers fraying and passions rising!

 If you have read the epilogue of 'Lady Serena's Secret', you will already know that Rebecca Northley - a gorgeous, rich heiress, will feature prominently in 'Lord Nathaniel's Nemesis'. She and Nathaniel have a 'past' which she is still fuming about ten years on; and he has totally forgotten. Well, maybe not totally - shall we say that it's temporarily slipped his mind!

She is a beautiful redhead - (Yes, someone - Septimus Maitland to be exact - remember him from Lady Isabel's Inheritance? He's now Lord Strathlochy!!!, does point out that the Brockworth men seem to have an almost magnetic attraction to redheads), but I digress; who has become acquainted with Lady Serena, Lady Millicent and Lady Fliss as an 'anonymous'  contributor to their magazine 'La Dernier Cri', and has been invited to Serena and Hew's first ball.

Rebecca at work?

Stunned meeting Nathaniel for the first time in 10 years, and by the fact that she finds herself physically attracted to the man she has made a habit of hating; she finds herself barely unable to speak to him as he waltzes her around the dance-floor. Embarrassed by her gauche behaviour, she bolts to the lady's retiring room to collect her wits. On rejoining the ball, she accidentally overhears Serena and Nathaniel discussing her odd actions. Unfortunately, Nathaniel's comments are somewhat patronising, and this solidifies her already rock-bottom opinion of him. 

Rebecca Northley? I love her emeralds!

Leaving the ball early, she rails against the snobbery of all aristocrats, and Nathaniel Brockworth in particular. To the horror of her chaperone she declares war on Nathaniel, and vows to redouble her efforts to show the world how unworthy he is to hold his position in Parliament.

A slightly more challenging Rebecca? More great emeralds!

 

Of course, things do not exactly go to plan, and therein lies the fun. I shall update you soon with further small spoilers as the story develops. In the meantime, please enjoy some of the images of how I imagine Rebecca might look!

Oh, yes - I really do like emeralds! 

Regards! Detta 

Lady Serena's Secret published!

 
April 2025

Well it's been a while coming, but Lady Serena's Secret is now available as an e-book on Amazon. It was not an easy book to write as Lady Serena is basically a very nice person. And nice people are trickier to write about, as they tend not to offend or do outrageous things. In short - they can be a bit boring. So, whilst being true to the nature of one's chief protagonist, a writer has to dig a little deeper into her subject. No-one is really perfect after all - are they?

And Serena, I am glad to say, is not quite the perfect 'Diamond of the First Water' - a model of upper class beauty and perfection, that she first appears to be. No, Lady Serena has been flouting quite a few of those unspoken rules that dictate the rather restricted lifestyle of Upper Class Virgins. 

Bored with yet another London Season, Serena and her friends, Lady Millie and Lady Fliss are, instead of devoting their energies to finding suitable husbands, relieving their ennui, by helping out at a Girl's Charity School (which is acceptable), and supporting it financially by secretly producing a Lady's Periodical, 'La Dernier Cri' (which is not quite so acceptable). Their involvement in this kind of enterprise would, if it ever became known publicly, bring not only scandal to them, but also to their families. However, so far, they have eluded detection, and are quietly proud of the results of their efforts.

Serena, not content with sailing close to the wind with her publishing activities, secretly designs clothes and jewellery (though the latter she has not indulged in recently, as the danger of detection is considerably higher). However, she still provides her modiste, Madame Tiffany with the odd dress design when she feels inspired and cannot resist her muse any longer. The haute ton would be shocked and outraged if they knew that Lady Serena had designed some of the most admired dresses of the Season.

Hew d'Arras, Earl of Blencathra has returned to English shores reluctantly, due to the necessity of taking over the reins of the family Estate and businesses, and to avoid an almost certain demise from illness, if he had insisted on remaining in India. He is also looking forward to the challenge of extending the gem and jewellery business he started in India, and building up the family shipping business to be a global enterprise.

When he left England ten years previously, he had sworn never to return. However, embracing the inescapable, he looks up his sole remaining close relative, his cousin Isabel, who has recently married Theo Brockworth, Marquess of Norcombe - Serena's eldest brother. On being introduced to the Brockworth family, Hew discovers that Serena is everything he despises in females - a beautiful blue-eyed blonde, and despite his instant attraction to her physically, immediately raises all his defences. 

Far from the usual stunned admiration that she is used to receiving when introduced to any male on the right side of the grave, Serena is totally dumbfounded when Hew views her with stony disdain, bordering on outright hostility. Somewhat miffed that he appears to have taken her in instant dislike for no apparent reason, Serena delights in thwarting his efforts to put her off, when Isabel invites her to help in Hew's quest of finding a new home in London.

And so begins the on-off, up and down relationship between Serena and Hew. As Serena goes about her life helping friends and acquaintances whenever she can, Hew starts to realise that there may be more to Lady Serena than first appearances might suggest. Indeed, far from the ambitious, avaricious and manipulative heartless siren he expected, he has to admit that she is warm, generous, talented and soft-hearted, amongst countless other virtues. Likewise, Serena starts to realise that far from being the stony-faced, one dimensional businessman that he likes to portray himself as, Hew is a closet Romantic with an artistic side that he keeps very carefully concealed. 

Running the gauntlet of scandal, intrigue, fortune hunters and the malicious harpies of the ton, enjoy the trials and tribulations of love within the Ruling Class during the 1820's with Hew and Serena, in

Lady Serena's Secret

now available as a e-book at Amazon, here.