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.