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