To the Discerning Reader Who Has Sought Out This Website,
I believe you were expecting to read correspondence from Kate Dolan, who writes Regency romances as well as other books that are not worth mentioning.
However, while she was supposed to be preparing this message, she was actually on holiday, traveling to a region of the southern United States known as Louisiana, where she consumed entirely too many intoxicating beverages. This was a family affair from what I understand, though whether it is Kate who is a bad influence on her family or the other way around is not clear. In any event, I believe she is in no condition to be communicating with the public. Therefore, I have decided to step in and take her place.
My name is Helen Wright. I can see you raise an eyebrow, so do not deny it. I fully realize it is improper for a young lady to introduce herself to strangers, but I must admit that I don’t care a whit.
And to be honest, no one else will care, since I am never invited out. I believe most people are afraid of me because I care more for science than appearances. My friend Sophie is concerned that I might set my tucker aflame with one of my combustion experiments. Or so she says. I think she wants me to stop setting fires in my room because of the smell.
Or was it the smell of mold she objected to? I cannot remember. I keep telling her there is much to be learned, but I see from the disapproval in her eyes that she does not believe me.
She is reading this over my shoulder and says she does believe me and that it is the maids, and not her, who keeps throwing out my collection of moldy toast rinds.
I tell her to go back to writing to her sweetheart and she makes a face at me because the letter she writes is not to him but to her aunt. I believe she and her sweetheart are after having a row about something he either did or did not say to her satisfaction. The two of them are forever arguing over something but I suspect they will marry each other anyway, just to spite Sophie’s parents.
Oh, dear. Sophie’s mother has just come to inform us that we must leave off with our correspondence and tell our maids what to pack for a journey to the country.
It seems that Sophie was not quick enough with her letter, and her aunt has already ceased to be among those capable of reading letters.
That is not the reason we travel to the country, of course. But Mrs. Bayles had been waiting on her sister during her illness, and now that the esteemed aunt has finally died, after rehearsing for the occasion so many times, Mrs. Bayles is back home and ready to set out.
I believe we travel to the home of some friends that nobody seems to know very well to meet a suitor whom nobody knows at all. He’s a baronet, so the family wishes to attach one of their daughters to him before he changes his mind. I do not think Sophie will be too amenable…
________________
Helen Wright is the frustrated “bridesmaid” (friend or sister of the heroine and not likely to get her own book) of the Cerridwen Cotillion Regency romances A Certain Want of Reason and The Appearance of Impropriety by Kate Dolan. Although Helen has complained that she never gets to tell a story from her point of view, the author believes that Helen would not actually enjoy being a romance heroine, as it might involve kissing a young man.
The Appearance of Impropriety
by
Kate Dolan
Blurb
When Sophie Bayles inadvertently ruins a young man’s chance for employment, she sets out to find him a new position. Even though he doesn’t want her to.
With the war over, Lieutenant Heyward Elliott needs work. The job hunt is made no easier by the meddling of Sophie, who is all smiles and helpfulness one minute and snobby and argumentative the next. Complicating matters is her constant companion Helen, a strange young lady with a propensity to drop eggs on people in the name of science.
Sophie tries to do the right thing, but gets all the wrong results. Her attempts to find employment for Lieutenant Elliott produce one disaster after another, until he finally orders her never to help him again. But when he is arrested on false charges, she and Helen at last see a way to even the score, by clearing his name and reputation.
Unless they lose their own in the process…
Excerpt:
“Did that make it better or worse?” Helen asked as they settled back against the cold seats of the carriage. The glass in the lantern rattled and the flame of the candle jerked as the coach started forward.
“I’m sorry?” Sophie had no idea what she was talking about. Well, actually, if Helen was thinking about the same thing that she was, then she knew exactly what Helen was talking about. But Helen was never thinking the same thing as anyone else.
She leaned forward, her breath leaving a faint cloud that hung between them. “Your fascination with Lieutenant Elliott. Has it increased now or was the kiss sufficient to satisfy your curiosity?”
“Helen! Y-you said you would not tell anyone.”
“And so I will not. I am merely asking you a question.”
“Yes.”
“That response was not specific enough to sufficiently answer the question.”
“I know.”
Helen sat back in her seat with a sigh of exasperation, her lips drawn together in a thin line. “You must decide, Sophie. Either we help the lieutenant tonight or you put him from your mind and let him get on with his life without you.”
“You make it sound as if I have a negative effect on his life. Well, I suppose I have in the past, but I can improve things for him, I know I can.”
Helen shook her head. “I saw the look on his face when we left. You can make things much worse for him.”
“Oh no, it was nothing. A momentary indiscretion. The heat in the room.”
“It was freezing in there.”
“That’s just it. The lack of heat forced us to do something that we would not have otherwise… It was a momentary lapse of reason.”
“An experiment of sorts?”
“Exactly.”
“The man is not a toast rind, Sophie. Do not repeat that experiment again.”
Sophie squirmed in her seat. Why did Helen suddenly feel the need to defend the lieutenant? After all, it was her modesty that had been compromised.
Or was it? She could not really be certain who had moved first. He was so close and then it just happened, like a storm cloud spilling over with rain. Something that could not be stopped.
Why would it be so terrible to try it again? Helen always repeated her experiments numerous times. And she was fairly certain her own experiment had been much more enjoyable.
Was it indeed just an experiment? Or did she want to kiss the man because she was falling in love with him? And what good would it do to love a man should could never marry?
She started to squirm in her seat again. “Ahem. Helen, why did you say we must help the lieutenant tonight? Surely we will need time to plan what we intend to do.”
“So you’ve decided then?” Helen had a warning look in her eyes. “The lieutenant will not simply be an experiment for you? A charitable project?”
“Y-yes, of course.” The hairs on the back of her neck pricked up. What was Helen suggesting? That in order to help the man she needed to make some sort of commitment to him? Were not finding him employment or clearing his name of false charges admirable enough goals on their own? Any sort of personal commitment—the word “engagement” screamed through her mind—was really out of the question. It was inconceivable. His station was so far below hers that she had not even considered the matter.
Not seriously, anyway.
Hi, Kate,
What a hoot! I was totally taken in by your opening - I was about to email you off-line to let you know you were being unfairly maligned!
I’ve loved your books, and this one sounds like great fun too. It’s delightful getting to know each of your characters’ distinctive character and voice.
And Helen has such a great voice, I think she should have her own novel. Sophie deserves having her revenge, don’t you think? It sounds as though Sophie would enjoy pushing men at Helen. Maybe men holding moldy toast rinds!
Happy Independence Day!
Laura
by Laura Tilley July 4th, 2008 at 8:42 amGreat blog, Kate. And fantastic book! I really love the blogs written by characters and your characters are always fantastic.
by Christie Kelley July 4th, 2008 at 9:04 amAppearance of Impropriety sounds like an excellent book for the lazy days of summer or the brisker days of autumn.The characters are engaging and the plot fresh and different.
by Nancy July 4th, 2008 at 10:10 amya know… I like it when the character speaks to the audience sometimes.
by sarah July 4th, 2008 at 10:29 amMy dear Miss Wright,
I am most alarmed that Mrs. Dolan has succumbed to the temptations of Louisiana, a most dreadful hot place, I believe.
Indeed, ladies and gentlemen who contemplate the married state are extremely tiresome to live with, forever making a fuss over nothing and not behaving as rational beings. You, as a female scientist, must be a young lady of a distinctly rational mind. I should be charmed to introduce you to my younger sisters who are most precocious and learned, and would be most interested in your fiery and moldy experiments.
If you need to know of bonnets, I am your woman, but I daresay your mind is above such frippery.
by Miss Philomena Wellesley-Clegg July 4th, 2008 at 2:11 pmLoved your opening, Kate. I was quite shocked that someone was exposing you as a drunken sot until I realized it was part of the fun. Helen and Sophie both sound delightful - I’ll have to check out the rest of their story!
by Lynn Reynolds July 4th, 2008 at 2:45 pmI certainly like Helen’s viewpoint. Maybe a young man who is as absorbed in scientific experimentation as she is, with no intention of becoming a suitor but a collaborator, would be the “rational” solution for keeping Helen in the mix with a dose of tension - will they ever combine and combust?
Very fun, Kate!
by Laurel Wanrow July 4th, 2008 at 3:29 pmDear gentle readers,
by Helen Wright July 4th, 2008 at 5:57 pmI thank you for the concern expressed for the welfare of my author. I wish I could inform you that she has learned from experimentation with excess. Alas, now that she has returned to Maryland, she insists upon joining in some revelry based entirely upon the fact that this is the fourth day of the seventh month on the calendar. There is talk of some political document, but I gather that this is a thinly veiled excuse to ignore work, congregate in disruptive coteries and indulge in excessive consumption of food and drink. I must admit, however, a certain fondness for the pyrotechnics. I believe I shall spend the remainder of the afternoon experimenting with them.
Your most hum. and obed. serv’t,
Helen Wright
P.S. To Miss Wellesley-Clegg:
I might stand in need of assistance with my experiments this afternoon, so if you would be so good as to send your sisters over, I would be much obliged. And perhaps they might be encouraged to wear one of their older gowns…
Dear Ms. Wright,
As I am very familiar with the author you mention, I find myself surprised to hear you cast her good name in such a light. She is a person to be admired, a lady above all.
You may find that statement to be hypocritic of me as I recently engaged in very unladylike behavior myself. Believe me, everyone was quite flummoxed by my own behavior.
I must say that I quite admire your own interests in experimentation as I too have done some experiments of a different type. Hopefully they will not spell the end of me.
by Charlotte "Charlie" Garrett July 5th, 2008 at 8:32 amMy dear Miss Garrett,
by Helen Wright July 5th, 2008 at 5:33 pmForgive me if a took a liberty in presuming you to be in an unmarried state. It seems to me that once a woman is married, she is consumed entirely with menus, servants, and what time to retire. Therefore, I concluded that if you hold an interest in scientific experimentation, you must be in the superior, unmarried state.
While you did not specifically state that your experimentatation is scientific, I am sure it must further the goal of acquiring greater Knowledge, and therefore would be quite useful.
Unless… oh, dear. You do sound a bit like Sophie, now that I think of it…
Dearest Helen,
I have so enjoyed having you on my blog this holiday weekend. And I hope that wherever your author is, her head isn’t aching too badly with her recent merry making!
I look forward to reading this novel and will wait anxiously for you to have a story all your own.
by Jenyfer July 6th, 2008 at 3:07 amOh dear. I was much distressed to learn that my author offered a prize to entice people to come read my post. She asked me to tell you that Christie Kelley has won the summer prize pack.
by Helen Wright July 10th, 2008 at 1:43 pmFortunately, I have also had a bit of good news: the first reviews of The Appearance of Impropriety have listed me as one of the highlights of the book.
So perhaps I shall finally get some of the recognition that has long been my due.
Thank you all for reading, and I shall look for you elsewhere.
Your most hum. and obed. servant,
Helen Wright