"Encouragement" (Book 1), by Gratiana Lovelace, 2016 (Completed)

Ch. 4 (PG): Different Intentions

"Encouragement, A Regency Tale of Love and Romance", Ch. 4 (PG): Different Intentions

September 17, 2016 Gratiana Lovelace (Post #969) 

(An original Regency romance copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace; all rights reserved) [(1) story cover, left]

[From time to time, I will illustrate my story characters with: Emma Hamilton as Lady Madeline Sinclair, Richard Armitage as Lord Christian Blount Earl of Sussex, Maggie Smith as Lady Lucretia Knott, Crispin Bonham-Carter as Lord Harold Blount, and others as noted.]

Authors Content Note: "Encouragement" is a frothy love story with sometimes humorous and sometimes dramatic themes of love and relationships. It will mostly be at the PG and PG-13 movie levels. Specific chapters or passages may have a further rating of: D for dramatic emotions, and LS for love scenes that are tenderly sensuous and not explicit. And I will rate the chapters accordingly. If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide for a chapter, then please do not read that chapter. This is my disclaimer. And as is my habit, I will summarize the previous chapter's events at the beginning of each chapter.

Author's recap from the previous chapter: The night of Lady Madeline Sinclair's Presentation Ball hosted by her Grandmama Lady Lucretia Knott began well with Lord Christian Blount the Earl of Sussex standing up with her to lead her out to her first dance, since her Papa stayed home in the country due to his gout. And Lord Christian and Lady Madeline shared confidences about their hopes and dreams—and his family's near financial ruin due to his late Grandfather Earl's poor investment choices.

"Encouragement", Ch. 4 (PG): Different Intentions

As she scans her little used but currently very lively London townhouse ballroom during her granddaughter Lady Madeline Lucretia Sinclair's Friday February 2, 1816 Presentation Ball, Lady Lucretia Beckham Knott [(2) right] is quite pleased with the turn out  this evening. Everyone accepted her invitation. Well, she did not invite everyone—only those whom she deemed worthy to aid in welcoming her granddaughter to society.

And Lady Madeline's first dance with Lord Christian Blount, the Earl of Sussex seemed to go very well. She bases this assessment upon her observing the pair's delightful dancing and their intimate conversation as they strolled the perimeter of the ballroom after their dance. Everything is going according to her and Lady Blount's plan. Well, almost everything.

The second dance of the evening of Lady Madeline's presentation ball, is to be her first waltz with Lord Harold Blount—the younger brother of Lord Christian Blount, the Earl of Sussex–presenting himself for that office. Lady Madeline perceives that Lord Harold [(3) right] seems excessively eager to dance with her. And she suspiciously wonders why?

His manner and deportment also seems so different from his more reserved and gentlemanly elder brother Lord Christian. And she cannot quite seem to like Lord Harold's artfully arranged forehead curl—the style of which is rather popular at the moment—though Lady Madeline cannot discern why. To her, that curl represents youth ... and folly—a clear signal to stay away from him. And yet, she cannot. They are to dance. And Lady Madeline wonders if she could fake a swoon to get out of it?

However, Lady Madeline's Grandmama Lady Knott performs the necessary introductions and she and Lord Harold walk to the center of the dance floor for their waltz. Lady Madeline is glad that she heeded her Grandmama's advice to wear comfortable slippers this evening, since she is on her feet for so much dancing.