Hello dear readers!! I’m so happy to welcome back the lovely Catherine Lodge to Austenesque Reviews today!! Catherine’s latest story, Lovers’ Meeting, was just released yesterday!! Woot woot!
And today she is sharing an entertaining post about manservants and lady’s maids!! We hope you enjoy! 🎩
Manservants and lady’s maids have an intimate relationship with the men and ladies they serve; they see the emotional sides the upper classes keep tucked away in company. And those servants have opinions of their own.
In Lovers’ Meeting, Darcy is an active man, who rides and works hard on his estates. We, and Elizabeth
Bennet, first meet him as he is in the mud, helping in the aftermath of a serious carriage accident. Darcy is a fortunate to have a patient, dedicated, and highly skilled valet to tend to his many soaked, muddied or ruined articles of clothing. Miss Bingley is equally fortunate in her lady’s maid, although her lady’s maid likely feels otherwise.
No Man is a Hero to his Valet
Arthur Lawson is a lucky man, and, unlike most lucky men, he knows it. The gentleman he works for is calm, generous and looks very well – even without the queue Arthur still secretly mourns. A gentleman’s hair, in his view, should be properly powdered and held neatly at the back of the neck with a grosgrain ribbon. Lady Anne Darcy had loved her son’s curls but Arthur is always conscious of a slight feeling of failure whenever he sees them lying any which way.
No, Arthur knows it could be a good deal worse. He knows a number of men in his position, and he’s heard all the stories. His gentleman isn’t ruining his health in the brothels or molly shops; he doesn’t prey on the maids or throw his money away in the gambling hells; he won’t throw the shaving water at him and then take the cost of the jug out of his wages. It’s a pity he’s so tall (there’s no way his cast-offs can be altered enough to fit Arthur), but all in all it could be a lot worse.
But Mr Darcy is young, healthy, and has more money than the bloody Bank of England, so since he’s not dicked in the nob, why does he have to go around with a face like a slapped backside? What has he got to be miserable about?
Jem Braddock’s gentleman has to sneak out of the scullery door to avoid the duns. Walt Bridger’s is dying of the pox. His Mr Darcy is as healthy as a horse, has enough money to buy out any dozen of his friends and relations, and he still mopes around like a month of wet Sundays. It was bad enough when the old Master died but it’s a damn sight worse now.
Arthur is pretty sure it has something to do with the young miss. She went off to the seaside with that French piece they’d got her as maid and that Mrs Younge (who was a wrong ’un if Arthur had ever seen one), and she’d come back alone even quieter and more sat-on than she’d been when she’d gone. In the ordinary course of things, word would have got around the servants sharpish but someone had gone to a lot of trouble – probably expensive trouble – to make sure nothing got out and, so far, nothing has. He hasn’t bothered trying to find out what it was: if Mrs Jamieson the London Housekeeper cannot winkle out the truth, no one can.
He regards the master’s second-best riding boots with a judicious eye. Better pack them. If anything happened to the best pair, there’d be no chance of getting a replacement in the wilds of Hertfordshire. It’s not as though they’re bound for anywhere anyone has ever heard of. What sort of a name for a place was Meryton? Well, it’s going to take more than a place called Merry-something to cheer up one miserable cove of Arthur’s acquaintance.
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Abigail Chandler knows she’s a lucky woman. Ma came over from France with her Comtesse because of the revolution and they always spoke French and English around the house. That’s why Miss Bingley thinks she’s called Marie Benoit. Mind you, for all she boasts of her French, she still can’t tell that Abigail has a pronounced Leeds accent.
Eventually, she finds Miss Bingley’s missing shoe on top of the armoire. How the hell the mardy cow had got in up there without knocking off the candlestick was beyond Abigail. Throwing shoes! At her age. If Abigail had tried that with Maman, she wouldn’t have sat down for a week.
And look at that! She’d gone and torn the lining. That would be a bugger to repair an’ all. If she wasn’t very careful, the stitching would rub the sole of lady’s muck’s foot and she’d never hear the end of it. Nah, better let the shoemaker fix it—she’s getting sixpence in the pound off him as a perk for any work she sends his way. Same for the dressmaker, the milliner, the mercer, the bootmaker, the linen draper, and Mrs Watson who does the fancy sewing.
Well, if them shoes are going out for repair, that means they can’t take the cerise silk into the country tomorrow. Just as well. It doesn’t suit her—not that you can tell her that. She’ll pack that yellowy thing instead. Might as well get some use out of it. Herself had reckoned she looked good in it ever since Abigail had tipped the wink to milliner to compliment her on it.
The gentry were a nuisance in many ways, but most of them could be managed and turned to a profit if you knew how.
I absolutely love hearing Arthur’s and Abigail’s opinions and ponderings of their respective master and mistress! They are in such an interesting position – they see and hear so much, yet must keep it all to themselves! I can’t wait to see more of Arthur and Abigail in this story!
Also, Mr. Darcy getting dirty in mud…? Yes, please! 😍
~ About Catherine ~
Catherine Lodge is a retired English lawyer and lecturer, currently living in North Yorkshire. She spends her days reading, admits to a slightly shame-faced addiction to Minecraft, and volunteers to explain IT to the senior citizens at her local library (despite the fact that some of them are younger than she is). She is also prepared to send a fifty-pound/dollar/euro Amazon gift card to the first person who can prove that Colonel Fitzwilliam’s first name is Richard. So there.
You can reach her at catherinelodgebooks@gmail.com and she would love to hear from you, especially if you don’t get the Ancient Briton joke in Chapter 2.
Lovers’ Meeting, once known as A New Beginning to online readers at A Happy Assembly and fanfiction.net, is Catherine’s second novel. She published Fair Stands the Wind in 2017.
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GIVEAWAY TIME!
In conjunction with this lovely blog tour, Quills and Quartos will be giving away an ebook of Lovers’ Meeting to one lucky reader who comments on this post.
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment, question, or some love for Catherine below!
- This giveaway is open worldwide! Thank you, Quills and Quartos.
- This giveaway will end February 9th.
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Follow Catherine’s Tour!
I’m looking forward to reading this. I don’t think I have ever read an Austenesque story from servants’ POV.
And I’m afraid you won’t this time either. I just thought that it might be interesting to see what the ‘silent majority’ really thinks. No man is a hero to his valet and I can’t see Miss Bingiey’s maid having any illusions either, can you?
I’m still looking forward to reading it. I enjoy reading new-to-me authors.
I have read both of the books mentioned and truly enjoyed them.
This preview was so fun! I especially adored that Darcy ‘moped around like a month of wet Sundays.’ Such a great description of our dear boy. I am looking forward to reading this one!
I love hearing the opinions of the servants! The tales they could tell! Enjoyable excerpt. I look forward to reading the book. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
I wish I could prove that Richard’s name is Richard! I guess “because I say so” isn’t proof, is it?
I’m afraid not.
You wouldn’t believe the emails I got when I called him Henry! I spent hours rereading P&P to find out where I’d gone wrong. I was so p…. peeved when I found I’d been unfairly maligned, I vowed that whatever I called him it wouldn’t be Richard out of sheer cussedness
Haha! Even Darcy’s valet is a snob seeing Hertdfordshire as a wild place where no second rate boots can be found! Can’t wait to read it! Darcy with his boots six-inches deep in mud is always a treat to read 🙂
I’ve always seen Lawson as a Derbyshire man, and we northerners never think much of “darn sarf”.
Oh this sounds wonderful! In the perspective of the servants! A definite must read for me!
The cover is Gorgeous also !!
Darcy on the mud !!
How interesting, getting the thoughts of Darcy’s valet and Miss Bingley’s maid! I can certainly understand his satisfaction with his employer but I feel very sorry for Abigail! (I think it would be better to be a scullery maid than to deal with Caroline’s tantrums)
I’m definitely looking forward to more!
Mr Darcy’s valet will probably lend a lot of insight. I feel bad for Miss Bingley’s maid though. Looking forward to reading this book sometime soon.
Lol, I love the insights into the servants’ thoughts. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I really enjoyed this preview. Seeing these characters through the eyes of their master/mistress is fascinating!! 😀
I can’t wait to read the entire tale!! 😀
Congratulations on your new publication, Catherine!! 😀
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
What a unique premise! I’m looking forward to reading this, the excerpt(s) were enticing.
Those were fascinating insights! Thank you for sharing them; please don’t enter me in the contest, though.
Congratulations, Catherine! As others have said, it was refreshing to learn about Darcy and Caroline Bingley from their servants’ perspectives. Who would know them better? And I loved the voices you’ve developed for each character — very lively!
Sounds great. Congrats on the release!
Sounds fascinating, a very different point of view
Oh dear, I hope no one is expecting a “downstairs” novel. This was just a bit of fun for the launch. We see these people out of the corner of our eyes n the story, but, if I know Northerners, they would have had most decided opinions.
I received an ARC for this story and loved it. What a nice excerpt with the thoughts and opinions of the various servants. Well done. Thanks, Meredith for hosting. Thanks to Q&Q Publishing for the generous giveaway. And we wish all the best for our author Catherine Lodge in the launch of this story. Good luck to all in the drawing. Everyone be safe and stay healthy.
That’s wonderful! I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Jeanne!
This looks like a great read. Thanks for the chance to win.
Oh, this one is a definite must read! I can’t wait to get the full story from Darcy and Caroline’s closest caretakers!
Beautiful cover
Very fun excerpt. I think Abigail deserves her little perks of her job. Was that a normal thing, to ‘earn a commission’ as a servant, sending work to tradesmen?? I’m so looking forward to reading this new book Catherine. Congratulations and best of luck with its launch. Gorgeous cover.
This is an interesting POV!!! (I heard of many people wanting to be Elizabeth Bennet but what happens if you “land” in the past as her lady’s maid? Nope, that‘s not for a city girl like me. Now, if I were Miss Bingley‘s maid… the story would become a thriller…)
Good luck with the release!
Thank you both ladies for the giveaway. Stay safe!!!
I love how the fingers are touching in the book cover. It is interesting to see how the valet and Abigails think. Miss Bingley is perfectly described as I can visualize the shoe tossed and flying through the air. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway.
Congratulations! Looking forward to reading this one as I so loved “Fair Stands the Wind’. Hmmm….was Mr. Darcy boots 6 inches in mud? Such a tolerant valet! As for Miss Bingley’s maid, I’m sure she must have a tidy sum saved up already!
Who designed your book cover? it is so pretty!
I loved the servants’ thoughts. Very amusing! I’m hoping to have time to start Lovers’ Meeting next week—maybe even this weekend if I’m lucky. Congratulations on the book!
It was so much fun to learn of the servants point-of view. They really were in a position to learn the good and bad of their employers. Congratulations on the book. I can’t wait to read it,
That excerpt has me excited to read the full story; and that cover! Beautiful!
Wonder what will these two tell or lead in this story. thank you for the post and the chance to win