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ariainstars · 1 year

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The Genius of Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer, an Englishwoman who lived from 1902 to 1974, is one of my favourite novelists, and I often reread her books or at least some parts of her books just to retire into an agreeable world. She wrote historical novels and thrillers, but I must admit I don’t like these very much. To me, Heyer’s genius was giving a breath of fresh air to the overworn genre of romance novels set in the English Regency era. (Although some of these Heyer novels like These Old Shades or The Convenient Marriage are set during High Rococo.)

In my opinion Heyer is highly underrated, standing in the shade of the more known Jane Austen or the Brontë sisters, books women most relate to when they want to read historical romance novels; Barbara Cartland is also more known, an author whose works are too saccharine for my taste.

Austen’s or the Brontë sister’s novels are not actually romances although they are often described as such; they are accurate portrayals of the society the authors lived in, romantic attachments playing a major role of course, but the focus is on the importance of family and society framing them and influencing them, for good or for bad.

I always found myself drawn to Heyer’s stories, long before I fell in love for the first time myself; the average romance novels get on my nerves. Now, and after having experienced love more than once, I can say that I wholly share Heyer’s approach that no matter how much in love you are has no influence on whether you and the object of your interest fit together.

The common trope in romances is “love conquers all”, which I personally dislike because it strips the protagonists of having their own mind and their own agenda. “Love” makes the choice for them; they don’t consciously choose to be with this person or other. Alternatively, the protagonists are “meant for each other” but “star-crossed”, i.e. circumstances or their own folly (or both) prevent them from being together, in which case the novel is framed as a tragedy and we are expected to cry buckets over it.

This is fortunately not the case in Heyer’s romance novels. Like Cartland, she writes of an England that was long gone before she was born, of course in a romanticized way. A lot of her stories mirror how the do’s and don’ts of those times, in particular in the upper class, influenced their lives and made it very difficult to navigate society.

Georgette Heyer’s genius is her capacity to imbue old tropes with new elements, and most importantly, to detach herself from the adage “love is all you need”. Without being sarcastic, she is at her best (in my opinion) when she weaves stories about people who realize that being in “love” is not that important at all. Her romances do end well, yet not due to the influence of a higher power but because the couples involved had the chance to realize who is the right partner for them to spend the rest of their lives with. Her heroines are usually headstrong, independent and reasonable; they may act on a whim or following their heart, but it is when they listen to reason - or are pushed to do so - that they finally get their happy ending.

Warning: spoilers ahead.

The Cinderella Trope

Arabella, and also Friday’s Child and The Convenient Marriage deal with the subject of a poor, or at least modest-living, female from a good family being launched into London’s high society by a strike of good fortune. In the latter two novels, this includes for them the chance to buy a heap of beautiful new clothes, strongly reminding of the Cinderella trope.

But Heyer would not be who she is if the novels would not be original in their own way: Arabella, far from being a modest, kind girl, pretends to be a rich heiress in order to “show his place” to a man who believed she wanted to ensnare him due to his wealth; Hero from Friday’s Child and Horatia from The Convenient Marriage both do not end but begin the story through marriage, and the plot unfolds as they slowly realize (and their respective spouses, too) that they have married the right person after all.

Finding Love in an Unexpected Place

In The Convenient Marriage, the Earl of Rule is ready to marry a certain girl to make a match, arranged years earlier, with a poor but very aristocratic family; it is on meeting her younger sister that he realizes “he does want to ally himself with the family”, to put it in his words.

In The Quiet Gentleman, as he has to deal with conspiracies and attempted murder, the protagonist Gervase Frant learns to put his trust in a female he first found dull, and who is not aristocratic the way he is.

In Sylvester or The Wicked Uncle, the Duke of Salford is at first disappointed by Phoebe, the girl his mother and her friend had chosen for him, and she doesn’t like him any better; they have to live through a number of adventures, together with friends and family, until they realize that they fit together perfectly.

In Sprig Muslin, Sir Gareth Ludlow overcomes his grief over his lost fiancé due to being responsible for Amanda, a girl of similar temper, and getting the chance to compare her to Lady Hester, a shy, unremarkable woman whom he liked but did not appreciate enough before. A beloved theme of Heyer’s romances is brought up here, too: having the same sense of humour shows to be indicative for two people fitting together.

In Charity Girl, notorious bachelor Viscount Desford gets involved both with a very beautiful girl named Lucasta and another, quite helpless damsel named Cherry, but none of them turn out to be right; instead, he finally realizes that Henrietta, an old friend of his, whom he had not wanted to marry years earlier, is the right mate for him after all.

In Faro’s Daughter, Mr Ravenscar gets interested in Deborah, a girl who works in a gaming house, which makes her free game to all men who visit it although she is a decent girl and only wants to earn a living for herself and the aunt who owns to place. A parallel is made through the protagonist’s niece Arabella, forever being in love with one guy or another but then refraining at the last moment. Finally, her uncle gives her a sound advice: that only if she will meet a man whom she will be ready to introduce to her family, she will know that he is the right man.

In False Colours, twin brothers Kit and Evelyn literally switch their places, one of them finding the right girl in the process by getting to know his brother’s prospected bride.

In The Foundling, the Duke of Sale is all but pushed to make an offer for Harriet, a girl he likes but is not in love with; but as he lives through some adventures and meets Belinda, who is very beautiful but also superficial, he learns to appreciate his future bride better and to realize that he would not want to be married to anyone else.

The Wrong Match

In An Infamous Army, Lady Worth wants to match up Colonel Charles Audley with Lucy, but then has to find out that the sweet, innocent-looking damsel is already secretly married, and that the temperamental Lady Barbara whom she had not liked for him is exactly what he needs since she has courage and straightforwardness.

Not Falling in Love at All

In A Civil Contract, Viscount Lynton, heir of an impoverished family, marries the shy and average-looking Jenny, the daughter of a rich, vulgar merchant to keep his family out of debt; she loves him but is aware of the fact that he does not requite her feelings, since he secretly loves Julia, a beautiful woman who does not have much money of her own. It is only as the plot thickens, the woman he loves marries another man and his wife gives him a son that he realizes “his Jenny” is the best wife he could have found.

Falling Out of Love

In Friday’s Child, Lord Sheringham believes to be in love with Isabella, an acclaimed beauty, until he has lived for a while with Hero, the young woman he had married on a whim. “Bella with her airs and graces, her moods and her sharp tongue! No, thank you!”

Isabella on the other hand was about to contrive a brilliant match, but good sense makes her refuse it after all. “When I thought how my life would be, that I would have to spend the rest of my life with him… oh, I could not!”

In The Grand Sophy, Cecilia is besotted with Augustus, a very romantic but unreliable young man. After a trying period spent nursing her small sister, who was critically ill, she finally realizes that the less romantic but more worthy Lord Charlbury who had offered for her in the first place is a much better partner for her.

In Cotillon, Kitty enters a fake engagement to teach a lesson to Jack, the man she is in love with; but when she comes to London for a while and learns more about him and the world, she slowly realizes that she was in love with a figment of her imagination, and that Freddy, the man she is engaged to, is a much better person.

“He seemed like all the heroes in the book, but I soon found that he is not like them at all.” “No. I’m afraid I ain’t either.” “Of course not! No one is.”

Heyer’s chief oeuvre in this respect is in my opinion Bath Tangle, where Serena and Lord Rotherham, both hot-tempered protagonists get engaged to someone much gentler than them, only for them to realize that they would not be happy with them. The heroine’s fiancé Hector gives her up amicably, having also found a much better life partner.

“You are a grander creature than I even imagined.” “And you are the kindest and best of men, but not my love!”

The “Pride and Prejudice” Trope

The themes of Jane Austen’s famous novel is upended in Faro’s Daughter, where it is the man who has a strong prejudice against the girl, whom he inevitably believes to be a scheming, money-grabbing minx because she earns her living in a gaming house. The girl on the other hand has strong personal pride and would never accept money from anyone, or accept marrying or becoming the mistress of a man for whom she doesn’t care. Far from declaring his devotion to her, the man insults the woman repeatedly, before he finally realizes his mistake and also that she is the right mate for him.

The Beauty and the Beast Trope

In Black Sheep, the protagonists Abby and Fanny are aunt and niece, both at the same time in love with two members of the Calverleigh family who both have a bad reputation; but while Beauty (the niece) has to realize that the man she had fallen for was only after her fortune, non-Beauty (the not quite so pretty, but intelligent aunt) realizes that the uncommon Miles who gives nothing on society’s standards does care for people, and that he is the broad-minded, worldly-wise partner she exactly needs.

In Venetia, the person falling out of love is a Edward Yardley, a sidekick, who really ends up being disillusioned; but the story had made it abundantly clear that he had been a fool all along to believe that he and the protagonist would suit. Venetia, the Beauty, has to find out that she cannot tame the Beast Lord Damerel, and that she wouldn’t want to do it additionally. The Beast is not a bad man but someone who does not fit in with society; which makes him ideal for her since she does not, either.

This trope is brought to a climax in Lady of Quality, where the protagonist Annis, who never felt the slightest interest in the gentlemen she met, on getting to know the rude but protective and straightforward Oliver finally gets to fall in love, despite the fact that they argue frequently. At one time she muses that “Surely kindred spirits did not quarrel?” only to then add mentally, with a little self-irony, “How mawkish!”

If you are tired of Jane Austens’ prim heroines and the Brontë sister’s drama, I invite you: give Georgette Heyer a try. Her novels are entertaining but neither flat nor sentimental, and I always find new layers and aspects in them when I reread them after a few years. Her heroes of course live in an idealized world, but it’s just what you might need after a hard day’s work. 😊

#historical romance #literature #georgette heyer #jane austen #bronte sisters #english literature #critical reading #romance #reading #entertainment

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smooth-boob · 6 months

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Shameless fanfic self-promo

High-key this is 85% the story of me torturing the regency era people that I love. AO3 author name is fabalafae22, and links are written out for copy-pasting into your browser because my works are private. At this time, all stories are set within/around the canon time periods and may be influenced by the book series. Updating this post as I write!

Phantom of the Opera

Like Death Warmed Over NEW! According to one reviewer in L’Époque: While La Daaé’s voice is that of an Angel, some say her pale face and thin, corpse-like figure renders an image not of everlasting Heavenly life, but of solemn Death.

This is an AU in which Christine looks a little more like Erik!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53828278

Decided, Decided NEW! During The Point of No Return, the plot to fell the Phantom is successful. Erik is dead.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53541406

Bridgerton

Anthony Bridgerton & Family

The Bustle in a House It has been a year since Anthony's father passed. Must he shoulder these new duties, these burdens alone? What happens to a fragile heart under such circumstances? How can he depend on anyone when everyone depends on him?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47126467

Doing The Voices Gregory isn’t feeling very well, and a bedtime story from Anthony is the perfect antidote.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47976274

The Morning After Death An unmarried and bereft Anthony Bridgerton is right about his own mortality and dies suddenly at age thirty-eight just like his father. This time, Benedict is left to pick up the pieces.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/50856436

From the blood of the wound, a flower sprang Hyacinth is born.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48305152

Kathony

To Tell The Truth I started to wonder what would’ve happened if Anthony had told Kate what he told his mother: his true reasons for not pursuing a love match. Told in three versions.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46747165

Running Toward Running Away Rather than running away from Anthony in the library, with the storm raging outside, Kate runs toward him instead.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47131885

Overcome After the infamous bee sting incident, Anthony and Kate wish to call on each other.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46083325

Kathony, Bridgertons, & Anthony Feels

For Shame After his failed wedding, Anthony’s shame is eating him alive—for all of his family to see. With the way things are going for Kate, that makes a pair of them. It’s a good thing they have each other…isn’t it?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/51091186

#bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton fic #anthony bridgerton #kathony #kanthony #bridgerton

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pollyssecretlibrary · 4 months

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“Second Duke’s the Charm”, by Kate Bateman

I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

This is the first book in “Her Majesty’s Rebels” series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a marriage of convenience set in Regency era London and in the country estate property of Justin Thornton, duke of Wansford. Justin is a self made man who got his wealth by doubling the profits of the shipping company he inherited from his father when both of them were living in Canada. He doesn’t want love in his life since he witnessed the deep grief that his mother’s death brought to his father. But as it usually happens in Romance, he is destined to be an English duke after the deaths of several cousins, uncles and his own father. Then he meets a lady at a masquerade, a lady in Scarlet, and he falls in lust with her.

“Scarlet”’s name is actually Tess and she is ironically the dowager duchess of Wansford. When she was only 19 her father forced her to marry the decrepit duke who very kindly died on their wedding night right before consummating their vows. Tess is now an independent woman, she goes to a masquerade and meets a tall dark handsome man named Justin and she decides to have a little adventure. She has a reputation of being a little care free, but the rumors are just that, rumors she spread so nobody would question her. Justin is now the duke and decides that he needs a wife, at least for a while, so given that Tess is already the duchess and that she is his “Scarlet”, he proposes her to a marriage of convenience on equal terms. Of course Justin falls ridiculously in love with her, despite himself. And by ridiculously I really mean that. I recommend you read this book to know how far he went to show Tess that he loves her. Oh, and there’s groveling too. I loved this book so much The passion between them is so hot that it could melt the North Pole. But that’s not everything that this book has to offer. The character development, especially Justin’s, is remarkable, the heroine is fantastic and they are always companions, on equal terms. They complement each other in a way that none of them is above the other or below. There are other subplots and here’s the little problem I found; one of these subplots is resolved off the page in a very convenient way. It felt like the explanations given were insufficient, as it all happened by magic. Overall I had a great time with this book and that’s what matters. It’s a page turner because the writing is so engaging, that’s why I love Kate Bateman so much. For a few hours I had fun and I forgot about my everyday life and struggles, that is priceless.

#Romance Review #Review #Book reviiew #Kate Bateman #Historical Romance #Regency Romance #Regency era #Romance #romance novels #Romance readers #Romancelandia #Romance community

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delucadarlingwriting · 10 months

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Wayhaven Regency AU

This is a little fic idea I've been throwing around with @crownleys after we spent ALL WEEKEND binging Bridgerton. We've had an AU for ages where we've thrown our detectives (hers, Kira Kingston, and mine Lucas and Barbara Robertson) together and played with how Wayhaven might go with them all involved, so of course we started to 'what if' with them all in a Regency era AU.

Note: this is history lite, generously speaking. N would be horrified, I'm sure.

(Also doing my best to keep this out of the main tag, but if it ends up there anyway, I apologize)

Word count: 716

Summary: Kira Kingston is making her debut into society this year, no matter what her mother, the Dowager Baroness Rebecca Kingston, has to say about it.

"We've put off my debut for four years now!" Kira exclaims. Barbara sighs and slips a ribbon between the pages of her book, closing it gently so that she may better pay attention to her young friend's words. The strawberry blond brows on her face have drawn nearly to touching and her mouth is set into a ferocious expression.

"Has your mother responded to your letter?" Barbara asks, knowing full well the answer. It stands to reason that Kira needs the reminder though.

Of course, this is when Lucas decides to waltz in from outside, where he had apparently been lingering and listening. His waistcoat is entirely unbuttoned and his shoes are muddy. Barbara frowns as he trods all over the nice rug.

"That should hardly matter at this point," Lucas says, his voice booming in the solarium. Kira's face lights up.

"So you agree?" she demands. Lucas laughs.

"Of course I do." He comes over and slings an arm around Kira's shoulders. Barbara growls.

"If you're going to insist on entering society, you'll have to be used to warding off improper behavior," Barbara says, indicating her brother. Kira shrugs.

"It's just Lucas," she replies. Barbara shakes her head.

"He's not your relative though, and no one else will care that he wouldn't take liberties with you. It's all about the appearance of the matter. It's all about what it could be." Barbara can't help lecturing Kira a bit, even though Kira is only half-listening. She knows all of this already.

Lucas takes his arm away to humor her. "Look, I'm the Earl now, right?"

"Right," Kira says, despite him clearly having been speaking to Barbara.

"And you've been a ward of the Earl-myself and my dear dead father before me-for what, ten years?" Lucas shakes his head. "I think at this point I have enough sway to determine you're ready to join the rest of the ton."

"Yes!" Kira says, throwing her arms around Lucas. Barbara simply looks away, to better pretend they aren't acting abominably. Lucas laughs again.

"So I shall send the two of you to the modiste as soon as we arrive to London," Lucas says. Barbara turns back, her interest gained. She would love to have a few new dresses. Shoes as well.

"You know very well I'll be making my own dresses," Kira says with her arms crossed. Lucas grins.

"Surely so. Will you be telling everyone?" he asks. Kira shrugs.

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps," Barbara cuts in, "you should focus on telling your mother. Lady Kingston deserves to know that her daughter plans to debut this year."

Kira scoffs. "Rebecca has no need to know. It's hardly as if she finds the time to return any of my letters as it is. I doubt she even opens them."

Neither Robertson denies the possibility. The dowager baroness has struggled dearly since the death of her husband, known best as Rook. The rest of the ton continues to speak of him (with wildly varying opinions on his behavior), which is something Lady Kingston has never been able to bear. Even Kira knows almost nothing of her father.

"It would be a courtesy," Barbara points out. After a moment, she adds, "A courtesy we may wish to...skip, where our mama is concerned."

With a grunt, Lucas nods. "Certainly. She'll pitch such a fuss I worry we'd never manage to leave the country house at all."

"Perhaps we can leave ahead of her this year?" Barbara suggests. Lucas winks.

"Dear sister, you prove yet again to the be the brains to my beauty."

Rolling her eyes, Barbara rises from her seat. Kira, gearing up to defend Barbara's honor in the face of her brother's insult, calms considerably when Barbara loops an arm through hers. "Let's go and compose your letter, dear, and then we might begin preparations for our leave."

Kira nods. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. She's rarely ever at the family home, and I've yet to see her in London during the season anyhow."

"Exactly," Barbara says, the tension in her shoulders easing. "I doubt we should even see her at all for the entire season."

#darling writing #I have no idea if tumblr still only takes the first five tags #so apologies if this ends up in the main tag #4 #5 #wayhaven #twc #regency au

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that-bl-bitch · 1 month

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9 fandom friends to get to know better

I was tagged by @clowncroccharms thanks!

-----------------------------------------------

3 ships I love

Obviously my favorite ships are forever rotating and I’m only gonna stick to bl land if that’s cool so this is who I’m liking currently

1- kor and namsom (city of stars) second lead syndrome always and forever😘✌🏽 (I just love how much he loves her he will do anything to be with her again)

2- miyata and iwanaga (koi wo suru nara) need I elaborate

3- Achi and Ji (to be continued)

First ship ever

Gun to my head I couldn’t tell you who my first ever ship was but since we’re sticking to bl land anyways I’ll do the first ship that got me into BLs in the first place which is tin and can from love by chance, like I said forever and always a second lead syndrome having bitch and I meant it when I said it like forreal I didnt even know that Pete and Ae were the main characters going in, anyways i saw them on tumblr and said who and what is that and started watching lbc a couple weeks later

Last song I listened to

-Overdrive by Conan gray

Favorite childhood book

-I would have to say Diary of wimpy kid probably

Currently reading

Nothing right now but I am about to start "Solomon’s Crown" By Natasha Siegel a gay period book which is not my vibe usually, I don’t like non modern set books usually but then I read Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms By Sarah Wallace & S.O Callahan and fell in love, This book is really good if you like fairy’s, magic, gay romance, and (I believe) regency era this is the book for you this is not my usual genre very far from it and I truly loved it enough to read it again and don’t really reread books it’s also set in a queer normative world which is like why I don’t read period cause I don’t want to read and about period specific homophobia and secret sneak around relationships so without that I was really super optimistic going in and truly 10/10 I’m not gonna go into to details but it did make me cry and feel so much love in my heart but go read the blurb and if you are even slightly interested in it from that I think you should give it go, so after finishing that now I’m trying to chase that high so I hope Solomon’s Crown is also really good, I have a bunch lined up in similar worlds so wish me luck

Currently watching

Next level chef UK cause I love next level chef and I’ve already ran through the American seasons and now I’m working on the UK

edit: I rough draft this last night when I was watching NLC: UK but right right now I'm watching station 19

Currently consuming

Nada, I’m in bed chilling I did just have brekkie, cherrios

Currently craving

I could really go for some cotten candy ice cream

I'm tagging: @monroeurfnboat @hautegirl07 @good-night-space-kid

Yall have been in my notifs lately so do it if you wanna :)

#thai bl #Ask game #love is better the second time around #Koi wo suru nara #to be continued the series #city of stars #city of stars the series #Lbc #love by chance #Solomons crown #breeze spells and bridegrooms #Conan gray #Next level chef #Station 19

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writtenbyerna · 2 years

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Review for A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

Man, trans representation in books is next to nothing but trans representation in historical romance? I literally have not read any historical romance where a trans character is the main lead. This baffles me because trans people existed before the term trans is coined to describe them. The term transgender was popularized in the 1990s (Rawson, 2020) and trans people lived before it, yet books, where they are the centers, are non-existent.

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall tells the story of a trans woman, Viola, after leaving her life as a soldier, a friend, an heir, and a Viscount, and finally deciding to live her life as what she is. But her freedom cost her to lose her closest companion, the Duke of Gracewood.

Two years after the war, Viola now serving as a lady’s companion of Viscountess Marleigh, her sister-in-law, is pushed to meet the Duke who suffers from his wounded leg and PTSD. As Viola, tries to bring back Gracewood to what she knows, realizations are made, and maybe this time the feelings buried deep can be let out. Maybe this time the impossible gets to be possible.

8 Things I Love About A Lady for a Duke

1. Trans representation. Trans representation in media is important because trans people exist and should be represented in mass media! Sure, the book is set in a kind of regency era, and won’t fit in today’s society but the fact that a trans woman found her happy ending in this book means that trans people can find theirs in real life.

2. Her being trans isn’t the main conflict in the book. The main conflict in the book lies with the fact that since she became Viola, she lost her wealth and is a woman in a very patriarchal society. No one in the book questions her being trans but Viola knows that everyone will question how the Duke of Gracewood fell in love with a lady’s companion. HER BEING A TRANS IS PART OF HER IDENTITY BUT IS NOT THE PROBLEM!!! I cried so much when I realized this tbh.

3. Content Warnings! Listen I am all for not spoiling books but putting a trigger warning or a content warning on one of the first pages of the book would tremendously help a lot of people. In this book, one of the warnings was about Viola being dead-named by some characters, and if a trans person or anyone read this without knowing it, it could be a trigger for them. Put trigger warnings, please.

4. Modernization of the language. Reading regency or any historical romance, especially classics, one will always find it harder to understand than contemporary works because the structure of the language is different, and the words used are not the same as now. So, it is a good thing that Alexis decided to modernize some of the languages because it connects to the audience much easier. However, some would argue that this is unnecessary and ruins the genre but well there are other books for you to gatekeep the language babe.

5. Beautiful and romantic prose. I swear to everyone that this has one of the most romantic prose there is. Gracewood saying that she’s his home, her breath, and him saying this

“I love you as a man loves a woman, but we both know that love is not bound by such narrow terms. So instead lead me simply tell you that I love you. I love you with the unfading flame of my friendship. With every drop of ardour in my blood. I love you with my soul, as some reserve their faith for absent gods. I love you as I believe in what is right and hope for what is good. I love you with everything I am and ever was-and if you will only let me, with every day that comes, and every self that I could ever be.” (Chapter 34)

I want a Gracewood, please.

6. PTSD. The exploration of PTSD for both Gracewood and Viola since they were both in war is so well done. While reading you ache for both, especially Gracewood. His pain was described so vividly that I remember feeling heartbroken for him.

7. Body acceptance. Since Viola is a trans woman she has the faculties of a male-born individual, so the discussion about her being worried that she cannot bear children, and having a sexual relationship with Gracewood like other women was so beautiful. I found myself highlighting every phrase because it was so beautifully described. I love that Viola realized her worth and that she also deserves pleasure and love.

8. Love. So much love in the book, it’s oozing.

Rating: 5 stars

Links: https://gayety.co/history-of-the-word-transgender

#a lady for a duke #book blog #book review #books #alexis hall #transgender #lgbt books

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braemjeorn · 1 year

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CHAPTER VIII [masterlist]

pairing: bang chan x ofc

genre: general audience, wholesome summery fluff; regency period drama

wordcount: 4k

summary: improvements of a household

warnings: regency era setting; countryside; countryside estate; and their tenants, peachs; and laughter of a fond dad

also available in ao3, if you prefer that format

⚠️ All characters that shares the name of real life person in this story are represented in a fictional manner for entertainment purpose, and not to be alluded with real life.

TAGLIST: @spookykryptoniteperson @nixtape-foryou @do-you-know-what-else-is-big

Commodore Bang maintained all manners of acquaintances — most of his friends among them stood as godparents to his sons. Mari did not catch many names, except that Mr Bambam was Changbin’s, while Minho’s were his uncle on his mother’s side and Commodore Bang’s sister. Seungmin’s godfather was away on a tour across the sea, but the Commodore received gifts from his butler. That, and many other parcels from their father, was the highlight of the day after for the boys.

“Miss Son, look!”

“Do you like it?”

There were wooden and lead soldier figures, books, pencils and papers for each boy; a pendant of glass dove for Hyunjin; and a silver pen for the eldest two. Lady Jang gave them each a handkerchief. Changbin received a new book and bookends from Mr Bambam, on the occasion of his birthday. Minho was twirling his pen; he had been quiet since the Commodore assembled them all into the drawing room to share his gifts. Among the hum and excitement of his brothers, suddenly he remarked, “You never gave us gifts before.”

The Commodore's face mellowed as regarded his son. It was easing how he took care to let some warmth break through his cold and austere shield. “I wanted to,” he said.

The eldest was hardly mollified by this change. Nearing midday they still revelled in the gifts, but Minho set his pen on the table and muttered to Mari that he needed to see his cats in the barn.

“But lunchtime is approaching,” she said.

“I’ll return soon.”

Minho’s chair remained untouched through lunch. The footman sent to fetch him returned to inform the Commodore that his son refused to attend. Between Lady Jang and Mr Bambam's witty conversation, Mari fidgeted as she heard the two. She was rising to excuse herself and see the boy, but Commodore Bang's voice paused her, “I will seek him, Miss Son. Do not fret yourself, and please enjoy the custard.”

“He must not miss his meal," Mari insisted as he passed her. "It won't do for his health."

Commodore Bang hummed. He wiped his mouth and took a sip of water, then rose and walked to the end of the table. “Then I shall seek him now—do sit down, Miss Son, let me. Lee Hongjin, tell the kitchen I should like a slice of pie.”

“Of course, Commodore,” the footman bowed and rushed out of the dining hall.

“ Bambam, you will entertain our guests for a moment?”

Mr Bambam sighed, “If needs be so.”

“Then you boys mind Miss Son.” Commodore Bang turned to Mari, “And I’ll leave you in charge of them to go about their day. And Lady Nayoung…” The Baroness, who occupied the table’s end at Mari’s right, gave him her hand, which the Commodore bowed over.

“You must excuse my company for some moment. I have to make an understanding with my son,” he said. “One which has been too long postponed.”

“I suppose I can spare your society to hasten it,” responded the Lady. Commodore Bang grasped her hand and left the hall. Mari did not see him again until she stepped out into the terrace in the late afternoon. Minho walked with his father, appearing from the bushes that surrounded the kitchen's garden. The boy caught sight of her, turned to his father, and his steps picked up into a jog towards her. Mari extended her hand, yet surprised when he circled his arms close about her. If she questioned it he will evade her, so she rested her hand upon his hair. “I hope another time you escape the company I will not find you in a worse state of illness.”

Minho let out a small chuckle, and then he pulled away to regard her.

“You must be knighted by the king, Miss Son,” he said.

Mari scoffed. “What nonsense is that?”

“For doing something I thought impossible,” the lad continued. Mari noticed that he was flushed, but he was already moving towards the house before she could fuss over it. “You truly are heaven’s intervention!”

“How very eloquent of you,” Mari drawled in confusion. Minho grinned, shrugged, and rushed in, leaving her standing there. The Commodore came up after him and nodded when she acknowledged him.

“It ended well, sir? The... understanding?” Mari inquired.

Commodore Bang smiled. “Better than I dared hoped.”

Mari would not pry further than that. “I’m glad.” She was about to turn away if not the sight of him tickled her mischief. “See, it’s not so difficult.”

Commodore Bang’s head snapped towards her, a frown marring his brows. “Pardon?”

“Smiling,” she pointed out.

“Oh.” Understanding had eased his feature, but soon his lips quirked up again and a chuckle broke through. Mari smiled, turning to follow Minho.

“I had feared you would not know a joke, sir,” she hummed.

“You thought so little of me?”

One afternoon, Mari and the boys set out of the house for their walk. While inquiring her about the day’s destination — that they might run ahead, Seungmin caught their father following them. Commodore Bang had a hat and gloves ready on his hand, waving back to his boys.

“Any particular destination to choose?” he asked. Mari was still tying up her bonnet, and they looked at her for the answer. But Commodore Bang spoke again before she could reply.

“If you don't mind me joining, would you like to pick peaches?”

While appealing, it was a novel offer; they turned to him with big wondering eyes.

“Where?” Yongbok asked.

Commodore Bang set his hat on firmly, pointing away to the south and began to describe the route to his tenant’s land. They agreed on the new destination, then skipped around the pathway and headed out of the garden.

“Miss Son, you are coming along?” Commodore Bang called.

“If you don’t mind, sir,” Mari replied, more surprised than the boys by his involvement.

“Why should I—you are the one who proposed this idea in the first place.” She came down the stairs, and he added, "And I hope you will have mercy to not leave me alone in the company of these rascals.”

The boys and Mari knew the path, but now they took a turn to the left where they had usually walked ahead. Trees made an arch over their path. They passed a few stone walls, and the grassy lawns inside them, until they gave way to branches laden with round fruits. The boys exclaimed in awe, and the Commodore directed them to an opening of the orchard. They walked among the trees to reach the other side. Mari saw the main house at a distance from the orchard, and standing there was a middle-aged man. His thick brows lifted in surprise at seeing the children's appearance, but they curved warmly with his smile as he took notice of the Commodore.

"My goodness ‘tis Lord Bang. I nearly thought you were an intruder. How do you do?" They shook hands. "A pleasure to have you at my fields, sir, a pleasure—though unexpected—I'm glad to see you well. My, isn’t it a beautiful day! And the young masters! How do you do?" He tipped his hat to them, then to Mari. "I saw all seven of them walking with our Miss Governess here a few days ago, and thought, worlds! They're doing very well are they not!? Trampling around the fields and climbing up the hills, it’s good to know that they enjoy our humble grounds. And you seem to be getting along well with the young lady, that’s delightful. It's a good blessing that everyone in the house is happy and healthy.”

“Indeed it is. Though, Miss Son may take all the credit for perpetuating it,” the Commodore said.

Mari sighed, “Commodore…—”

“For as you know, Mr Byun, I have been far too often away in town to do any good,” Commodore bang easily interjected.

“I will take no grudge for that sir—let’s not mind that,” Farmer Byun shook his hand again. “We all know you were having a hard time, and all that is important is that I am seeing you well and smiling with my own eyes. And that’s very good itself!”

Commodore Bang nodded to the statement; he asked the farmer about his crops and the upcoming harvest. The boys were wandering off and looking about. Mari counted their heads and found the twins standing a bit behind them, near a tree. One of the branches was low enough, with fruits close to their reach. Their heads were together in a whisper, and Jisung raised his finger, giving the lightest poke to the peach. It barely shook the fruit. He grinned, Yongbok did the same, and Mari walked towards them as they snickered.

“Jisung, Yongbok-ah…”

The twins turned their heads to look up at her. “Miss Son, they’re very pretty,” Yongbok declared.

“Fuzzy aren’t they?” Mari smiled. “Take care when you touch them, they might fall.”

“Will they?” Jisung asked.

“Peaches fall to the ground when they’re ripe. Heavy as they are.”

The boy hummed and returned to admiring the fruit. His hand brushed over his nose and pronounced his sudden wish to eat it.

“So do I,” Yongbok seconded.

Abruptly, Hyunjin and Seungmin rushed past them deeper into the orchard; they heard Mr Byun’s called out, “Will the young masters have some then?”

Commodore Bang approached and handed Yongbok a large wicker basket.

“We’ll have this much, and no more until harvest, pups. So share the space with your brothers,” he instructed.

“We may pick them ourselves?” Yongbok asked.

“Like this?” Jisung had reached for the fruit he touched earlier and pulled at it.

“Give it a little twist, Jisung,” said the Commodore. “Better than just pulling it. There!”

Mari urged them to their brothers, and with many pairs of hands picking, it didn’t take long for the basket to fill up. Commodore Bang lifted Jeongin into his arms, and let the youngest pick a peach at a higher place. It pleased the baby very much, and he was content to hold the fruit in his hand. They bid Mr Byun goodbye, with the Commodore promising to come back during the harvest. They stopped by a stream and sat on the rocks. Jeongin handed his father the fruit. After letting the water rinse it, he pulled out his pocket knife, then peeled and cut up the fruit into pieces.

“Here, have a taste,” he said, letting them all pick a piece, even reaching far that Mari might take a piece over four heads. The sweet juice bursting into her mouth engrossed her pleasure, eliciting her praise for Farmer Byun's care. They all shared two peaches, though Hyunjin dropped his cut with a yelp.

“Hyunjin, you silly boy,” Minho sighed. That was all he was scolded with; other than the giggles from his younger brothers.

“I’m sorry,” the chastised younger murmured.

“Don’t you worry, the worms and birds will delight in it,” Commodore Bang consoled, offering another cut. “Anybody wants more?”

“But Appa hadn’t even had any!” Changbin exclaimed.

It was beyond Mari’s grasp how the days after unfolded. One day Jisung paused to start his reading before the class; then crossed the room to shove his father out into the hallway. The Commodore had been watching the boys' studying unnoticed and laughed through Jisung's eviction. While Mari was mortified by the sudden visit, Jisung whined that his father was "most embarrassing!”

Commodore Bang accompanied Lady Jang to tour the country in the afternoons or make calls with the other gentries. In the evenings they would leave for dinner or parties. But between those hours when he was not occupied by such engagements or his duties, he was among the boys. In the gardens as they water the sprouts for their morning, and make arrangements for the plant’s future with Mr Park. The afternoon after naps was now dedicated to kites or bowl pins. The walks in between were for him to indulge in climbing trees or searching for birds and insects in the meadows.

Mari could sit easy as they play in the garden, or join them in their walks. But she delighted the most (and was in great awe) to notice the Commodore's frequency in involving himself in some of the boy’s occupations, and how easily the boys pull him into their amusements. He was a good sport to their youthful humour, amiable in the face of their teasings—for he never could stop himself from laughing at their sharp wit. His sternness was only present when an action might bring a possible injury, or when banters were on the descent to sharp animosity. To that, he proved Mari’s words true in managing to make them attend to his words. The boys respected him and he always made an effort to consider all sensible reasons to resolve their feuds and settle back into harmony. With the trouble forgotten, they return to boyish romps and he laughed at them.

Commodore Bang was in every sense of the word, a devoted father. Ever since that particular morning with Mari, 'twas as if a burden lifted off him, all restraints unbounded. He took great liberty to lavish them all in nurturing care and attention, for they would baulk at his blatant loving gesture. Another by way of his time and presence. Yet for all of Mari's delight, it was soon countered by some worry.

It was one morning when Mari had roused early, as she was wont to at times. She wrapped herself in her robes and sat on her table to do her letters and journal. Some shuffling outside, and a knock at the boys’ door disturbed her. She heard it open, and murmurs of low conversation. For a long while she listened, then wrapped the robe tighter about herself to look outside. Minho and Changbin were awake, well dressed in their trousers and jacket. The younger grinned at the sight of her, bidding good morning and receiving a low perplexed one in return. The child approached, and whispered, with constrained excitement, “Appa is taking us riding!”

“Before breakfast?” Mari wondered. Minho nodded, and giggled at her confusion, despite his sleep-ridden face.

“Don’t you worry and think that they might have escaped,” Commodore Bang said. “We will only be away for an hour.”

“But so early?” Mari said. “Commodore Bang, do you not sleep?”

She knew full well that he had attended a party last night with Lady Jang and Mr Bambam; he might have returned a mere two or three hours before. But the Commodore tilted his head, and said, “I shall after breakfast.”

His eyes were alert, she'd take assurance in that. She still could not help but press her lips, and spoke again, “Do take care of your health, sir.”

“As you wish, Miss Son.” He nodded his head to her and called the boys out down the hallway.

They returned to the small breakfast party, in high spirits and ravenous appetites, much to the younger ones' envy. Commodore Bang hushed them and made a firm promise — despite Yongbok's wide, pleading eyes — that only when they turned ten, they might come down the stable with him.

“Minho’s lessons are long overdue — I apologise for that, son,” he said. “But then there's better steadiness in you already.”

“I suppose so,” Minho replied, after a silent contemplation. He then declared louder, “But didn’t Harabeoji set Appa to stand on a great shire horse when you were three years old?”

Commodore Bang winced, holding back a laugh as his sons cried at him for the story. But of course, he would not refuse to indulge them well with the story, letting them have the satisfaction of teasing him. Mari knew if it meant that they could be occupied with him for some moment longer, he would forsake all and do it. Though she would not wish it to cost his health.

Commodore Bang had his duties to his tenants in the days, his balls and assemblies at night, the afternoon and early morning spared to his younglings. Mari knew he was at rest while the boys are studying. Then he would join them for lunch, and again in the afternoon to see whatever mischief they’re up to, ever enthusiastic to be involved or to hold them close.

One such afternoon Mari mused on the terrace, neglecting her book while watching the Bangs trying their new archery targets. Yet Yongbok toddled towards her, joined by the others to reach the basket of fruits and bread on the table. The Commodore trailed behind them. “I have reasons to claim that you are irked at me, Miss Son,” he declared by way of greeting.

It was a sudden remark, though when Mari turned he had spoken with generosity and amused eyes. Knowing he was open humour at the moment, she asked, “And what reasons are they?”

“Your manners, Miss Son; the look on your face when I took them away for some games.”

He nodded towards the children, who were taking hearty bites of the pastries with no mind to the adults' conversations.

Mari chuckled with dry mirth. “You have stolen my companions for lengthier hours than last month, Commodore,” she said, making a point by letting Yongbok settle on her lap. “Yet it irks me more that it is not justified for me to be resentful, considering their father genuinely wishes to indulge them.”

Commodore Bang laughed. Having the boys spend their time between the two meant that Mari's share decreased. But her vengeance towards the man was mild compared to her delight at the happier days. Exuberance was a pleasant air to behold in him, and she marvelled at his radiance as he was between his boys. Mr Kang and Minatozaki-san agreed how such pleasant air had emerged from him.

“He does look remarkable these days, praise the heavens for that,” Mr Kang commented as they had tea in the kitchen. Having more spare hours allowed Mari to join their company and hear their opinion on matters.

"Would you say younger?" Mari asked.

Mr Kang chuckles, "I vouch for your statement, Miss Son."

“Well, wringing them seven with his own hands will try him enough, Mari," said Minatozaki-san. " And no, I'm hardly cruel. It's the least he can expect as their father. Aren’t the roses lovely? They’ll be perfect for winter.” The housekeeper took up her stringed stalks of roses, handing them to a younger maid. They are hanging them upside down on the knobs above the kitchen. Minatozaki-san had become busier on account of a great event this autumn.

“We might even need to borrow some hands from the inn,” she said. “The ball is but three weeks from now, I should like to have it a well-done affair. After all, it is the first ball in some four, or three years. We have to take some measured preparations to make it grand—as grand as Barlnshore should be.”

"I can write the letter, if you'd like," Mr Kang offered.

"Thank you, Younghyun. I appreciate it."

"How many invitations?" Mari inquired.

Mr Kang and Minatozaki-san turned to each other, a slight frown on their brows as they calculated and made recollections. "Fifty families?" Minatozaki-san estimated.

"The bachelor nephews included," Mr Kang added.

"Good gracious," Mari shuddered. “But it is private at the least. It would not be as crowded as an assembly ball.” She remembered the twenty pairs of dancers surrounded by the entire habitants of S—. The room was full of shuffling people and clacking shoes. It was too much for Mari — she spent the night above the floor chattering and arguing with Jung Soojin.

Lady Jang had proposed the idea for the ball, after viewing the boy’s accomplishment one evening. Jisung and Seungmin had played without Mari, with Minho and Hyunjin singing along to the tunes. It was a splendid performance, to Mari's pride. Between the praises and claps Jang Nayoung simply popped the request. “But why have a grand house with a ballroom but no parties? Wouldn’t it be marvellous to see the whole house light up? And you might say it was in honour of me, Chan, but what better way to meet and greet your friends in the country properly?”

With Commodore Bang’s easy affirmation, Barlnshore was soon set in a flurry. Though Minatozaki-san’s excitement demures those of the younger maids, she was not entirely out of spirit in setting the house into liveliness.

“With his class in society, he could not reduce his respect to smaller numbers,” Mr Kang hummed in response to Mari.

“And it’s the boys’ first time as well,” Minatozaki-san murmured. Then she turned to Mari, “It might be a disaster if Jeongin finds his house suddenly packed in. You know the boy is so timid before new things, Miss Son.”

“Indeed he is,” Mari agreed. “But—his brother’s excitements might distract him.”

Though the Commodore and Lady Jang was present during the arrangement to settle the menus and flower arrangement, much of it was left to Mr Kang and Minatozaki-san to oversee. Mari often slipped into the servant’s hall to help. Any time her charges napped or were relegated to their Father’s hand for some while, she would don her apron and find some napkins to sort and fold, or vases and drapes to choose for the housekeeper.

The ballroom hall took most of the work. It had been locked for some three years; although the servants had kept it in good condition with the occasional dusting, significant changes were made at present. The dark curtains were removed and exchanged for newer red ones. There was dust to wipe, brass candle holders and mirrors to polish, as well as carpets to air. Then they were to open the paintings under their veils and restore them as necessary.

Barlnshore was gifted to Lady Bang—then Miss Hwa Jaebin as was—from her widowed aunt. But it was a recently built house. Therefore the paintings were relatively new, instead of portraits from generations of family members. Most were hung on the ballroom walls. Some were purchased or commissioned: views of landscapes from the Commodore’s seaside town and the Hwa family's grand halls and gardens. Some were smaller pictures of animals and flowers, painted by Lady Jaebin, and some were the boys’ portraits in watercolours. There was a grand picture of the family as three, or five, then growing into seven. The children in groups, a few more of the Commodore in his naval uniform; Minho at eight years old. Most striking of all was that of Lady Jaebin—her femininity striking among the eight men in her life. The portrait was covered in black crepes, alongside the pair of her and the Commodore’s portrait. Commodore Bang’s was painted in his earth-green suit, with golden and black shadows behind him. Lady Jaebin sat with a smile towards the audience, her lilac gown contrasting sweetly with her blonde hair and the red background.

“Master Jeongin! ‘Tis your mother!” the maid who unveiled the crepe exclaimed.

The youngest had just risen from his nap and wandered into the ballroom for its commotion. He said little on account of sleepiness, but after a fixed stare towards the portrait, he sneezed.

“Bless his soul!” Yeonji laughed. “Take him away from the dust here, Miss Son. You’ve been a great help.”

The boys took advantage of the polished floors of the open ballroom to slide as they pleased. Mari only shrugged when Commodore Bang observed their amusement. For the ball, he had agreed—among eagerly consenting nods—that they may stay for half an hour later than their bedtime, with the condition to maintain proper manners and hushed voices. With what Mari thought was good foresight, he allowed them to run about on the terrace outside the ballroom. The boys’ loud ‘yes’ settled it all, anything to humour themselves to a different night.

“Does your father play by chance?” Mari asked had asked Minho after their performance. She handed him his tea.

“Oh, he does,” the lad exclaimed in a hushed whisper. His eyes drifted to his father, who was occupied with tickling Seungmin. “We’re quite musical—I must’ve told you. And he plays better than he sings. He’s a nice tenor voice, but Eomma sings stronger.”

“How about he performs for us some other time?”

Minho chuckled, “Appa’s modest about such things. One must force or threaten him altogether.”

[Minho and Changbin and their car driving debacle in SKZ-CODE Jeju was just the peak first and second child duo. I’m living it, I’m living for implementing it in this AU]

[uni has started again and after struggling through the first week and completing a maddening event, I'll be darned if I don't upload the few chapters I've managed to work on the hols. the fact that I have the mornings off on Mondays makes it all the better for this new semester so you'll know what to wait for these weeks👀 BRAEM HAS RETURNED what do you think of this new chapter now? replies, reblogs and likes are always appreciated and thank you for reading!]

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viscountessevie · 1 year

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Unladylike Lessons In Love [ARC Review]

Release Date: 30th May 2023 [16th May for my US followers/readers!] Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️ My Review:

Unladylike Lessons in Love by Amita Murray will always have a special place in my heart no matter what for two reasons: 1) It is the first ARC I was approved for 2) Lila Marleigh is a brilliant Indian HR heroine!

This novel follows our heroine, Lila Marleigh, a gambling den hostess who is the eldest daughter of an English earl and his Indian mistress. The book starts with Lila being visited by a blast from her past, Maisie whose partner, Sunil, had been wrongly accused of attacking a lady. The lady in question is the hero, Ivor Tristram’s cousin Tiffany. Lila and Ivor cross paths throughout the novel to uncover the true identity of the attacker and his motivations behind it.

First off, I’d like to commend Amita for her characterisation of Lila. She's just about the coolest character I've read about thus far. Just from the way she carries herself, runs her salon and how there are little nods of her homeland in her life. The inclusion of Indian details in this is so seamless and made me feel very seen as a fellow Indian girl. I also found it unique that due to the way the sisters had grown up, Lila doesn’t read as the usual type of Eldest Daughter. She is very much her own person.

Another aspect I loved was how Amita has set up Lila and her sisters’ past. I absolutely adored the way it was written - very compelling and well done. The Marleigh sisters were shipped off to England as children after their parents' passing. When they showed up at their stepmother Lady Sarah's doorstep, Lila and her sisters bore the punishment of their Father's sins. They would do so until each one escaped that terrible household. The language used whenever their past was touched upon was beautiful. It hit right where it's supposed to hurt. It also illustrates why and how Lila became the way she is.

What little we get of the sisters and their descriptions leaves you wanting. Anya and Mira are definitely heroine material. I am hoping this would all pay off well in the subsequent Marleigh Sisters books.

For a debut HR novel, I think it's well written and unique in the sense of historical accuracy. Amita dug into several real issues such as racism, sexism, class privilege and assault through the lens of the Regency era. She used Lila's father, Lord Marleigh, to demonstrate how white lords often had second lives and families with their foreign mistresses continents away from their first family. Maisie and Sunil were examples of Caribbean and Indian descent people respectively who worked for high society peers. Their lives were shown to be the harsh realities of the lower class at the time, and what they had to do to survive. Even Tiffany’s attack was written with such care and highlighted the complexities of assault and its aftermath.

Each of these topics were written realistically without being overwrought. Amita certainly did not shy away from the truths that still echo through modern times now.

The book tickled my fancy with Lila's brilliant character, the main mystery/conflict, a brilliant Act 3 that had me gasping every other page and a great host of characters in Maisie, Sunil and Lila's staff & friends. However, my main critique of the book is the chemistry between the leads was lacking at times.

Ivor doesn't quite feel like the right fit for Lila. This can be attributed to the fact that he could have been a lot more fleshed out. Oftentimes he felt like an afterthought. The romance took a backseat to serve the mystery plot and topics mentioned above that Amita wanted to bring across. Lila's feelings on her childhood trauma was also given priority which hinted at what's to come with the other sisters' backstories. (Not a bad thing, just could have been balanced more with her romance with Ivor).

Despite Ivor not being on par with Lila, characterisation wise, I did enjoy their steamy scenes together. It built up steadily across each Act and got hotter each time.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was great seeing an Indian heroine like myself in a genre I love so much. The secondary cast were so delightful to read about as well. They were all written with so much care and consideration. While this is my first Amita Murray book, I can see how she's transitioning from historical mystery novels to romance. She definitely played to her strengths in this novel. The historical research held up and the mystery took me for a shocking ride. Definitely recommending this for people wanting diverse characters in the HR genre who also love mysteries and plot twists.

Amita Murray can only go up from here with this genre. I am certainly excited to see this journey over the course of the next few books in the Marleigh Sisters series.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #ARC Review #Unladylike Lessons in Love #Amita Murray #Historical Romance #ARC #Unladylike Lessons In Love by Amita Murray #HarperCollins UK #HarperFiction #HR Blogging

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triviareads · 1 year

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Releases May 23rd

Summary:

Cecile Trembley is a French markswoman who makes her living running a circus. She and Guy Darlington used to be lovers, but when Guy wanted to set her up as his mistress, she broke off their relationship and all contact. Now Guy has returned, sans fianceé, sans title, and he wants Cecile back too. And he's willing to do anything to win her over again.

Some background:

I came into this book with high expectations because I am a fan of Minerva Spencer's (and a bigger fan of her pseudonym she uses for erotica, S.M. LaViolette). Her plots are always excellent, the sex is usually pretty great too, and there's always something a little subversive about them. Reading the blurb for The Dueling Duchess convinced me it would be along the same vein, so I was excited to start.

My review:

I knew it was a good sign when I read that the heroine was thirty-six, (the hero was four years younger). More mature heroines is definitely something of a pattern I'm seeing in historical romances (recently in The Portrait of a Duchess by Scarlett Peckham and The Countess by Sophie Jordan), and I personally really enjoy it because it usually means the heroine is more level-headed in her approach to intimacy and sex because they have experience.

The plot can be summed up by "Titled Man joins circus to find a friend's relative during the Hundred Days, has affair with markswoman, they part ways unhappily, but now he's back because he needs a job". It's a little convoluted but also, I've long since stopped caring about how improbable a story is since this is historical romance and all I need to be sold on is the romance of it all (and I ABSOLUTELY was). The structure goes back and forth: a "present" section, then a "past" section where we see how Guy and Cecile first met, and another "present" section where most of the plot occurs, and we see what happened after the fallout of Cecile and Guy's affair, and what happens why Guy is rehired as a stagehand (which does involve getting shot at by his ex-lover.... multiple times a day) in the circus just so he can win back Cecile. Honestly, I respect that level of desperation.

SPEAKING of desperation, I appreciate that this was pretty much a book-long grovel. As far as the egregiousness of Guy's actions, it was pretty standard aristocratic fare ("I can't marry you because Money so will you be my mistress?" *cue slap in the face), but Cecile's feelings matter too, right? So when the tables have turned, you really can't fault Cecile for taking advantage. And hey, he consents to the menial labor and whatnot.

Something else I also appreciated was that Cecile does, in fact, have a lover during the time Guy is trying to "woo" her back while working for her. It's very "how the turns tables" of Minerva when it comes to genre conventions. It's not like Cecile is with Guy at the time, right? She has the right to do as she pleases, and if that means aggressively making out with this other man in front of Guy even after rejecting other man's marriage proposal, then so be it.

The sex:

Fabulous. Fantastic. Well-written. Hot. The give-and-take they have going on during sex is great. She's a little imperious and a little bratty at once. He's a little unhinged but also definitely likes being ordered around. There's roughness and there's tenderness where it fits (and "good girl". There is many a "good girl"). It was the best I've read in a long while.

Overall:

I adored this book and would strongly recommend it for anyone looking to read a regency romance set outside the ballroom. It's a book that definitely keeps you on toes all the way. Apart from the romance (which I loved loved loved), I also like how Minerva interwove feminism and the very real trials of being a woman, in this case a female business owner, in that era. There's also a significant found family vibe (the circus is pretty much one big family, plus Guy and Cecile take in a street urchin) in this book, and Minerva did a great job of setting up her next book The Cutthroat Countess, which I'm very excited to read next.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

#arc review #arc #minerva spencer #historical romance #kensington books #netgalley #kensingtonbooks #romance novels

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wahlpaper · 7 months

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Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh Review

Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh by Rachel Lippincott

CW: Swearing, Underage Drinking, Poorly Arranged Marriage, Misogyny, Past Toxic Relationship, Minor Injuries with Blood, Internalized Homophobia, Queerphobia, Classism, Abusive Parent, Past Death of Parent

3.5/5

I automatically chose to read Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh because Rachel Lippincott had once again targeted the niche audience I am a part of; queer Pittsburghers whose favorite genre is queer YA romcoms. After She Gets The Girl, a book which Lippincott wrote with her wife, Alyson Derrick, I assumed this book would also be a love letter to Pittsburgh. Although it missed that mark, which I will elaborate on later, it was a very intriguing book with a sweet romance and loveable characters.

Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh starts with Audrey, a seventeen-year-old girl from 2023 Pittsburgh who gets transported back to North England in 1812. She lands in the field of an estate belonging to an absent father and a girl of high society named Lucy. Audrey realizes she only has 25 days to spend in the past, but not why she's there. She works with Lucy to blend into the 1800s and to solve her mystery. They have narrowed it down to two things that may be connected: finding love or regaining her passion for art, so they try both out. Only, Audrey isn't finding a spark with any of the handsome men around her and she can't stop drawing Lucy. Meanwhile, Lucy is trying to come to terms with her marriage arrangement to an awful older man. Will the two girls truly be able to help each other?

I normally avoid period pieces because the language it's confusing and goes over my head, but Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh is far more approachable. The language isn't too heavy and many things are explained on-page to Audrey. Having both Audrey and Lucy's POV helped with getting the full picture. Audrey knew things I did and served as fresh eyes to the 1800s. Lucy was in awe of the world Audrey came from. And well-versed in her own. The tropes used also helped with approachability, adding a familiar element. A training montage, an animal with an attitude, and kissing in the rain, all help this period piece feel like the modern literature it is.

Lippincott created a really enjoyable and well-developed cast of characters for her book. Audrey is thrown into Lucy's world by a curmudgeonly but secretly sweet old man with a backstory you'll want to stick around till the end for. Lucy's world holds 3 potential suitors for Audrey that would all be wonderful picks in their own right. They all have hidden depths beyond their attractive looks. Even the awful man that Lucy is set to marry is full of personality. The best of the characters in Lucy's life is likely Martha, the staff member of the estate who practically raised Lucy after her mother died. These characters and more all added something important to Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh.

The title of this book, Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh, is false advertisement. That isn't a reason not to read the book. It is still a cute queer time travel romance, but it's important to know what you aren't getting into. Although I have never read Pride and Prejudice, I have it on good authority that this isn't a modern-ish adaptation of it. The only connection is that it takes place in the regency era. It also barely features Pittsburgh. It's there when Audrey is in her own time and she thinks about it a little bit, but that's all. Audrey has a line in her head where she mentions the "polar vortex that hit Pittsburgh a few years ago", taking me completely out of the book. It reminded me that Lippincott isn't from Pittsburgh and is older than her characters. Audrey would have been 4 years old at the time and a real Pittsburgher always calls it Snowmageddon. I had assumed that the 1800s portion would take place in 1800s Pittsburgh. I am still left wanting a book with this premise.

The queer rep in this book was both romantic and realistic. I appreciate that it addresses how it may be far more unsafe to be openly queer in 1812, but it can still be a problem in 2023. I related to neither girl knowing her queer identity at the start of the book, despite the obvious signs. They're both only about 17, which is around the time I started being honest with myself about not being straight. It takes time for some people. Thankfully, this couple had some people on their side in 1812. Queer people were not unheard of then, despite the secrecy.

If a WLW regency romance with time travel appeals to you, give Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh a try! Rachel Lippincott understands how to write two clueless characters falling for each other, and that alone would make this book worth reading. If you happen to know of any other Pittsburgh romance books, send them my way!

#pride and prejudice and pittsburgh #rachel lippincott #book blog #bookblogger #queer books #queer characters #wlw #romcom book #time travel romance #time travel book #1812 england #pittsburgh books #period romcom #Snowmageddon #regency romance

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punchdrunkdoc · 2 years

Text

Just Breathe - Ch. 5

Summary: Six months after the events in Gotham Square Garden, Bruce is struggling to find balance between his role as Batman and his responsibilities as Bruce Wayne. His life is made even more complicated when he learns that someone knows his secret identity.

Notes: This is a multi-chapter, slow-burn Battinson/original female character story with romance, angst, and crime solving!

Also available on AO3

Masterlist

Reference pics and stuff

With one movement, Bruce caught George’s left arm in a steel grip, and fired his grappling gun with his free hand. The moment the anchor bit into the concrete building, the two of them jerked to a stop.

“Ahhh!” Bruce cried, as pain seared through his right shoulder. George’s added weight and the sudden deceleration had wrenched his shoulder from its socket. Gritting his teeth against the piercing agony, he lowered himself and the young boy to the street below.

He sliced through the zip-tie with one of the tactical knives embedded in his chest plate, and George used his freed hands to whip off his blindfold.

“Holy shit, you’re Batman!” he exclaimed, staring up at Bruce in awe.

Bruce grunted in reply as he looked over the kid. His face was grimy with tears and he’d probably have a hell of a bruise from where Bruce had caught his arm…but he looked otherwise unharmed. “You okay, kid?” he checked.

He nodded, his face breaking out in a smile. “That was awesome! Wait till Sammy and the others here about this!”

“I though it was going to be our little secret?”

George’s face fell. “Oh, yeah.” His boyish enthusiasm melted away at the thought of what the Deacons would do to him if they found out.

Bruce saw his chance. He crouched down so he was at eye-level and tried to convince the kid to rethink his choices. “George do you really wanna be part of a gang that would do this to someone? They left you up there, knowing there was a strong chance you could die. They don’t care about you.”

George looked down. “No one does,” he mumbled under his breath.

Bruce grappled with something to say in response, his heart aching for this poor, neglected boy. But just then, a police siren blared from the end of the street. The sound spooked George, who took off running.

Bruce watched him go, then disappeared back into the shadows of the alley as the patrol car passed him.

His shoulder throbbed.

Shit

His motorbike was stashed nearby, but there was no way he could ride it home with his arm hanging useless by his side. Alfred would have left for Capitol City already, so he couldn’t come get him…

And taking a taxi dressed as a 6-foot-tall bat would not be the sanest idea.

There was only one option he could think of.

Or, at least, only one option he wanted to think of.

———

Beth took a sip of wine and checked the time on her watch. It was well past midnight and she should probably go to bed…but her book was just getting good. She nestled deeper into the couch and turned the next page.

But she was abruptly drawn out of the world of regency-era England when she caught sight of the large shadow passing by her window.

Someone was on her fire escape.

She slowly put down her book and grabbed the decorative vase from the coffee table - the nearest heavy object. Gripping the glass weapon firmly, she quietly approached the window.

The shadow shifted…

…and the moonlight overhead illuminated a tell-tale set of ears.

It was Batman.

She set the vase down and opened the window.

“There was movement this time, so this definitely constitutes ‘sneaking’,” she called out.

He stepped fully into view. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you doing out there?” she asked, glancing around to see if any of her neighbours had noticed the tall vigilante pacing her fire escape.

“Debating whether I made the right decision.”

“And what decision was that?”

He sighed. “I came to ask for your help.”

She raised an eyebrow. What kind of help would Batman need from her at this time of night? Then she noticed the way his right arm was hanging motionless at his side...

She gestured to it. “Does it have anything to do with that?”

He nodded.

“No need to debate any further. Just come in.” She pushed the window up as high as it would go, and stepped aside.

He ducked down and stepped through the gap and into her apartment. If she’d thought he looked somewhat incongruous in the mortuary, it was nothing to seeing him in all his caped glory in the middle of her cosy, candle-lit living room.

His eyes flickered around the space. “I’m sorry for interrupting your night.”

She shrugged as she looked him over for any more injuries. “It’s just a night like any other.” She gestured to his arm again. “What happened?”

“Dislocated shoulder.”

She winced. “Ouch.”

“I’ve had worse. And I wouldn’t normally ask for help-“

“Shocker,” she teased.

He ignored her. “But there were…circumstances…beyond my control.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m happy to help.” She stepped closer and examined the thick metal pad covering his shoulder. “But I have to warn you, its been a while since my ER rotation. I can’t even remember the last time I treated a live patient.”

“I can,” he said softly.

She glanced up to see him staring at her intently.

“Two months ago. When you saved my life.”

She swallowed and held his gaze. The moment felt…charged. Intimate. Here he was, in her space, looking at her like she was the only other person in the world. The candlelight caught on the stubble covering his sharp jaw, and she wanted to rest her hand against it. Feel its texture against her skin.

But that would be bad in so, so many ways.

So she took a half step back and put her professional face on.

“That was just first aid. For this, I’m gonna need you to remove some of this armour.” She tapped the shoulder pad lightly.

He unsnapped the shoulder segment with his good hand, and she caught the heavy guard as it came away from the leather suit underneath. “I need to check for nerve damage. Do you have any loss of sensation in your hand? Any numbness or tingling?”

He removed the gauntlet and glove. His hand was wrapped in bandages, like a boxer. He flexed his fingers. “Feels fine.”

She cautiously grasped his hand in hers, careful to only touch the bandages, and examined the exposed skin of his fingers. The colour looked good, with no sign of vascular compromise. “Okay, lets do this. Take a seat.” She gestured to her couch.

His leather suit squeaked quietly as he settled on to her sofa. She sat next to him and carefully took hold of his elbow and wrist. “Try and relax as much as possible, and let me know if the pain gets to be too much.”

He grunted softly in response.

For the next few minutes, she gently manipulated the joint, until finally she felt it click into the correct position. Batman exhaled at the same moment - the only sign that he’d been in any discomfort.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“No problem,” she whispered back, staring into his pale blue eyes.

His wrist flexed slightly under her hand, and she realised that she was still holding on to him. With a start, she dropped his arm and stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

She quickly grabbed some pain pills from her bathroom and returned to the main room. To find him holding her abandoned book and examining the half-dressed male model on the front cover.

“I can feel the judgement radiating off you,” she called over her shoulder as she filled a glass with water.

She brought over the meds and he swallowed them without complaint. “No judgement. Just curiosity. Its not what I expected you to be reading.”

She settled into the couch next to him, her back against the arm rest and her legs folded between them. “My job is kinda depressing,” she explained. “I deal with death and tragedy day in, day out. So in my off-hours, I try to avoid that. I watch comedies and read stories with guaranteed happy endings. I don’t care that its not exactly ‘high-brow’, I just want my serotonin fix. I think I would go crazy without it.”

He nodded, still studying the book in his hands.

“So, what’s yours?” She asked.

He looked at her. “Hmmm?”

“What’s your outlet? What makes you happy after a night dealing with the dregs of Gotham’s humanity?”

———

The answer came to Bruce in an instant.

You.

You make me happy.

Well, not exactly happy - he hadn’t truly felt that emotion since before his parents had died - but she made him feel more alive.

Less alone and disillusioned with the world.

It was the true reason he’d spent all those weeks perched on the building opposite hers, binoculars in hand; the reason he’d spent hours trying to find excuses to talk her; the reason he’d sought her help tonight.

Being in her presence brought him comfort. It was as if she’d become a sort of touchstone for humanity. A bright spark of colour and warmth to help him keep going when the battle for the City’s soul felt hopeless. After so many nights - more than two years of them - spent in the shadows and immersing himself in the filth of Gotham’s underworld, he was at risk of losing perspective. Of forgetting there was good amongst the evil.

She reminded him of that good. She was proof there was still kindness in this world.

But he couldn’t tell her any of that.

“Is there nothing?” She asked when he remained silent.

He shrugged.

She frowned at him. “That’s not healthy. You need something other than this,” she gestured at his suit. “Otherwise you’ll burn out or go insane.”

She sounded like Alfred - they’d had similar conversations in the past - but neither of them knew that he had something now. A tiny light in the darkness, guiding him away from potential despair.

He studied her, acutely aware of the contrasts between them. She was curled up on the sofa, an oversized cardigan wrapped around her; her hair was up in a messy bun, and glasses were perched on her nose. She looked soft around the edges, her clothes and colouring complimenting the golden candlelit glow of the room.

He was made of sharp angles and blackness.

He should leave. She’d said it herself - she got enough darkness and misery in her day job. She craved happy endings.

And there wouldn’t be one with him.

The conflict he felt around her - the push and pull between wanting to be with her and wanting to protect himself by keeping his distance - would ultimately only end one way.

The pain of losing someone wasn’t worth it. He would never allow himself to get close to her. He would content himself with watching her from afar, or indulging in these brief interactions…but there would be nothing more.

So, he should leave.

“Have you had any luck with the potential serial killer case?” She asked, before he could make his excuses.

He shook his head and explained the trouble with tracking the drug.

“That sucks,” she said. She yawned and rested her head against the back of the couch. “I wonder why there was such a long gap between victims this time.”

“Maybe there wasn’t a gap. Maybe we missed one. Or even more than one.” He stared out the window as he let his thoughts flow. He’d been wondering about this exact thing. “But if we didn’t…there are only a couple of reasons why a serial killer would pause their activities. Either they move out of state, or they go to prison for something else. They can’t stop any other way. Its a compulsion for them.”

Beth was silent, so he glanced back at her.

She was asleep.

He smiled ruefully. Hopefully the late hour was to explain…rather than him boring her into unconsciousness. Either way, it was nice knowing that she felt comfortable enough around him to let her guard down.

Being careful not to wake her, he gathered his discarded armour and let himself out the window.

He took one last glance at her sleeping figure…then descended back into the night.

———

“No.”

“It’s just one dinner.”

“I said, ‘No’, Alfred.”

“You said you would give my plan a go.”

“Yeah, when I thought I’d just be photographed at a party or heading into a nightclub. I didn’t think I’d have to go on a date with a complete stranger.”

“Lolade Musa is one of the most famous supermodels on the planet. She’s hardly a stranger.”

“She’s a stranger to me.”

“But not to the paparazzi. Or the gossip rags. Or the public. If you’re seen out with her, it’ll be a major sign that Bruce Wayne is well and truly leaving his reclusive past behind.”

“And a non-recluse dating a supermodel couldn’t possibly be Gotham’s mysterious masked vigilante.”

“That’s the idea.”

Bruce saw the merit in Alfred’s plan, but spending the evening on a fake date felt like a waste of his time right now. He had a plan for hunting down the serial killer and he wanted to run with it. It was actually his conversation with Beth the other night that had sparked the idea. Instead of trying to track the drug, he was going to track the killer - by assuming he’d either been in prison, or out of state for the past year.

Step 1 was checking national databases for similar crimes.

Step 2 was checking all prison inmates released in the last few months for backgrounds in pharmaceutical training or drug manufacturing.

It would be tedious and time consuming work. So he needed to get started now. “Alfred, I can’t go tonight. I need to start these searches-“

“I can do that, and I’ll fill you in when you get back.”

Bruce glared at his butler for a few long moments, but relented. His shoulder was still healing, so he couldn’t suit up tonight. And Alfred was right - he could manage the searches easily enough.

"If I go, I need you to do something else for me. There's a kid I want you to track down - name's George Ryan. 12 or 13 years old. Lives near the Deacon's patch."

"Do I get to know why?" Alfred asked, after jotting down the information.

"I just want to know what his story is. See if there's a way to help him. Financially or something."

Alfred stared at him for a few moment, a look of cautious hope on his face. "So you're finally starting to see the good you can do out of that suit."

"I'm not in the mood for another lecture, Alfred," he said, wearily.

"Okay," he replied. "Back to tonight - the date has been arranged with Miss Musa’s publicist, and I’ve made reservations at Chez Vous for 8pm.”

Bruce sighed, resigned to putting in some work salvaging Bruce Wayne’s reputation. Which apparently involved having dinner with a beautiful woman.

“Who knows,” Alfred called out, as Bruce went to get changed, “Maybe you’ll even have fun!”

He didn’t.

Lolade was beautiful. As beautiful as she was ambitious. She was keen to boost her profile in America, so the date was as much a ruse for her as it was for him. She went through the motions for the cameras - smiling widely as he greeted her at the restaurant; touching his arm occasionally during dinner; kissing him on the cheek before getting into her car - but there was no attempt at real conversation.

And that suited him just fine. This charade was a means to an end. And he didn’t want those means to involve leading-on unsuspecting women.

As Bruce waited for his car, he stared back at the restaurant, at the ‘real’ couples seated by the window. The lit candles on the tables caught the laughter on their faces, the clasped hands, the loving smiles…

And he had a moment of wondering what it would be like. To not be consumed by this drive to make the city a better, safer place. To be able to pause every now and then and enjoy life.

To have the courage to open his heart to someone, and share a life with them.

A few months ago, such thoughts would have brought Selina to mind. But could he really have shared his life with her? She didn’t seem to understand why he did what he did as Batman. And based on her pointed remarks about privilege, she was unlikely to want much to do with Bruce Wayne.

It was different with Beth. He could imagine sitting at one of those tables with her. The conversation would be effortless. He would smile as she teased him, and she would blush when he told her how beautiful she looked…

“Here you go, Mr. Wayne.” The valet handed Bruce his car keys, interrupting his ‘What if?’ moment.

“Thank you,” he mumbled, climbing into the vintage Corvette. He merged onto the main road and accelerated quickly, desperate to get back to Wayne Tower.

And away from the fantasy.

———

“I think I have something.”

“On our serial killer?”

Bruce handed Gordon the file and summarised the findings. “Yeah. Patrick James Newsome. 27 year old. He was a chemistry major but dropped out of college his sophomore year when his twin brother died. After that, he got a couple of blue collar jobs but had trouble staying employed - apparently he ‘doesn’t work well with others’. He got in some trouble trying to make ends meet and was incarcerated for robbery last year. He was paroled three months ago.”

Gordon nodded as he skimmed the contents of the file. “Sounds promising.”

After more than a week of painstaking research, Bruce had come across Newsome in the list of newly-released inmates from the Gotham State Penitentiary. He had the science background, and the timing of his incarceration fit with the murders. He even had the right psychological profile.

He was definitely a promising suspect.

More than promising; Bruce was sure it was him.

He’d studied his photographs for hours and had even followed him home last night, wanting to see him in the flesh. There was a coldness in his eyes, and an intensity that radiated off him…it unnerved Bruce.

He was sure it was him.

He told Gordon as much.

“You may be right,” Gordon responded. “Like I said, I trust your instincts. But we need more to go on. We’ll start surveillance and try to get a warrant.”

Bruce nodded, frustrated at the slow pace of the investigation. He was itching to break into Newsome’s place and confirm his suspicions…but he knew things had to be done by-the-book from here on out. He didn’t want to risk Newsome getting off on a technicality down the line.

Luckily, the extra evidence came just a couple of days later, when the GCPD officer tailing Newsome caught him buying a supply of one of the drug’s ingredients.

It was enough to convince a judge to issue a warrant, and Bruce turned up to Newsome’s house just as the police descended to execute the search.

“You shouldn’t be here, man,” Gordon said apologetically when he caught sight of him. “The judge specifically said you weren’t to be involved. The DA’s office is getting antsy about you potentially compromising cases going to trial.”

“I’m just here to watch.”

Gordon sighed and shook his head. “Its bullshit anyway. You helped us take down The Riddler, and you practically served up Newsome on a platter. They should be thanking you.”

Bruce shrugged. He wasn’t after recognition. He just wanted to make sure Newsome was put behind bars.

Gordon left Bruce standing across the street, out of the glare of the streetlight, and marched towards the front door. Newsome’s house - technically his grandparent’s old house which they they left to him in their will - was a slightly run down semi-detached on a crowded cul-de-sac. The back yard melted into an overgrown wooded area which spanned the length of the street. The silhouettes of trees loomed behind the houses either side of Newsome’s, the green of their leaves washed to grey in the low evening light.

Gordon banged on the front door and announced himself. “This is GCPD. We have a warrant to search the premises. Open up.”

There was no response.

Just as the cops were preparing to break down the door, Bruce caught a flash of movement on the roof of the house. A figure was emerging from the skylight.

“He’s on the run!” Bruce yelled, but Newsome was already in motion - he jumped across the narrow gap between his house and his neighbour’s and landed on the roof. Bruce ran along the street, following him as he leapt from house to house. His peripheral vision caught Gordon and the other officers also in pursuit.

Suddenly, Newsome changed direction and jumped down behind the house at the tip of the cul-de-sac.

He vanished from sight.

Bruce cursed. He quickly swerved to run along the gap between that house and the next, and jumped the fence. He landed in a crouch in the back yard and watched as Newsome entered the woods. He gave chase, his cape snapping behind him.

Grabbing the flashlight from his belt, Bruce swung the powerful light side-to-side as he ran through the dense, dark thicket, hoping for a glimpse of Newsome. The crunching of feet over dry branches and the shouts from the pursuing officers drowned out Newsome’s steps, so he had to rely on sight.

There!

A glimpse of Newsome’s red checked shirt disappearing behind the large oak just ahead.

Bruce sped up, but just as he reached the oak, a gunshot rang out from that direction. He quickly ducked down and switched off the light.

Another shot fired. And two more.

Bruce heard a pained sound from behind him. One of the cops had been hit.

“You’re surrounded, Newsome!” An officer called out. “We have more cops on the highway beyond these woods. There’s no escape. So come out with your hands up.”

Bruce crept to the right, trying to come around Newsome’s flank while he was distracted by the cops. He edged closer, step-by-step, until Newsome came into sight. His back was pressed flat against a large tree trunk and he was resting his weight on one foot. He must have injured himself; that was why he’d stopped running and started shooting.

His gun was clenched in his hands, the barrel aimed at the sky, and he panted softly with exertion.

“Newsome!” The officer called again. He sounded closer now.

Another sound was also getting closer - the whomping of a helicopter’s blades. Bruce looked up and saw the nearing aircraft, the massive search light attached beaming down and lighting up the woods ahead.

Newsome saw it too. And Bruce caught the moment he realised he was well and truly trapped. He squeezed his eyes closed and slowly tilted the barrel of the gun until it rested in his mouth.

He was going to shoot himself.

Bruce couldn’t let that happen - not when there were so many unanswered questions surrounding this case.

He quickly detached one of the knives from his chest and threw it at Newsome. The blade sank into his forearm, causing him to cry out and stumble away from the protection of the tree trunk. The sudden movement startled the cops. “Freeze!” several of them yelled, their guns up as they advanced on the killer.

“Don’t shoot!” Bruce called, but it was too late. Seeing his chance for death-by-cop, Newsome raised his weapon…and several guns fired in response. Bruce ran in front of the fire, his suit deflecting the bullets. “Stop firing!”

When the bullets stopped, he whirled to face Newsome, who was now sprawled on the ground, a red bloom spreading from the wound in his chest.

Newsome smiled up at him, blood staining his teeth from where it bubbled up from his chest. “Now you’ll never find her…” he whispered in a sing-sing voice.

Bruce stared in horror, as Newsome’s eyes closed and he went limp.

----

CHAPTER 6

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Taglist: @hollandorks @grunge-n-roses5 @xmxrfx @neptunesands @caramelcandescence @blossomedfloweroflove @wanderdreamer

If anyone else wants to be added, let me know!

#The Batman #Batman #The Batman 2022 #Battinson #Battinson fic #The Batman 2022 fic #Batman fic #bruce wayne/original character #bruce wayne/oc #batman/original character #batman/oc #My fic #Just Breathe

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