“I believe you have been described to me already, sir! Have you met the Marchioness and Ladies, Verity and Anne, sir?”
They exchanged bows and smiles, three sets of eyebrows raising as one as Tom’s face creased.
“I am pleased to meet you, Mr Andrews, particularly in this place, sir.”
“The pleasure is mine, your Ladyship. I can only regret that this ‘particular place’ has not been honoured as it should have been by the estate in recent years and assure you that, in common with a number of other failings, it will be remedied, ma’am.”
A few more words, bland and meaningless, and they parted, the ladies to an ancient open carriage, Tom to the modern and luxurious confection Rockingham had had built for his own comfort, still bearing a rather ornate – and wholly spurious - coat of arms.
“Lady Verity is the elder of the two girls, Quillerson?”
“Yes, sir – twenty-one or two, I believe. Her sister is just eighteen, and is generally regarded as the prettier of the two, beautiful, in fact.”
“Perhaps, I saw more character in the elder lady’s face, and she seemed a very pleasant, friendly girl.”
“She always has a word for everyone, sir.”
“I thought her very attractive – I am surprised she is not wed. Is she affianced?”
“No portion, sir – she would not come with a thousand pounds, I believe. Besides that, sir, she is said to be educated and intelligent and to possess a quick tongue – the taste is for vapid, simpering misses, sir.”
Tom said no more – she was a tall girl and very well made and her face quite charming – blue eyes that would laugh, high cheek bones and a strong jaw, all under a good forehead and a mass of auburn hair, almost a redhead. A pity that she was far too well-born for him even to talk to – he would otherwise have been very glad to further his acquaintance with her. However, perhaps his wealth and new status might one day allow him to cross the great social divide.
Then he admonished himself for daring to fill his head with such flights of fancy.
# # #
Book Two in the Series
(Available in all ebook formats)
The second ebook in the, ‘A Poor Man at the Gate’ Series’, follows Tom Andrew’s rise to the fringes of political power and social respectability. All seems to be going smoothly until a shady character from his dubious days in New York at the time of The American Revolutionary War, unexpectedly turns up in London. This was never a part of Tom’s plans. Is his past catching up with him, and will it spell disaster for his love life, and political ambitions?
Here’s a short excerpt from the start of Nouveau Riche:
“Thingdon Hall’s new owner, Mr Andrews, is a change from Mr Rockingham, Mama – not, I think, another in his mould, considerably less of the provincial dandy and definitely not handsome!”
“A welcome change, my dear; well turned out, the London touch to that coat, no provincial tailor cut that cloth, and the scar must have been gained in the American war. Mr Telford told Papa that Mr Andrews had been a sailor then and had made a first fortune from prize money.”
The Marchioness seemed inclined to approve of the mushroom, to Lady Verity’s surprise, she had never heard her to be in favour of the lower classes before, particularly when they had so forgotten their place as to possess money.
“Which was very respectable, Mama, but he has since become very rich from mills and things - money-grubbing!”
“So we are told – but he is definitely not a vulgar person in himself – well dressed, correctly spoken, courteous and not bumptiously pushy like Mr Rockingham, the previous owner. Certainly no instant invitation to ‘come and share his mutton’!”
“Mama, he did not!” Lady Verity was scandalised at this revelation of the depths of Rockingham’s uncouthness.
“He certainly did, my dear – your Papa and I passed Mr Rockingham on the road to the village and he waved to us, introduced himself, shook Papa’s hand and told us how pleased he was to meet us, now he need not go to all the fuss and bother of calls and cards and that sort of nonsense! Papa was not pleased, especially when he named Smythe, his agent, to him and expected him to be greeted!”
“I was not at all pleased to be given a very friendly smile by that gentleman, Mama! Mr Andrews has at least removed that particular menace from our society. Ridding the place of Smythe was a godsend”
“Yes, and very quickly – another point in his favour. He is, of course, unwed, and must be in need of a suitable lady for his estate.”
Lady Verity’s eyebrows, and chin, rose in indignation, her shock of auburn hair flowing with her head movement, her normally laughing, blue eyes, glaring in exaggerated outrage.
“He is also nameless, Mama!”
“Quite possibly, my dear – you would certainly not wish to display him in the salons of Mayfair – which you, of course, have never especially enjoyed as an unmarried damsel.”
“Are you by any chance suggesting, Mama, that I might wish to display him anywhere?”
“Verity, my dear, you will not marry at all otherwise, and that would be a pity, for you would like to be a mother, I believe. We have no money, my dear; you have not caught a suitable husband in three Seasons and will not catch one in this Season, so an unsuitable one is well worth considering! The look in his eye said that you would not have to smile twice at him – he certainly liked what he saw!”
Lady Verity was not flattered to be informed that, after Mr Smythe, she was attractive to another very mere ‘mister’, one who dirtied his hands with trade, moreover.
“They say he is worth a million, my dear – that being the case he will be Sir Thomas within a year and could be Baron Andrews in ten, provided he smiles at the right people.”
“And provided they did not faint at first sight of him!”
“Yes, that is a problem, I will admit, my dear – the scars on his face ensure that he will never be awarded the palm for elegance. I will say that I could name you six young ladies of our order, girls known to you, who have made matches with bankers, merchants, even a manufacturer, in the past three years – men of limited charm in most cases and certainly no more handsome than Mr Andrews. I liked the look of the man, I will confess – he seemed both strong and polite, and probably kind-hearted – and I am sure I would love his money!”
“Oh, Mama! Unworthy! He is no gentleman!”
“Not by birth, obviously – he will become whatever his wife makes of him, and his children would be born to the purple, will mix freely in Society. As well, my dear, the benefit to the Family would not be small – your brother Jack wishes to become a soldier when he leaves Harrow this summer, and will have to be content as an ensign of foot in an unknown regiment and to live on a monkey’s allowance. And if Rothwell gambles away any more of our funds there will be no Season for us next year.”
“So, I am to sell myself, Mama?”
Lady Verity was becoming more thoughtful than indignant, she was well aware of the advantages a rich husband could offer and had always known her duty to her family.
“Not at all, my dear – I much hope you will give yourself in marriage to a man you esteem and can live happily with. I will not mention ‘love’, for that is a much overrated emotion, perhaps better suited to the lower orders of society than to us, but affection is another matter. I would recommend you to try to meet and get to know Mr Andrews. If you then find him intolerable, so be it, or, of course, if he finds no great liking for you – the field will then be clear for your sister, Anne.”
Lady Anne had been listening open-mouthed and with a frown on her brow.
“Oh, Mama! I could not! Is he very rich?”
Lady Verity stared with more than normal distaste at her empty-headed, beautiful sister, thinking as so often that she would have killed for hair and skin like hers, and committed suicide if she suddenly gained a brain of her order.
“He is worth a million, my dear.”
“Yes, Mama, so you said. Is that a b
ig number, Mama?”
Nouveau Riche - Book Two: ‘A Poor Man at the Gate Series.’ As a further introductory offer, Book Two is currently heavily discounted on Kindle. Andrew Wareham’s books are also available in all leading ebook stores. Kindle Link: http://getBook.at/Nouveau-Riche
Books by the same author
The Duty and Destiny Series: Published in 2014, these superbly-crafted novel length sea stories are set in the period of the French Revolutionary War (1793 – 1802). The series follows the naval career and love-life of Frederick Harris, the second son of a middling Hampshire landowner, a brave but somewhat reluctant mariner. Amazon - Kindle links to the whole series:
US/worldwide:
http://tinyurl.com/Duty-and-Destiny-Series
UK only:
http://tinyurl.com/Duty-and-Destiny-Series-UK
Author Bio
I graduated from university in 1968 with a degree in Politics, Economics and Economic History, taught Economics and Economic History for ten years, including a spell in Papua New Guinea, got bored and returned to PNG as a trainer and operational police officer. I remained there with my family, still keeping up my interest in Economic History - including Australasia - then worked contracts in the Middle East until my wife's ill-health and eventual death meant setting up a family base in the UK. History, and collecting Victorian glass, my sole hobbies, apart from looking after three St Bernards.
Published in late 2013, The Privateersman was my first published novel. Since then I have written several more books in this series with more planned for publication. The Duty and Destiny Series of books were written earlier, but because of the big interest in the, ‘A Poor Man at the Gate Series,’ my publisher urged me to revise the series for publication. As long as people continue to read my books, I will continue to write about history - a subject close to my heart.
If you have a spare minute, please visit Amazon and write a few words about my book in the review section: Your objective feedback will help other potential readers make informed choices.
Many thanks, Andrew
Amazon-Kindle Review Link: getBook.at/The-Privateersman
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The Privateersman (A Poor Man at the Gate Series Book 1) Page 25
