Authorpreneur Dashboard – Susan Russell Thompson
A Tea Drinker's Novel: Chilverton Park
Literature & Fiction
At the heart of the story of Chilverton Park lies an unusual attachment between the witty and gay, confirmed bachelor about London, Sir Erskine Wald, and his childhood friend, the winsome but delicate daughter of the Earl of Chilverton, Lady Caroline Downey. Lady Caroline earnestly wishes to remain single due to the extreme fatigue of chronic illness. She reveals her intention to Sir Erskine who eventually acknowledges that they have the aim of forgoing marriage in common. But remaining single in Victorian England is an admittedly tricky business. Lady Caroline’s Aunt Clara does not believe that she is ill at all and is determined to oppose her at every step. Aunt Clara begins a program of ill-conceived and ill-natured interference which brings Sir Erskine to Lady Caroline’s aid. In league with his mother, the formidable Mrs. Hortensia Wald, Sir Erskine and Lady Caroline manage to stay above the Victorian era intrigue surrounding them until Aunt Clara finally contrives to corner Lady Caroline in an almost inescapable dilemma. Chilverton Park is a Victorian-style humorous light romance in an historical setting, written in a manner reminiscent of both Trollope and Wodehouse. “It's a beguiling piece of writing that stays in character every minute; I can picture it as an EnglishTV serial” says Beth Bruno, the author of Wild Tulips. “I Thoroughly enjoyed it. Actually, I hated for it to end! All the jockeying for social and romantic positions in the English countryside is fascinating and hilarious.
Book Bubbles from A Tea Drinker's Novel: Chilverton Park
End of a Gossiping Bully
Gossip destroys but my good Mrs. Wald knows how to destroy gossip. In this passage we see Aunt Clara recklessly trying to ruin her niece's happiness by beginning a rumor that there is something amiss with her future husband, Sir Erskine Wald. But his mother, Mrs. Hortensia Wald knows how to handle a bully. Like most bullies, Aunt Clara can not handle being confronted by a stronger personality.
Aunt Clara's deception revealed
Aunt Clara Hilliard has parked herself in Lord Harold's family on the plea of poverty. Here he is informed that he has been deceived. it is probable that Aunt Clara did not intend to positively lie about her inheritance but when her sister and Lord Harold assumed that the nephew would receive the estate, she merely forgot to inform them when it turned out differently. In any case, she has been living very cheaply on Lord Harold for several years.
A brave Victorian author
A prominent character from one of my sub plots, Minnie Stafforth, here reveals to her brother that she is a published author. Although writing was a somewhat respectable vocation for a married woman, it was not well accepted in single women. There were, of course, some single women who were published, but it was not considered an advantage for them in the marriage market.
Erskine's formidable mother
Mrs. Hortensia Wald is without doubt one of my favorite characters in this story. I wish I had made up more scenes with the commanding side of her personality. She will definitely be showing up in my new novel. She is based on the work of actress Elizabeth Spriggs who appeared as one of the Aunt Agatha's in the series Jeeves and Wooster, and also in several episodes of Midsomer Murders. Though Mrs. Wald suspects that her son is gay, in this scene she is still hoping to convince him to marry. His interest in this visit with Lady Caroline's family has Piqued his mother's imagination in that quarter.
Introducing Erskine, my Hero
This is is the first appearance of the hero of the story, Erskine Wald. Erskine is based on an old friend of mine whom I met in College. This passage highlights his wry humor, which is apparent in all his interactions. Although he is gay, he is deeply committed to his female friends and cannot stand by and see one of them defamed. Erskine's compassion is one of the themes throughout the book. He was a delight to write and I hope to see him again in my future stories. I believe he is the one character that I will persist in all my writing.
The villainous Aunt Hilliard
Lady Caroline's aunt, Miss Clara Hilliard, shows her controlling and judgmental personality clearly in this excerpt. She is jealous of the sparkling and independent Mrs. Blackwood and uses her biting tongue to contrive an excuse to keep her out of Lady Caroline's reach. Aunt Hilliard has completely isolated Lady Caroline from her own friends in order to keep her under her control. The character of Aunt Clara Hilliard is based on a member of my own family and I personally experienced many of the interactions that I've written of in Chilverton Park. The female bully with her twisted logic is a character I know well and enjoyed writing.
A chronically ill heroine
Here I introduce my heroine, Lady Caroline, a sincere and humble girl, the daughter of the Earl of Chilverton, and ill with undiagnosed Lyme Disease. I found it very difficult to write her character without too much pathos for a humorous story. But it is one of the themes of the story to treat the victims of chronic illness with compassion and realism instead of the traditional depictions of lazy whiners and malingerers. I must admit that it is a personal matter to me. I had my own bout with Lyme Disease and endured my own doubters and detractors. Some think that Lyme Disease is modern, but it has existed for centuries in small populations so it is not an anachronism in Lady Caroline's case. This chapter also introduces my antagonist, Miss Clara Hilliard. Take note of her. You will be seeing her again in my next bubble.
