Forbidden: The Last Scandalous Woman of the Ton!

Nicola here! Tomorrow sees the official publication of Forbidden, the last in my Scandalous Women of the Ton series (although the book has been sighted online and in various retailers already!) It’s been huge fun to write this series and I can’t quite believe that it’s over. I started with the idea – inspired by my research – that during the Regency period there were many women doing extraordinary and exciting things such as travelling and working for a living which would also have been considered scandalous at the time. I also threw in some more “conventional” scandals – a heroine who had been divorced and now, in this final book, a pretender.

The Tichborne Claimant

There have been pretenders to titles for as long as there have been titles. There have been pretenders to thrones: Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be (and may well have been) Richard Plantagenet the younger son of King Edward IV. One of my favourite books, Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey, deals with a young man who claims to be the long lost son of a family who thought that he was dead. On Friday, Wench Jo blogged about a different sort of pretender, Princess Caraboo. And there is the case of the Tichborne claimant, which was the case that inspired me.

Roger Tichborne was born in 1829, the eldest son of Sir James Tichborne. In 1854 the ship he was sailing on to the West Indies foundered and it was presumed that all on board were lost. Roger was declared dead and his younger brother inherited the title. Roger’s mother, however, was certain that her son was still alive and placed advertisements in the national and international press seeking information about her son. Eventually in 1866 a man contacted Lady Tichborne from Australia, claiming to be Roger. He said that he had been rescued from the wreck, taken to Australia, where he had become a postman and a butcher. His story seemed very unlikely but was given credence by the fact that Roger Tichborne had suffered from a genital malformation and so did the claimant. Lady Tichborne was certain that he was her lost son.

“Roger” came to England with his wife and child and set out to prove his case in the courts. In both a civil and subsequent criminal trial he was identified not as Roger Tichborne but as Arthur Orton (pictured on the right) son of a ship’s victualler from Wapping. You can read more about the case here. Roger/Arthur ended up as a celebrity and a music hall act!

Would you like to win the lottery?

In Forbidden, Margery isn’t really a pretender to the Earldom of Templemore because she never sets out to claim it for herself. It is other people who identify her as the heir. In fact in the first twist to the story Margery is actually pretty happy with her life as it stands – she may be a maidservant but she is a senior one and she has plans to open a confectioner’s shop when she has saved enough money. One of the ideas I enjoyed playing with was that perhaps being the most sought-after heiress in the Ton isn’t all a bed of roses. Some people have suggested to me that it’s unrealistic that Margery wouldn’t be thrilled to discover she’s granddaughter to an Earl but I’m not sure it’s so straightforward. To me it’s a similar thing to winning the lottery. Yes, it would be great in some ways but it would change your life completely and not all of that would necessarily be good. In Margery’s case as well she had so much more freedom as a maidservant that she does as a closely-chaperoned heiress. Suddenly she is a Regency celebrity, a Cause Celebre, the heiress who has come back from the dead. It’s a huge shock to someone who is a very private person, who has grown up in a close-knit family which turns out not to be her family at all. I think that would be an enormous adjustment for anyone to make and there would be times when you would wish you could just go back to the way things used to be.

 The Fairy Tale

There is also a fairy tale element in the transformation of a maidservant into a Cinderella and I had a lot of fun with Margery’s new wardrobe and all the other trappings of her new life. I gave her a beautiful country house to live in, based on Buscot Park (in the picture) packed full of priceless objects. Margery doesn’t care for it too much because it feels like a mausoleum to her. There’s a twist in the fairy tale, though: in becoming the heiress, Margery displaces Henry, her very own Prince Charming, because he was heir to the estate until she was found. So as her fortunes rise, Henry’s fall. I liked that Henry paid the price for Margery’s social rise (maybe I just enjoy making my hero’s life as difficult as possible!) and Margery's wealth and Henry's fall become a big stumbling block in their relationship because Henry is not the sort of man who wants to appear a fortune hunter.

 A note on titles

I'm expecting some comments along the lines of "a woman can't inherit a British title - can she?" because this does confuse some readers. I made Margery heiress to a title that could be inherited in the female line. Most British titles “remainder” as it is called to male heirs (hence the whole inheritance plot at the centre of Downton Abbey) but it is entirely possible for a woman to inherit if that has been agreed when the title was originally established. In this case a title would pass to a female heir if a peer has daughters but no sons (or in this case, a granddaughter.) Again Wench Jo give more information here.

 To add to the confusion, Margery’s real name is Lady Marguerite and she has the prefix of “lady” because her father was a French Count and so as a courtesy she is granted the same title as the daughter of an Earl would have. Phew!

  Here’s an extract from Forbidden:

“Thank you for your kindness,” she said quickly, “but there was no need-” She stopped abruptly as Henry took her hand. Her breath caught in her throat. Her pulse fluttered.

“No need to see you again?” He said softly. His thumb brushed her gloved palm and she shivered.  She felt hot and melting, trembling on the edge of something sweet and dangerous. “But perhaps,” Henry said,  “I am here by choice. Perhaps I am here because I wanted to see you.”

Margery closed her eyes against the seduction of his words. She wondered if she had run mad. Maybe there would be a full moon tonight to account for her foolishness. For she knew she was being very, very foolish.  There was nothing more imprudent than a maidservant who succumbed to wicked temptation and a rake’s charm. Margery knew exactly what Granny Mallon would say. She could hear her grandmother’s words as clearly as though she was standing there.

“You mark my words, my girl. You’re asking for trouble and you’ll get all you ask for and more.”

Trouble. She knew exactly the sort of trouble that might take place between a man and a woman and it had never tempted her before. Now she craved it.

Her life had always been busy but somehow it had lacked excitement. All the adventures had happened to other people. She had merely watched. But tonight felt different. For a little while at least she was having a small adventure of her own and she was going to enjoy it. She would be careful. And she would make sure she did not get into trouble no matter how tempted she might be.

She took the arm that Henry offered her and they started to walk again, more slowly this time, her hand tucked confidingly into the crook of his elbow. She had thought it would feel like walking with Jem or another of her brothers. She could not have been more wrong. Even through the barrier of her glove she could feel the smoothness of Henry’s sleeve beneath her fingers and beneath that the hardness of muscle. The sensation distracted her; she realised that Henry had asked her a question and that she had failed to answer.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I asked where we were going.” Henry sounded amused, as though he had guessed the cause of her disturbance. She blushed to imagine that he knew the effect he had on her.

“I am going to Bedford Square Gardens.” Margery said. She hesitated and cast him a shy glance at him from beneath her lashes. “I suppose you may accompany me if you wish.”

He slanted a smile down at her and her wayward heart did another little skip. “That,” he said, “would be entirely delightful. Do you go there often?”

“As often as I have an evening free and good weather,” Margery said.

“Alone?” Henry said.

“Of course I go alone,” Margery said. “It is only a step. I am not going to sit inside on a beautiful evening because I lack a suitable escort.”

Henry’s lips twitched. “How very practical of you,” he murmured. “I hope that you are not troubled by importunate men when you are out alone.”

Margery looked at him. “Only tonight,” she said dryly.

His smile was rueful. “Touché,” he said.

“It is not a problem because I do nothing to draw attention to myself,” Margery said. “A maidservant is nothing more than a fool if she does. Besides-” She stopped on the edge of further confession. It seemed fatally easy to confide in Mr Henry Ward.

Henry looked at her. “What is it?” He asked.

Margery blushed. “Oh, it is nothing.”

“You were going to say that no one notices you,” Henry said. “But I do. I see you.”

They had stopped walking, though Margery had not realised. “How did you know?” She demanded. “How did you know I was going to say that?”

Henry smiled. He put his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her face up to his. Margery met his eyes and felt fear as well as excitement shimmer down her spine. There was something in his expression that was as bright and hot and searing as on the night in the brothel. She shivered.

“You are always trying to hide,” Henry said quietly, “but you cannot hide from me. I noticed you from the first.”

I am offering a copy of Forbidden to one commenter between now and midnight Tuesday. The question: How would you feel if your life changed overnight as Margery’s does – if you inherited a fortune, won the lottery or became a celebrity? What would you do with your new-found money or fame? Or would you prefer your life to stay just as it is?

Comments

[Tin]

I'm happy with my life as it is so I'd probably be afraid if my life changed as quickly as Margery's did --

I'd probably take a day or ten to process the new changes before making any decisions. ^_^

[Nicola Cornick]

Thanks, Tin! I do think it's nice to be happy with your lot and I imagine a sudden change would hit most people for six. Good idea not to make any sudden decisions!

[Kate]

A little more money would be helpful in my situation, but a lot of money would be a challenge. I would work to put most of it in charity. It would be stunning and would take a lot of thought and prayer to figure out how to deal with it.

[Katie R.]

I think that kind of changes comes with a lot of pressure- pressure to make the most of your new opportunities and to not fail when you have been given all the tools to succeed. It makes life complicated in a totally new way. In some ways, it would be great to wake up one morning and have your fortunes made. At the same time, there is something inspirational and motivational about knowing that you are responsible for everything that comes to you and that every day is a chance to make the difference in your own life.

[Susan/DC]

I'm not sure how I'd react to find out that I won the lottery or that I'm the long-lost heir to a title, but I think it would be interesting to find out. I think it's almost easier to just inherit/win money, because how much you change your life remains within your control. But to inherit a title and all of the responsibilities and expectations that go with it would be far harder. Without a lifetime of training, I'm not sure I'd discharge those responsibilities as well as I'd like (but if I had a handsome steward to help, I'd be very grateful).

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Kate! Yes., I would think that a huge sum of money all at once would be a big responsibility to deal with. I love the idea of setting up a charity if I won lots of money!

[Nicola Cornick]

That's a very thought-provoking idea, Katie. Whilst it must be wonderful in some ways to have your financial problems solved ten times over by winning the lottery there is something inspiring about making a difference anyway, regardless of your circumstances.

[Nicola Cornick]

LOL, Susan, a handsome steward would be a big bonus! Very good point that having to assume the responsibilities of a title and estate would bring a whole new dimension of challenge. Growing up in that environment would help but it must have been like being the boss of a big company!

[joanna bourne]

Win the lottery? Discover I'm the long lost heir of a billionaire?

I'd be like your Margaret -- not particularly thrilled. I'd rather have the joy of building my own business and a close family than be dragged off to live amongst strangers in an alien environment.

Would I ever fit into a new life? One suspects King Cophetua's beggar maid sometimes snuck out at dawn and took her silk slippers off and ran barefoot in the grass.

There's a scene in the musical My Fair Lady where Liza, dressed as a lady, comes back to Covent Garden and nobody knows her. She doesn't fit in any more.

Your maidservant would be the same. She'd change so much she could never go back. Seems to me it's only love that could make her 'at home' in her new life.

[Beebs]

While I think it would be lovely not to have to worry about money, I find it hard to imagine winning a huge life changing amount.

I would probably take some time to absorb the change and then set about making life easier for family and friends.

Although I always told my boys that if I ever won the lottery I'd be on the first plane leaving Dublin for somewhere warm and sunny and I'd call them when I got there. :)

[Elizabeth H.]

Well, I don't know that I would be super happy because with all that wealth, I would get a whole bunch more problems. I would probably be happy though because then I could be debt free, take care of my son's future and buy all the books I want!!
Thanks for the giveaway!!

[anne m]

I would move out of hicktown to a big city, NYC or Montreal :) I would travel, pay all my nieces and nephews college tuition and I would probably adopt a few more dogs :)

[Kai W.]

My life would remains the same. I would , of course, would get a beach front propery and travel a bit more.

[Nicola Cornick]

Joanna, you sound just like my heroine in Forbidden! There was even a scene where she took off those gold slippers and ran barefoot through the grass! One of the things I enjoyed exploring most was the idea that she didn't belong as a maid any more but she didn't really fit into her new world either. Luckily she had Henry to help her carve out a new path.

[Nicola Cornick]

LOL, Beebs! I think one of the nicest aspects of coming in to a lot of money would be the stuff you could do for your family and friends. Spending a bit of time coming to terms with it all is a very sound idea.

Thanks, Elizabeth! Yes, there is always a huge benefit in being able to buy all the books you could want!

[Nicola Cornick]

I'm with you on the dog adoption, Anne! That would be lovely. Definitely agree with Kai on the beachfront property as well...

[Kestrel]

I like to joke that I don't play the lottery because I have such bad luck I would probably get a letter in the mail stating I OWED money rather than receiving it, but it would certainly be nice to have a sudden windfall. I've got three kids to put through college somehow after all!
I think the best thing about winning the lottery would be having time to focus on just my writing, rather than having to worry about paying bills and committing to a job I'm not truly happy with. Although, I would probably have to open my own coffee shop or something just to have something else to keep me busy and teach my sons the value of work.
I also have a woman inheriting a title in my WIP, in her case, it is an old title, a 'barony by writ' which is inheritable by a woman (with stipulations) in the event there are no male heirs. It's not exactly a lottery win, since there is no property attached to the title, but it does give her some prestige and a bit more to bargain with when it comes to searching for a spouse.
I like the Cinderella aspect of your story, it sounds like it will be a fun read!

[CateS]

I would be happy with the lottery [at least in my state, you don't have to be identified - although I'm sure the lottery people would prefer it]and I've always felt kinda sorry for those people who find themselves suddenly famous - the loss of privacy would be hard. But with lottery money, I'd love to be able to have more $ for good causes out there..

[Anne Gracie]

Oh, I'd love to win the lottery, and I know exactly what I'd do. I'd buy a new house - one by the sea, and I'd head off on a long trip, making for London first, and then Paris and after that... the world. Or possibly I'd live in Paris for a while — Eloisa James's Paris book has infected me with the desire to live there for a year or so—and I'd have my friends from various parts of the world come and visit me there.

I'm at the stage of life where I could up stakes without too much disruption. My work travels with me, and the money would smooth the way. My only problem is that I never buy lottery tickets, so I very much doubt it'll happen. LOL

[Donna]

A bit more money might be nice, but certainly isn't essential as I'm quite happy with my life as is. And what makes me happy in this life has nothing to do with money. As my father used to say, "No pockets in shrouds."

[Barbara Elness]

If I came into money, my life would definitely change in some ways, but I'd certainly work hard to not let it go to my head. I would think of ways to help others as well as make smart investments, but my life wouldn't be all that fundamentally different - I could just afford more books. :D

[Janice]

It depends on how much new wealth the person suddenly gets. $10,000 would improve many people's lives remarkably, whereas $100,000,000 would ruin them utterly.

With 10K people pay some bills, go on a nice trip, fix up the house or whatever. With 100M that they weren't raised & trained to manage, they're lost. They spend unwisely, they try to be generous to their friends and family, only to find often that it creates resentment and even a sense of entitlement in the beneficiaries. Or they get ripped off by charlatans. They often quit their jobs, and there goes much of their social network. Whatever vices they may have in the way of drink, drugs, etc. take over and the new anxiety makes them sick. Seen some or all of this happen to heirs.

George Clooney had some great advice in The Descendants - give your kids enough to do something, but not enough to do nothing.

[Na S.]

If my life changed overnight I would first look to see if my love ones are still in it. That way for better or worse I can celebrate and accept my changes. I do like challenges and trying to deal with my new life would be it. I'd be happy with my new found fame but also try to stay lwvel-headed. Congratulations on your release, Nicola!

[Maureen]

If my life changed that drastically overnight I think it would be exciting but also scary. You become someone that people feel free to speculate upon and everyone knows your business.

[Margot]

If I won the lottery, I'd probably spend the rest of my life lying around reading books. (And probably traveling the world, as well.) And buying sparkly things. I have a definite weakness for sparkly things.

Somehow, those don't seem like particularly lofty goals for my life.

[Betty Hamilton]

I would probably see to my adult children and grandchild first. Given enough "windfall" I would want to make sure that they were protected for life. Then I would see if any of my brothers and sisters could use help. After that depending on just how much, I might look to very worthy causes. Then.... travel!! ...first to those places in the US that I have wanted to visit and haven't been to... yet. Then outside of the US. I do love to travel!!

[Bboo04]

I would try to put most of it in the bank but I would definitely take care of my mom and dad and probably move to Colorado to be closer to my dad and so that he could see his grandson.

[Melanie Rovak]

I would try to put most of it in the bank but I would definitely take care of my mom and dad and probably move to Colorado to be closer to my dad and so that he could see his grandson. Sorry I doubled posted I didn't think the first one by Bboo04 worked but I didn't see a way to delete one.

[Artemisia]

Win lottery. (1) Call broker (2) Call security company (3) Call lawyer (4) Pay off mortgage (5) Hire housekeeper (6) Go to DisneyWorld (7) Buy custom-made shoes (7b) in Italy.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Kestrel! I like the sounds of the "barony by writ" element in your story. I love all the ramifications around obscure titles and inheritance!

CateS, I agree, the loss of privacy must be hard for lottery winners who "come out" about their prizes. I've always thought it must be difficult for those who want to keep quiet - if they give money to family and friends *their* friends and relatives will be asking where it came from and they won't be able to say. Might give rise to the rumour that you had robbed a bank!

[Nicola Cornick]

Anne - travel, definitely! And the house by the sea. I don't buy lottery tickets either and yet I still dream...

Donna, your father was so right!

Barbara, can't you just imagine that moment when you walk into the book store and know there need be no limit on your spending... Wow!

[Diane P. Diamond]

If I won the lottery, there are a lot of things that I would do. Firstly, I would help out members of my family. Secondly, I would give money to animal charities, so as they can continue to do all the good that they are doing. Lastly, I would buy myself a home, back in my beloved England. I could then move home and live out my life in peace and tranquility. :-)

Congratulations on your new release Nicola.

[Nicola Cornick]

That is very good advice, Janice. I think it's great to give away enough money to enable people to do their own thing without changing their lives too radically.

Good point, Na. I think one of Margery's problems in the book is that she gets a whole new family - and doesn't like most of them! And loses the family she thought she had. With friends and family by your side you can tackle most things, I think. Lucky she finds Henry!

[Nicola Cornick]

I agree it could be extremely scary as well as exciting, Maureen.

Margot, travelling, reading and buying sparkly things may not sound that lofty (although it doesn't sound too bad to me!) but there could be a lot of good as well as a lot of fun in it!

Betty, I think having the freedom tot ravel the world would be an amazing thing!

[Nicola Cornick]

What a lovely idea, Melanie. *I think anything that can benefit the whole family can only be a good use of the cash!

LOL, Artemesia, I LOVE your list!

Thank you very much, Diane. What a lovely list of things to have!

[Dee Feagin]

The security of all that money would be lovely, but being a very private person, I would have to worry about the public changes in my life and how my new found wealth would affect my family.

[Kitty]

Having security and peace of mind about old age would be wonderful but other than that I'd keep my life simple and just about the same.

[Valerie L.]

After I buy a home in France and make sure my kids are taken care of I would make sure I had every book I wanted. Then I'd give to charity for children and animals. I'd donate the house we own now to Habitat for Humanity and never look back.

[LouisaCornell]

Nicola, I cannot wait to read this latest in the Scandalous Women series! The series has been such fun to read!

If I won the lottery the first thing I would pay off all of my and my mother's debts so she wouldn't have to worry so much. Then I would take her on a month long holiday to England. She could visit with all of her old friends in the village where we lived and I could spend my time doing research!

I would set up our local animal shelter as a huge no-kill facility with a free spay/neuter clinic and low cost veterinary care clinic on site.

I would have a nice little thatched-roof cottage built on my five acres and I would have the property landscaped as a nice wilderness area with an English garden around the cottage. The largest room in said cottage would be a huge library complete with fireplaces and comfy chairs and a bank of windows or French doors looking over the garden from my desk.

I would quit my horrible day job and do nothing but research and write historical romances interrupted by attendance at writers conferences and trips to Britain for research.

SIGH!

[ELF]

I think that if I won the lottery, I would sneak away and send out gifts anonymously to those I want to help. I would love to travel and would probably visit all of the countries that I will never be able to see otherwise.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Dee! Yes, I think even if you were able to keep the win quiet it might have all sorts of un-imagined effects on your life and privacy. A real double-edged sword.

Kitty, there's something very appealing isn't there about keeping your life as close to normal as possible!

[Nicola Cornick]

Valerie, it's interesting how many of us would buy all the books we wanted (I'd definitely need a house with a purpose-built library!)

ELF I love the idea of secretly giving gifts to people who needed them!

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you so much, Louisa. I am very happy to have enjoyed the series. I think you've covered all bases - books, caring for animals, travel and writing/research. Fabulous!