Character Showcase - Kitty Waddenhoe

In THE PECULIAR FOLLY OF LONG LEGGED MEG our heroine is befriended by a colorful - and sometimes criminal - character who calls herself "Lady" Kitty Waddenhoe. Kitty lives her life on the road, traveling from town to town, charming gentlemen out of their breeches and their silver snuff-boxes whenever possible. She has tried her devious hands at many skills, but likes to call herself an actress. On the Georgian stage she has "whittled herself a profitable career with very little actual talent, a great deal of enthusiasm, a fine bosom, and an ability to spot a lonely gentleman with plump pockets from fifty paces. "

Kitty teaches Meg some valuable survival skills, as well as some useful tips for feminine grooming in the late 18th century.

"Pleasantly scented breath, Meg, is more valuable to a woman than a gold ring on her finger. A woman needs her smile and her bite, so take care of your teeth."

But despite her practical advice, Kitty has a sadly romantic soul, which means she must constantly be falling in love. It is her one weakness. As soon as one man loses his fresh appeal - which always happens before too long - she is anxious to be rid of him, and this often requires the speedy wielding of a chamber pot to the back of his head. Kitty has never learned the art of letting a man down gently.

There are few problems Kitty has never been unable to flirt her way out of and the wisdom she imparts to young Meg will stay with our heroine for years to come. With Kitty's encouragement she learns to walk with pride and purpose, to take up room without apologizing for it. Most of all, Kitty teaches Meg to hold onto her secrets, because, if she sets her mind to it, she can be whatever she wants to become.

"There are some things a lady should never tell, Meg. Her true age, what she will spend for a fine pair of shoes, what she is truly thinking, and where the bodies are buried."

Want to read more? Check out THE PECULIAR FOLLY OF LONG LEGGED MEG on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and all good booksellers.

copyright Jayne Fresina 2017
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(image above "The Love Letter" by Jean Honere Fragonard)