Character Showcase - The Bride

In my upcoming release “A Loveliness of Ladybirds”, Detective Inspector Ptolemy (“Tolly”) Deverell has another strange case on his hands. It’s Spring 1894 and the detective ---seconded to Yorkshire from Scotland Yard just that previous autumn -- is still settling in and getting to know the community. He doesn’t even have a proper place to stay yet, as he divides his time between a cold room in a boarding house and a makeshift bed in his office at the police station. But he is slowly making friends – among them, Miss Lucy Greenwood, cake creator extraordinaire and local businesswoman.

Together they are about to embark on a case that begins with the two of them on opposing sides. In fact, it seems likely to put a stop to their fledgling friendship before it’s barely got off the ground.

On the other hand, it might just bring them even closer together. After all, as one wise character says, “It takes steel and stone to make a spark”.

“A Loveliness of Ladybirds” – A Bespoke Novel, will be available at all the best online bookstores on July 5^th.

Today, please enjoy the first character showcase to introduce the story.

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THE BRIDE

Known to her friends as “Edie”, Edina Meridies is a governess, who has done well for herself by marrying a baronet – Sir Buxton Leopold Augusto Aurelianus Hardwicke.  

The daughter of a seamstress, Edie was a charity pupil at the school they all attended as girls. Her school fees were paid by a wealthy family, who sponsored her education. Since Lucy was in a similar position at the school and she too came from the working class (her mother being a cook), the two girls had formed a friendship that lasted for the four years Lucy spent there. They were also befriended by two other girls from Yorkshire – Matilda and Clara—who, although being from wealthier, upper class families, were singled out and teased too for their northern accents. The four girls became “The Yorkshire Puddings”, forming a bond that endured even when they all went their separate ways after school. Over the years since then, they have kept in touch, off and on, through letters.

Edie’s wedding is the first time they have all been together in a dozen years.

But her three old school friends have mixed feelings about the groom. Sir Buxton is much older than Edie. As a dull politician, very fond of his own voice, he has not particularly impressed any of her bridesmaids. They know that Edie is very romantic and spends many hours reading novels of dashing, brooding heroes and their starry-eyed heroines. How can she find happiness with a man so very far from those romantic heroes of fiction? Can she be entirely sure that this is the right choice?

But demure, sweet-natured and delicate, Edie was engaged ten years ago and that ended in tragedy. Her friends, therefore, must put aside their doubts and hope that this time she has found happiness – and love-- at last.

Lucy is not only a bridesmaid, but she was hired to provide the wedding cake too, so she must hope for good fortune in this match. And somehow she must ignore that chill creeping up the back of her neck, warning her that not all is as it seems. Her friend could be in danger from more than an ill-suited match, but is it her place to say so?

Edie seems content with her choice and everybody says that at least she will be rich now. But will she? Lucy has yet to receive a payment for her wedding cake and one of the other bridesmaids found an unpaid bill pinned to her gown. And will they ever get around to serving the food at the wedding breakfast? Lucy has been looking forward to a feast all morning and when she's hungry she's never in the best of moods.

What can possibly be holding up the lobster salad? 

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Image: The Wedding Dress by Thomas Benjamin Kennington, 1889)