Lady
Elinor's Escape
by
Linda
McLaughlin
Summary
Lady Elinor Ashworth always longed for adventure, but when she runs
away from her abusive aunt, she finds more than she bargained for. Elinor fears
her aunt who is irrational and dangerous, threatening Elinor and anyone she
associates with. When she encounters an inquisitive gentleman, she accepts his
help, but fearing for his safety, hides her identity by pretending to be a
seamstress. She resists his every attempt to draw her out, all the while
fighting her attraction to him.
There are too many women in barrister Stephen Chaplin’s life, but he
has never been able to turn his back on a damsel in distress. The younger son
of a baronet is a rescuer of troubled females, an unusual vocation fueled by
guilt over his failure to save the woman he loved from her brutal husband. He
cannot help falling in love with the secretive seamstress, but to his dismay,
the truth of her background reveals Stephen as the ineligible party.
Interview with character
Stephen Chaplin by author Linda McLaughlin
I recently
visited barrister Stephen Chaplin, Esquire at his offices in London’s Lincoln’s
Inn to interview him from Lady Elinor's Escape.
LM: Mr. Chaplin,
thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me. Can you tell me a bit about
yourself? For instance, are you originally from the London area?
SC: No, my
family is from Lincolnshire. I grew up on a small estate with my elder brother
and my younger sister, Olivia.
LM: Where
did you attend university?
SC:
Cambridge, of course. The men of my family have done so for several
generations. Then I came to Lincoln’s Inn to read for the law.
LM: Did
you always want to be a barrister?
Not as a
child, of course. Boys always have dreams of being brave warriors or finding
one’s fortune at sea. But Father said I wasn’t cut out for the military--not
obedient enough--though he thought I would do well in Parliament, since I
seemed to enjoy arguing.
LM: You
do think for yourself. What do you like most about the legal
profession?
SC: I find it most gratifying when the law and justice align, which
doesn’t always occur. Many of our laws are unnecessarily harsh, and I’d like to
do something about that one day. In the meantime, I do what I can to help those
in need of protection.
LM: What are your reading tastes?
The Times, of
course; all the London newspapers, for that matter. I rarely have time to read
for pleasure, unlike my sister, Olivia, who devours every Gothic novel she can
get her hands on, no matter how ridiculous. She even has hopes of publishing
her own romantic novel one day. I’ve told her in no uncertain terms that she
may not use my
life experiences as fodder for her novel, or she will be very sorry!
LM: Hmm. What
is the oddest thing that’s ever happened to you?
SC, with a smile: That would have to be the day I met the mysterious
Mrs. Brown, a.k.a. Lady Elinor Ashworth. I was in the West Country, having a
peaceful breakfast when a madwoman in widow’s weeks came bursting through the
door, demanding immediate passage to London. She appeared to be in need, so
naturally I volunteered to assist, not knowing she would disrupt my life,
destroy my peace of mind and make me fall madly in love with her.
If you want to know exactly how Lady Elinor turned Mr. Chaplin’s life
upside down, the answers are in Lady Elinor’s Escape.
Excerpt:
He pulled on tan leather gloves, then
stood and walked toward the lady in black.
“Excuse me, madam, but I could not help overhearing you say that you
must leave for London immediately. Allow
me to introduce myself. Stephen Chaplin,
Esquire, at your service.”
Elinor turned to face the gentleman
who had suddenly appeared. She stared at
him through a haze of black, taking advantage of her veil to get a closer look
at this tall, dark-haired, seemingly well bred gentleman. He was above average height, with finely
chiseled features, and while he could not, strictly speaking, be deemed
handsome, there was something in the intense scrutiny of his light brown eyes
that drew her to him. By the cut of his
bottle green Superfine coat, which emphasized his broad shoulders, but was not
so tight as to hamper movement, and his casually tied neckcloth, she surmised
he was no society dandy.
“How do you do?” she said politely,
extending one black-gloved hand.
“Fine, thank you.”
As he took her hand and bowed over it,
Elinor savored the warmth of his touch for a moment. It had been a long time since someone had
touched her out of kindness. Suddenly
realizing she was clutching his hand, she withdrew hers. He studied her, his gaze seeming to penetrate
the veil, and she could only stand like the veriest lump under his
scrutiny.
“I beg your pardon, madam, but what
did you say your name was?”
“Eli—” Elinor broke off and feigned a
cough, panic bubbling up inside. Her
name. Dear heavens, she needed a new
name. If she told him who she was, he
would never agree to take her to Mimi.
She stared down at the gentleman’s yellow nankeen trousers and shiny
brown boots. “Brown,” she
stammered. “Ellie Brown.”
“Mrs. Brown, may I offer my
assistance? I’m heading for London
myself and would be pleased to convey you as far as Chippenham, where you may
pick up another stage coach.”
Relief flooded through her at his
offer, but could she trust him? No proper young lady rides in a closed
carriage with a gentleman who is not related to her. The words of her governess rang in her
ears. “I do not think—”
“Of course, you are cautious,” he
interrupted smoothly. “Any genteel lady
would hesitate to trust a strange gentleman.”
“But I am not a lady,” she
blurted. If Aunt Sarah learned that a
‘lady’ had been here, she would know where to look for her. “I am merely a seamstress.”
“Really,” he drawled, doubt evident in
his tone.
“Yes, I have a position awaiting me in
London.” She was surprised, and a bit
uncomfortable, at how easily the lies flowed from her lips, but they were
necessary.
“Then you had best accept my offer,
lest your position go to someone else.
Miss Wainwright can vouch for me.
We traveled here together from London.
Nancy,” he called out. “Over
here.”
A young serving woman who was
obviously in the family way approached them.
“What can I do fer ye, Mr. Chaplin?”
“I have offered to convey Mrs. Brown
to London, but she is not sure I can be trusted.”
Nancy giggled. “Oh, ma’am, ye’ve naught to fear. Mr. Chaplin’s the finest gentleman I’ve ever
met. And we gets quite a few gents here
at the Horse and Cart.”
“Yes, I expect you do.” And not all of them honorable, Elinor thought
with a glance at Miss Wainwright’s
belly.
Elinor pondered her choices. It was either Stephen Chaplin in a closed
carriage or back to Aunt Sarah’s cottage where, at best, she would be locked in
her bedroom after today’s escapade. And
at worst...
She remembered Aunt Sarah’s pistol and
promptly made up her mind. Stephen
Chaplin was undoubtedly the lesser of two evils.
“Very well, sir, I accept your
escort.”
“Would you care for some breakfast
first?”
The inn was warm and she’d like
nothing better than to settle near the fire and break her fast. Her stomach felt like it was stuck to her
backbone, but she shook her head, afraid to stay a moment longer.
Scant minutes later, Mr. Chaplin led
her outside to a closed traveling carriage standing in the inn yard. He must be a gentleman of some means, she
mused, to have his own carriage. He
supervised the loading of their luggage then held out his hand to help her into
the carriage. As she stepped up, the
wind caught her veil and blew it upwards.
For a second she had a clear glimpse of his startled face.
He had seen the bruise.
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BIO
Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of history fostered by her
paternal grandmother and an incurable case of wanderlust inherited from her
father. She has traveled extensively within the United States and has visited
Mexico, Canada, & Australia. A lifelong dream came true with a trip to
England where she was able to combine sightseeing and theater with research for
her novels. A native of Pittsburgh, she now lives in Southern California with
her husband. Linda writes historical and Regency romance. She loves
transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the
journey of life, love is the sweetest reward.
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