The Inconvenient Sister Chapter 1 Part 3

 “Workhouses!?!” the young woman’s voice raised a notch as she turned and focused her ire upon him. “How can you call those factories of death an option? Have you ever been to one? Have you ever worked for those slave masters running them?”

With a smirk, Dante replied, “Have you?” At this, he allowed his eyes to travel down the spotless mauve dress that was of the latest fashion with its over-wide sleeves and lace trim. It parted on top to reveal a light pink floral bodice, came together at the girl’s waist, and then parted again, revealing her deep green petticoat. “You don’t look as if you have visited one today. And although your manners suggest otherwise, I would guess that you have never in your life traveled to the areas of London that house them.”

Beatrice gasped and took a step toward him. “How dare you! I am sure that, despite the fact I am probably young enough to be your daughter, I have visited more of the sections of London in need of Parliament’s help than you.”

Dante’s eyes grew wide. The way this termagant said it, one would think he already had a foot in the grave.

“Beatrice! Shame on you!” Lord Duval stood and slammed his right hand down on the large oaken desk next to him, nearly toppling the globe.

Again, this slip of a girl seemed to best Dante. He longed for a mirror to examine his face for wrinkles but knew that was out of the question. He also would not have a lower peer defending him. He could fight his own battles.

“Well, if that is the case, miss,” he began with slitted eyes, “I must beg your apology. I took you to be a woman old enough to be out. However, if you were, as you say, young enough to be my child, it would mean you are still in the schoolroom. I am surprised your nursemaid would allow an eight-year old to go wandering around the house, interrupting important meetings. In that case, however, I admit that I was in the wrong. As a mature adult, I should have kept my thoughts to myself. After all, it is impossible to argue with children.”

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The Inconvenient Sister Chapter 1 Part 2

 “Oh, Marcus! You must do something about it! There are babies lying dead in the ditch near Fleet!”

“Beatrice! I am in the middle of a very important meeting right now with the–” Marcus chided as he flashed the Duke an apologetic glance.

“—I am very pleased to meet you, sir,” Beatrice interrupted as she dropped a hurried curtsy without taking her eyes off Lord Duval or truly acknowledging the Duke, “but whatever you are discussing is not as important as the fact that poor infants are being abandoned and dying from exposure. In fact,” she suddenly turned on the Duke as if she expected something of him, “if you are one of my brother-in-law’s cohorts in Parliament, it is imperative that you also are made aware of this tragedy so you, too, can aid him in resolving it, sir.”

Dante Francis Seymour Sackville, the Duke of Dorset, almost choked on his tea when the firebrand used “sir” for a second time. Never in his twenty-six years had he been so passed over and slighted. Had he previously mused that such a cut might occur in his lifetime, never would he have imagined that the insult would come from such a captivating agitator. He, after all, was the one noted as being a “good catch” on the marriage mart and an “eternal bachelor.”

Dismayingly, when her gaze had shifted to him as she concluded her tirade, he found himself stifling a foolish grin. There was something about her intelligent eyes that drew him to her. Most young women were quite insipid–their interests lay solely in dresses and balls. This woman apparently cared more for His Majesty’s subjects. Perhaps that is why she did not fret over titles or stray hairs. He found it intriguing and repulsing at the same time.

“Are you listening to me, sir?” The question pulled Dante’s attention away from thoughts of Beatrice’s flaming eyes and what they held, but before he could respond in his more carefully thought-out manner, she had dismissed him with an impertinent sigh and returned to Marcus with her tirade.

Again, the Duke found himself in a new position. He could not remember a single person ever completely dismissing him so easily. The loss of title was a faux pas, but the embarrassment would be on her when she discovered it. However, being ignored pricked his pride deeply. He had been pampered from childhood into believing he was a deft cull even without the title. Most women tended to reinforce this view. He found it disconcerting that this young woman, who had dared to address him without a proper introduction, did not give him a second glance.

“… And I insist Parliament do something about it!”

“Well, my dear,” Dante said, entering the conversation ready to do battle before Marcus could reply, “Parliament has already done something about it. We have plenty of workhouses scattered throughout the city. If these women truly cared for their infants and had no other recourse, they could easily apply to one and receive health care, gainful employment, care and schooling for the child, and three balanced meals each day.” Dante leaned back in his chair to study his opponent, crossing his arms.

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The Inconvenient Sister Chapter 1 Part 1

Chapter 1

1742
London

“Let’s just say, Your Grace, that I think this is a perfect way to move us out of our gin crisis, but it will have to be carefully executed,” Lord Duval, Earl of Berkshire said, smiling as he leaned back in the beige upholstered chair.

The Duke of Dorset appreciated that Lord Duval had done everything possible to make his presentation effective, including holding it in his cozy-but-strictly-business library. A low fire burned on the hearth between the Duke’s chair and the matching one in which Lord Duval sat. To Lord Duval’s right, his desk was clear except for a single candlestick, a small globe, and his writing set. The door leading to the rest of the London townhouse was firmly shut in front of both of them.

“I have to agree,” the Duke replied with the corner of his lip slightly curling upward. “Offering the populace tea as an alternative is ingenious. I also agree that simply lowering the current tax on tea from 119% to only 12.5% will encourage even the commoners to purchase it. Did you come up with this all by yourself, or did you work on it with others in Parliament?” The Duke couldn’t help glancing at the well-stocked bookshelves surrounding them. Lord Duval was a knowledgeable, well-read man—something hard to find among those who had taken their seat in Parliament at a younger age like the two of them had done. He leaned forward and raised a delicately decorated porcelain cup to his strong lips for a sip of the very thing they were discussing.

The Duke kept his black hair like he kept his own estate–neat and well-organized. Unlike other men, who curled the hair on the sides of their face, he tied all his back in a long braid to keep it tidy during any activity he might choose to do on a whim. Even so, the Duke was not prone to whims. That Lord Duval wore his hair neatly in a similar style only made the Earl rise slightly higher in the Duke’s esteem.

When the Duke had first arrived at Lord Duval's townhouse, he had been afraid the Earl would present an idea about yet another tax on gin to fix Britain’s current drinking problem among the masses. It seemed someone approached him nearly every day with that same idea. However, in his opinion as a young history buff, the past had shown that taxes were not the answer. In fact, he had only agreed to meet because Lord Duval had been so helpful on a bill he had proposed last year. The Duke felt that he could not refuse to at least hear the Earl’s idea. He was charmed that this meeting he felt obliged to attend turned to one of pleasure with a fresh idea that had merit. Instead of taxing gin, they would subsidize tea. It would take a while for Parliament to accept a plan to lower taxes and lose any subsequent income from them while increasing money spent to subsidize something, but the government would have to make it up somewhere else. The more the commoners consumed gin, the less work they accomplished and the more the economy suffered.

“I must confess: I am only partially responsible for this plan,” Lord Duval began with a tinge of pride in his voice. “My new sister-in-law—”

A loud commotion began in the hallway and ended with a young lady of perhaps eighteen bursting through the door and interrupting the conversation. Her topaz-colored hair was drifting menacingly out of its cap like a darkening storm cloud, while her blue eyes flashed lightning. The Duke was slightly shocked to see a woman in such disarray and passion, but at the same time, he felt an odd pang of attraction that he quickly brushed aside as mere surprise.

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Visit our new website to see our other books.

Preview The Inconvenient Sister

Starting Wednesday, we will be posting a sneak peak at the entire first chapter of The Inconvenient Sister. You will get to read a little bit of the book each day for the next eight days on here FREE!

The Inconvenient Sister is an inspirational historical romance set in 1742 England. It is the second in the Situations of Inconvenience Series.

It will be on sale on Amazon Monday, September 15, 2025. 

Beatrice

Beatrice is the ever impetuous younger sister. She frequently acts without thinking and sees no reason to control her actions. As a budding reporter, she constantly is looking for her next story, and she wants to improve the situation of the poor.

Beatrice had her own reasons for wanting to go to London during the season, but none of them involve finding a husband. She believes she can find a job as a journalist, but ends up working as an inker in a print shop. She also chooses to look at London's poor and is outspoken about her desire to change things for them. She purchases from street vendors and helps those who cross her path if she can.

Because of her work, Beatrice is often seen in her working dress with ink stains on her hands. She is also on the lookout for that one bit of news that might encourage her employers to accept one of the articles she writes for publication in their magazine.

Parents: Lady Radford;  Sir Henry Radford

Siblings: Esther;  Judith;  Emily 

Husband: Dante

Children: Dinah; Hannah

The Inconvenient Widow Study Questions (Now part of the 2nd Edition)

1.       Emily says she constantly rushes into things. Have you ever rushed into something? How did it turn out? What are things you do to keep yourself from rushing decisions?

2.      Emily is worried about taking care of her family. Is your family important to you? Have you had to make sacrifices for your family? How does giving up things for your family make you feel?

3.      Marcus had decided not to marry because of the way women acted around him. Have you ever decided that you would not do something but changed your mind later? Is there anything you always wanted to do but never had a chance? Why do goals change over time?

4.      Do you feel Lady Radford is pushy or loving? What are some of her best and worst traits? Would you want to have her as your mother?

5.      Lady Radford walks in at a bad time and assumes wrong. Have you ever been in a situation where someone made the wrong judgment about you? How did you resolve the problem?

6.      Marcus has a difficult time telling Emily he loves her. In what ways does Stephen help or hinder the situation? Have you ever given advice to someone that did not help them? What happened?

7.       Similarly, Emily has a difficult time understanding Marcus' actions. Have you ever misunderstood someone? How did you find out the truth?

8.      Many of the book's characters do not trust Algernon when Emily continues to give him the benefit of the doubt. The Bible says to be as crafty as serpents and as innocent as doves. How is it difficult balancing this fine line in your life?

9.      Some of the bad guys in this story are truly bad. They have completely closed themselves off to reform. How should they be dealt with by the law? Do you believe they should receive the death penalty for their crimes? (They would have been hung in the time period.)

10.   Algernon makes many bad choices. Do you feel his actions are excusable? Do you think he has truly changed by the end of the book?

What is an Inspirational Romance?

Well, my book, The Inconvenient Widow, isn't doing so well ratings wise on Goodreads right now. Why? Because it is an inspirational romance. Now, I don't try to hide this fact from anyone. I clearly stated it on my Goodreads Giveaway page. In case anyone didn't know what that was, in the description, I say, "Marcus is there to protect her while Emily’s faith helps her through her ordeals." Unfortunately, the same people who do not know what an Inspirational Romance is also seem to miss that very important clue. 

According to the Romance Writers of America, Inspirational Romance is "Romance novels in which religious or spiritual beliefs (in the context of any religion or spiritual belief system) are a major part of the romantic relationship." All the books I have read that are marked "Inspirational Romance" use Christianity as their basis of belief. Obviously, mine follows suit. 

So, I am getting bad reviews because of all the Christianity in my Inspirational Romance. Sigh. I know I am not the only author to suffer this readership misunderstanding, but it is the equivalent of someone reading a fantasy and giving it a bad review because it contained unicorns and dragons. After all, those creatures aren't very realistic. 

True, my novels don't have sex in them or swearing, so I suppose they are attractive to those who shun these things in books, but it is disappointing to get a one-star review that berates the unbelievably Christian characters, but then in the last sentence says, "The author is a good writer." I write well, but since I have chosen to write Christian Romance my books are one-star. 

So, please, if you are following this blog, go out and tell your friends - and tell them to tell their friends - Inspirational Romances are Christian Romances. The next time I do a Goodreads Giveaway, I will definitely be spelling it out better.