Special Guest, Lady Eliza Warren, Marchioness of Chamberly

As promised, author Meta Mathews is back today and she has brought with her none other than Lady Eliza Warren, Marchioness of Chamberly from Lady Chamberly's Choices. I'd like to welcome you both, please make yourself comfortable, Lady Chamberly. We are honored you have graced us with your presence today. Since your journey has been long to get here I will not tire you with idle chit chat.

Where are you originally from, Lady Chamberly?
I grew up in England on the country estate of my father, the Earl of Greenley. When I was old enough to be presented, the family moved to London for the Season.

Can you tell us a little about Lady Chamberly's Choices?

It’s the story of how the Marquess of Chamberly and I met and eventually came to love each other. In the beginning, each of us had been deeply hurt by past experiences to the extent that we had vowed never to marry. Then we met under circumstances that caused each of us to think the worst of the other, but these same circumstances resulted in our feeling that we had to marry. Our story then revolved around our enforced marriage and how we learned to trust each other.

Forced marriage. That doesn't sound like you and the Duke started off on the right footing. What did you think of him when you first met?

I detested and feared him -- with good reason, I might add.

Interesting. What was your second thought?

I became aware on some level that he was not as evil as he was being portrayed.

It doesn't sound like this was love at first sight.

Far from it Each of us had been fed lies about the other, and our initial
impressions were much less than favorable. He wanted revenge, and I merely
wanted to hide myself in the country.

You've said your opinion changed of him. Can you tell us what you liked most about Lord Chamberly?

As I became better acquainted with him, I admired his sense of duty, his honor
and his loyalty.

Those are admirable qualities in a man. How would you further describe Lord Chamberly?

As a man who always tries to do what he thinks is right.

How do you suppose Lord Chamberly would describe you?

I'm sure he would describe me as stubborn. I hope he would also describe me as
caring, generous, and courageous.

What made you change your mind and decide to marry after vowing you would never do so?

I must admit that I felt a great deal of attraction for Lord Chamberly. After all, he’d made me experience feelings that were new to me and that I wanted to experience again. In addition, I realized that if I never married, I’d never have a family of my own or be completely fulfilled as a woman.

What is your biggest fear in life?

Losing control of my life and my future.

What do you do to relax?

I enjoy writing letters to my married sisters, reading and embroidery.

Do you have a favorite fictional character? If so, who and why?

I must admit that one of my favorite fictional characters is Emily in Mrs. Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho. I admire Emily’s resourcefulness and self-reliance. But I’m especially fond of two novels by an unidentified lady. They are entitled Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice.

I know Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice well. I enjoy those too.

Thank you Meta for bringing Lady Chamberly today and thank you Lady Chamberly for chatting with us. I have the lovely blurb and excerpt you brought with you to tease our readers. I hear your story was released on May 6th and is available at http://tinyurl.com/64ojxtk. It is also getting favorable reviews. I wish you both well.

BLURB: Lady Chamberly’s Choices by Meta Mathews

After the Marquess of Chamberly unknowingly participates in the sexual humiliation of Lady Eliza Warren, he feels honor bound to propose. But she wants nothing to do with him—or any other man for that matter. Her forced introduction to acts of a sexual nature convince her that she can never willingly give a man access to her body. Still, she can’t convince her body that it doesn’t still desire the marquess’ touch.

Determined to right the wrong he’s done to Lady Eliza, Chamberly agrees to marriage on her terms—in name only. He assures her that if anything physical happens between them, it will be by her choice. Fortunately, she tends to want him. The challenge is to keep her safe until she chooses to give in to her desires.

Excerpt of Lady Chamberly’s Choices

Eliza was to recall later that she’d been smiling that afternoon when the new footman interrupted her letter writing. She’d almost finished a missive to her older sister, Martha, who was married to Baron Preston and lived in Sussex. Martha always enjoyed stories involving the antics of their youngest sister, seven-year-old Abigail—who called herself Abby-gal because she thought that was her name.

So, Eliza had written, when Abby remembered she had imprisoned the kitten in Mama’s sewing basket, she ran back to the sitting room to release Boots and discovered the feline had entangled herself in several colors of thread, and in the process destroyed the order of Mama’s basket. Were it not for poor Abby’s condition, I believe Mama would have paddled her on the spot.

“Excuse me, my lady.”

Eliza jumped, not having heard the footman enter the drawing room. What was his name again? Mitchell? Marshall? Whatever it was, he moved too quietly for her taste. He stood practically at her elbow, and she hadn’t even heard him enter the room.

She suppressed a sigh, placed the quill back in its stand, and turned in her chair to face him. “Yes?”

“You have a message, my lady.” He grasped a folded sheet of paper in his hand but made no effort to hold it out to her. Instead, he merely stared at her. Eliza narrowed her eyes. His expression bordered on a sneer, but that made no sense. Footmen didn’t sneer, especially footmen who had been in the family’s employ for only two weeks. They were generally eager to please so they would not lose their position.

But this fellow continued to stare, and he certainly appeared to sneer. Eliza searched her memory and finally recalled his name.

“Thank you, Mayhew.” She nodded toward the paper he held. “May I have my message, please?”

He leaned forward to hand her the letter, then pulled back quickly as though to avoid her touch.

Irritated, Eliza turned her back on him and unfolded the paper. The writing was bold and black.

We have Abigail. If you want your feeble-minded little sister returned to you in one piece, you will follow the instructions in this letter carefully. Otherwise, your sister will disappear forever.

First, you will make an excuse to forego any activities that might have been planned for this evening and retire early.

At ten o’clock, you will make your way to the back door leading out into the garden. There you will be met by a man who goes by the name of Nate. Nate will escort you to a house where you will be the dinner guest of a man and whichever of his followers he chooses to invite.

You are to obey anything and everything Nate or one of your dinner partners tells you to do. If you follow instructions successfully, you will be returned to your home unharmed, and when you arrive home, you will find that your sister is safe in her bed.

Should you fail to obey or successfully follow instructions, your evening will be prolonged and your sister will be turned loose in one of the worst of London’s slums. Considering her limited mental capacities, I doubt she would live a long life, and certainly it would not be a happy one.

Her future is in your hands.

You can learn more about Meta Mathews and her stories at www.metamathews.com.