Today
we sit down with Katherine, niece of Earl Quamby, from author Beverley Oakley’s
The Accidental Elopement.
What was your life like
before your author started pulling your strings?
Believe me, I had my life all mapped out. The
pinnacle of my ambition was to make the most illustrious marriage possible
during my London season. I was beautiful, from a well-connected family (if you disregard
my mother’s pre-marriage scandals) and I had three suitors. Then my
author threw me together with my childhood friend, Jack – a boy from the
foundling home – and we fell madly in love.
I was furious that she should do that to me – for
about five seconds – because truly, I was prepared to cross shark-infested
waters to be with Jack. In fact, I nearly did (well, not shark-infested but
raging seas). Unfortunately, I got into the wrong carriage. The one that wasn’t
taking me to those raging seas I was prepared to cross. And that’s when my life
took a very dark turn.
Excuse me if I don’t go into the details right now.
The trauma is still quite fresh in my mind.
What’s the
one trait you like most about yourself?
I shouldn’t need to tell you that a well brought-up
young lady doesn’t advertise her good qualities which should be evident to all her
eligible suitors. However, if there’s one thing I secretly like about myself,
it’s my love of adventure. I was so lucky to have been able to climb trees with
Jack and join him on adventures when we were seven. This was when Jack would be
brought over from the foundling home to be a playmate for my cousin, George.
But it was Jack and I who found some mischief to get into – and Jack always
defended me and took the blame – even if it was my fault. Sorry…I didn’t mean
to get tearful but I do miss Jack. Or
rather, the fact that he is lost to me and…the fact we’re doomed to be apart.
What do you
like least about yourself?
My impulsiveness. Oh, yes, definitely that! If I
hadn’t been so foolish and impulsive, I never would have made the biggest, most
terrible mistake of my life. I never would have…I’m so embarrassed to admit it
because who would do such a thing? Who would accidentally elope with the wrong person?
What is the
strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?
Strangest? Or do you mean most terrible? Because,
there’s no getting around the fact that my author utterly ruined my life! That
carriage I got into? How was I supposed to know it had been sent by someone
other than whom I assumed had sent it?
But I can’t blame anyone other than myself. All this
happened seven years ago and I’m not the feather-brained, impulsive debutante I
was then. I’m older and wiser – lonelier, too, though I deserve it. But I have
a beautiful seven-year-old daughter and she’s my treasure.
Do you
argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?
I argued about the fact that I thought it wasn’t that
Jack and I couldn’t be together again after we’d been apart for seven years.
After all, I was widowed and Jack was not yet married. But my author said honour
had to prevail. She said it was one thing that I’d only just been widowed but quite another that Jack was honour-bound to
marry the daughter of his dying mentor whom he’d promised, in the West Indies,
he would protect. He’d just brought Odette back from across the seas so how
could I expect he’d leave her to marry me? Even though I knew Jack loved me?
I suppose I can’t blame him. I was the impulsive one. I brought all my troubles upon myself. It’s
hardly any wonder Jack thought I had forsaken him.
But I did ask my author if I couldn’t just tell him
everything about what had happened and how I felt about him. She said I could
but only if I wanted to put him in the impossible position of choosing between
his heart and his honourable soul. I’m still trying to find a way to get around
that one.
What is
your greatest fear?
That Jack will never know how much I love him. And
that he will never learn my secret. I want him to know it – yet I know it would
destroy him.
What makes
you happy?
Being with my child makes me happy. I lead a quiet
life after my late husband ruined my reputation and gambled away our worldly
goods so I take pleasure in simple things.
If you
could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?
I would rewrite the end because I think Jack deserves
to be happy but I think I do, too. And we can only be happy together. But Jack
is about to marry and then he will be lost to me forever.
My author found me in tears this morning. She told me
my story isn’t finished yet but I don’t believe her. Jack is marrying so soon. It’s set in stone. His
bride-to-be is sweet and worthy and her father is dying. My aunt thinks she has
a plan to make her fall in love with someone else, but it won’t work.
I must accept that Jack and I are doomed to be
forever apart.
Of the other characters in
your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?
My cousin George, for sure! He was spoiled and
whiney when we were children and he hadn’t changed much when we were eighteen which
is when he suddenly decided he wanted to marry me – even though he knew Jack
and I were soul mates.
Of the other characters in
your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?
Odette, Jack’s betrothed. Because she is the one
who will have Jack for the rest of her dying days. But she won’t have his
heart. I thought I would take comfort from that but I can’t. I don’t want her
to suffer as much as I have for the truth is that she’s a good person. Better
woman than I am. It’s just that Jack loves me. And I love him.
Tell us a little something
about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?
Beverley Oakley is an Australian author who grew up
in the African mountain kingdom of Lesotho, married a Norwegian bush pilot she
met in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, and started writing historical romances to
amuse herself in the 12 countries she’s lived as a ‘trailing spouse’. She writes
historical romances laced with scandal and intrigue and Africa-set romantic
suspense as Beverley Eikli. You can read more at www.beverleyoakley.com.
What's next for you, the
author?
She’ll be writing book three in her Fair Cyprians
of London series. Each story features a courtesan at Madame Chambon’s elite
Soho establishment. Keeping Faith, like the other stories in the series,
is based on fictionalized versions of the interviews of the ‘fallen women’
nineteenth century journalist Henry Mayhew included in his study of Victorian
vice, London’s Underworld. Sacrificing Charity is about a
courtesan who’s been groomed by her protector to be her ‘beautiful weapon’. It highlights
hypocrisy and has at its heart a revenge and redemption theme.
The Accidental Elopement
Today
we sit down with Katherine, niece of Earl Quamby, from author Beverley Oakley’s
The Accidental Elopement.
What was your life like
before your author started pulling your strings?
Believe me, I had my life all mapped out. The
pinnacle of my ambition was to make the most illustrious marriage possible
during my London season. I was beautiful, from a well-connected family (if you
disregard my mother’s pre-marriage scandals) and I had three suitors. Then
my author threw me together with my childhood friend, Jack – a boy from the
foundling home – and we fell madly in love.
I was furious that she should do that to me – for
about five seconds – because truly, I was prepared to cross shark-infested
waters to be with Jack. In fact, I nearly did (well, not shark-infested but
raging seas). Unfortunately, I got into the wrong carriage. The one that wasn’t
taking me to those raging seas I was prepared to cross. And that’s when my life
took a very dark turn.
Excuse me if I don’t go into the details right now.
The trauma is still quite fresh in my mind.
What’s the
one trait you like most about yourself?
I shouldn’t need to tell you that a well brought-up
young lady doesn’t advertise her good qualities which should be evident to all
her eligible suitors. However, if there’s one thing I secretly like about
myself, it’s my love of adventure. I was so lucky to have been able to climb
trees with Jack and join him on adventures when we were seven. This was when
Jack would be brought over from the foundling home to be a playmate for my
cousin, George. But it was Jack and I who found some mischief to get into – and
Jack always defended me and took the blame – even if it was my fault. Sorry…I
didn’t mean to get tearful but I do
miss Jack. Or rather, the fact that he is lost to me and…the fact we’re doomed
to be apart.
What do you
like least about yourself?
My impulsiveness. Oh, yes, definitely that! If I
hadn’t been so foolish and impulsive, I never would have made the biggest, most
terrible mistake of my life. I never would have…I’m so embarrassed to admit it
because who would do such a thing? Who would accidentally elope with the wrong person?
What is the
strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?
Strangest? Or do you mean most terrible? Because,
there’s no getting around the fact that my author utterly ruined my life! That
carriage I got into? How was I supposed to know it had been sent by someone
other than whom I assumed had sent it?
But I can’t blame anyone other than myself. All this
happened seven years ago and I’m not the feather-brained, impulsive debutante I
was then. I’m older and wiser – lonelier, too, though I deserve it. But I have
a beautiful seven-year-old daughter and she’s my treasure.
Do you
argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?
I argued about the fact that I thought it wasn’t that
Jack and I couldn’t be together again after we’d been apart for seven years.
After all, I was widowed and Jack was not yet married. But my author said
honour had to prevail. She said it was one thing that I’d only just been widowed but quite another that
Jack was honour-bound to marry the daughter of his dying mentor whom he’d
promised, in the West Indies, he would protect. He’d just brought Odette back
from across the seas so how could I expect he’d leave her to marry me? Even
though I knew Jack loved me?
I suppose I can’t blame him. I was the impulsive one. I brought all my troubles upon myself.
It’s hardly any wonder Jack thought I had forsaken him.
But I did ask my author if I couldn’t just tell him
everything about what had happened and how I felt about him. She said I could
but only if I wanted to put him in the impossible position of choosing between
his heart and his honourable soul. I’m still trying to find a way to get around
that one.
What is
your greatest fear?
That Jack will never know how much I love him. And
that he will never learn my secret. I want him to know it – yet I know it would
destroy him.
What makes
you happy?
Being with my child makes me happy. I lead a quiet
life after my late husband ruined my reputation and gambled away our worldly
goods so I take pleasure in simple things.
If you
could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?
I would rewrite the end because I think Jack deserves
to be happy but I think I do, too. And we can only be happy together. But Jack
is about to marry and then he will be lost to me forever.
My author found me in tears this morning. She told me
my story isn’t finished yet but I don’t believe her. Jack is marrying so soon. It’s set in stone. His
bride-to-be is sweet and worthy and her father is dying. My aunt thinks she has
a plan to make her fall in love with someone else, but it won’t work.
I must accept that Jack and I are doomed to be
forever apart.
Of the other characters in
your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?
My cousin George, for sure! He was spoiled and
whiney when we were children and he hadn’t changed much when we were eighteen
which is when he suddenly decided he wanted to marry me – even though he knew
Jack and I were soul mates.
Of the other characters in
your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?
Odette, Jack’s betrothed. Because she is the one
who will have Jack for the rest of her dying days. But she won’t have his
heart. I thought I would take comfort from that but I can’t. I don’t want her
to suffer as much as I have for the truth is that she’s a good person. Better
woman than I am. It’s just that Jack loves me. And I love him.
Tell us a little something
about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?
Beverley Oakley is an Australian author who grew up
in the African mountain kingdom of Lesotho, married a Norwegian bush pilot she
met in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, and started writing historical romances to
amuse herself in the 12 countries she’s lived as a ‘trailing spouse’. She
writes historical romances laced with scandal and intrigue and Africa-set
romantic suspense as Beverley Eikli. You can read more at her website.
What's next for you, the
author?
She’ll be writing book three in her Fair Cyprians
of London series. Each story features a courtesan at Madame Chambon’s elite
Soho establishment. Keeping Faith, like the other stories in the series,
is based on fictionalized versions of the interviews of the ‘fallen women’
nineteenth century journalist Henry Mayhew included in his study of Victorian
vice, London’s Underworld. Sacrificing Charity is about a
courtesan who’s been groomed by her protector to be her ‘beautiful weapon’. It
highlights hypocrisy and has at its heart a revenge and redemption theme.
The Accidental Elopement
Book
4 in the Scandalous Miss Brightwell series
A seven-year secret. A tragic
misunderstanding. Can love outwit fate in this tale of misadventure and
thwarted dreams?
Earl
Quamby’s niece, Katherine, and Jack, a foundling home lad adopted by a local
family, have been loyal friends for as long as they can remember.
As
Jack is about to leave England to make his fortune and Katherine is being
courted by two eligible suitors, they unexpectedly realise their friendship has
blossomed into passionate love. A love, they are warned, that has no future.
Despite
a brave attempt to defy the forces keeping them apart, tragedy results and the
pair is separated.
When
chance throws them together seven years later, Katherine, newly widowed, is
being pressured into a marriage not of her choosing to avoid scandal and Jack
feels he must honour his pledge to the worthy Odette whom he met in India and
whose father is dying.
Katherine
knows that revealing a long-held secret may win Jack to her but she also knows
conflicting obligations from past and present may tear him apart.
Can
master matchmakers, Fanny, Antoinette and Bertram Brightwell, outwit fate in
its latest attempt to keep these star-crossed lovers apart and deliver them the
happiness they deserve?
Katherine, it sounds like your author keeps you very busy (smile!).
ReplyDeleteShe keeps me busy indeed - and also on a string. I still don't know if I'll get my happy ending. But my story releases in 5 days so I continue to hold out hope!
ReplyDelete