That night she sent letters to the art journals declaring that she’d been behind all of Lord Mulbourne’s criticism.
She waited for the inundation of disapproval.
She’d lied to everyone, and she deserved their disapproval. Still, she couldn’t continue her life not letting people know who she truly was. Art was important to her, and she wanted to be involved in it.
She wanted to use her own name to write articles about the art thefts that had happened in the Napoleonic Wars. Perhaps even the scandal that happened would make people talk about that cause.
The art circles were not silent.
Some art critics announced that they’d never actually found the baron’s work appealing, noting an “overly female interpretation.” They’d been wrong, they wrote, to find Lord Mulbourne’s work of much interest at all.
Others refused to believe that Madeline had indeed been writing as the baron all along. “It’s preposterous,” one art journal wrote, “and a sign of the sad state of affairs we are in now, where some women, led by people like the Duchess of Alfriston and the Duchess of Belmonte seem determined to prove their equality to that of men. They would be better served,” the newspaper continued, “to remember that such a state was impossible. A woman’s mind was simply smaller than a man’s and more prone to emotion as this gross exaggeration and disparaging of a man who cannot defend himself indicates. Never fear,” the column continued. “At least women are prettier than men, and we are content that the vast majority of our little wives have not succumbed to strange urges to do male tasks. Perhaps one day Madeline will realize that the beauty of her own appearance is more useful than any analysis of cupids painted on aged canvas or Roman vases.”
She sighed. It was worth it to reveal the truth.
Matchmaking for Wallflowers was perhaps unusually brutal in its assessment.
It is with great bafflement that London society has learned that Lady Bancroft, wife of the late Baron, Lord Mulbourne, has claimed that she authored not only the late art critic’s recently discovered work but that she has in fact authored much of the work when he was still with us.
Debates rage whether Lord Mulbourne would ever have permitted his wife to use his name in this manner, even for the supposed advancement of art criticism.
We do know that Lord Mulbourne’s name has been forever tainted, and we wonder at the motivations behind his wife.
Though Matchmaking for Wallflowers has praised Lady Bancroft’s skills at hostessing in the past, we doubt the skill of pairing wine and food together in any manner replicates the difficult work of a scholar.
Arthur pulled the magazine from Madeline’s hands and tossed it into the fire.
“You mustn’t,” Madeline said.
“I won’t have you reading anything that criticizes you.”
“Unfortunately I am sure the ton are also criticizing me. I knew they wouldn’t be happy.”
“Do you regret it?” Arthur asked.
She shook her head. She didn’t need to think. “Perhaps some women will not believe this version. Perhaps, despite any humiliation, I’ve helped them.”
“I’m certain,” Arthur said. “Will you miss it?”
“Of course.”
She would still write art theory now, but she wondered whether she could find a publication for it. Art journals had a tendency toward snobbery, and publishing a woman, when women’s writing was relegated to tawdry penny dreadful stories, seemed unlikely.
“Not all critics will dismiss you.”
She tried to laugh. “At least the number will be easy to count.”
The world belonged to men. It always had. Some men apologized for it, but they all benefited from it.
“My stepsister’s husband has a new publishing company for nonfiction books. I think you might find him less prejudiced.”
“Because he knows me?”
“Because you’re wonderful.” He shrugged. “You can always submit anonymously.”
She laughed. “Those days are over.”
He squeezed her hand and smiled, and then he leaned toward her and his lips seemed occupied with doing something quite different from smiling.
But very pleasant.
He wrapped his arms about her, and she felt safe. She’d thought her life fulfilled before, but his presence enhanced everything.
“We wasted too many years,” he murmured.
“I don’t think I could have tolerated you going away on your missions if we had been married then.”
“My darling,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I would have taken you with me. The excellent thief that you are, you would have made an incredible spy.”
Epilogue
Slate green water, still visible in the fog, lapped against the gondola as the gondolier guided them toward the Grand Canal.
The now familiar cerulean palazzo had never been easier to spot. Throngs of well attired people queued on the thin pavement outside the building.
“So many people came,” Madeline murmured in awe.
Arthur grinned. “I am not surprised. Though it might be difficult to move through the crowd. Shall we enter by the roof?”
Madeline giggled. “Those days are behind me.”
“Good.”
The gondola stopped, and Arthur led her off. It was nice to be on his arm.
“Pity about the weather,” Arthur said. “It’s far too foggy.”
She smiled. “There’s only one direction I want to look in.”
“Oh?” The sun might be hidden behind the swathes of fog had crept over the sky, clouds might threaten a downpour, but all that mattered to Madeline was that Arthur was there beside her.
“Lord Bancroft! Lady Bancroft!” One of the footman waved them forward, and they maneuvered past the crush of people.
Men and women waved toward them.
“I think they’ve definitely forgiven you for your days of writing under your late husband’s pen name,” Arthur said.
Madeline laughed. “I think they think Englishwomen eccentric.”
“I doubt the Costantinis have been silent on their eagerness for the speech,” Arthur said.
Madeline smiled. It had been nice seeing Gabriella again.
It wasn’t the first time her work had been read aloud, but it was the first time she was the person doing the reading.
“It’s time for you to speak,” Arthur said.
Madeline strode to the stage.
A few art critics in the front row still murmured dubiously, confused at her ability to offer anything of worth after they’d confirmed that she hadn’t actually been educated at Oxford, or even at Cambridge, a place which remained dubious to them given the pleasures students derived from gliding on the River Cam.
Tonight she would speak to the public about the paintings in her gallery, and tomorrow Arthur and she would begin their journey to Rome. He’d received a position leading a company there.
It might not be a position in the cabinet at Whitehall, but Arthur was excited to be abroad again and he would have more freedom in how he directed things.
She smiled.
It was odd to think there’d ever been a time when she’d worried about marrying Arthur. All the finely composed paintings in the world and all the most exquisite jewels, couldn’t compare to the pleasure she received from being Arthur’s wife.
Even if she’d come to realize, somewhere on their many travels, that their marriage might not be completely convenient.
About the Author
Wellesley graduate Bianca Blythe spent four years in England. She worked in a fifteenth century castle, though sadly that didn’t actually involve spotting dukes and earls strutting about in Hessians.
She credits British weather for forcing her into a library, where she discovered her first Julia Quinn novel. Thank goodness for blustery downpours.
***
Other novels in the Matchmaking for Wallflowers series:
How to Capture a Duke
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A Rogue to Avoid
Runaway Wallflower
Mad About the Baron
Connect with Bianca:
www.biancablythe.com
[email protected]
Facebook Page
Wonderful Wallflowers – Facebook Group
How to Capture a Duke
Available in Audio – Performance by Rosalyn Landor
All she had to do was find a fiancé. In four days. In the middle of nowhere.
One reclusive bluestocking…
Fiona Amberly is more intrigued by the Roman ruins near her manor house than she is by balls. When her dying Grandmother worries about Fiona’s future, Fiona stammers that she’s secretly engaged. Soon she finds herself promising that she will introduce her husband-to-be by Christmas.
One dutiful duke…
Percival Carmichael, new Duke of Alfriston, is in a hurry. He’s off to propose to London’s most eligible debutante. After nearly dying at Waterloo, he’s vowed to spend the rest of his life living up to the ton’s expectations.
One fallen tree…
When Fiona tries to warn a passing coach about a tree in the road, the driver mistakes her for a highwaywoman. Evidently he’s not used to seeing women attired in clothes only suitable for archaeology waving knives. After the driver flees, Fiona decides she may as well borrow the handsome passenger…
Available on Amazon.
A Rogue to Avoid
The only thing Lady Cordelia and Lord Rockport can agree on is their mutual abhorrence.
Lady Cordelia was supposed to be the perfect debutante. But three broken engagements later, she’s the subject of titters rather than laudations. Now relegated to the wallflower section of every ballroom, she does not want anything to plummet her further into scandal. She absolutely does not want to have anything to do with the too handsome, too roguish, too Scottish Marquess of Rockport.
Gerard Highgate, Marquess of Rockport, is not the type to attend balls. But when he is chased into a home in Harrogate, he decides he must blend in–even if that means dancing with Lady Cordelia.
Available on Amazon.
Runaway Wallflower
One Swarthy Sea Captain
Lord Rupert Haywood, future Duke of Belmonte, has no desire to manage an estate with his corrupt father. He prefers to roam the ocean with his crew of rugged pirates.
One Adamant Bluestocking
Ever since Louisa Carmichael’s brother unexpectedly inherited a dukedom, her mother’s expectations for her have veered in a distinctly vertical direction. Louisa dreams not of glittering ballgowns, but of exploring the tropical waters of the Caribbean with her latest invention, an underwater breathing apparatus.
One Forbidden Journey
When her mother arranges a marriage for her, Louisa decides she might just don a pair of breeches and discover the Caribbean in disguise. The only problem is a certain very handsome captain…
Available on Amazon.
Mad About the Baron
Mad About the Baron
A hopeless romantic…
Veronique Daventry absolutely believes in true love. When the baron she’s corresponded long distance with for years suggests they elope in Scotland, she eagerly assents. Maybe she’s never met him, but she knows their souls are meant to be joined for eternity.
A notorious rogue…
Sir Miles Worthing is surprised when he is ushered to a chapel on a visit to Scotland. He finds a beautiful woman, though his happiness halts when her family discovers them in a compromising position.
A mistaken identity…
Veronique is devastated to have mistaken this stranger for her fiancé. She needs to find the correct baron at once, and the only person who can help her is Sir Miles.
Available on:
Amazon – US
Amazon – CA
Amazon – UK
Thank You
Thank you very much for reading A Marquess for Convenience. I hope you enjoyed the story.
Reviews are like gold to authors. They help readers find books. Even a short review can be helpful, and I so appreciate any time you might put into writing a review.
A Marquess for Convenience (Matchmaking for Wallflowers Book 5) Page 17