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Set in 1820, Betsey is the prequel to the much-loved Hartford Manor Series.
Betsey, a sadly neglected child, is shouldering responsibilities far beyond her years. As she does her best to care for her little brother, Norman, she is befriended by Gypsy Freda, an old woman whose family is camped nearby. Freda’s granddaughter, Jane, is also fond of the little girl and is concerned about her.
Thomas, the second son of Lord Fellwood, happens across the gypsy camp and becomes besotted with Jane. However, Jasper Morris, the local miller, also has designs on the young gypsy, and inevitably, the two men do not see eye to eye.
Betsey is drawn into their rivalry for the attention of the beautiful young woman, and she finds herself promising to keep a dangerous secret for many years to come.
Reviews for Betsey
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My September 2024 Newsletter
Hello, and welcome to my September Newsletter.
I’m writing this on a pleasant afternoon in late August after spending an enjoyable morning with some friends. Although the sun is nice and warm today, I have to say there was an autumnal nip in the air when we set off this morning. As we are all ladies of a certain age and able to use the buses for free, we took a journey of some twelve miles upstairs on a double-decker bus. This provided us with a lovely view of the Devon countryside on the way to South Molton, a thriving town with a busy and popular pannier market. Having browsed the market and the local shops, we enjoyed some fish and chips and put the world to rights before heading for home.
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I also had a pleasant trip last week, as it was my birthday. My husband, Bryan, and I stayed in Wells in Somerset for a couple of nights. It’s such a picturesque, quiet little city with so much history and, of course, the enormous cathedral. Whilst there, we visited The Vicar’s Close, which you can see here in the photograph (I waited a long time to take that photo with no people or cars in the way!). This is such an interesting area that I researched it a bit more so that I could share it with you.
The work of building the Vicar’s Close commenced in 1348, and it was used to house the members of the choir who served the cathedral. It provided a controlled environment for vicars who were expected to lead a disciplined life. The cobbled street is the oldest continuously inhabited road in Europe and is still used by members of the choir today, though some of the 41 houses are privately owned. The dwellings are built from local stone, with attractive stone mullioned windows, steep-pitched roofs and tall chimneys, and have truly stood the test of time. I wonder how many of the houses being erected today will still be around in 650 years time – not many, I suspect.
Old Saying of the Month
Bite the Bullet
These days, we all know the saying bite the bullet as an informal phrase that means to do something unpleasant or painful because it is necessary, though one would like to avoid it. However, when I looked into the origin of this saying, I came across two theories. I think the first one fits today’s understanding of the saying best. The phrase is believed to have come from when battlefield surgeries for amputations and medieval medical procedures were done without anaesthetic. A bullet was placed in the mouths of patients for them to bite down on and distract them from the pain. The second suggestion is that the saying came from the time of the British Empire in India when bullets were primed by filling the casing with gunpowder. The casing was sealed with animal fat and was often difficult to separate from the bullet head, so it had to be opened by biting the casing. The eating of animal fat was against the religion of the Indian soldiers, and so they were reluctant to oblige. However, they were instructed just to bite the bullet.
My latest blog post – A Visit to Lundy Island
I haven’t written many blogs lately because I’ve been concentrating on finishing my latest book, but here’s one that I hope you will enjoy. Lundy Island, or Puffin Island as it was known in Old Norse, is situated off the North Devon coast and is an intriguing place with a turbulent past.
Read on to discover how it was used by pirates, monks, and even The Knights Templar in days gone by. It is also rumoured to have inspired Enid Blyton’s Famous Five book, Kirrin Island.
You can read about it here:
https://marciaclayton.co.uk/a-visit-to-lundy-island/
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My Writing News
A Woman Scorned
I’m delighted to tell you that the sixth book in The Hartford Manor Series is available for pre-order on Amazon and will be published on 18 October. That date was the birthday of someone very dear to me, and I thought it would be nice to mark the day this way. Anyway, here’s the blurb:
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1886 North Devon, England
Lady Lilliana Grantley has been seriously ill with typhoid, a disease that recently claimed her husband Edgar’s life and that of his long-time lover, Rosemary Gibbs. Now recovering at last, the lady wastes no tears on her husband but is determined to wreak revenge on his two illegitimate children.
Embarrassed for years by his affair with Rosemary, a childhood sweetheart living nearby, she has falsely accused Sir Edgar’s daughter, Millicent, of the theft of a precious brooch and wants to see her jailed or hung.
Fortunately for Millie and her little brother, Jonathan, their granny, Emily, insisted they leave home as soon as she heard of Sir Edgar’s death, for she knew his widow would seek revenge. The old lady was soon proved right, and Lady Lilliana, furious the two youngsters were nowhere to be found, evicted the old woman despite the fact she, too, was dangerously ill.
After a long and hazardous journey to North Devon, Millie and Jonathan were united with some long-lost family members who made them welcome and gave them a home. However, aware that Lady Lilliana has put a price on Millie’s head, they know they are not yet out of danger. Despite this, they are determined to find their granny, Emily, who seems to have disappeared.
Aided by her long-time lover, Sir Clive Robinson, Lady Lilliana is determined to find Millie and Jonnie and get them out of her life once and for all, but how far will the embittered woman go?
You can pre-order the book here: https://mybook.to/AWomanScorned
This Month’s Bargains
Betsey will be FREE from 29 August to 2 September!
If you haven’t read any of my books yet, this would be a good one to start with. It’s the prequel to the series and my most popular book – and it’s FREE for a couple more days!
Betsey, aged six, is abandoned and left to care for her three-year-old brother, Norman. A heartwarming tale set in 1820.
http://mybook.to/Betsey
ONLY 99p!
I have two more bargains to offer in September:
Millie’s Escape – will be reduced to 99p from 5th – 12th September.
A young girl, wrongly accused of theft, is relentlessly pursued across the desolate countryside. A delightful Victorian family saga set in a Devon village.
https://mybook.to/MilliesEscape
The Rabbit’s Foot – reduced to 99p from 18th – 25th September.
Sam, a tramp all his life, inherits wealth beyond his wildest dreams, but all he wants is to find Marrok, the son he abandoned at the age of five. A moving Victorian family saga.
http://mybook.to/TheRabbitsFoot
![](https://marciaclayton.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Betsey-ebook-cover-1.jpg)
My Book of the Month
Retribution by Elizabeth Ducie
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Although I have enjoyed several books by this author, this is the first Jones sisters book I have read, and I loved it, so it didn’t matter that it is the fourth book in the series. Charlie Jones is looking forward to marrying Annie, the love of her life and bringing up their young daughter, Suzy, together, but their plans go awry when Charlie finds herself framed for murder.
When matters go from bad to worse, Charlie’s sister, Suzanne, arrives to help clear her sister’s name. However, this is not so easy as the past catches up with Charlie and forces her to relive nightmares she thought she had left far behind. The book is well-written and draws the reader in from the very first page and I read it in a couple of days. Recommended.
You can find the book here:
Retribution!: A gripping and explosive crime thriller
Well, that’s all for now, so thank you for continuing to follow me. Until next time, I hope you keep safe and well.