Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord
Lady Petra Inquiries Book 1
Celeste Connally
Nov 14, 2023
Minotaur Pub
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally is the first in a series. This book explores women’s rights during the 1800s within a mystery/thriller setting.
The main character, Lady Petra Forsyth, had her soulmate and fiancé die shortly before their wedding. She makes a proclamation that she will never marry to not cede her wealth and freedom to any man. Instead, she uses her title to gain access to elite spaces and enjoy the best of society without expectations. She is fortunate that her father values her intelligence and adventurous spirit and has allowed her more freedoms than most young women of her class. At the same time, she lost her fiancé, she lost her best friend, Duncan, (who had introduced her to her fiancé) who announced he was leaving England for Europe, and Lady Petra felt betrayed.
Several years have passed and after Duncan returns, he and Petra must navigate their relationship. She also is trying to understand how her longtime friend, Gwen, died. She suspects foul play and starts to dig, uncovering a private asylum where men pay to have their wives and daughters locked away, or worse. With the help of her lady’s maid, a clever street urchin, and Duncan, Lady Petra searches for the truth about what happened to Gwen.
Petra is headstrong, independent, and a tomboy who prefers riding horses in her brother’s breeches to dressing up as society expects. She tends to speak her mind, and in general gets away with behaving in ways that most of her peers cannot including with Duncan. With her unconventional behavior and affinity for sleuthing she plans to uncover this outrageous plot where a network of wives disappeared from society’s upper crust under mysterious circumstances. She discovers her life is at jeopardy after a servant who was helping her turns up dead and an attempt is made on her life.
The backstory between Duncan and Petra, including their banter, enhances the story. Readers who like this period will await anxiously for the next installment.
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?
Celeste Connally: During the pandemic I binged watched period dramas. I really noticed how the unmarried women; the spinsters were perceived. These women had to be tough in real life since they had few rights as women and even less respect. I wanted to write a character who decides not to be married. In Jane Austin’s book the character Emma did not want to be married and was very independent. I decided to combine those characteristics and make my main character into an amateur sleuth.
EC: Why the 1800s?
CC: I had been watching the Jane Austin adaptations. I always loved this era, the regency era. I thought the Victorian era was a lot darker and more austere. This era had more of a free time. This was my first choice.
EC: How would you describe Petra?
CC: She is headstrong, clever, big hearted, curious, loyal, and willing to put herself on the line for her friends. She is completely imperfect but wants to be a better person. She has a good sense of humor. She is a tomboy, spunky, and direct. She loves being outside, on horses, and grew up surrounded by men. She has an overdeveloped sense of confidence. I hope she is empathetic. She is a spinster and that has hurt her with the rest of society.
EC: What was the role of Annie?
CC: I love her. She is modeled after the character Anna in Downton Abbey. She is positive and loyal. She always knew how to set Petra on the right path. She is her Ladies Maid, and they have a good relationship with one another. Annie is a little bit of her conscience and sees the absolute worst and best in Petts. There is a genuine love and affection for one another. I deliberately put them close in age. In private, it was obvious they love and respect each other. Annie is a close confidant.
EC: What is Petra’s relationship with Duncan?
CC: He grew up with Petra because he is the illegitimate grandson of the Duke and Duchess. His grandparents sent him up to where Petra lives to learn to be a proper English man. He and Petra are a year apart in age. They grew up together ever since they were toddlers. They did everything together. This is a completely platonic relationship. I had a cousin like that where we grew up together. It was so much fun. As the relationship goes on it becomes more complicated. Duncan realizes he has feelings for her. This could be a friend to enemies so we will see what will happen, possible lovers. He understands her and will do anything for her but will call her out at times as well.
EC: Why the asylum?
CC: During my research I found out that men could relegate to an asylum any woman or girl in their life for literally no reason. If they decided to dump the woman in their life, they sent them to an asylum. Most of the time the woman never got out. They were experimented upon. One example I read about was when a man decided to marry some other woman, he tried to send his current wife to an asylum. She managed to run away but was lured back after he threatened their children. When she returned, he sent her to an asylum. I was horrified. I decided to write about this.
EC: Next book?
CC: It will be book 2 in the series and is titled All’s Fair in Love and Treachery. It is set in 1815 with the three days of celebration after word got out that Napoleon was defeated. Regardless of class everyone partied for three days. Something happens that Petra must figure out and she must come to grips with her own life. There are two mysteries and a thriller aspect.
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