Character Interview
Today I am speaking with Miss Lydia Bennet, whose story is the subject of Grace Gibson’s novella, Reckless, Headstrong Girl.
Thank you for talking with us, Miss Lydia. How do you feel now that the scandalous details of your elopement have been made public?
Well, for one thing, I prefer to think of it as an adventure rather than some terrible scandal. Other than the loss of my hair, I have not come out of it much the worse for wear. Oh, dear. I am afraid I should not have hinted about my hair. I swore I would not give away too much of my story.
You lost your hair? What more can you tell us about that?
Nothing! Lizzy would kill me for speaking out of turn. Let us say I have a new coiffure as a result of my adventure.
Very well. What led you to go on ‘your adventure’ with Mr. Wickham in the first place?
At fifteen, I had turned out rather shocking, you see. With four sisters, I found it difficult to get the attention I wanted. One day, when I was eight years old, I overheard Lizzy speaking of me to Jane. ‘That child is wild to a fault,’ she complained, and I settled it then and there that shocking behavior was the most direct means of being noticed.
You chose to elope in order to shock your family?
At the time, I thought I was in love. But, looking back, the case was just as you say. I wanted my mother’s attention. And I was so tired of being treated like the baby of the family! I just wanted to be grown up and to earn a little respect.
But your mother indulged you a great deal, and your sisters would likely say you were her favorite.
Yes, and it certainly appeared as though I was first in her heart. But the trouble with being pampered and always having my way was that deep down, I did not get the feeling Mama wanted to bother with me. I have since come to discover that training and discipline are hard work, and everyone except Lizzy found it easier to indulge me than correct me. I was not aware of my deeper feelings, of course, because I was silly and not the least bit self-reflective. But in truth, I pushed because I wanted something to push against.
You mentioned respect. Did it not occur to you that outrageous behavior was not the best way to go about earning it?
Ha ha! It is rather funny when you put it that way. I was terribly confused. I thought the horrified stares of my neighbors were looks of admiration. I did not know that the officers who clustered around me were laughing at me and encouraging me to act the fool.
How did you come to this realization?
Well, that is the whole point of making my story public, you see. The case is that when one experiences limitations and challenges, one can grow up!
Are you suggesting you do not regret running away with Mr. Wickham?
Of course I do! I can never make up for the anxiety and grief I caused my family. If only I had—well, the list of my regrets is very long.
But I also shudder to think of who I would have been had I continued on as I was, living out my whole life throwing such fits that everyone must tiptoe around lest I become cross. But this is not comfortable to think about, and so I have taken Lizzy’s advice. Whenever I fall into the doldrums, she tells me to think on the past only as it gives me pleasure. And there were parts of the experience that I look back upon with gratitude and even happiness.
Thank you for sharing your story with us. What is next for you?
Well, I have developed a taste for adventure and I mean to travel as far as Egypt if I can. I would certainly like to see Rome, Paris and the ruins in Greece.
When you marry, will your husband take you to these wonderful places?
No, no. I do not plan to marry anybody! Lizzy says I should reserve judgment about this, but now that I understand that marriage is not one long party, I am not inclined to submit myself to it! In fact, there is a society of spinsters in London dedicated to the ideals of education and independence for females. Perhaps I will join them, though I believe my Mama would likely have a spasm if I did!
I see you still take pleasure in shocking your family.
Ha ha! That is what Lizzy said to me just this morning when I came out of my room in trousers. I am learning to ride a horse, you see, and did not want to bother with my skirts. Well, let us just say I ended up going out in a neat little riding costume, but one day, I believe ladies will not be so horribly confined by our wardrobes.
If you’d like a peek into Lydia Bennet’s story, an excerpt will be featured at Diary of an Eccentric on February 5th.
About the Author
In addition to mosaic art, which I create at Studio Luminaria,
my home-based glass shop in El Paso, Texas, I enjoy writing regency romance and Pride and Prejudice variations for pleasure.
Other Books by Grace Gibson
Silver Buckles is available on Amazon. "Old Boots" will be coming summer of 2021.
The novella, Reckless, Headstrong Girl, may be purchased on Amazon US (paid link) and Amazon UK. It is available as an eBook, a Paperback, and through Kindle Unlimited. The audiobook, narrated by Stevie Zimmerman, should be released in about a month.
FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon US. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!
* * * GIVEAWAY * * *
It's giveaway time! Meryton Press is kindly giving away one eBook to one of my lucky readers! To enter, please leave a comment below with a way to get in touch with you!
- One person will win an e-copy of Reckless, Headstrong Girl by Grace Gibson.
- One winner will be randomly picked.
- To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below and include your e-mail with parentheses around (at) and (dot).
- Open internationally.
- The last day to enter the giveaway is Feb. 11th, 2021, by the end of the day.
Good luck!
It was my pleasure to have Grace Gibson on the blog today! I enjoyed this interview and really like this Lydia! She sounds courageous, and it looks like she learned quite a bit from her adventure!
Many thanks to Janet @ More Agreeably Engaged for organizing and including me on this blog tour! And to Meryton Press for offering one of my readers a chance to win an e-copy of the book!
So, friends, what did you think of that interview? Are you looking forward to reading Reckless, Headstrong Girl as much as me?
