I’ve really enjoyed teaching Effie to read although it’s frustrating sometimes as she doesn’t always listen. Now I know why adults say ‘ Patience is a virtue’ ! We’ve been reading from my ancestor Matilda Marchmont’s old diary - Effie loves reading it as it’s filled with such shocking stories from Tudor times ! Effie does love anything dramatic, just like her brother Fleet !

I love being able to read - there are so many books I want tuck into before I go to bed. I don’t know why society thinks women can’t - or shouldn’t - write. There are so many lady authors now - Emily Bronte, Elizabeth Barret Browning, Christina Rosetti ! I want to read  them all but Aunt Cora thinks I should only read texts on sewing, or silly things like dance steps….

Why not read more about Amelia in Amelia’s Inheritance, a story of intrigue and adventure set in Victorian London. 

It was Christmas Eve. Amelia and Effie were sitting in a window seat in the house in Hampstead, drinking tea as snow fell on Church Row outside. Effie was reading aloud dramatically from Matilda Marchmont’s old journal, which they had found in the chest.

Amelia could make out the branches of the tall Christmas tree quite clearly now, flickering with soft candlelight and hung with gingerbread stars. The room was garlanded with ivy and mistletoe.

“Hmm. I’ve taught you to read well,” mused Amelia.

“Don’t flatter yourself, will you!”

The girls grinned at each other. 

Mr. Haverstock was walking across the room. His hands were flapping oddly.

“Please don’t over-excite yourself, but I have news. Great news. More than news…A visitor. Can you bear a tremendous shock do you think?”

Flickering with soft candlelight and hung with gingerbread stars..

Extract from 'Amelia's Inheritance'

Papa is keen for us all to go on a lovely day trip to the seaside, now the weather is warmer and more pleasant. I want to try sea bathing so Aunt Cora decided I had to have the proper clothes so as not to scandalise everyone. As if I would!

I don’t mind our shopping trips as much these days, although she does seem to find them tiring. The noise and the bustle still gets to me, all that simpering over ribbons still seems very silly! But a bathing dress does mean I can go in the sea!

Well, I have it now. It is all black, with flannel bloomers and a flannel, long sleeved dress with matching black bathing boots. The boots have straw soles and laces all the way up to my knees. The cap is quite ok though, a bit jaunty perched on my head and the black stockings are quite soft. It does not, however, look very practical for swimming in the sea I must say. It will get all heavy and itchy when it gets wet! But Aunt Cora has promised to help me embroider colourful coils round the tops of my boots and the cuffs of my dress so it will be less boring to look at, at least.

Aunt Cora has been recovering well and has been a frequent visitor of Papa and I at our home – I do like saying home rather than house, it feels so much more permanent. Anyway on her last visit she told us that her doctor has advised her to ‘take the cure’ so as to restore her nerves or something. It did sound a bit silly, it is just water after all! Papa immediately suggested Bath but Aunt Cora exclaimed it was not the season for Bath and perhaps Cheltenham, or the newer resort at Leamington would be better. There was something about some Duchesses going to Leamington and that made it better, but I really was not listening properly as it was not anything particularly interesting to me.