My Dear Fellow Wallflowers,
My two bits of instruction are based on the personal experiences of myself and a friend and should be heeded.
The first—look beneath the mask.
Not literally, unless one is at a ball. However, when a gentleman, or any man for that matter, appears to be too good to be true, then he most certainly is.
Society is filled with rakes, rogues, dandies, the honorable and dishonorable, pleasant, shy, scholarly, and not so bright. It is likely you’ve encountered every type of male England has to offer and found them lacking. It is the very reason many of us wallflowers chose our place along the wall.
However, when you do meet that man—the one who makes your pulse race and breaths come short, be cautious. He may be handsome, charming, kind, and everything you could hope for in a future husband, but he may also be deceiving you.
Many of you may have a parent or guardian who will investigate the background of any gentleman who may wish to court you, but remember that their concern is estates, titles, and wealth, which have nothing to do with a gentleman’s character. This is why you must learn all that you can before you commit your heart.
There will be those who are reading this who do not have the funds to make such inquiries, but I implore you to save every shilling earned or from your pin money and when you have enough, go straight away to an investigator. You must learn all that you can about the man who makes you forget yourself with a mere smile, for there is a very good chance that he is not who he claims to be or wants you to believe, as was the case with me.
When the truth is finally revealed and you learn what he has been hiding, then comes the time for retribution. It is up to you whether it will be a public announcement, such as a newssheet or whispering in the ear of a known gossip, or do you make him pay privately. That, dear wallflower, is up to you.
My second instruction is to make certain your own mask remains in place. We all hide something, and usually more than one thing, from Society, friends, and family. Most especially, we hide unseemly talents from our parents as they would be the first to discourage and then destroy any uniqueness you may possess so as not to be ridiculed by the ton or worse, be an embarrassment to them. An embarrassment to them is an embarrassment to you, or so you have been told.
They are wrong.
I am not saying that you should flout your unusual gifts, as they may draw attention that you do not want or need. However, do not hesitate to use them to benefit yourself, but choose wisely. When that time arrives, which will usually come about by way of a gentleman wronging you or someone else, reveal your true strengths and skills, for I have found that beating a gentleman at his own game has the most delicious rewards.
You can read more about masks and the retributions that come from hiding who you truly are in A Rogue’s Reckoning, which will be out on June 18, 2024, and in Secrets of a Scoundrel, out on September 3, 2024.