Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene's Blog, page 63

The Delta Pearl 21 — Poison

Saturday, January 26, 2020

[image error]Photo by Dan Antion

The #steampunk riverboat is back, my chuckaboos!  

My Writing Process

From the beginning, back in the original version of The Delta Pearl, I wanted to give the story two unique characteristics (along with the magical riverboat setting).  One was the gemstone names for the crew.  The other was having the crew be from many different places. 

Agate, the Cook, is from Scotland. I had been wanting to give her more dialogue.  When Carol left bloomers as a “random reader thing” I knew how I wanted to use it. 

When we were discussing gemstone names, Dan Antion, who also lets me use a lot of his photographs, mentioned Malachite.  Since I was already aware of the hazards of working with the gem, I knew it was perfect.  I should have listed it as a thing last time, but the simple truth is, I forgot.  This chapter’s other random thing is crochet hook from Resa.  

Thanks to everyone who responded to my “call for things” last weekend.  I’ve added them to my story matrix.  Everyone is still welcome to leave a random thing — that existed in the Victorian or Steam Era, please do so in a comment. I love to give shout-outs for the things.

Are you ready?

All aboard!
The Delta Pearl
Chapter 21 — Poison
[image error]Bloomer Club Cigar 1890, Wikipedia. Cigar box illustration meant as satire of “athletic bloomers” for women

For a second my eyes were on the brown cloud and whatever it concealed.  However, it rose quickly, and I had more important concerns.

“Quickly, we need to clear his lungs!” Jaspe exclaimed.

The charm of his New Orleans accent did nothing to lessen the impact of the Dealer’s demand.  The words hit my stomach like an icy fist.

Jaspe seemed unhurt, although his face was dirty and his cravat was gone.  His shirt was pulled half open and the sleeve of his coat had a large cut.  Thankfully, I didn’t see any blood.  The Dealer stooped beside the Captain.  His concern was obvious.

“He has breathed malachite dust and it’s poisonous,” Jaspe stated.

I didn’t know what to do, as I stood there shocked and useless.  All I could think was that it was stupid of me to notice that the emerald of the Captain’s all-seeing eye pin still glowed.  It was not as bright as it was when they were inside the brown cloud, but it still glowed.  I wondered that no one else seemed to notice.

“I know what we can use.  I need help though,” Dr. Victor T. Elam said and hurried down the stairs.

Garnet Redford, the Chief Porter, and Obsidian Durango, the Cadet, were quick to follow him.

[image error]Composite Wikipedia & Pixabay images by Teagan

My sigh of relief was audible.  Victor wasn’t much older than me, so I wasn’t entirely confident.  However, he had known exactly what to do to repair the leech barometer.  So, I dared hope.

Cecil Perlog coughed and hacked like a man who had been pulled from a burning building.  Agate sprawled on the deck beside him, wiping soot from his face with her handkerchief.

Agate’s gown hiked above her knees.  Coral reached down to pull Agate’s skirt back into place.   It was only natural for one woman to try and help another preserve her modesty.

The Cook always had trouble containing her temper if she was afraid for a loved one.  Agate’s distress spilled onto the good intentioned chamber maid.

“Did ya think I cared that my bloomers were showin’?” Agate demanded of the surprised chamber maid.  “Right now, I wouldn’t care if my whole bahoochie showed!”

The Cook took a deep breath and looked sheepishly at Coral.

“It’s all right, lass.  I know you were only trying to do what you could to help,” Agate told her.

Moments later, Garnet, Sid, and Victor came back up to the Hurricane deck.  They maneuvered a very large case up the stairs.  I recognized the towering portmanteau that Dr. Elam was so fussy about when he boarded the Delta Pearl.

They were breathing hard from carrying the heavy leather covered case.

“It’s just an invention I’ve been tinkering with,” Victor commented as Garnet helped him lift a large steel tank from the case.

[image error]Anthropomorphic Atmospheric Diving Suit by Carmagnolle 1883 Wikipedia

Everyone who could see into the case gasped.  A chorus of murmurs arose.  Inside the portmanteau was what looked like a metal man with bulbous joints.

“And how is it you dobbers think a suit of armor will help?” Agate exclaimed in a Scottish accent that was heavy with emotion.  “Besides, it’d never fit Cecil!”

“That’s only the atmospheric diving suit, Miss Agate.  The Carmagnolle brothers in Marseilles, France built the original.  This is my variation,” Victor began while the Cook sputtered.

The young inventor touched, tapped, and pulled at various spots around the neck of the suit.  To manipulate the smallest ones, he used a tool that I thought must actually be a crochet hook.  A few seconds later he detached the thing’s big round head.

The Captain tried to sit up, but another fit of coughing overtook him.  His eyes were even redder than they were when he emerged from the brown cloud.

“I’m blind,” the Captain muttered in a voice that was hoarse but matter-of-fact.  “Why is the Pearl spinning?” he asked.

The riverboat had become still as soon as the cloud and whatever it obscured moved away.  If the Captain was dizzy and sightless, I feared his condition must be very bad.

Agate gave a whimper when the Captain said he was blind.  She turned pleading eyes to the young inventor.

[image error]Maritime tools, Connecticut River Museum by Dan Antion

“The important part is the oxygen cylinder,” Victor continued as Garnet and Sid lifted the heavy canister.  “I haven’t been able to get the pressure right for underwater use.  You see, I intend this cylinder to be used instead of the long hoses that attach to diving suits,” Victor added in response to our blank stares.

“Since we are not under water, that doesn’t matter that my invention didn’t work properly.  All we need is the oxygen and the helmet,” he continued.

Victor looked at the Captain as if for approval.

“Go ahead, son,” Cecil Perlog said, gasping for breath.

Jaspe held up the Captain’s shoulders while Victor and Garnet fitted the helmet around his head.

Victor twisted knobs connecting a small hose from the oxygen cylinder to the round metal helmet.  I heard a soft hiss as the air came out of the tank.  Victor nodded in satisfaction.

Agate had managed to keep hold of the Captain’s hand the entire time.

“Just hold on now, Big yin.  He’s a cannie lad.  We’ll get you fixed right up,” she assured the Captain, though a tear ran down her cheek.

***
[image error]Louis Jourdan in Madame Bovary 1949

The Delta Pearl had ceased her wild movements as soon as the sooty cloud, and whatever it hid, left the riverboat.  As soon as the Pearl returned to normal, the Mate rushed out of the pilothouse.

When the Captain’s condition had improved enough that he could be moved, Jaspe and Blue John helped him to his quarters.  I followed, as did Victor and Agate.  The Cook and my little inventor stayed with the Captain.  Victor wanted to administer more oxygen.  Agate simply wouldn’t leave his side.

The Captain assured me that his sight had returned.  Jaspe seemed to know a lot about the poison.  The Dealer said the blindness was only a temporary effect of exposure to the poison.  The Captain promised me he would be fine.  I nodded, trying to be mature.

The emerald of his all-seeing eye pin sparkled brightly, but only as a perfect gemstone would.  It no longer glowed.

Blue John, despite his emotionally frazzled state, was calm in the face of the crisis.  I wondered if he would stay that way or fall completely apart, in a delayed reaction, once he felt sure everything was safe again.  At any rate, the Mate returned to the pilothouse.

I followed the Dealer out of the Captain’s quarters.  I studied Jaspe closely.  Unlike the Captain, there was no redness in his eyes, no fit of coughing.  Yet Jaspe had been inside the cloud longer than the Captain.

“Don’t think I’m not relieved,” I began uncertainly.  “But you were in that poison cloud longer than the captain.  You seem unharmed.  How?”

[image error]Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan 1958 Gigi Wikipedia

Jaspe took my hand and bent to kiss it.  As usual, his face was not very mobile.  His mouth twisted slightly.  For the Dealer, that was a rueful expression.

“Ah, cher, what a terrible thing for your sweet sixteen, no?” he said to deflect my question.

My lips curled inward to a petulant line.  I tapped the toe of my green velvet boot to make sure he saw my impatience.  Jaspe gave a long-suffering sigh.

“There are a number of reasons why I escaped unscathed,” Jaspe began.  “Firstly, the entire cloud was not toxic.  The cloud of smog was from a coal powered engine.  The poison dust was from a weapon.  Unfortunately, the Captain bore the brunt of Malachite’s use of it.  Secondly, I suspected such a weapon and had covered my nose and mouth with my cravat.”

“Who is Malachite?” I asked when the Dealer started to turn away.

“That is a name I hoped you would never hear, cher.  Malachite is my nemesis.”

Jaspe made the statement as if it was simple.  He walked away, leaving me gaping in astonishment.

***

End Chapter 21

***

Research is also a huge part of my writing process. Without taking time to go into detail, here are just a couple of the links I used for this episode, if you’re curious.

https://www.gemsociety.org/article/malachite-jewelry-and-gemstone-information/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_diving_suit

Thanks for reading.  I’ll see you at the riverbank next weekend, my chuckaboos!

 

This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 and 2019 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved. 

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

 

Wednesday, Trees for Teagan — Off Center & Not Even

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

[image error]Two Big Gnarly Old Cottonwoods by Tim Price

Tim and Laurie Price live on a magical spot in the Land of Enchantment.  Tim shares a lot of fantastic photos at his blog, Off Center & Not Even.  I was honored when he said I could “claim” one of the trees at their place.  He gave me a choice of some grand trees.  I nearly chose that beautiful blue spruce (click over to see it), but the first image (see at the end of this post) of a pair of splendidly gnarly old trees called to me.  You can see all of the trees I could have chosen in Tim’s post (link at the end of this post). 

[image error]Desert Atonement Graveyard by Tim Price (capture)

Years ago, Tim was inspired by “Atonement, Tennessee” to create his imagining of the house and graveyard. He also reviewed the book in that post.  I’ve wanted to write “Desert Atonement” ever since. Click the link. Notice the cat (perched on the tall white grave stone) with a black feather in the image above.  It is always a wonderful thing to me, when someone can see my stories in their own life or location. 

Anyhow, here is the rest of Tim’s post with all the trees, beginning with the pair I claimed.  That setting, with the shed and the truck also makes me think of Atonement, TN.  I hope you’ll click over and visit him.  Hugs on the wing!

Teagan, of Teagan’s Books, and I have been following each other for years, and for some reason, Teagan had not claimed a tree. Here are the remaining cottonwoods on the property and a Blues Spruce she can choose from. If none of these seem fitting, there are a lot more trees in the bosque.

via Trees for Teagan — Off Center & Not Even  Please click over and visit Tim.

 

Universal purchase links for  Atonement, Tennessee

It is also listed in the Rave Reviews Book Club (#RRBC) catalog.

Atonement, Tennessee

Kindle: rxe.me/HGSVA8A

Paperback:  relinks.me/1481826948

[image error]

Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore – New Book on the Shelves #Non-Fiction – Speak Flapper: Slang of the 1920s by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene — Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

My latest book, Speak Flapper, Slang of the 1920s has made it to Sally Cronin’s Café & Bookstore.

Comments are closed here.  Click over and visit Sally and her extraordinary bookstore.

A change of genre for Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene with her new non-fiction guide to the 1920s. Speak Flapper with a wonderful cover. About the book This is a dictionary of slang from the Roaring Twenties, also called the Jazz Age. I collected these terms while researching my various fictional stories set in the 1920s.The book […]

via Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore – New Book on the Shelves #Non-Fiction – Speak Flapper: Slang of the 1920s by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene — Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Here’s a snippet.

Labor-saving Appliances

By the 1920s, most Americans were able to take advantage of new labor-saving devices including refrigerators, washing machines, electric razors, vacuum cleaners, and electric irons. They also enjoyed entertainment devices like phonographs, and radios.

Lallygagger: A young man addicted to attempts at hallway spooning.

Lam (on the): To flee. To run away, particularly from the police.

Lamp: To observe.

Lap: Drink.

The Delta Pearl 20 — Slash

Saturday, January 1x, 2020

[image error]Composite of Pixaby images by Teagan R. Geneviene

Welcome back to the #steampunk riverboat, my chuckaboos!  There have been several interruptions in the voyage of The Delta Pearl during the past few months.  I appreciate you for steadfastly coming back to the riverboat dock. With that in mind, here are links from the most recent chapters.  The Delta Pearl 19 — Flirt.   The Delta Pearl 18 — Bump.   The Delta pearl 17 –Jump.  

Call for things!

This chapter’s random things from readers are cosmetics from Mary J Melange.  Also even though it was part of a comment, Kirt Tisdale mentioned help, which I thought would be a great thing. 

Speaking of random reader things, I could use more.  If you want to leave a random thing — that existed in the Victorian or Steam Era, please do so in a comment. I love to give shout-outs for the things.

Without further ado… 

All aboard!
The Delta Pearl

Chapter 20 — Slash

[image error]Sid and Coral.  Otherwise known as “Dance in the Country,” Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1883 Wikipedia

Red and white stripes made the awning stretched above the Hurricane deck seem festive. The Captain said there wouldn’t be rain, but the Cook was still worried that her food and decorations for my birthday party might get wet. Yes, my sweet sixteen had finally arrived.

The hot pink roses caught my eye.  I quickly turned my head when I realized I was frowning at the blossoms. I was still annoyed at Sid, the Cadette, for nicking one to give me. It wasn’t just that he had taken it from the decorations. Rather, Victor saw it and assumed I had a suitor.

The young inventor had been polite, a perfect gentleman in fact. However, he had been too reserved. When he looked at me, I saw doubt in his expression.

“My own sweet sixteen party and I have nothing even resembling a date,” I muttered under my breath.

Victor T. Elam sat in conversation with the wealthy entrepreneur, Randal Needleman. Nearby, a group of women hung on every word spoken by Garnet Redford, the Chief Porter.

A playful flourish of a lace fan caught my eye. The new chamber maid, Coral had just come up the stairs. Coral was on the arm of Obsidian Durango.  She had been helping me with the language of the fan. I saw she had made careful use of cosmetics. Perhaps she could teach me to use them. Although, the Captain wouldn’t approve… 

[image error]Kirk Douglas as Blue John Boulton

I couldn’t help shooting Sid a resentful glare. He threw a monkey wrench into the relationship that was starting to develop with my inventor — and then brought a date. At that moment I didn’t care that he probably had no idea what he had done.

Even though I was too young for Blue John to be my beau, he certainly was a handsome man. A crowd gathered around him as he played a ukulele and sang Come into the Garden Maud. I was glad Blue seemed to be in a better state of mind, but I could tell that he still wasn’t quite himself.

A sigh escaped my lips. When I heard myself, I forced a smile onto my face. Everyone was enjoying themselves. That was the main thing.

Only a few of the passengers were there. Agate didn’t want my birthday party to be open to everyone. She said that was too impersonal. However, I was allowed to quietly invite several passengers. I sent invitations to Victor, the Needlemans, and the supposed governess and her charge ― Azalea Morton and the “boy” Alex Rice, whose real name was Alison Ritchie.

Someone started up the Victrola. That should keep the party lively. Now if I can manage to liven up my own spirits, I thought.

[image error]Émeraude and the Dealer dance on the deck of the Delta Pearl. Original image Wikipedia (altered)

People began moving out from the awning and into the sunshine to dance.

Alison was still dressed as “Alex.” The two runaway women knew the value of discretion. When Sid asked Azalea to dance Alex/Alison elbowed her to accept.

I wondered why Coral was no longer on the Cadet’s arm. Then I saw her maneuvering that lace fan flirtatiously at Garnet.

Blue John stopped playing the ukulele when the Victrola started. He excused himself and headed toward the pilothouse. The Mate would relieve the Captain so he could act as host.

Admittedly, I was relieved when the Dealer touched my elbow and led me to the dancefloor. As I twirled and spun, I lost my cares in the dance. That was easy to do with Jaspe as partner. There was no better dancer than the Dealer. I didn’t realize the other dancers had moved to the sides to watch until we finished with a dramatic dip.

Abruptly a dark cloud descended enveloping the Hurricane Deck where I stood. The sooty air was choking. I couldn’t breathe.

[image error]Unsplash

The Dealer, brandishing a cutlass in one hand, caught me around my waist with his other hand. He was very tall and slim. It seemed unlikely for a thin man to be so strong. However, my feet came off the deck as Jaspe tossed me like a doll. He threw me clear of the brown mist.

I landed against the Captain’s chest and he held me fast, though I tried to get down. Cecil Perlog was huge. His strength was no surprise at all.

The Captain wore a ceremonial cutlass much like the one Jaspe brandished. I wondered at it, because it was rare for either of them to wear arms. I had passed it off as a formal touch for my party, but perhaps I was wrong.

“Cecil, take Émeraude away from here. He has come!” Jaspe yelled.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Victor run toward me.

“Malachite, you know you are not welcome here. The Delta Pearl herself cast you out!” I heard the Dealer shout though I could no longer see him.

Shocked murmurs from the partygoers rose in volume at Jaspe’s words.

More worrisome than the unexpected weapons was the “all-seeing eye” pin on the Captain’s puff tie. The pin was an oval white “blister” pearl as the eye, and a large round emerald made the iris. It has a small black diamond as the pupil. Yes, he always wore the pin, but I had never seen it glow before!

The thick cloud obscured my view. Two tall silhouettes clashed. They could have been mirror images. The shapes moved in a way that seemed confrontational. I heard the sound of the cutlass slashing the air. Then I heard the sword make contact with something.

[image error]Pixabay (altered)

The Captain’s head snapped toward the sound. A fierce grimace came to his face. He set me down, and then rushed into the dark mist to help Jaspe.

I saw the Captain unsheathe the sword as he barreled into the brown mist and out of view.

No sooner had my feet touched the deck than Agate grabbed my arm in a vice grip. At her nod, Victor caught my other arm. They prevented me following the Captain and the Dealer into the sooty cloud.

Clashing sounds of cutlasses rang, followed by a thud. I could only see vague movements of shapes amid the green glow from the all-seeing eye pin.

At the sound of clashing metal, Agate loosened her hold on my arm. Her hands went to her mouth in worry. I pulled free of her and ran around the edge of the cloud. Victor followed, still holding my arm.

A shout came from Blue John in the pilothouse. On the still water of the river, the Delta Pearl began to rock. Then the riverboat started to turn… and turn. It was as if the Delta Pearl had a will of her own and wanted to dislodge something, much like an untrained horse bucking a rider.

Voices cried out from all parts of the Delta Pearl as the riverboat lurched and spun faster.

Victor stumbled from the wild movements of the boat, but he still had my arm.  I kept going, pulling him with me. Near the far side of the hurricane deck the mist thinned. I saw a man in a voluminous coat stagger out of the thinning edge of the cloud, but I couldn’t make out where he went.

[image error]As Benjamin Dundas, German inventor Werner von Siemens 1850, Wikipedia

It was a tall man whose thick mustache grew into his bushy sideburns, Benjamin Dundas ― one of the passengers. I had hardly seen him since the guests boarded. Some people didn’t handle river travel well. It could make them sick at their stomach. I had assumed that was why he seemed to stay in his quarters.

“Dundas, isn’t it?” Victor said next to me. “I’ve noticed him skulking around the deck where my cabin is. At first, I thought his room must be near mine, but then I learned it isn’t even on the same deck,” he added, causing me to rethink my assumption.

The sound of a straining engine overwhelmed Victor’s voice. The cloud seemed to dissipate. However, I saw that it was rising, rather than dispersing. Above me I glimpsed what looked a lot like the underside of a boat, but the mist quickly covered it.

As the cloud rose, I saw the Captain stumble to the deck. High over the Hurricane Deck I saw legs swinging, then the Dealer dropped from the mist. He landed gracefully on the deck and immediately went to the Captain.

“Quickly, we need to clear his lungs!” Jaspe exclaimed as he stooped beside the Captain. “He has breathed malachite dust and it’s poisonous.”

***

End Chapter 20

***

 

This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 and 2019 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved. 

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

 

#RRBC #Bookreview – Guest post by Teagan Geneviene — Robbie’s inspiration

 

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Rather than doing a Jazz Age Wednesday post tomorrow, today I’m visiting the wonderful Robbie Cheadle.  She is interviewing me — and she has a review of A Ghost in the Kitchen.  I’m excited and delighted to be there.  Comments are closed here because I want you to visit Robbie’s blog and get to know her.

You’re the berries!

Teagan Geneviene has a fabulous and fun blog, Teagan’s Books, where she shares interesting posts including her innovative “three things” stories in a serial format. Teagan is visiting me today to share a bit about her latest non-fiction book, Speak Flapper – Slang of the 1920s, and the three other books in her “Three Things” […]

via #RRBC #Bookreview – Guest post by Teagan Geneviene — Robbie’s inspiration

Delta Pearl Delay

Saturday, January 11, 2020

[image error]Paddlewheel Riverboat by Dan Antion

Happy weekend, my chuckaboos!  You must be tired of hearing me complain — I’ve had “the everything flu” for two weeks.  I’m finally doing better, although sinus and tummy issues are still trying to hang on.  Anyhow, after two weeks of it, I’m purely exhausted and couldn’t get a chapter of  The Delta Pearl ready.

To keep you entertained and in a riverboat mindset, Dan Antion has a wonderful, image filled post about his visit to the Connecticut River Museum, in Essex, CT.  If you love the setting of The Delta Pearl I’m sure you will enjoy Dan’s post.

[image error]Model of a walking beam steam engine. This was the power plant of most steamships. Photo by Dan Antion

Meanwhile, John W. Howell got me interested in the Rave Reviews Book Club (RRBC).  I’m starting out small (and spending the scant amount of energy I have as I shake off this horrible bug) getting a limited profile together for the #RRBC.

Oh, and look what I just found on my Amazon page! I realize that #1 status is updated hourly, and will probably vanish momentarily… but still.  Woot!  “Speak Flapper” got a #1, however short-lived it may be.

[image error]“Speak Flapper” was #1 in Amazon’s Words & Language Reference category!

If you’d like to catch up on, or refresh your memory, here are recent links to The Delta Pearl. The Delta Pearl 19 — Flirt.   The Delta Pearl 18 — Bump.   The Delta pearl 17 –Jump. 

 I’ll be back next weekend with a new chapter.  Hugs!

"Speak Flapper" Amazon #1 New Release in its category

Wow. I realize they update this status hourly, but I'm still thrilled.
"Speak Flapper" is an Amazon #1 New Release in the Words & Language Reference category.
Speak Flapper - Slang of the 1920s

Jazz Age Wednesdays — Speak Flapper #NewBook

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Announcing my first non-fiction book! 

Well, not exactly. In my long career of writing and editing in the “Federal world,” I produced volumes and volumes of non-fiction.  However, I didn’t get the credit for that work.  So, I should say that this is my first independently published non-fiction book.

I hoped to release it close to the launch of the third of my Roaring Twenties novels about Pip and her friends, A Ghost in the Kitchen.  The launch for that, a trolley tour of haunted Savannah, was huge fun, and a great time was had by all. 

However, the actual book fell flat. So, I won’t be writing any new stories for Pip or Granny Phanny.  With that in mind, I almost didn’t make this new book available either… but then I thought, why not?  I’m not doing a full-on book launch, just making this announcement. 

I present to you, Speak Flapper — Slang of the 1920s.

[image error]Speak Flapper, Slang of the 1920s by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

 

Here’s the blurb

This is a dictionary of slang from the Roaring Twenties, also called the Jazz Age. I collected these terms while researching my various fictional stories set in the 1920s.

The book is not meant to be a scholarly work. It is intended for entertainment purposes. It is also peppered with history and trivia about the era. You might use it in preparing for a 1920s costume party, or for a gathering to watch a favorite movie or TV show set in the Roaring Twenties. Or use it for the simple personal fun of speaking flapper! 

Kindle: relinks.me/B083HNK3BB

Paperback: relinks.me/1656168553

[image error]

All the Pip books by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene. Purchase links: The Three Things Serial Story, Murder at the Bijou, and A Ghost in the Kitchen

Thanks for visiting.  You’re the cat’s pajamas!

 

The Delta Pearl 19 — Flirt

Saturday, January 4, 2019

Happy New Year, my chuckaboos!  May the new decade and the year 2020 bring 20/20 vision.

I’m still crawling back to the surface after Santa brought me a big bag of the Everything Flu on Christmas morning.  The “stomach flu” part of “everything” is still hanging on.  So let’s get right to business.

The “random reader thing” that drove this chapter is from Jill at J-Dubs Grin and Bear It.  Weeks ago, in a comment she mentioned Coquettish.  

If you need to refresh your memory about the previous episode, click here for Chapter 18 — Bump.  Are you ready?

All Aboard!
The Delta Pearl
Chapter 19 — Flirt
[image error]Allison Scagliotti as Émeraude. Composite of Pixabay & public domain images by Teagan

Every available lamp was lit and each window fully exposed. The library was not vast, but it comfortably held several cozy places for passengers to read or engage in quiet pursuits. At that moment it had only one occupant. A peculiar bespectacled man took over the largest table, and eventually brightened the room to his satisfaction.

The ostensibly mild-mannered inventor weighted down the corners of a large sheet of paper to prevent it curling back into a cylindrical shape. The leather tube that previously held the paper began to roll across the floor as the Delta Pearl gently moved on the water. Without even looking at it, Dr. Victor T. Elam stuck one foot out to stop the canister’s motion. Such was the intensity of his gaze on the big document.

I lingered unnoticed beside the open door. The soft clicking of the clockwork spider, Amethyst, urged me to go inside. It was Amethyst who let me know where Victor had gone after he abruptly left the tearoom. I raised a hand toward the door, but drew back at the muffled footfall on the hallway.

The Chief Porter, Garnet Redford, stopped beside me. His eyebrows lifted in a silent question.

Garnet was already part of the riverboat’s crew when I came aboard as a little girl. Since I had grown up around his extraordinary good looks, I didn’t think much about how handsome he was.

[image error]Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, 1969

However, I was the exception to the rule. Passengers and crew alike, women tended to get positively giddy about his tall, athletic build, chiseled features, green eyes, and reddish blonde hair. Add his soft English accent, and women had swooned ― sometimes literally.

Maybe that was why I felt I could act in a coquettish way with him. I knew Garnet would take it in the joking way that I intended, because there was never a shortage of women who were truly interested in him.

Even the Cook was not immune to the Chief Porter’s appeal. Garnet was usually treated to a “preview” serving whenever Agate baked any of his favorite pastries. This was evident by the flaky golden crumbs on his jacket. I dusted them off and shook my head.

Garnet gave a little smirk. I knew he wasn’t taking advantage of the Cook’s goodwill, but that didn’t mean I would not tease him about it. Agate loved to bake, and I suspected that it was also her way of flirting.

I rolled my eyes. He chuckled.

“The flirting would have been more effective if you had batted your eyelashes, rather than rolling your eyes,” he told me with exaggerated patience. “But don’t let the Dealer know I made such a suggestion. He’d have my hide.”

Amethyst stretched her legs so she could lean closer to Garnet without leaving my shoulder. She made a clicking sound, apparently indicating another crumb on his chest.

I flicked away the crumb. I imitated Garnet’s smirk and lifted eyebrows. His strawberry blonde brows climbed another inch closer to his hairline in return.

The man was British through and through. My enthusiasm for copying his manner deflated. I knew I’d never be able to imitate him.

“Been to the galley for a little cupboard love, have you? Did you ever stop to think the Cook might be trying to fatten you up for her own nefarious purposes?” I joked.

“Agate is a force of nature. I wouldn’t risk her ire by refusing a pastry,” Garnet told me. “And you know that I’m only half joking. Besides, it’s good to take the Cook’s mind off the thievery of that ruddy-cheeked cherub, Hershel. Although, it’s better to have him pinching food than trying to cause the guests to slip on banana peels.”

[image error] R.U.R. is a science fiction play by Karel Čapek . The Three Robots Scene, 1921.

Garnet tilted his head toward the library and the young inventor inside.

“I’m not sure that one is quite right in the head, Émeraude. Maybe you don’t want to be alone with him in there,” he whispered. “You never know about the quiet, bumbling types, particularly when they’re brilliant…”

“Garnet, I’ll be fine,” I whispered back and patted the side of my thigh, where it was known among the crew that I often carried a small holstered pistol.

My footsteps were quiet on the plush carpet, so I deliberately cleared my throat when I walked into the library. I didn’t want to startle Dr. Elam. When I got closer, I saw that the paper that so absorbed his attention was a large engineering drawing. It was so complex that I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Despite my efforts to make my presence known, Victor jumped when I said hello. He blushed and stuttered, clearly embarrassed.

“You are pouring so much thought into this drawing,” I began. “Might I ask what it is?”

At the prospect of discussing something technical he recovered his composure. However, he seemed less than enthusiastic. He looked from me to the drawing. Then he looked over his shoulder toward the door, back to the drawing, and again to me.

“Perhaps I’ve been too forward,” I suggested, seeing his concern.

“Oh no,” Victor Elam sputtered. “It’s just that I have not made it public yet. I hope I can count on your discretion. It actually helps me if I give voice to my thoughts. So, if you don’t mind my stuffy scientific prattle I would be delighted to explain.”

His eyes went to my hands as if he expected me to be holding something. Though his gaze met mine only briefly, I was sure that “something” was the rose Obsidian Durango had given me.

Is a single rose enough to make him give up? I wondered. Victor is so different from any of the men on the Delta Pearl. I need advice, but I don’t have anyone to ask. Maybe Mrs. Needleman. She’s a woman of wealth and taste. And she’s a suffragette! Eliza Needleman would surely be able to help.

[image error]The Fan, James Tissot, 1875 Wikipedia

Dr. Elam leaned toward to the drawing as he pointed at an especially complicated looking part of the illustration. When he touched the paper, he accidentally pulled it away from one of the impromptu paperweights. The drawing immediately began to curl in upon itself. I quickly leaned over the diagram to hold it in place.

He had the same impulse to catch the drawing and we lightly bumped our foreheads together. I winced more at my clumsiness than at any pain.

Finding myself unexpectedly nose to nose with Victor T. Elam, I had the shocking, horribly inappropriate, outrageous urge to kiss him. Right there, in the library ― just move an inch closer, and plant a kiss right on his mouth.

A light tap at the door caused both of us to turn. It was the Garnet, from a moment before. Dr. Elam and I both straightened awkwardly.

Victor turned his back to the door and fussed over the drawing. I could see the back of his ears and they blushed crimson.

His blush made me think I had very nearly created a situation too humiliating for words. Taking it upon myself to abruptly kiss a man I hardly knew would have been scandalous enough… but if he did not want the attention I would have been utterly mortified.

Garnet had speedily fetched a tray of tea. The subterfuge to check on my safety was obvious. I didn’t know whether to be grateful that he had prevented me making a fool of myself, or furious that he had interrupted the process.

Is the entire riverboat filled with mother hens?

The Cook seemed determined to match me up with Dr. Elam, and the Chief Porter was bent on protecting me from the milquetoast.

[image error]China cup by Dan Antion

The Chief Porter put the tea tray on a small table that was positioned between two chairs upholstered in golden yellow brocade. I shooed Garnet Redford away and poured the tea myself.

“Now,” I began with a motion toward the large mechanical drawing on the table. “I must admit I’m curious. When I look at the drawing, I feel like I should understand what it is, and yet I don’t. I suppose what I mean is that it seems familiar.”

Victor Elam looked inordinately pleased by my comment.

“Yes, you might well find it familiar, Miss Émeraude. Especially considering your charming clockwork creatures,” he added.”

“Do you mean it’s for a clockwork thing?” I asked in an astonished but delighted voice. “But it seems like it’s meant to be quite large,” I added as I rose and went back to the table.

Victor followed me, teacup in hand.

“Indeed, it is for something large. In fact, it would be taller than myself. It is meant to perform functions according to a predetermined set of coded instructions. In other words, it is intended to be capable of a range of programmed responses to different circumstances,” the inventor tried to explain, but the question must have been plain on my face.

“The design is for an automaton,” Dr. Elam stated.

Amethyst chittered and clicked wildly. She pounced from my shoulder onto the drawing. The clockwork spider skittered all around the large design. She rose onto her back legs and hissed. For a moment she vanished beneath the paper. Then saw her scramble across the floor.

I caught a glimpse of Amethyst in the chandelier before she disappeared from sight.

[image error]Pixabay image, tomfoolery by Teagan
***

End Chapter 19

***

Thanks for visiting, my chuckaboos.  I’ll be looking for you at the riverboat dock next weekend.

***

 

 

This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 and 2019 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved. 

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

 

The Delta Pearl 18 — Bump

Saturday, December 28, 2019

When I created Wednesday’s holiday greeting I felt fine. Little did I know that I was on Santa’s “Naughty List.”  The Jolly Old Elf brought me a flu bug Christmas morning.  Not to worry.  I expect to be fine and begin 2020 in good health. That said, I apologize for the inevitably rambling, disjointed intro that follows.

[image error] Thistledown – Midsummer Bedlam

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped and shared the launch of Thistledown – Midsummer Bedlam!  Several people let me share character profiles of faeries named in their honor.  Visit Olga Núñez Miret to learn more about two of the characters — one from Thistledown, and one from the colorless world.  If you enjoy reading about winged creatures of various sorts, be sure to take a look at Olga’s Angelic Business series.  It begins with Pink Matters.

Also, I just won a prize in a scavenger hunt in the Holiday Wishes Romance Book Fair, hosted by Aileen Harkwood! That helps make up for landing on Santa’s naughty list with the flu. 

I promise I’m heading to the riverbank now.  Considering how busy everyone is with the holidays (ahem… not just because I feel like crap) I didn’t want to make any big plot revelations. So, this chapter of The Delta Pearl focuses on Dr. Victor T. Elam (our genius young inventor) and Émeraude.

The “random reader thing” that drove this chapter is from Barbara at Teleporting Weena.  She left us Scrapbook.  Check at the end of the chapter for some interesting trivia on the topic.  Also, thanks to Faith Antion for the use of her photo of her cat Moncton as Sir Reginald La Felin.

It’s been awhile since I posted Chapter 17 — Jump.  Click the link if you want to refresh your memory.  Are you ready?

All Aboard!

Last time…

When I got to the tearoom it was empty.

“Agate?” I called, but no reply came.

Thump-thump-thud — two lighter bumping noises were followed by a heavier thump.

Thump-thump-thud.

The tearoom went dark.

I heard the floor creak.

The Delta Pearl
Chapter 18 — Bump
[image error]Composite of Wikipedia & Pixabay images by Teagan

Thump-thump-thud…

Startled, I dropped the hot pink rose that Obsidian Durango gave me a short time earlier. It landed on a table. I didn’t give the flower Sid had nicked from Agate’s decorations a second thought. I rushed out of the suddenly dark tearoom.

I collided with Victor T. Elam as he came around the corner.

“Oh, pardon me. Ah! Miss Perlezenn, thank goodness you’re still here. I apologize for being late,” the young inventor told me.

While apologies cascaded from his lips, I looked at him in utter confusion.

“And I’m sorry for running over you like a sailor on a benjo,” he added with reddening cheeks.

“Oh, it was just a little bump,” I murmured, trying to collect my startled thoughts.

Victor pushed his spectacles back on the bridge of his nose, that nervous habit of his. Damfino why I thought he was so adorable, but I found myself smiling at him.

“Hmm. That really should not go unpunished, Doctor Elam. As punishment I will have to insist that you call me Émeraude ― just as I’ve requested before. Are you in the habit of making a lady repeat herself?” I demanded with mock severity.

“Point taken, Miss erm I mean, Émeraude.”

He had dropped a package that was bedecked with a big mauve-colored bow. He tried to pick it up, but dropped it again, twice before thrusting the package toward me. By then the wrapping paper was torn in several places.

“Miss Agate sent one of the porters to tell me you asked to meet me in the tearoom,” Victor continued, his Texas roots showing in his voice.

[image error]Moncton as Sir Reginald La Felin, by Faith Antion

He a motioned toward the darkened place I had just fled. Turning, I saw Sir Reginald La Felin, as I liked to call the Dealer’s cat saunter out of the tearoom.

Could Reggie be responsible for that thumping thudding sound? Although, it seemed unlikely that the cat had been at the various places where I had heard the noise.

“I understand if you don’t have any time left, but perhaps we could sit down there,” he paused to clear his throat, “long enough for me to give you this. I realize your sweet sixteen party is not until tomorrow, but I’m told it’s the sort of thing one should give in advance.”

I cast a suspicious gaze at the tearoom. Victor misunderstood my hesitation and started babbling again. Forcing a smile to my face, I assured him that I could spare a few minutes. When he shifted the package to his other arm to open the door for me, he nearly dropped it again. For his sake, I hoped it didn’t contain anything breakable.

To my relief, when I tried the lamp on the table closest to the door, it lit without any fuss.

Since the wrapping paper was already in tatters, I tore right into the package. That seemed to please the inventor greatly. Inside was a large green leather-bound album.

“Your signature color,” Victor murmured when I ran my hand across the surface.

I must have had a questioning expression on my face. He began to explain why he chose the gift.

“It’s a scrapbook. This is one of the self-pasting kind that Samuel Clemens ― the author, Mark Twain invented,” Victor added.

“Oh, I’ve never seen that kind. Samuel Clemens had extraordinary ideas, for stories and his inventions. The Captain has his history trivia game,” I remarked.

“My mother started a scrapbook for me about my inventions, the first time an article was printed about me in a newspaper. I’ve added mementos of both my parents, ever since they were lost at sea,” he tried to explain.

The memory of a canister rolling to my feet when Dr. Elam first boarded the riverboat sprang to mind. It contained a bracelet made of hair from his parents. Hair jewelry was quite popular. His mother had made it. Victor had been so upset when he thought the container, which was meant to keep it safe was about to roll overboard.

I escaped from my family. Victor lost his. I couldn’t help thinking about the contrast, and the different emotions he and I must have. Something must have showed on my face because he became even more nervous.

“I know it’s not the same circumstance,” he stumbled over his words. “I mean, I don’t know anything about your parents or background, but I overheard you say that the crew of the Delta Pearl is your family, and that made me think it might be similar for you… Since my scrapbooks are my favorite of any gift from my family, I thought you might like to start a one of your own.”

It was difficult to believe the young man standing before me, who could barely make coherent conversation and blushed to his hairline was a genius inventor. However, even if he wasn’t making much sense, his sincerity was clear.

“It’s beautiful,” I told him honestly. “Although I don’t know what to put in it. I don’t have newspaper clippings, or university degrees, or…” I faltered, afraid I sounded ungrateful, when that wasn’t the case at all.

“Oh, you can put anything in it, Émeraude. It doesn’t have to be all newspaper clippings, or awards, or photographs. You could begin it with bits of things from your sweet sixteen party ― a note from, say Agate or the Captain…”

His rush of words abruptly stopped when he noticed the hot pink rose, tied with a ribbon. I had forgotten about it. I was also a little annoyed that Sid would give me a flower he had taken from an arrangement that was meant for my birthday party.

Victor’s eyes darted from the rose, to me, and to the door. He cleared his throat, and then went on with what he was saying.

“Um, you could press a flower from the decorations, or a ribbon, little things that trigger good memories. That’s why I wanted to give it to you early, so you could start with your party. A sweet sixteen is the next thing to a debutant debut,” he added. “Anyhow, I know you have many things to do, so I won’t take any more of your time.”

With another glance at the hot pink rose, he pushed his spectacles back on his nose. He gave me a polite nod, but away before I could even thank him for the gift.

The sunlight sparkled his blue topaz earing as Victor hurried out the open door.

I couldn’t understand the sudden turn in his behavior, just when we were finally getting better acquainted.

[image error]

My eyes fell on the beribboned rose again.

“Victor must have thought it was from a suitor. Zooterkins! That sodding Sid!” I muttered.

The brightness of the sun abruptly dimmed. I wondered if it was about to rain. Then I wondered if it was that worrisome, sooty cloud.

I gathered up the rose and the scrapbook and went out onto the deck. I was relieved to see a very ordinary cloud obscuring the sun for a moment before it drifted away.

However, when I turned toward the riverbank, I saw it again. That smudge of a cloud was larger, and it was closer to the Delta Pearl than it had ever been.

***
Real World Notes

Did you know that Mark Twain, aka Samuel L. Clemens, had several patents? He received patent #121,992 on December 19, 1871 for an Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments. Twain also received patents for a self-pasting scrapbook in 1873, that was very popular and sold over 25,000 copies, and in 1885 for a history trivia game.

Thanks for visiting, my chuckaboos.  I’ll be looking for you at the riverboat dock next weekend.

***

 

 

This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 and 2019 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved. 

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.