Author’s Introduction.
When considerably younger, I read and thoroughly enjoyed the many works of Georgette Heyer.  A completely new and colourful world of Regency Romance opened up to me, and I found the whole range of books delightful in the extreme.
One book, The Masqueraders, was to become my favourite, dealing with issues with which I could readily identify. It had everything one could want in a book: -
Wonderful characters,beautiful women, handsome heroes, nasty villains, duels by moonlight, deception, love and romance, highwaymen, heroic deeds and horse-back rides across open countryside. Good triumphed over evil, and true love prevailed. 
It also had a hero who spent most of the book dressed as a beautiful woman, and a heroine who appeared as a man.
I have planned for a long time to modernise the story, using those wonderful characters that Georgette introduced to me then. Now I feel I am in a position to fulfil that ambition, and if this turns out half as good as the original, then I will be well pleased.
I make no apology for lifting the book from the eighteenth century and plonking it into the twenty-first. I am probably breaching all manner of copyright laws, but I state now that although the opening of the story is based on that great book, by the very nature of the world we find ourselves, my story will be different, save some of the names and the fact that it takes part in London. Anyone who has read the original work will be able to see where I am going to end up, but hopefully not the direction I intend to take to get there.
My thanks to those who helped me edit, but mainly my thanks to the late, great Georgette Heyer for being such an inspiration.
Tanya Allan

Modern Masquerade

by Tanya.J.Allan

 

Epilogue

A Family at Peace.

Robert put down his newspaper, and finished his breakfast.  The headlines made very interesting reading.

TYCOON CHEATED FOR 30 YEARS

Millionaire businessman Michael HATTON appeared in court today facing several charges going back nearly thirty years.
After a dramatic showdown with his missing cousin, Robert Tremaine, during a board meeting last month, Hatton was arrested with other senior executives of Tremaine Industries.  The board of directors and senior executives were all sacked when Tremaine turned up with his son Robin (22) and daughter Prudence (24), who now possess over fifty percent of the company shares. 
Having been framed by Hatton for embezzlement back in 1979, Tremaine jumped bail and left the country. He has spent the last twenty-five years planning his revenge.
Mr Tremaine’s house in Berkshire, had been used by Mr Hatton, was last night back in his hands.

A spokesman for the Serious Fraud Office said, “Mr Tremaine approached us in possession of compelling evidence that it was Hatton and not he who had been responsible for the initial offence, and our investigations have shown that many more offences have been committed by officers of the company over the last two to three decades.”
Six people have been arrested, more charges are expected soon.
Robert Tremaine is now taking control of his company once more, as a caretaker for his son, who is being groomed for the job.
Robin, who has recently become engaged to Letitia Greyson, daughter of Sir Charles Greyson was unavailable for comment.
Mr Tremaine said, “I am just pleased that justice is being done.”
Hatton was remanded in custody having been committed for trial at the Crown court.

“Altogether very satisfying, my dear,” he said to Theresa.

“It’s hard to think it was only a month ago that you had that meeting.”

“And look what’s happened since.  I have my home back, my business back and my children are finally getting settled.  I have married a beautiful woman, so what more could a man want?”

“I am so pleased for Robin.  He seems so much more fulfilled somehow.”

“I know, and I have to confess to being seriously worried about the poor lad.  It was too much what I expected of him.  It is a testimony to his strength of character that he has turned out as well adjusted as he has.”

Theresa simply smiled.

“As for Pru, the wedding is in four weeks, she wants to be a June Bride.”

“She’ll be a March mother then,” said Theresa.

Robert frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“Robert, that girl wants children, lots of them, and I guarantee she’ll start as soon as she can.”

“Oh, I had hopes she’d finish her legal training.  I always fancied having a barrister in the family.”

“Robert, sometimes you can be so blind.  She’s to be a farmer’s wife, she adores the life and she’ll only be happy with about eight children hanging around her.”

“Could be worse, I suppose.”

 

The woman in question was practicing for that day, as she and Tony made love in the huge bed in his Buckinghamshire home.  The couple had hardly left each other’s side in all the time since the board meeting that altered their fortunes forever.

Tony took her everywhere, and she found immediate acceptance amongst those in the local vicinity, on the farms and nearby.  Sir Tony, as he was known, was considered a real local gent, and she immediately filled the accepted idea of his good lady. She’d already become known in the local pub as ‘Lady Pru’.

Their days were filled with companionship and laughter, their nights with passion and pure unmitigated love.  They were true soul mates, and neither yearned for anything else in life.

 

 

Letty tried on the dress, she wasn’t sure if it suited her. After looking in the mirror, she approached her companion, a stunning blonde girl.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“Hmm, isn’t it a little tight across the shoulders?”

“Just a bit, do you like it?”

“It wouldn’t suit me.”

“No, do you like me in it?”

“I adore you in it, but I’d prefer you out of it!”

Letty giggled and the two girls kissed.  The sales assistant looked away, embarrassed.

“Go on then, buy it, and we can have fun getting you out of it later.”

Letty giggled again, stripping off in front of her friend.  She struggled to pull her jeans on, and then her top.  The pair of them approached the checkout with the dress.

The assistant looked faintly disapproving.

Letty paid and they left, but Letty couldn’t restrain herself any longer.  She burst out into a terrible fit of giggling.

“She thought you were a girl!” she said.

“So, that’s nothing, she thought you were a lesbian.”

Letty stopped and kissed her friend, and they became quite passionate.  Two suited businessmen almost collided as they were watching the two girls and not where they were going.

The girls laughed, linked arms, and walked off down the road. Rob smiled; perhaps Theresa’s third way could work after all.

FIN?

 

 

since 04/16/05