RHYS BOWEN: As you read this my daughter Clare is staying with me and we're plotting together. Not how to get rid of my husband or her husband, but our next Molly book. Clare is the researcher par excellence and is coming up with great plot ideas for us, from reading the New York Times for every day we want to write about. I'll let her tell you what she's thinking:
CLARE BROYLES: What's the Tea.
A few years ago I had to ask my teen age children what those words meant. I was tickled to learn that spilling the tea means telling the latest gossip. I love that the modern slang sounds so archaic. It reminds me of Oscar Wilde characters elegantly serving up scandal with their cucumber sandwiches.
And scandals are ripe grounds for mystery writers. We all know they can be deadly. In fact, in Molly Murphy’s 1900’s New York the press was just as eager to get their hands on a scandal as they are today. And people were just as eager to read about them.
It’s June, so I am in California with Rhys, starting the research for the next Molly book. For those of you who have not read the series; Molly Murphy came to New York as a young women in the early 1900’s. After twenty-two novels full of many mysteries we have arrived in October 1909 to begin Molly 23. As I always do, I am reading the New York Times for each day in which the book takes place. And what am I looking for? The tea! The gossip and scandal of the day.
Research is such a rabbit hole. I can’t stop! Now I am back in 1909 with a man named Lord Montagu protesting that he is being wrongfully accused of running away with Lady Crofton, when it is a much younger (and more handsome) Montagu who is actually the culprit!
What is it about us as a society that gossip and scandal are a form of entertainment? I have to admit that I follow the stories above with fascination. Is it a type of Schadenfreude – a gladness that we are not the ones whose lives are on display? Is it the same guilty pleasure that makes me watch Hoarders to feel that my house is very clean and My 600 Pound Life to feel that I am in pretty good physical shape? Or is it a natural curiosity about how human beings try to gain power and influence in their own sphere and then experience deep distress when that position is lost? Saving face and maintaining our position in whatever society we occupy is a primal human need. We know that our survival often depends on it.
What about you? Have you ever felt the hot, prickly shame of having done something that you hope no one ever finds out? It doesn’t have to be a scandal worthy of the New York Times but just a bad decision. Have you ever cracked a friend’s china or stained their coach with red wine and wanted to slink away unnoticed? Then you have felt that uncomfortable sensation, and a wish that you could go back in time five minutes and undo the damage, afraid they will never invite you back.
As I begin my research, the scandals are what catch my attention because scandal, whether in polite or impolite society, can be a serious business. One question Rhys and I have to ask is, “Would someone be willing to kill to avoid a scandal?”
And from the pages of the New York Times to the myriad of true crime television and podcasts, the answer is a resounding yes.
RHYS: I don't think we dare ask for confessions. I'm certainly not confessing (not that I ever spilled red wine on a friend's couch and I'm sure Clare didn't either!)
Thank you for sharing this with us . . . it's quite fascinating, Clare, to consider what might have constituted a scandal in Molly's day [or today]. And I do suppose those scandals make for the juiciest of stories . . . I'm looking forward to the next Molly book.
ReplyDeleteClare: Thank you!
DeleteCLARE: Those 1909 scandals sound pretty tame to me but I am not a member of high society!
ReplyDeleteThey were a big deal to the people involved. Poor Mr Montagu was insulted everywhere he went until he cleared the matter up!
DeleteGrace, the 1909 scandals seem tame because we are looking at them through the lens of 2025, not because of our social status. What has become normal and acceptable behavior has changed vastly in the past 116 years. Just look at the type of clothing people wear out in public now as compared to then for one example.
ReplyDeleteIf you were a member of society you could lose your whole social set with a scandal. A woman could lose her freedom if her husband and brothers decided to “bring her home”.
DeleteEvery week or so, you hear a story about a woman scammed by a modern day Marquis de Fauconcourt. The scandal happens when it is a big ruse and the parties are already public figures. Same now as then.
ReplyDeleteThe scandals of ordinary people only become newsworthy when they lead to murder. Otherwise, friends and family choose sides but the rest of the world doesn't care unless one of them writes a memoir or a country music song.
True!
DeleteJuicy bits! The book I'm writing at the moment has a killer who did it to avoid scandal, but they're not going to get away with it. ;^)
ReplyDeleteHave fun with your plotting and visiting.
Also, Personal Rule #16: drink only white wine at parties...
DeleteWe are, Edith! Too much good food for one thing!
DeleteI haven’t personally spilled red wine on a couch although it is a persistent fear!
DeleteClaire, a thank you for bringing a smile here (it has already been a hard day at 0630 eastern) with the typo: never have spilt red wine all over a friend’s coach…my circle doesn’t run to coaches. Enjoy your research and hearing from you here. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteHow funny. I didn’t pick up on that! It’s what happens if you write on your phone and it auto corrects!
DeleteFrom Celia: thank you Claire, that brought back a rush of memories which I'm sure Rhys any would agree with. The Profumo scandal which almost brought down Harold McMillans government in the 1960's. So many twists of lies, spies, sex and juicy headlines visible each day as I walked past the newspaper stands to the tube, longing to read all about it but - gossip - denying myself that pleasure because that's not a nice way to behave. How young I was! So much growing up still ahead of me.
ReplyDeleteI remember, Celia! It was huge that a government minister visited a call girl! How the world has changed!
DeleteI think there was a BBC program on that, wasn’t there?
DeleteIt's really interesting that so many scandals in the NYT involve the rich or aristocracy in the UK. Thanks, Clare for bringing us these tidbits! I have many little humiliating moments that still make me cringe when they pop into my head, starting with the teacher calling me out for yawning loudly in class in 1st grade.
ReplyDeleteIf that’s the worst you ever did you’ve lived a pretty good life
DeleteYes. There was a lot of overlap in relationships between the wealthy New Yorkers and the titled English.
DeleteWelcome Claire! I'm afraid in the current world order we've become immune to scandals, so it's a relief to read about the old days. You are the best person to be co-writing with Rhys--a wonderful combination!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWelcome Claire! Scandal is indeed great fodder for stories - because what one person doesn't think is particularly horrible, someone else can think is life-ending.
ReplyDeleteThese days one is attacked on the internet or “canceled’. It could be devastating to some people.
DeleteClare and Rhys, What am awesome writing team! I am really looking forward to the next Molly book. Thanks for sharing how you research with us and the juicy tidbits! Unfortunately, scandals haven’t changed much over time but how we hear about them has. One just has to open social media or turn on the television and without leaving your home you can read or hear about the latest one while drinking your tea. In my youth, if you poured the tea in someone else’s house you were the next one to get pregnant! Please keep on writing ❤️📚
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteSadly, today's behaviors that should be career-ending scandals aren't any more. Mostly because people have no sense of shame these days.
ReplyDeleteI blame Jerry Springer, et al, for normalizing horrendous behavior, proudly aired in public.
Looking for love can lead to such a tragedy, counter? I adore the idea of you reading the 1909 newspapers – – it is quite transporting!
ReplyDeleteAnd I will admit I want to spilled red wine on someone’s gorgeous damask tablecloth. You have never seen people takeoff dishes from the table so fast and throw that cloth into a washing machine. It all came out. But I still get a stomachache thinking about it, now, 30 years later. :-)
Oh no! I’m glad it came out. But those innocent mistakes can cause us shame and embarrassment!
DeleteHank's comments made me snort with laughter...haha. Her spilled red wine story reminded of a very funny TV comedy series of the 1990's called "Coach". Craig T. Nelson played College Head Coach Hayden Fox whose social skills were often challenged by his sophisticated on-air anchor girlfriend Christine Armstrong Fox (Shelley Fabares). Assistant Coach Luther Van Dam (Jerry Van Dyke) and his bumbling ways often got himself and Coach in hot water especially with Christine. Christine's pristine mannerisms and perfectly organized apartment... always a dilemma for Coach... came to a head when she let him stay at her place while she was at work. Coach quickly became bored and invited Luther over to keep him company. Luther made himself at home on the Christine's white sofa with a bottle grape juice which ultimately spilled on the sofa AND white rug. Coach's most famous line on that show was always "Jeez, Luth!!!" of which there was plenty of that comment following the grape juice debacle. Luther ran into the bathroom to retrieve a towel which was actually Christine's beautiful white robe. You can see where that whole mess was heading; it was truly one of the funnest scenes on TV I ever saw. You simply can't beat physical comedy for laughter and I am visualizing the entire scene of what followed Hank's red wine being spilled on the damask tablecloth. Lots of scrambling and chaos...lol. So sorry, Hank, I am not laughing at your expense...I would never do that. But your description of that story had me in stitches and even though you still get a stomachache thinking about what happened 30 years ago I have no doubt you have been long "forgiven" for that situation. I once was at my Harvard professor's beautiful home at Lexington with other colleagues when I plowed right through a screen slider leading into his backyard patio that I thought was completely open. Down I went along with the 10 foot wide screen slider crashing right along with me...in front of EVERYBODY including my professor and his wife. I laugh now at the image of me going full force through that sucker and taking it down but back then...omg...I was mortified. As for other secrets and confessions in my life...let's just say they shall remain FOREVER in the pinky swear vault and strictly between the confessor and "confessee" :-) P.S. Clare ~ I'm happy to learn you are once again "plotting" with your mother to write another book with her!
DeleteEvelyn, you had me in stitches with your account of walking through a screen slider!! It’s a wonder you weren’t injured!
DeleteDebRo
It looks to me that "scandal" is the norm which is sad.
ReplyDeleteSome things that were scandalous then are now considered normal. But some things considered normal now are scandalous to me. I believe in good manners and kindness and sometimes those are sorely lacking. It’s nice to be in a group like this where all are well read and gracious.
DeleteClare, welcome to Jungle Red Writers! Is it a coincidence that your fictional Molly is the same age as my great grandmother Molly? It is amazing how much they are so alike. My great grandmother Molly was a suffragist. Though my great grandmother was not from Ireland. In my DNA and my maternal line, we discovered 2 percent Irish DNA, so I think my Molly's great great grandparent came from Ireland. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I was reminded of my visit to the public library when I was about 4 years old. I remember when it looked like the librarian was scolding me. It is possible that I misunderstood. There was a basket of tiny pencils and I waited until she was not looking when I took one of the little pencils and hid it in my pocket. I hoped that no one would ever find out.
Suffragists have been coming into the Molly books more and more- though they were not lacking from the beginning. Molly is growing more committed to the cause herself!
DeleteI love the name Molly. I hope it gets passed down in your family.
DeleteMy great grandmother Molly is the same rebel who went to the barbershop and got a bobbed haircut. It was considered scandalous at the time for women to get their haircut styled like the bobbed haircut or the Eton cap haircut.
DeleteMy cousins did name the family dog "Handsome Molly", which was a famous song. It was a coincidence that it was also great grandmother's name. Another family dog was named Nell, which was another great grandmother's name.
Oh my gosh. I spilled red wine on myself and a friend's beige canvas couch. She graciously offered me a dry shirt and said she had planned to tie dye the slip cover anyway. Never drink red wine on top of decongestants.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice friend! She was very gracious!
DeleteI loathe drama in my own life but in other people's lives? Yes, please. I used to read Vanity Fair primarily for the stories of the wealthy (who were not celebrities) and the shenanigans they got into--give my a Lord Montagu over a P. Diddy any day. I think when I was younger I could be shamed by a bad decision, thoughtless word, or spilt wine, but now I'm older and don't care. I'll pay for the couch to be cleaned now what scandal do you have for me?
ReplyDeleteJenn, the photos in Vanity Fair magazines were amazing to look at! Diana
Delete