Such a disregard for propriety provided even Celeste a moment’s pause. A second later, she blinked away her consternation and stepped toward the door. “I’ll be right outside, your grace, if you… I’ll be right outside.”
She left, shutting the door firmly behind her. Either she had incredible, unfounded confidence in the duke’s good manners or Piper’s reputation was nothing in comparison to her ambition for a duchess’s tiara.
Piper knew which it was without a second thought.
“Do you know, from what I’ve heard about you, I imagined a feeble-minded child with naught but beauty to recommend her?” He shook his head and clucked his tongue, as if the folly of rumor were tiresome. “It’s true.”
“My guardian may not be present, but I assure you, I’m strong enough to stand up for myself.”
“Yes, I can see that. Admirable quality.” Rutledge took her arm and drew her away from the door, insistent yet gentle. Lacing her arm through his, he propelled her into a measured promenade around the room. His head bent close to hers. “You are young, my dear. Perhaps too young to realize that there are only three things that truly matter in life. Power, wealth, and reputation. The first two will get you far. Nevertheless, without the third, a man is nothing. My good name has been besmirched by malicious defamation against my son. A wife of noble repute and impeccable lineage will go far to restore the Waldegrave name.” The duke paused near the window and smiled down at her, the gesture taut without a hint of emotion. “While you’ve quite charmed me with your vivacity and steadfastness, my dear, I think you will find that I, too, am known for my determination. I will have this union.”
Dread curled in her gut at the chilling declaration. Piper steeled herself. “With respect, Duke, I must decline.”
He braced his hands on the mantel, one on either side of her, effectively pinning her in place as he loomed over her. “You refuse the title of duchess?”
A lump formed at the back of her throat. She swallowed it back. “No, your grace, I refuse to wed your son.”
Though his expression had remained impassive until then, his eyes glittered with something she couldn’t identify yet instinct tempted her to flee from it. He stepped back and she took a deep breath. “Is that so?”
In that moment…for the blink of an eye, it felt like Piper had achieved a victory.
The merest blink. That was all.
Author’s Notes
The Perfect Question
Though published last of the quartet as a prologue, I put her first in this anthology so that the timeline would flow more fluently. Abby’s story has been a long time in the making. Originally, it was entitled A Rose by Any Other Name. I actually wrote most of it years ago when I first started on Eve’s tale. Initially, it was just Abby, Eve and Moira I had focused on before Kitty came along as well. But I liked Abby especially, a woman who no longer had that perfect beauty of the romantic heroine on the outside and who was capable of being outspoken and giving as good as she got. I hope you enjoyed her tale.
The Prince and Princess of Wales did attend Ascot in 1882. They took up residence at Coworth Park with their party including the Dukes and Duchesses of Edinburgh, Connaught and Teck as well as the Duke of Cambridge and Prince and Princess Christian. An article from the New York Times the next day wrote:
“The weather throughout the meeting has been unsettled, causing much disappointment to the ladies, to whom Ascot gives the opportunity for a display of their summer toilets. There was a perturbation this morning on the Ascot heath as the weather was cheerless and gloomy. But as the day advanced the sky cleared and, although cloudy, the weather allowed the fashionable throng to assume the brilliant festive appearance which makes Ascot remarkable above all other race meetings in England. All the mansions and houses lying within the charming woodlands which surround the picturesque heath on which the course is laid out had been engaged and were occupied by the wealthy fashionable, who also transfer their households from London for the week. The Prince and Princess of Wales took Coworth Park, whither the royal carriages and footman were sent from Windsor for the opening procession down the course in “Ascot State”.”
The article also added that just before the race began, the clouds parted and “a gleam of sunshine induced the ladies to throw off their wrappers, adding to the interest and beauty of the scene.” I love that description, melding that scene with those from My Fair Lady, I feel as if I can actually see it all.
You can check out an etching of the scene on my cover page on Facebook.
Also, all the details of the Urabi rebellion as I’ve related them are based on actual events barring the attempts by Urabi’s supporters to revive the rebellion leading to the capture of Richard, Vin, Jason and their unit. Ahmed Urabi was the Egyptian Minster of War. He was popular with the Egyptian people because of his peasant origins and a dynamic speaker. He was also a traditionalist who opposed Khedive Muhammed Tawfiq Pasha’s European preferences and found others among the government to support the beginnings of his rebellion against the Khedive in 1879. In 1882, the Khedive did ask Britain to help him suppress the uprising and he received it, beginning with a raid by forces led by HRH the Duke of Connaught’s forces at Alexandria in June of 1882 where the lads first fought when they were commissioned into the Scots Guards.
All the government officials I mention, as well as their titles, and in some cases, their addresses are accurate to the period. Both Henry Campbell-Bannerman and Edward Stanhope were very vocal in their disapproval of Prince George’s policies as the Commander-in-Chief of the Queen’s military forces, a position he held for 39 years. They lobbied to have him removed from that position. When CB (yes, that was his nickname) was finally appointed Prime Minister, he succeeded in stripping the Duke of Cambridge of his position.
HRH Prince George was the Duke of Cambridge at the time, the title now held by Prince William. He was the grandson of King George III through the king’s 10th child and 7th son. He never had a duchess since he married against the Royal Marriage Act by wedding the actress daughter of one of Westminster’s servants. His wife wasn’t entitled as duchess and would later refer to herself as Mrs. FitzGeorge. Nor were their children able to inherit their father’s title, so the duchy of Cambridge was vacant from Prince George’s death in 1904 until Queen Elizabeth bestowed it on William and Kate in 2011.
On a more fictional note, Harry Brudenall always knew Abby long before he would meet Moira and then Fiona years later. I didn’t just think recently to put him here, rather it was the other way. I always liked him and was glad to find a place for him in those future stories. Perhaps one day soon, he’ll have a story of his own.
A Question of Love
I’ve long been fascinated by the Victorian Era, when life moved pretty fast and changed constantly, with new inventions and innovations being offered every day. We can look back from where we are and see the things we have now in their infant state, from magazines to books to the theater and more practically, the light bulb and recognizable plumbing.
But at that point life hadn’t changed much for women. They were still subject to men when it came to their rights and money, and divorce was a difficult undertaking that could ruin a woman in the public eye. That is where I began, though it took me many other places.
Eve and her sister Kitty are both women who suffered under marriage with little recourse but who finally fight to stand for themselves. As a fan of Edith Wharton, I place them first in New York, in that Knickerbocker Society that included the Vanderbilts, Oelrichs, Goelets, and Rockefellers and, with Kitty’s story, also in beautiful Newport, Rhode Island, home of some of the most amazing homes in America.
I’d like to also point out, given some questions I received, that earls were always referred to the Earl of Glenrothes in full title, rather than the shorten Earl Glenrothes that I use from time to time in conversation. Documents in the 19th century history shows earls using the shortened title and is used regularly, from former Prime Minister (and
namesake of tea) Earl Grey, to the 5th Earl Russell and right up to Princess Diana’s father and now brother, Earl Spencer.
The sinking of the SS Utopia did take place as described, sinking off the coast of Gibraltar in March of 1891. The survivors bound for New York were carried on the SS Anglia and relatives of passengers in some cases did wait until the ship had docked to find out the fate of their loved ones.
Ravenscraig Castle (though I refer to it in my story as Raven’s Craig) still stands today on the northern coast of the Firth of Forth though it is largely in ruin, having been passed through many hands. Since 1971, it has been open to the public by its owner, Historic Scotland. It’s such a spectacular piece of medieval architecture that I wanted to bring it to life for Francis and Eve, imagining what it might have been. As Francis predicted, the nearby towns of Dysart and Kirkaldy have crept right up the drawbridge of the castle.
I have used many actual sights and locations in Scotland and Edinburgh as settings in my books, tweaking them to fit my story lines including St. Andrews. The Old Course at St. Andrews has been played since about 1400. The New Course was opened in 1895. Today St. Andrew’s consists of 7 courses while The Royal and Ancient Golf Club governs the rules of golf everywhere but in the US.
A Question of Trust
In my opinion, Charles Worth was probably one of the greatest dress designers ever. Each one was a stunning work of art in a time when bigger was definitely better. Monsieur Bonhomme did have his shop on the Rue de la Paix in Paris. When he was at the peak of his fame it was no small thing to have him personally design for you. Most would have considered it an honor, much like having Versace make a gown just for you today.
I have used many actual sights and locations in Scotland and Edinburgh as settings in my books, tweaking them to fit my story lines, including the Royal Botanic Garden, which has grown significantly over the past two hundred years, Carlton Terrace, Moray Place and all the parks in Edinburgh.
The décor missing from the great hall of Glen Sannox House is modeled from the main reception room and ballroom of the Governor’s Palace at Colonial Williamsburg. I always loved that room, with all the lavish armament covering the walls and ceilings, and I translate it here to Scotland where an ancestral home might have been decorated in tribute to times past.
The train accident in which I involved Kitty takes its details from an actual incident near Armaugh in Ireland in the late 1800s. Fierce competition between the different railroads forced them to keep tight schedules and push the trains faster than they were meant to go. There are dozens of incidents of derailments, some crashes, and this one, where the cars of the train ahead did detach and roll back on the next train as I described.
JP Morgan did invest in the merger of Edison’s Electric Company of New Jersey and Houston-Thomas Electric of Massachusetts into General Electric. It was completed in 1892. In 1893 the U.S. economy crashed due to an overinvestment in construction, including that of railroad lines and shipbuilding, bringing on a recession/near depression that drew the fortunes of many to a halt almost 40 years before the Great Depression.
I’ve modeled Kilberry Manor on the Breakers, the famous home in Newport, Rhode Island that was originally built by the Vanderbilts, though it wasn’t completed until long after my story ends. It is a spectacular mansion, a true testament of the wealth that abounded in New York in the late 19th century. I remember the Cliff Walk just as I’ve described it and can’t wait to visit it again.
A Question of Lust
I hope you enjoyed this story of Moira winning her long-lost love who was, in turn, lost inside a tortured soul. In the 19th century, of course, there was no acknowledgement of the troubles soldiers brought home with them from war; the battles or sights that haunted them. The nightmares for the friends they left behind. Today we call it PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. I tried to keep Vin’s troubles as close to the actual symptoms as possible but it was difficult to write. I didn’t want Vin to seem weak when most of the people who suffer from PTSD are some of the bravest our country has ever seen! Coping with what they’ve seen or done is the hardest part for most of them and, as I’ve written, the love and understanding of family and friends can be the best medicine.
The late 19th century was also a great time for the theater and opera. Some of the greatest had their beginnings in the years surrounding the turn of the century. Not only Oscar Wilde who had written and lectures for years before turning to writing plays like his first, Lady Windermere’s Fan in 1892. Great composers like Puccini, Verdi, Tchaikovsky and even Gilbert and Sullivan delivered some of the greatest operas ever written during that time.
Of course, like any other time, there was war. England fought in many smaller rebellions and uprisings in the last decade of the 1800’s including suppressing the Urabi Rebellion in Egypt and the insurgency in Upper Burma as well as the second Boer War. In using details from those conflicts, I tried to keep the facts and dates as accurate as possible, but of course, this is fiction and occasionally the truth needs to be stretched to fit our stories!
To those who have served and still do, this is for you.
I hope you enjoyed these tales as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Angeline
A Question for Harry
The history of women and golf together is a fascinating one as it has long been, and in some cases, still is considered a gentleman’s game. Back in the 1500s, Mary, Queen of Scots, was an avid golfer. Some said that she spent more time playing than she did ruling her country. It was during her reign that the Royal and Ancient Golf Course at St. Andrews was first built. She is also credited with coining the word ‘caddie’ for the cadets who carried her clubs.
In 1867, the Ladies Club of St. Andrews was founded as the first official association (that I could find) for women’s play in the sport. Over the latter half of the 19th century, similar associations would be formed throughout Great Britain and the United States including Wimbledon in 1872. In 1893, the first system for a golf handicap was developed, not by a man, but by a woman. Miss Issette Pearson, who later married in her forties, created the handicap to even the playing field between players of different skill sets, between men and women. She was also a member of the Ladies Golf Union, also established in 1893.
Then in 1894, the British Ladies Golf Championship tournament began, just in time for Fiona to get there. I can’t imagine playing as a woman back then when women were required to play in long-sleeved, high-necked blouses, tight jackets and full-length skirts. Screw-in metal spikes on the bottom of button-up shoes. They were just as much of a handicap to playing well, I imagine.
Women’s golf has come a long way since then, though it was only in 2012 that the Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Master’s, allowed women to play there for the first time.
I love the late 19th century as a setting for my books because so many fabulous inventions were just coming to light at that point. One of those was the very first cinematographs or movies, ever made. Credit is given to many inventors for different parts and achievements ~ Louis Lumiere, Edison and others. I won’t go into them all but Lumiere is credited for the first public showing of a film was in December of 1895 in Paris. In Britain the first public showing was a short film—just 39 seconds—by Birt Acres and Robert W. Paul called Rough Seas at Dover on January 14, 1896. Newspapers reported viewers in the front row crying out in surprise as the water lapped toward the edge of the screen, fearing they might actually get wet. Not many of these early silent, black and white films have survived the test of time but you can see a brief snippet of Rough Seas at Dover by clicking here.
The film I used in my story, Birt Acres’ Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, was filmed on March 30, 1895. It was first played at the Cardiff town hall on May 6, 1896 so obviously I took some artistic license to make it work for me.
The Empire of India Exhibition did open in London in May of 1895. The twenty-four acres of the Earl’s Court had been rebuilt beginning in 1894 to ho
use the exhibition, which cost just one schilling to attend and was much as I described it in my narrative. The 300-foot Great Wheel (also called the Gigantic Wheel or Ferris wheel) was also much as I described it though the forty carriages could accommodate thirty people each. You can view the official catalogue of the Empire of India Exhibition of the event online.
The 1890s produced some of the most glorious dresses ever seen in any era. Though the style changed wildly over those ten years, names like Worth, Paquin, de Rouff and Doucet created gowns for the top fashion icons of the time like Alexandra, Princess of Wales, Tsarina Alexandra Romanov and Marie Feodorovna of Romania. You can see some of them and some that I used as inspiration for Fiona’s wardrobe on my Tumblr page or on my Pinterest board for A Question for Harry.
The early 1890s were also some of the most productive years of playwright Oscar Wilde’s career. Plays like the Picture of Dorian Gray, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Salome, A woman of No Importance, and the Sphinx were performed in London and Paris. The Importance of Being Earnest opened at the St. James Theater in London on February 14, 1895. Despite being married and the father of several children, rumors circulated through London society of Wilde’s homosexuality. He was rumored to have begun an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, the son of the Marquis of Queensberry in the summer of 1891. That relationship would alter the course of his life.
When Douglas flaunted the relationship over the following years, Queensberry accused Wilde of sodomy, which was illegal according to an 1885 law banning such relations between men. Though Wilde sued Queensberry for libel, his own charges for “acts of gross indecency” were brought to the courts, though with Queensberry’s influence, his son was never named.
All You Could Ask For Page 175
