As captain of the ship, he should have gone first, but going last was also fitting. Like going down with the ship.
Marcus climbed the accommodation ladder, shivering. Henrietta rushed to him with a woolen blanket.
“Are you hurt?” She tossed the blanket around his back, cinching it tight with her embrace.
Turk opened the box again and took out a medallion. It had a trident stamped at the center and the words Sons of Neptune along the edge.
“W-w-water’s c-c-cold,” Marcus stammered.
Turk hadn’t considered the water’s temperature, as focused as he was on the drop.
Henrietta continued to rub Marcus all over through the blanket, a bit too enthusiastically with an audience.
“A little l-l-lower,” Marcus chattered. “All of me is fr-fr-freezing.”
Henrietta turned pink to the tips of her ears. “I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for later if you want me to warm the rest of you.”
Marcus opened the blanket and snatched her inside. His flesh must have been glacial by the shriek she gave.
Turk stood before Hardwicke and Henrietta, just as he had a week ago officiating their hasty marriage. He offered the medallion to Marcus. A hand thrust from the lip of the blanket and took it.
Turk nodded. “Welcome, brother.”
Shivering, Marcus couldn’t manage the knot of his cord. Henrietta unraveled it and added the new medallion to it.
After all the rest took their turns, Turk made his way to the ratline and placed his hand on the rough, twisted hemp, heart pounding in his chest as if it had already taken the dive. He knew he could count on one of his friends to offer him a blanket when he emerged. He had all the family he needed. If he had a love like Marcus and Henrietta’s, he’d never be able to function. He liked his clothes fancy and his life simple. It had been too long since he’d enjoyed either.
~ ~ ~
Thank you for reading A Widow’s Guide to Scandal. If you’d like to read a second epilogue, in which Henrietta cajoles Marcus into helping her write a happy ending for her new book, it’s available for free by signing up for my newsletter: tiny.cc/Scandal-Epilogue2.
I promise I’m too busy to spam you! On occasion, I’ll share free short stories, interesting research, pictures of my mischievous doodles, and news about my next release.
Glossaries
Yiddish-English Glossary
(Yiddish is the language spoken by Ashkenazi Jews.)
Beigel: Bagel, as written in English until 1932
Bris: Jewish ritual circumcision performed on a boy’s eighth day of life
Bubeleh: Darling, a term of endearment
Ich feif oif dir: I whistle on you/I fart on you
Kugel: Pudding or casserole
Lokshen: Noodles
Mandelbrot: Mandel bread, or almond toast, similar to biscotti
Meshugenah: Crazy person
Mishegoss: Craziness, foolishness
Moyzeleh: Little mouse
Nosh: A little something to eat, snack
Nu?: So?
Oy vavoy: A cognate of ‘oy vey’ meaning ‘woe is me'
Schmaltz: Chicken or duck fat used for cooking
Shvitz: Sweat
Tukhes: Backside
Ladino-English Glossary
(Ladino is the language spoken by Sephardi Jews.)
Ay, Dio: Oh, God.
Ay, Kerida: Oh, darling
Mazal bueno: Congratulations
Author’s Note
If you are curious about which parts of A Widow’s Guide to Scandal reflect genuine history, read on:
Governor Tryon took himself to safety on the Duchess of Gordon in New York Harbor, until the British took back Manhattan in late summer 1776. By 1779, he’d had it with the willingness of the patriots to supply the Continental Army with soldiers and provisions, much of which came from privateering efforts. Known as Tryon’s Raid, he torched several towns in Connecticut along Long Island Sound. This was the inspiration for the Battle of Turtle Bay.
During the American Revolution, Jews lived throughout all thirteen colonies. It was a vibrant community meshing Sephardic and Ashkenazic traditions. In fact, the first synagogue in Manhattan was founded in 1654 and is still active. Jews took part on both sides of the Revolution, as privateers, members of the Sons of Liberty, elected public officials, suppliers to the British, and generals in the Continental Army.
The moving letters that Marcus experiences when trying to read are a symptom of dyslexia called visual stress. There are online simulations you can view if you are curious how this may have affected Marcus’s ability to read. It is important to note, not everyone experiences dyslexia exactly the same. The term ‘dyslexia’ was coined in 1887, which is why it is not named directly in this story.
Book Discussion Questions
After Dr. Nealy ordered Marcus to remain in Henrietta’s home for six weeks, she needed to figure out where to put him. Marcus suggested she give him a pallet in the kitchen “like a house elf, charming and useless.” How would you characterize Marcus? What situations reveal his true nature?
Henrietta remembers Marcus as a “boy who collected broken animals and broken objects because his own family broke him.” What role do broken things play for Marcus in the present?
As a woman with limited rights and resources taking on her uncle, Henrietta compares her plight to the American cause. In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different?
In 1740, Samuel Richardson published Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, a romance novel in which the heroine is the narrator of the story, in pursuit of her own happiness, and gets a happy ending. In what ways was Henrietta’s novel subversive, rebellious, or feminist? In what ways was it a product of her time? Does writing help Henrietta deal with her problems, or avoid them?
Henrietta had a terrible first marriage and believes, at the beginning of the novel, her next marriage should be nothing more than a partnership. As she gets to know Marcus and Dr. Nealy better, what changes her thoughts on love, marriage and intimacy?
From the first line, the theme of “names” runs through this novel. Henrietta’s, in particular, changes throughout the novel. Another character must wait eight days for a name to be bestowed upon him. What value do different cultures give to names? How does it shape how we present ourselves to the world?
Another theme running through the book is “family.” Henrietta has a brother in Boston she could have gone to at any point in the story. Instead, she stays in Turtle Bay, growing closer to her reading club friends. Marcus has nothing to do with the Hardwickes and considers the members of the Sons of Liberty his family. How do the definitions of “family” for Henrietta and Marcus change throughout the novel?
Many characters throughout the novel report that they are “fine” when asked how they are. How important is it to give a truthful answer when asked, “How are you?” Does your answer change based on who is doing the asking?
Acknowledgments
I am tremendously indebted to the following people:
To Candace Berry, for pushing me into the publishing abyss. I wrote in private for many years until I met Candace who boldly declared herself a writer. With that kind of enthusiasm coming at me, I let slip that I was too. She read every iteration of a book I eventually shelved and cheered me on when I started this one.
To Debby Gilbert of Soul Mate Publishing, for wanting to publish my quirky little story and guiding me through its publication.
To my oldest daughter, for reading and commenting on a censored version of this book. I’ll never tell you what you can and can’t read, but no one wants to read their mother’s on-page romance.
To Reese Ryan and Brina Starler, for literally offering me a place at the table.
To Felicia Grossman, Sherri Hollister, and Jen DeLuca, for taking the time to help me with my query letter on a July 4th afternoon. Apropos, no?
To staff, past and present, of Cary Regional Library. My coworkers are my other family. Thank you for being excited for me and asking, sometimes weekly, “When is it coming out?”
To Rosie, for inspiring a kick-ass character.
To the readers who have found me, and the ones who will in time. Thank you for taking a chance on a new writer. For this, I am eternally grateful.
And finally, to Mr. Alexander, the Chuckleheads, and the Doodles of Mayhem. You gave me the time and space, most of the time, to try something incredibly daring and absolutely worth it. All of my love to all of you.
Hallie Alexander writes steamy, feminist historical romances that take place during the American Revolution. She was a finalist in the 2019 Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest with this story. Having grown up on the Connecticut shore where she learned about Revolution Era spies, she now lives landlocked in the South with her husband, three children, and two doodles.
You can follow Hallie (@AuthorHallie) on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
For free stories and updates, sign up for Hallie's newsletter: tiny.cc/hallie_bm
Her website is: www.halliealexanderauthor.com
A Widow's Guide to Scandal (The Sons of Neptune Book 1) Page 29
