She smiled up at him, staring at him with confidence in their love. “Yes.”
“Keep trying, then, Ester. It may help me come to a decision about something. The weather. Dinner? Something.”
She elbowed him again.
“Will you quit? You’re going to bruise a rib.”
She shook her head. “Bex, I do want to be here. I feel like I’m getting to know my mother all over again. And it does my heart good to see Papa moving about with a sharp, clear mind, even if his speech isn’t quite there.
Bex kissed her forehead. “Well, chess will involve vocal lessons. I’m going to see if practice can help.”
“My sister, Ruth, and her son, they’ll be coming soon. With you here, everything’s complete, but I understand if you want to leave. As your wife, I’ll go with you. I won’t live without you.”
“Not in a Cleopatra kind of way?” He eyed her suspiciously. “I know my love is powerful, but it shouldn’t lead to a suicide.”
She frowned at him. “Do you want another elbow to the ribs?”
“So violent, madam? Cheapside offers many things, but a family it doesn’t. And you’ve hired my Jonesy. How can I get by without him?”
She elbowed him.
“Oh, and there are your parents. It is quite nice to have parents again.”
She coughed and tapped her arm against his side.
“Woman, you might actually hurt something with those sharp lotion-needing elbows. Yes, Ester, we can stay. I’d be honored.” He put his thumb to his chin.
“What? What is it, Bex?”
“The theater manager called. They want me to be Romeo in their next production. It seems they will be ending Antony and Cleopatra early. If I agree, I’ll get six benefit nights for my troubles. He believes the scandal has made me a more famous man and wants to take advantage of my infamy.”
It sounded like a good offer, but Bex didn’t seem happy with it. Ester brushed his cheek. “But that’s not what you want.”
Taking her hand, he put it to his heart. “Wilberforce spent over eight thousand pounds to secure the votes for a seat in Parliament. One more run at the theater and I might have enough to try for this borough.”
Her husband seemed very serious; his cobalt-blue eyes were bright and happy.
“What are you asking me, Bex?”
“You should really try calling me Arthur, especially if I run for Parliament under my given name. My now famous given name. Oliver Arthur Bexeley for Parliament. Living here, though not a requirement, would make sense if this is the place I represent.”
“You would be wonderful, Oliver Arthur Bexeley, and I would love to build our family in this home.” She kissed his finger. “But, I still like Bex. It’s short and sweet. It’s like a quick kiss.”
He swept her into arms. “I’m a man given to strong passions. Will the intensity of our love frighten the residents of Nineteen Fournier?”
Cheeks burning, she pushed from his chest. “Not as much as your scaling of the walls to reach the third floor.”
“Does that mean I’ll always have an easy path to my bashful bride?”
“Always. We can do anything, survive anything, together. I have faith in you and me.”
He picked her up in the air and held her as if she was flying. “I still love how you blush. I think we should go up to your room, our room, and shed it of its pinkness. Did I mention you are mighty pink, too?” His laugh was knowing and infectious. “Then I’ll interview you, Mrs. Bexeley.”
“Interview me?”
“Yes, I want you to practice saying my whole name. I’d like to test my skill at teaching you direct address, making you repeat, I love you, Arthur, I need you, Arthur. Yes, dearest Arthur.”
Cheeks on fire, she shook her head. “Put me down…dearest Arthur.”
With a kiss, he lowered her then led her to the door. “We have a pink mission, Mrs. Bexeley. Don’t fret. We’ll be most careful on this joint endeavor.”
Tangling her fingers within his, Ester looked forward to all the things she and Mr. Bexeley would do together.
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Acknowledgments
Vanessa here.
I hope you enjoyed Ester’s and Arthur’s story. This one was special, because of the true history that I wove into this novel. I hope you were able to see the joy of reconciliation in this tale. But here is the history that I used to build their world.
Fournier Street is part of Spitalfields, London, developed by the French Huguenot immigrants dating from around 1720. The townhouses here were large but fell into disrepair and out of favor. I imagine by 1800s they could be assessable to lease or purchase by parts of the Blackamoor and mulatto communities of London, which had grown in wealth but could not purchase in areas like Cheapside or Mayfair.
The slave ship Zhonda is modeled after the Zong. The Zong carried slaves described as chattel from Africa in 1781. The trip, captained by Luke Collingwood, was overcrowded and under-provisioned. When the enslaved began to die of disease and malnutrition, Collingwood and his crew threw more than 132 men into the sea, jettisoning the cargo. An insurance claim filed on the lost ‘cargo’ was determined to pay more than the sale of the sick and malnourished men, but the claim failed. The judge, Lord Mansfield, ruled the Zong for negligence, so the captain and ship owner never recovered the money for this claim. Nonetheless, no one was held legally accountable for the deaths.
William Wilberforce (1759-1833) was a politician and abolitionist that played a pivotal role in the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. This formally ended England’s role in the active slave trade involving the mainland, but not in English colonies such as the West Indies or South Africa. Wilberforce spent over £8,000 to ensure he received enough votes to become an elected member of Parliament, and used his position, his faith, and his money to promote the cause of abolition.
The cartoon described by Ester is called “The New Union Club,” created by George Cruikshank in 1819. It depicts a wild scene of what everyone feared would happen if intermarriage increased and abolition won the day. The picture includes Billy Waters, Zachariah Macauley, William Wilberforce. See it at http://bit.ly/2ITp4nh.
Also see the picture of Josiah Wedgwood’s Medallion, “Am I Not a Man and a Brother?” at my website.
About the Author
Award winning, Amazon Bestselling author Vanessa Riley writes historical romances set in England in the 1800s, giving voice to the voiceless ten thousand people of color who loved, laughed, and lived full lives, even as the sands of time buried their stories. Her novels focus on the ten-thousand–person Blackamoor and mulatto population inhabiting London during the time of Jane Austen. These people were free, and as some gained wealth, some intermarried, but all mingled in society.
The author of The Bittersweet Bride, Madeline’s Protector, Swept Away, Unmasked Heart, The Bargain, and Unveiling Love, she has won the Beacon Award, the Colorado Award of Excellence, and placed in the International Digital Awards with her Regency romances. She lives in Atlanta with her career-military husband and precocious child. You can catch her writing from the comfort of her southern porch with a cup of Earl Grey tea. Stop by her website, www.vanessariley.com and join her mailing list to keep in touch.
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The Bashful Bride Page 29
