The Servant Duchess of Whitcomb
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Lady Belinda Shropshire, Baroness of Leeds—As forgettable as her husband, valuables tend to go missing around the baroness, and though she and her husband are not as highly ranked as their betters, they have considerable wealth, which is a scandal all its own.
• Lady Charles Daniger, son of the Earl of Pembroke—An extremely innocent young lady, he dreams of being rescued from his abusive father and having a love story like Romeo and Juliet (without the dying).
• Lady Arthur Blackwood, son of the Marquess of Durham—A very headstrong young woman, hopelessly in love with his elder brother’s best friend, Lord Cholmondeley.
• Lady Octavius York, son of the Duke of Cornwall—Loves to sing, is deathly shy and extremely beautiful. Has a very interesting (and dare we say, scandalous?) history with Leonidus, one of Heathcliff’s servants.
• Miss Evanston—Chaperone. Given to having a fit of vapors at the slightest hint of scandal.
• Lord Irven Colby, Earl of Leicester—A round and jolly fellow. He is known for being extremely giving and causes quite a stir during the winter when he ventures to the East End and dispenses food, blankets, and toys to the occupants there.
• Lady Ulena Colby, Countess of Leicester—A former actress who married a member of the gentry, Lady Ulena was born in the East End and spends much of her time either engaging in scandalous, shameless behavior (with her husband no less) or spending time in the East End with the street urchins or the orphans there.
• Lord Valentine Lincoln, Marquess of Gloucester—Known for being extremely talented at singing, dancing, acting, and painting, Lord Lincoln is a jolly fellow but still somewhat feminine.
• Lady Nathaniel Lincoln, Marchioness of Gloucester—A talented singer, dancer, actress, and painter like his husband. Tall and lanky and extremely submissive.
• Mademoiselle Jean-Luc—A mantua maker. A classic Tfrench beauty, Jean-Luc designs gowns made for the princesses.
• Miss Pleasant Hastings—Governess for Eshe Eddington. The male woman has a mysterious connection to Heath’s grandfather. Fluent in several languages.
Glossary and Notable Landmarks
• Almack’s—Almack’s Assembly Rooms was a social club in Tlondon from 1765 to 1871 and one of the first to admit both men and women. It was one of a limited number of upper class, mixed-sex, public social
venues in the Anglish capital in an era when the most important venues for the hectic social season were the grand houses of the aristocracy.
• Angland—What would be known as England.
• Badajoz—Located in Tspain. During the Nafoleonic Wars, the Earl of Wellington (future Duke of Wellington) attempted to take Badajoz, which resulted in a bloody battle and the loss of 5,000 Anglish soldiers and 1,200 Tfrench ones. It was at Badajoz that the Duke of Whitcomb was kidnapped and tortured for information, which he refused to give.
• “Caro Mio Ben”—An Titalian aria ascribed to Titalian brothers Giuseppe Giordani and Tommaso Giordani, written in the 18th century. On Tearth, Lord Yorkshire uses this song as the first ever bridal march.
• Cavendish Manor—Home to Lord and Lady Cavendish, parents to Madison Kipling.
• Coventry Estates—The Tlondon estate of the Duke and Duchess of Whitcomb.
• “Die Abenteuer der Silvester-Nacht”—Or “The Adventures of the New Year’s Eve Night.” Written by ETA Hoffmann, parts of this story appeared in the fall of 1814 before being extended into the full novel that was released in 1815.
• Fotmy—The male woman of a married couple. Or the male mother of a family. Born with the ability to give birth to the child of his female or male partner due to the uterus that he is born with. Male women are treated as women, regardless of their genitalia. Depending on their social and class status, their rights are subject to the whim of their father or guardian. Those rights pass to their husband upon marriage. They are expected to have children, to be demure, elegant, well-mannered, pleasant, beautiful, and silent.
• Galeon Estate—Home to Lord Quincy Davenport, Marquess of Galeon. Widow.
• “Give Me Your Hand”—(Tabhair dom do Lámh in Irish) is one of the most widely recorded pieces of Irish traditional music. Written by Ruaidri Dáll Ó Catháin, it was likely in honor of a lady and comes from the early 17th century (c.1570-c.1650).
• Hawthorn Gardens—Known around Angland not only for their size but also for their beauty, Hawthorn Gardens is an institution and, during the Season, is open to the public once a week.
• Hyde Park—A nearly four-hundred-acre park located in Tlondon’s ultrafashionable West End. Five o’clock was the fashionable hour to see and be seen promenading in Hyde Park along its manmade ornamental pond, called the Serpentine, or driving a carriage around the graveled road, called the Ring. Rotten Row was the famous stretch of road notorious for speed demons on horseback or in carriages. For women there was the Ladies’ Mile.
• Maldy—The female man of a married couple. Or the female father of a family. Born with the ability to impregnate her female or male partner due to her elongated clitoris, which she inserts into her partner’s vagina or anus during coitus. At the time of her orgasm, her clitoris emits sperm that will (hopefully) impregnate her partner, if they are trying. The maldy of a family has the same responsibilities of any other father. They are expected to take care of the family, make the money, prepare the dowries, handle marriage contracts, etc.
• Nants House—A ducal home to His and Her Grace, the Duke and Duchess of Whitcomb, who are also the Duke and Duchess of Nants.
• Orchis—In Tgreek mythology, Orchis was the son of a nymph and a satyr. During a celebratory feast for Bacchus, Orchis committed the sacrilege of attempting to rape a priestess, resulting in his being torn apart by wild beasts, then metamorphosing into a slender and modest plant.
• Pantamanian—From the country of Pantama. What would be known as Panamanian. From the country of Panama.
• Romeo and Juliet—One of William Shakespeare’s best known plays. It talks of two teenagers: star-crossed lovers, whose parents didn’t want them to be together, and who marry in secret. One receives misinformation about the other and commits suicide, leading the other to do so as well.
• Sholfting—The process of labor for all women, whether male or female, during which time the babe is ready to be born and turns head down, and the body readjusts itself to prepare for the babe. For females, it is an uncomfortable process, and slightly painful as the hips spread to make way for a vaginal birth. For males, it is extremely painful as the body readjusts itself to close off and shift his intestines, preventing him from being able to use the facilities for days before the babe is born. The babe is born through the fotmy’s rear passage, which must be thoroughly prepped with oil and solution from the outside to prevent any tearing, as the body will release secretions from the inside to ease the babe’s way. The fotmy’s anal passage will stretch to birth the child, and doctors state that it takes approximately 6-8 weeks before the fotmy’s body returns to normal.
• Southerby Manor—The estate of the former Duke of Pompinshire, Heath’s grandfather, it now belongs to Heathcliff Eddington, III the current duke.
• Tspantish—What would be known as Spanish.
• St. George’s Church—An Anglican church built in the early 18th century. It has been a frequent venue of high society weddings. If you are a member of the ton and cannot get married here, it is certain to set tongues to wagging.
• Stographer—A long cyndrical tube used by doctors which allows them to hear their patient’s heartbeat as well as the heartbeats, flutter, or movement of the baby/babies of the women they treat.
• Tafrica—What would be known as Africa.
• Tamerica—What would be known as America.
• Tearth—What would be known as Earth. The planet on which the series is based.
• Tfrance—What would be known as France.
• Tgreek—What would be known as Greek.
•
Tinjuns—What would be known as Injuns. The term used for Native Tamericans in this time period.
• Tlondon—What would be known as London.
• Tscotland—What would be known as Scotland.
• Tswahili—Language spoken among some Tafrican slaves.
• Turnting—The process by which a woman of Tearth’s body experiences her monthly cycle, prepares for a baby, and determines if there is a babe. The uterus slowly begins to turn over. It is an arduous process and quite painful. It takes approximately three to five days for it to complete and there is bleeding as the uterus turns, dispensing with the old lining surrounding it that it no longer has any need for, absent a babe. However, if one is carrying a babe, the turnting cannot happen.
• Whitcomb Hall—Home to His Grace, the Duke and Duchess of Whitcomb. The Duke of Whitcomb is a war hero of Badajoz, which was one of the battles fought during the Nafoleonic wars.
• Whitehall Palace—The main residence of the Anglish monarchs in Tlondon.
• Yarborough Manor—Home to Lord Blaine Myerscough, Viscount of Yarborough.
• Yorkshire Estate—Home to the Earl and Countess of Yorkshire, Lord Annabelle and Lady Rosemary Hawthorn, parents of Lucien Hawthorn.
Vicktor “Vic” Alexander wrote his first story at the age of ten and hasn’t stopped writing since. He loves reading about anything and everything and is a proud member of the little known U.N. group (Undercover Nerds) because while he lives, eats, breathes, and sleeps sports, he also breathes history and science fiction and grew up a Trekkie. But don’t ask him about Dungeons & Dragons, because he has no idea how to play that game. When it comes to writing he loves everything from paranormal to contemporary to fantasy to historical and is known not only for being the Epilogue King but also for writing stories that cross lines and boundaries he doesn’t know are there. Vic is a proud father of two daughters, one of whom watches over him from Heaven with his deceased partner Christopher. Vic is a proud trans* and gay man, and when he is not writing, he is hanging out with his friends or being distracted by videos of John Barrowman, Scott Hoying, and Shemar Moore. Vicktor has published numerous bestselling novels and has a WIP list that makes him exhausted just thinking about it. He knows that he will be still be writing about hot men falling in love with each other, long after he is living in an assisted living facility, flirting with the hot, male nurses.
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Scandalous Whispers of the Remmington Realm: Book One
In an alternate universe, in the country of Angland, 1814, the gentry live lives of culture and class. It is a time of courtships, marriages of convenience, and titles, where scandal can ruin an entire family. Gender lines are blurred, and making a good match is of utmost importance. Children are born to men and women, which has led to the acceptance of same-sex marriages.
Lady Lucien Timothy Hawthorne is shocked and angry when he is betrothed against his will to Lord Heathcliff Eddington, III, the Duke of Pompinshire. While drowning his frustration at a popular gentleman’s club, he meets “Robert,” a gorgeous older man whom he sleeps with as “Timmy,” regardless of the potential damage to his reputation.
After their liaison, Lucien corresponds with Robert via letters left at Remmington, and they decide to elope. Before they can get away, Lucien meets his betrothed, Heathcliff, who he is surprised to discover is also his beloved, Robert. Both men desire a marriage of the heart, but they find out that sometimes a marriage of convenience can turn into love under the right circumstances. But Lucien has a secret, and Tlondon isn’t as safe as they once thought.
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