by Lily Silver
How horrible. Tears brimmed in her eyes. She was like Dorothy, stuck in Oz, not knowing she had only to click her ruby slippers together three times to go home! It was outrageous. All those years, lost, alone, and she could have returned here … she could have been with her family. She didn’t know, she thought she was mortal, just like those who had found her and taken her into custody as a ward of the state.
“No, Tara.” Gilamuir answered her thoughts, revealing another gift. “It was well you stayed away. The war was no place for a lost fey child to come home to. We were banished, blamed for starting the war with the Darkling clan and for killing their young princeling, the one who snatched you from the shore. ‘T’was well you stayed away.”
“He’s alive, stranded in the time I fled to.” She informed them. “What of you, Gilamuir? You work for my husband now?”
“Halt, prepare to be boarded!” A voice hailed from the mists about them. “By order of the royal navy, you will cease and desist all activities and submit to an inspection.” The shouting of many voices from beyond the prow of the ship startled them into action.
The humans frozen by Gilamuir’s magic stirred, as his concentration wavered.
“What—what’s happening? How did they find us?” The mortals murmured.
“Listen up!” Gilamuir voice pervaded in the chaos, as the sound of grappling hooks clanging in the darkness warned of impending seizure. “Form a circle, take our hands. Tara, Riley, together now.” He paused, looking about them sternly in the low light of the lantern as shadows began to move beyond them. “Tara, it’s time to go, concentrate, girl, concentrate on a place we’ll mirror your strength and increase it. Think of a safe place, and we’re there.”
Tara clutched Gilamuir’s hand and Adrian’s. She gazed quickly about at the handful of men, making sure Dan was clutching someone’s hand within the circle and would not be left behind to face the British Navy alone. Riley was holding Dan’s hand.
“Dan, are you ready to find a new adventure?” Tara asked him, grinning now that she knew the truth. She brought them here. And now she and her brothers would get them all safely away.
Gilamuir kicked over the lone lantern, and stomped the glass beneath his boot, plunging them into darkness to hide them from the advancing naval crew boarding their ship. Gilamuir, Riley, and Tara began to chant in unison. Their Fey auras began to glow, illuminating the circle as they concentrated on transporting the group to another time.
“Aye!” Dan’s deep laugh rumbled as the lightning arced and crackled above the ship, above their heads. “On to the next Fiasco!”
The End?
Historical Note
The main characters in this work are fictional. Many of the support characters are real persons who played pivotal roles in the Rebellion of 1798. These are; Sir Ralph Ambercromby, the Commander in Chief of Ireland for a short time, Theobald Wolfe-Tone, The Sheares Brothers, Lord Richard White, and Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Lord Edward Fitzgerald managed to evade capture for two and half months after the raid on Oliver Bond’s house in March. During my research, I was both pleased and surprised to find that he was indeed harbored for a time by a Lady Dillon. Fitzgerald was actually reported to be seen in a garish red set of whiskers and a bottle green suit, with his valet, Tony, trailing after him, during his attempts to elude capture. The Nathan Lane disguise was entirely fictional, of my own design, however.
After his arrest, Lord Edward languished in prison. He died on June the 4th, 1798 from wounds sustained during his capture. It is also true that Napoleon promised to send troops to aid the United Irishman in the struggle, but turned his face away from Ireland at the last moment. Napoleon set out for his Egyptian Campaign on the very day Lord Edward Fitzgerald died. As a rebel leader, Lord Edward Fitzgerald was not allowed a proper funeral. His body was buried at eleven at night in St. Werburgh’s Church, with a single carriage and twelve yeomen attending his remains.
Richard White, the first Baron Bantry, in truth earned his title by aiding the English in repelling Theobald Wolfe-Tone’s first attempt to land with a French fleet on the Bay of Bantry in December of 1796. An unnatural storm that lasted 17 days made it impossible for the fleet to land, giving White time to rally militia and alarm the British Garrison. A second invasion was planned, but was not carried out until the end of 1798, ending disastrously. Theobald Wolfe-Tone, the leading force behind the United Irishmen, was captured, tried and found guilty of treason. He committed suicide in prison in November of 1798, rather than face the disgrace of being executed dishonorably.
The gallant heroes portrayed in this novel did not all die at the hands of their conquerors. Some of the rebels escaped to France and joined Napoleon’s ranks, as did a mysterious Mr. Lawless who was a very real member of The United Irishmen.
Despite the failed attempt to seize Parliament on March 12th, 1798, the planned Rebellion took place on Old May Day, May 23rd. On May 26th, Monasterevin and Carlow were routed by soldiers. The rebels hid in houses, which were set on fire by the soldiers. Those attempting to escape were shot or bayoneted. 80 houses were burned, 19 carts were used constantly to carry the charred remains of rebels to a gravel pit near the town for a mass burial. More than 600 rebels perished in that one incident and no English Soldiers. Many similar incidents of horror and woe were repeated throughout Ireland during this brief uprising, but in the end, the rebels were unsuccessful in freeing their beloved homeland.
About the Author
Lily Silver lives in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, on the eastern shores of Green Bay. She lives in a lovely old Victorian house with plenty of character with her husband, her German Shepherd and their three cats. Lily studied history at UW-Green Bay and has two degrees in that discipline. She enjoys writing historical romances with paranormal themes. If you enjoyed this book, send her an email. She loves to hear from readers.
Email: [email protected]
http://lilysilver.webs.com
Lily’s Historical Romance Blog:
http://romancinghistorylove.blogspot.com
Books by Lily Silver:
Dark Hero: Book One of the Reluctant Heroes Series, a Gothic Romance.
After her mother is murdered, Elizabeth’s Irish grandmother casts a spell summoning a Dark Hero from the Gothic Romances Elizabeth devours. When a beguiling Irishman appears at their cottage one magic summer eve, he seems to be everything Elizabeth longs for in a hero.
But Donovan Beaumont is much more than she bargained for when she said ‘I do’.
Once they arrive on his isolated estate, Elizabeth fears her new husband is courting madness. She struggles with his dark moods, his disguises and their growing estrangement. Elizabeth has the gift of the seer and is able to speak with the dead. Tormented by memories of her mother’s murder and stalked by a malevolent ghost cursed by her ancestor, Elizabeth is forced to embrace her Druid heritage and confront the disturbing secrets hidden in her soul. The price of honesty may be too steep; if Donovan learns her horrifying secrets, Elizabeth may lose his love forever.
Available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Apple ibooks, and Smashwords.com.
Bright Scoundrel, Book Two of the Reluctant Heroes Series: coming in Fall 2012
Kieran O’Flaherty, Elizabeth’s older brother in Dark Hero, has made a mess of things since moving to England. The scandal sheets and caricaturists regularly decry his name. He has become infamous among the Ton as a wild Irishman and as a dangerous, womanizing Rake. Kieran returns to the Ireland he left as a child hoping to find his place in the world after failing to successfully navigate the intricate labyrinth of London society. His attempts to reclaim his ancestral home are fraught with challenges, in the physical realm as well as the supernatural. His most challenging task is convincing the Feisty Irish Beauty who steals his heart that he is not the heartless scoundrel the London news sheets make him out to be.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty Six
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Eight
Chapter Twenty Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty One
Chapter Thirty Two
Chapter Thirty Three
Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter Thirty Five
Chapter Thirty Six
Chapter Thirty Seven
Chapter Thirty Eight
Chapter Thirty Nine
Historical Note
About the Author
Books by Lily Silver