Outshine

by Nichole Van

  Her Daniel.

  I would take her a lifetime of kisses to adequately express her love for him.

  The sound of voices drifted up from the cellar.

  Fossi pulled back just before Jasmine and Timothy walked into the parlor, a giddy grin on her face.

  Jasmine’s face was radiant, glowing with health. Timothy Linwood simply appeared relieved with his wife’s recovery.

  Jasmine clearly didn’t miss the implications of Fossi and Daniel sitting together on the sofa.

  “Hallelujah!” she said. “Please tell me you two have decided to marry?”

  “Jasmine—” Timothy began, voice strained.

  “No, it is what was meant to happen, Timothy.” She turned to her husband. “I always know these things.”

  A beat.

  “What did you know, Jas?” Daniel asked.

  She smiled at him, angling her head. “Why, that you and Miss Lovejoy were destined for each other, of course.”

  Another pause.

  “And you didn’t tell me this . . . why?” he asked.

  Jasmine met Fossi’s eyes. And then looked back at Daniel.

  As if to say, Is he serious?

  A smile tugged at Fossi’s lips.

  How she adored these people.

  “I’m pretty sure I did, Daniel,” Jasmine finally said. “You just weren’t interested in listening. So . . . now that this is all sorted, let’s walk down to Haldon Manor and call on Arthur and Marianne. I would prefer not to walk home.”

  Jasmine twirled to leave the room.

  “Whoa there, Jas.” Daniel’s voice stopped her. “You need to do some more explaining.”

  She turned around.

  Daniel rolled his hand. Go on.

  Jasmine’s eyes softened, moving from mischievous to empathetic. “Simon’s death was never a random accident, Daniel. It was your path. Not an easy one, but necessary for you to find Fossi. It was your refusal to accept your future that caused the portal to malfunction. The earthquake was simply a random coincidence in the end.”

  That made sense, Fossi supposed.

  But . . .

  She frowned. She still had questions.

  “I can understand that,” she said, “but the math did not change. There still needed to be a plus or minus one to infinity. Something happened when we . . . well—”

  Fossi explained about seeing the Ocean of Time and the thread that had spooled off her and Daniel to merge into another concentric ring.

  “So what was added?” Fossi asked. “Can you tell us?”

  Jasmine laughed, a delighted bell of sound.

  “Tell you? And spoil the surprise?” Jasmine winked at them. “Oh no. This is one you two need to figure out yourselves. Together.”

  Daniel sighed.

  Fossi grabbed his coat lapels and pulled him down for another kiss.

  Together.

  She liked the sound of that.

  “You’re going to have to come up with an equation for that, you know.” Daniel chuckled against her lips.

  “Equation?”

  “Yes. Explain how one plus one will equal one.”

  “Me and you together?”

  “Mm-hm,” Daniel hummed, kissing her temple.

  Fossi laughed, breathless and carefree. “We will just have to take a lifetime to find the answer.”

  Epilogue

  1829

  I’m sorry I haven’t been by to visit lately.” Daniel held his hat in his hands. “Much has happened, as I’m sure you already know.”

  A wind rustled in the trees. A sparrow trilled overhead. Far off, a cow lowed.

  Daniel looked around the peaceful church graveyard. Headstones tilted this way and that. Some shiny. Some weathered.

  He looked down at the grave before him:

  Simon Daniel George Ashton

  B. May 14, 1820

  D. November 11, 1826

  Beloved son.

  My blessed light, gone too soon.

  It still hurt to be here. To think on Simon and what would never be.

  Daniel was quite sure the pain would never cease. He would never stop missing his bright, sunny boy.

  Kit had been correct. The pain was part and parcel of the joy of being a parent.

  He would never have wished for this heartrending loss, but the pain did make the rest of life sweeter.

  Daniel Ashton knew the full worth of what he presently possessed.

  And his current life brought him immense joy.

  “It looks lovely with the flowers planted round.”

  Daniel whirled around, smiling as Fossi crossed the grass to him. “It does.”

  Beloved, beautiful, sparkling Fossi.

  How he loved her.

  She had brought him such happiness. Every day with her was one of delight. Laughter. Sunshine.

  That intense bone-deep joy that comes from knowing and being known to the innermost core of yourself.

  The bundle in Fossi’s arms squirmed and then fussed.

  “Here. I’m quite sure he’s asking for me.” Daniel grinned.

  Shaking her head, Fossi gently placed their swaddled son into Daniel’s arms.

  As it turned out, one plus one currently equaled three.

  Daniel smiled down at little George who waved an angry tiny fist back. Daniel offered him a finger to clutch, which seemed to soothe him for now.

  Jasmine had been right.

  They had needed to understand for themselves.

  This was the new ripple he had seen when Fossi had tried to unravel herself from Time almost a year ago.

  He had seen George.

  Instead of removing herself, they had agreed to marry and metaphorically (and now literally) added baby George to the Ocean of Time.

  After returning to 1828 and finding everything restored, Daniel had wasted no time. Their bans had been read, and he and Fossi wed three weeks later at Whitmoor House.

  That part was idyllic.

  Fossi’s father had not taken kindly to his daughter marrying into the aristocracy.

  Her sisters and Will, however, were delighted.

  Her sisters, because Fossi was now in a financial position to advance the fortunes of her nieces and nephews. Will, because he genuinely loved his sister and wished her happiness.

  As a wedding gift, Daniel had made a generous donation to the Society of Mathematicians upon the condition that they accept his new wife as a member. The Society easily did the math on that one and readily agreed. Fossi had delighted in exchanging ideas more openly with her peers. Even better, she had established a charity which had already opened two schools for girls with plans for five more.

  The past year with Fossi had been the most blissful of Daniel’s life. They had only grown closer, the quickness of her mind and inventiveness of her creativity never ceased to amaze him.

  At Daniel’s side, Fossi bent over and gave George a light kiss on the forehead.

  “He does love his daddy.”

  George gurgled in agreement.

  Daniel’s heart threatened to burst.

  Fossi sighed. It was a deliriously contented sound. She rested her head on his shoulder.

  “You do realize that the odds of us marrying and finding such blissful happiness were approximately one in seven point five three two million, right?” She offered George a finger for his other hand.

  “Well, I’m glad I risked it then,” Daniel chuckled. “It’s was all worth it to find such endless happiness. Infinity.”

  Fossi laughed and kissed George again.

  “Plus one.”

  Other Books by Nichole Van

  The House of Oak Series

  Intertwine (James and Emme)

  Divine (Georgiana and Sebastian)

  Clandestine (Marc and Kit)

  Refine (Linwood and Jasmine)

  Outshine (Daniel and Fossi)

  An Invisible Heiress (a novella included in the Spring in Hyde Park anthology)

  If you haven’t yet read
Intertwine, book one in the House of Oak series, click here for a preview.

  The Brothers Maledetti

  Gladly Beyond (Dante and Claire)

  Love’s Shadow (Branwell and Lucy)

  Tennyson and Ainsley (coming late 2017)

  Don't miss Nichole's latest series: The Brothers Maledetti Romances. Follow the lives of three Italian brothers as they find romance in beautiful Florence. To read a sample of book one, Gladly Beyond, click here.

  Author’s Note

  As usual, when writing a story set in the past, I have incorporated select aspects of history and then blatantly made up others. Allow me to separate out the fact from the fiction. Though, be warned, there are major spoilers in here if you haven’t finished Outshine yet.

  Earthquakes do happen in England. Not often and never too strong, but they do occur. In fact, the largest recorded land earthquake in England was centered around Hereford in 1896 and was similar in strength to the one described in the book.

  As mentioned in the book, Joseph Fourier was a French mathematician and physicist (1768-1830) renowned for his pioneering work on waves, heat transfer and vibrations. He did indeed originate the concept of a Fourier Series. That said, Fourier’s Nemesis was completely my own fabrication.

  Also, I am not a math person. So to that math whiz who read this book and wanted to shout at me for my mathematical stupidity, I am so sorry. If it makes you feel better, please email me with your concerns and suggestions. I’d love to improve my math faux-science justifications and learning from my mistakes is a great way to do so. I appreciate any and all insight.

  The Queen of the Night aria that Fossi sings is, of course, very real. It is intense and amazing and still one of the most difficult arias for any soprano to sing. Look it up on YouTube or a music listening service. I recommend any version sung by Sumi Jo. It’s well worth a listen.

  Though rare, individuals have been known to experience a life-threatening allergic reaction to modern, synthetic food dyes.

  As usual, I made up a good many things: the town of Marfield and all house names.

  For each of my books, I create a Pinterest board of all the visual references I used when writing. So if you would like to see how fashion changed in the late 1820s or my inspiration for Daniel and Fossi, don’t hesitate to look me up over there. Just search NicholeVan.

  As with all books, this one couldn’t have been written without help and support from those around me. I know I am going to leave someone out with all these thanks. So to that person, know that I totally love you and am so deeply grateful for your help!

  First of all, thank you to all those who read the earlier books in this series and sent me excited emails, asking if Daniel Ashton would ever get a story. Your encouragement and enthusiasm means more than I can say.

  To my beta readers—you know who you are—thank you for your helpful ideas and support. And, again, an extra large thank you to Annette Evans and Norma Melzer for their fantastic copy editing skills and insights.

  A huge thank you goes to Lois Brown, Jen Jenkins and Amy Beatty for their always helpful plot suggestions and insights.

  And I cannot even begin to thank my brilliant editor, Erin Rodabough. She has the amazing gift of being able to hone in on problems and provide solutions. Not to mention being an awesome friend and travel buddy. Being drenched in Scottish highland rain and braving hurricane force winds is always more fun with you!

  Thanks to Andrew, Austenne and Kian for your patience during this time of our life. I uprooted you from friends and family and moved you to Scotland while writing this book. Thank you for always remaining upbeat and positive. And wearing headphones. I definitely appreciate that too.

  And finally, no words can express my love and appreciation for Dave. Thank you for being my rock.

  Reading Group Questions

  Oh yes, this book has reading group questions.

  You’re welcome.

  Why do you feel the author named the book Outshine?

  This book hits on a lot of major themes that people face in mid-life. One of these is loneliness. Did the author’s description of Fossi’s loneliness resonate with you? Have there been times in your own life where you felt a similar sense of separation from friends and family?

  Masks are another theme of the book. Both Fossi and Daniel wear masks that they present to the outside world. Most of us don masks to a certain extent. Social customs require it. That said, at what point does wearing a mask become a problem? Did you like how Fossi slowly unraveled Daniel’s mask as the book progressed? Why or why not?

  Ideas of love run throughout the book, specifically romantic love and familial love. But as the book progresses, we also start to see threads of self love, too. In what ways did both Fossi and Daniel have to show self-love in order to find their happily-ever-after?

  The author does not specifically mention God or cite religious ideals in the book. However, Fossi is named by religion, raised by religion and at her core has obvious faith in religion. How does this come through in her decisions throughout the book? What symbolism do you see in Fossi’s decision to sacrifice herself for Daniel at the end?

  When reading Outshine, we don’t find out about Daniel’s true intentions with the portal until about 60% through. Up until that point, what did you think his grief was about? Did you suspect that Daniel was upset over a child?

  Both Daniel and Fossi are dealing with heavy weights of grief. Daniel in particular is wracked with intense guilt, regret and sorrow. Did you relate to both their pain? Did you like the heavier themes of the book or did it weigh you down?

  The author has included a deleted prologue and deleted scene in the appendices here. Why do you think that author decided to use the prologue she did? Why did she remove the scene with James and Emme?

  Alright, let’s cast the movie of the book. (Cause hey, we can dream big, right?) Who plays Daniel? Fossi? etc. How should some of the scenes be filmed? In the movie version, what aspects of the book should be thrown out, condensed or altered? Also, what should the theme love song be?

  Alternate Prologue

  I swear, I never get my prologue right. This book went through three, entirely separate prologues. I eventually settled on having an argument between Jasmine and Daniel. But here is an earlier version, placing the earthquake at the moment Daniel arrives at Duir Cottage, intent on saving Simon.

  All was dark.

  The sun may have danced cheerfully in a diamond-blue sky, ricocheting off the yellow and gold and red leaves of autumn that rushed past.

  Daniel Ashton didn’t notice. He didn’t care. He simply pushed his stallion to gallop faster down the rutted, narrow road.

  To him, the world was plunged into the murkiest midnight, devoid of stars or moon. A devastated wasteland.

  Hope. There must be hope. Because without hope, only madness and despair existed.

  Daniel was used to living in shadows. But this time . . . this time was different. If he couldn’t fix this, the darkness would never leave, never lift. Boundless in its breadth. Fathomless in its depth.

  At last! The lane appeared from the left. Without breaking stride, he turned his horse onto it. The saddlebag bumped his leg, swinging with the curve. A box inside rattled.

  Promise you will keep it for me. Don’t forget.

  Daniel gasped, a deep rasping hiccup of sound. His chest tightened, panic acrid and burning in his throat.

  Guilt crushed his lungs in a destructive vise.

  He would. He would keep it safe. Safeguarding things was one of his many talents.

  Daniel kept secrets and solved problems for the most powerful men in the world. He was considered by some to be one of those powerful men.

  The world never said ‘No’ to him.

  This was one problem he had to solve.

  Some wounds were too deep to ever heal. Without a solution, this pain would never cease. The best he could hope for was an uneasy coexistence.

  Breathe in and out. One da
y at a time.

  He rounded the final turn and the house came into view. He pulled on the reins and threw himself off the horse, hitting the ground at a run. Past the front gate, up the walkway and through the front door.

  A deep rumble sounded from far off, drawing nearer. Like a steam locomotive. Or a vast mining explosion. Or an airplane during takeoff.

  He paused in the entrance hallway, hand on a wall, breathing hard.

  The sound reverberated, almost like a sonic boom—

  No! It was a—

  Daniel braced himself, catching a nearby vase before it could tumble to the floor.

  The windows rattled. The floor shook. Items danced across tabletops.

  He had experienced earthquakes before. One on a rare family trip to Disneyland California as a child. His sister, Kit, had clung to the motel bed as the TV rattled and car alarms blared, her eyes wide and terrified.

  That had been before the time portal here in Duir Cottage had forever altered the trajectory of his life.

  The rumble turned into a roar. A jet engine of sound.

  Daniel turned, ready to dart back outside before walls started tumbling inward, when the shaking suddenly stopped.

  He paused, mid-lunge. Dimly, he noted the surprised baas of sheep, the frenzied barking of farm dogs.

  The earthquake had been . . . distracting.

  For ten seconds he had forgotten. Ten seconds without the crushing pain.

  It avalanched back over him, driving him to his knees.

  Breathe in and out. One day at a time.

  There was a solution to this.

  And he would have it . . . even if he had to destroy time itself.