“Does it?”
“Most certainly. Where was I before I began philosophizing?”
“She did not forget him.” He nuzzled her brow and his hands were now wandering on her very satisfactorily.
“She did not forget him, but she resolved to find happiness in simply living. It was then that the girl realized she must return home, for even though she was bound to see the young man again and again, now she was strong. Now she knew not only the power of love, but she knew her own power too.”
“What happened then?”
She lifted her face. “She got her heart’s desire.”
“You won’t allow me to play the honorable martyr, will you?”
“Martyrs are dreadfully tiresome.” She smoothed her palms over his chest. “I would prefer that you play the dashing hero and the dreamy lover.” Her eyes glistened. “And the devoted husband.”
He smiled. “Was that an offer of marriage?”
“No.”
“It was. You have just proposed to me.”
“I have not.”
“Albeit indirectly,” he admitted.
“You suggested it first, a few minutes ago.”
“I didn’t.”
“You did.”
“I did not mention marriage.”
“Oh. Do you plan to simply install me at Kentwood as the mother of your children? That sounds delightful. I’m certain Her Grace won’t mind that at all. And of course neither my father nor Trent will come after you with a shotgun.”
“What of Henry?”
“He will; it’s true. He has a remarkably strong moral compass.”
“Then I suppose I will have to propose to you after all.”
She threw her arms about his neck and kissed him full on the lips. “I accept.”
“I haven’t proposed yet,” he said, kissing her back.
“I accept anyway.”
“I am now going to go to my knee and do this properly. But you’ll have to release my neck first.”
“Not for a moment! And I would rather go to the bed anyway.”
A tempting half smile slanted over his lips. “Now, that I can agree to.”
Sweeping her up into his arms, he carried her to the bed. And there—not on his knee but really much more comfortably—he made her a very handsome offer of marriage, which she accepted.
Years later when they told the story to their children of how they came to marry, they modified that last part of it, for modesty’s sake. But in their eyes and voices and entwined hands eloquently shone the true depth of their love.
A Note from the Author
I hope you enjoyed Charlotte and Frye’s romance! I adore writing stories about long-time star-crossed lovers who finally find their happily ever afters, so I’ve written several, including each of the novels in my acclaimed Devil’s Duke series. To learn about those and all of my books, please visit my website www.KatharineAshe.com, where you can also find lots of Book Extras and sign up for my e-newsletter to receive a free short story.
I’d like to share a few words about the historical inspirations for this novella. In all of its tragedy and its triumphs, history fascinates me, especially the history of the early nineteenth century. It was a global era, in which many, many people constantly moved—or were forcibly moved—across oceans and continents in pursuit of education, work, safety, monetary gain, and military domination. I love reflecting this historical reality in the fiction I write.
For instance, for a decade after Haiti’s revolution that wrested freedom from the crushing colonial yoke of France, the Haitian constitution was a monarchy. The court of King Christophe included noblemen, many of whom had been educated in France before the revolution. After Haiti’s independence, however, Christophe allied himself most closely with Britain, which in 1807 had abolished the slave trade throughout its own colonial empire. Thus Frye and Freddie’s friendship: two school boys, neither of them perfectly at home amidst their peers, who turned to each other and forged from their differences a lasting, powerful bond.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that induces seizures, which cause a temporary loss of muscular control and unconsciousness. These seizures can take many different forms, although typically individuals experience the same form or forms throughout their lives. Epileptic seizures are often at their worst in childhood and then again in advanced age, but individuals can experience them throughout their lives, too. In the young especially, specific triggers often cause seizures. I chose one of the most commonly recognized triggers for Frye’s seizures: flashing light.
In the early nineteenth century explanations for epileptic seizures ranged all over, including the two Freddie offered Charlotte. Many scientists did indeed understand they were due to a disturbance in the physical brain. Haitian polytheists sometimes attributed seizures to spirit possession, and for centuries European Christians believed them to be evidence of possession by the devil or induced as a punishment by God for sinning. Frequent epileptic seizures were frequently seen as markers of insanity, and it was not uncommon for people with epilepsy to be committed to asylums. Those with the condition had to endure not only the seizures themselves but social condemnation, ostracism, and violations of their human rights as well. For instance, since many believed epilepsy was inherited, until 1970 in the UK, individuals affected with epileptic seizures were forbidden from marrying.
Many thanks to the dear people who gave me inspiration as well as technical assistance in writing this novella, including Marcia Abercrombie, Georgie C. Brophy, Georgann T. Brophy, Laurent Dubois, Mariana Eyster, Donna Finlay, Lee Galbreath, Susan Gorman, Rosie Herrera, Mary Brophy Marcus, Martha Trachtenberg, and The Lady Authors—Caroline Linden, Miranda Neville and Maya Rodale—with whom I adore writing books. I offer big hugs and thanks also to Gina DeWitt, Donna Finlay, Susan Knight, and all of the Princesses, and especially to Rebecca Smartis for coming up with the perfect title for this novella.
About Katharine
KATHARINE ASHE is the award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of historical romances that reviewers call “intensely lush” and “sensationally intelligent,” including her acclaimed Devil’s Duke Series, and My Lady, My Lord and How to Marry a Highlander, finalists for the prestigious RITA® Award of the Romance Writers of America. Her books are recommended by Publishers Weekly, Woman’s World Magazine, Booklist, Library Journal, USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and many others, and translated into languages across the world.
Katharine lives in the wonderfully warm Southeast United States with her beloved husband, son, dog, and a garden she likes to call romantic rather than unkempt. A professor of European History, she writes fiction because she thinks modern readers deserve grand adventures and breathtaking sensuality too. For more about Katharine’s books, please visit www.KatharineAshe.com.
Other Books by Katharine Ashe
The Devil's Duke
The Rogue
The Earl
The Duke
The Prince
The Prince Catchers
I Married the Duke
I Adored a Lord
I Loved a Rogue
The Falcon Club
When a Scot Loves a Lady
How to Be a Proper Lady
How a Lady Weds a Rogue
Rogues of the Sea
Swept Away by a Kiss
Captured by a Rogue Lord
In the Arms of a Marquess
Twist Series
Again, My Lord
My Lady, My Lord
Other Novels
Captive Bride (A Regency Ghost Novel)
Novellas
A Lady’s Wish
How to Marry a Highlander
Kisses, She Wrote
The Scoundrel and I
The Pirate and I
Table of Contents
Novellas
Stay in touch with The Lady Authors
Map of a Lady's Heart
Prologue
Cha
pter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
About Caroline
Hot Rogue on a Cold Night
Chapter 1: In which our hero arrives
Chapter 2: In which our hero becomes ensnared in a plot and a scheme.
Chapter 3: In which our heroine finds the perfect man (who is not our hero)
Chapter 4: In which Bridget and Sophronia. That is all.
Chapter 5: In which our heroine’s curiosity is piqued.
Chapter 6: In which there is more play practice.
Chapter 7: In which our hero and heroine conspire to avoid an international incident.
Chapter 8: In which there is dancing. And it is romantic.
Chapter 9: In which prospects are discussed.
Chapter 10: In which our heroine receives a curious Christmas gift.
Chapter 11: In which there is a stunning turn of events.
Chapter 12: In which the play is performed.
About Maya
Snowy Night with a Duke
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
A Note from the Author
About Katharine
At the Christmas Wedding Page 27