Becca St.John (25 page)

Pour soul indeed. Lord Richard Henry Albert Carmichael, Marquis of Andover, Earl of Sutton, Viscount St. John. Good God! He was a Marquis, and a comfortably placed one at that.

Not that such things mattered. She would marry him if he were a poor parson’s son.

“Will you marry me?”

What mattered were the memories collected with every glance, every conversation shared over the past weeks. Dreams inspired by a growing friendship, to hold dear until the day he married Lady Jane, even as she chided herself for entertaining the impossible.

“Lady Felicity?”

But it was possible, unless this moment was the dream.

Too dazed to utter a single word, she nodded and sighed as he raised her hands to his lips.

“You will not be sorry, Lady Felicity. I promise you I will be a good husband.” His words whispered across her fingers, clear through to her toes and then his lips pressed against the bare inner skin of her wrist.

You will not be sorry
, but she would be, if his proposal lacked words of love. If that beat of his heart had not been for her. She did not want a marriage of convenience. She did not want to wed because they ‘suited one another.’ There were alternatives to marriage for her, alternatives that were not fashionable, but would please her nonetheless.

If she were to marry, she wanted a love to match the novels hidden under her bed. Novels her mother forbade. Wonderful, sensational stories of dramatic emotions, wrenching passion and love. Most important, love.

Andover could have promised all those things while she dumbly stared at their hands. She desperately needed to know if he had.

Oh Lord, she should have listened.

An Independent Miss ~ On Amazon January 2015

NOTES FROM BECCA

The best part of research is stepping back in time, learning about the people, their beliefs and customs. Below are some fun links to give you a glimpse of what triggered names and ideas in the story:

The tale of Seonaidh the water spirit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seonaidh

Who was Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd? Some believe that she and her husband inspired the tales of Maid Marion and Robin Hood:

http://theinscribermag.com/women-in-history-gwenllian-the-warrior-princess-of-wales/

The Isle of Lewis remained true to its Highland traits long after the English invaded the rest of Scotland. Here’s a tale of the Macleods fighting as fiercely as a Highlander would in the 13
^th
century of Seonaid and Padraig.

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scotlandshistory/unioncrownsparliaments/isleoflewis/

As per Wikipedia, a few years after Seonaid & Padraig and Deian leave for the Isle of Lewis,

“
Lewis (and the rest of the Western Isles) became part of Scotland once more in 1266 following the
Treaty of Perth
when it was ceded by the Kingdom of Norway. Under Scottish rule, the
Lordship of the Isles
emerged as the most important power in north-western Scotland by the 14th century.”

The story of Selkie Folk, beautiful people who are, in reality, straight from the sea:

http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/selkiefolk/

Fascinated by the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, a famous pilgrimage path, I decided to put Seonaid on a journey of self-discovery. The idea is beautifully portrayed in
The Way,
written by Emilio Estevez, starring his father Martin Sheen.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441912/

VICTIMS OF TABOO

Sexual abuse between siblings is a taboo rarely discussed even among survivors themselves. Victims keep silent, take on undeserved blame, and isolate themselves.

Though she would never have chosen that course, Seonaid was freed with the revelation of her ‘shame.’ Thirteenth-century Scotland offered little help. Today, though the journey may be tough, there are people with social networks and healing tools for victims.

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network:

https://rainn.org/

A link to more links:
http://www.deborahkingcenter.com/resources/incest/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Writing was a tool, not a toy, until a stay in a haunted hotel. Howling wind and creaking floors sent Becca to a bookcase full of dog-eared romances. Fascination swept away sleeplessness. Hooked, she read old romances, new romances, both sexy and sweet, until her own tales begged to be written.

Living in Florida, Becca divides her time between dreaming up stories, diving deep into history, kayaking, and swimming. Her husband gives her the space she needs by fishing mangroves and waterways or watching football (the English sort) with his British buddies. They break the routine with adventure travel; though, at heart, Becca is a homebody, believing there is not a greater playground than inside the mind.

Visit Becca online:

Website:         
www.beccastjohn.com

Facebook:       
www.facebook.com/beckastjohn

Twitter:          
https://twitter.com/BeccaStJohn1

Amazon:        
www.amazon.com/Becca-St.-John