Divine (43 page)

Hours later, Georgiana peeked down the cellar stairs. There, resting on the dirt floor, a large envelope gleamed in the darkness.

“Sebastian!” Breathless with excitement. “It worked! He sent something back—”

Sebastian was at her side in an instant. Again, clutching his hand tightly, they descended the stairs. She snatched the envelope and scrambled back up to the hallway.

Georgiana studied the envelope. There was a large post-it note affixed to it. James’ bold, swooping handwriting was unmistakable.

Congratulations, Georgie! Emme and I are so happy for you and Stratton. As I said, I could not have let you go to any less a man than he.

I am relieved the portal understands our lives will always be linked, allowing us to send messages to each other. You are so very dear to me, and I cannot wait to hear about the mysteries and scrapes you land yourself in over the years. Just as I am eager to tell you about my travels and life here with Emme. Be happy, darling Georgiana. Know that you have a brother in the twenty-first century who cherishes and loves you.

On another note, this came in the post for you. Or rather, for Stratton.

I love you, sister mine. James.

Shooting Sebastian a puzzled look, she opened the envelope. And gasped.

Inside was a plastic sleeve—so very familiar—but the letter was different.

Though she did recognize it, despite the paper now being yellowed and moth eaten.

Licking a tear off her lip, she wordlessly handed the letter to Sebastian.

Haldon Manor

October 7, 1813

Beloved keeper of my soul,

How I have missed you, my darling! I have returned, never to leave.

I had always imagined true love to be like a gothic romance: the brave, mysterious knight rescuing the swooning heroine, winning her devotion. But I was wrong. True love—true bravery—is a best friend who never gives up. Who waits for you, who comes for you, even through Death and Time, if needed.

Thank you for cherishing my heart, for keeping it close, long before I knew you held it. For indeed, you are my heart, steadily beating, fiery and bright.

I love you, my darling. More than anything and anyone else.

Georgiana

“Oh my love,” Sebastian whispered, kissing away her tears.

“—it’s just . . . the most divine—”

And indeed it was.

All of it.

Upcoming Books

T
he House of Oak series will eventually feature four books (and perhaps a prequel novella showing how the locket was sent on its way to the US, but I haven’t firmed that up yet).

As of this writing, the books in the series are/will be:

Intertwine
(James and Emme)

Divine
(Georgiana and Sebastian)

Clandestine
(Marc and Kit—coming Spring 2015)

Refine
(Linwood and, yes, Jasmine—coming Summer 2015)

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

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.

Some facts that I borrowed from reality and/or history:

Gooseberry societies and competitions were an actual craze in early 19th century Britain. The obsession described in this book was rooted in very real historical fact. Gooseberry clubs and competitions continue to be popular today. Also, I use the original meaning of the phrase ‘to do gooseberry’ or ‘to be a gooseberry’ in the book. The phrase isn’t one that most Americans would be familiar with at all. But nowadays in Britain to be a gooseberry means to be a third wheel, an unwanted interloper. Originally, to do gooseberry meant to be a lax chaperone—someone who was along for propriety’s sake, but would turn a blind eye to lovers stealing a kiss or two. The meaning of the phrase has just morphed and changed over the last 200 years.

Genealogical Good Samaritan societies do exist, though they usually focus on reconnecting descendants with old family bibles.

Cosprop (www.cosprop.com) is an actual organization which provides period costumes for film, television and theater. My thanks to them and to the Brigham Young University Museum of Art for the amazing Cosprop exhibit they hosted. There’s nothing quite like seeing period costumes up close and personal.

Additionally, Major-General Sir Isaac Brock was killed in the Battle of Queenston Heights near Tecumseh, Ontario on October 13, 1812. And from my (admittedly limited) research, the Eleventh Light Dragoons did see action on the Peninsula. Dr. James Carson, who I mention in passing, was an early researcher of tuberculosis working in Liverpool in the early 19th century.

Things I completely made up: the golden gooseberry of Labrador, the town of Marfield and all the estates listed in the book. Also, in several instances, I deliberately chose to use the American word for something instead of the British, just to avoid unnecessary confusion. For example, Georgiana runs around with a flashlight instead of a torch. But given that she is in the past at the time, she very well could have had a torch too . . . so you see the problem. Wherever I could, I chose the most accurate word possible.

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
Intertwine
and sent me excited emails, asking about the next book in the series. 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.

A huge thank you goes to Lois Brown, author extraordinaire, for being a wonderful writing buddy throughout this process and ensuring Georgiana’s mystery was satisfyingly tied up at the end.

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. No to mention just being an all-out awesome friend. Thank you so very much.

Thanks, again, to Andrew, Austenne and Kian for your patience and all the nerf gun wars waged outside my office door while I wrote.

And finally, no words can express my love and appreciation for Dave. Really, just . . . no words. Except, maybe, I love you.

Reading Group Questions

Oh yes, this book has reading group questions.

Why?

Well, the English professor in me couldn’t publish this book without making it vaguely educational. And obviously your reading group would show excellent taste by selecting this book—reading groups don’t always have to be about the classics and Oprah’s Book Club. Sometimes you just need a shameless don’t-judge-me read. And any book that has reading group questions has to have redeeming literary qualities, right? So you’re totally justified in assigning it.

You’re welcome.

1. Was Sebastian too obsessive in holding on to Georgiana? Was Georgiana too obsessive in her love of mysteries? Is there a point at which we should let go of something, even if it really matters?
   
2. From the very beginning, Georgiana is faced with the terrible decision of staying with her brother in a century she likes well enough, or returning to the century of her birth and a way of life that is infinitely more dear to her heart. Throughout history, people have chosen to leave their parents and siblings behind and pursue a life elsewhere with their spouse. How do you feel about Georgiana facing such a decision? Were you content with the resolution at the end?
   
3. At what point did you solve the mystery? Did you feel like the resolution with the original love letter and the villain were satisfying?
   
4. For me, writing is only fun when I can incorporate a lot of voice, meaning there is attitude and personality in the narration—so you get a sense of Sebastian or Georgiana’s thoughts throughout the book. Do you find this kind of narration more enjoyable to read or do you prefer the writer’s tone to be ‘invisible’?
   
5. When writing historical fiction, you face a conundrum. Do you stay completely true to the language of the period or do you allow it to be more modern (and therefore more accessible to readers)? Some argue that the language of the past would sound colloquial to those of the same time period. For example, a gentleman of 1813 might describe a new carriage as ‘bang up the mark,’ whereas my brother would describe his new truck as a ‘sweet ride.’ Though the phrasing is different, the words would have the same casual meaning in both eras. Considering this, how should language be used in historical fiction? Should authors use completely modern language, instead of trying to recreate the cadence of older English, in order to more perfectly capture the sentiments expressed?
   
6. As a writer, I feel the look of words on the page can communicate meaning as well. Therefore, I deliberately used line breaks, non-traditional punctuation, italics and visual cues to help convey tone and cadence. Did you find this helped as a reader, making your reading flow more easily? Why or why not?
   
7. Alright, let’s cast the movie of the book. (Cause hey, we can dream big, right?) Who plays Georgiana? Sebastian? Etc. In the movie version, what aspects of the book should be thrown out, condensed or altered? Also, what should the theme love song be?
   
8. I chose to self-publish this book and never considered seeking a publisher for it. How do you feel about the indie self-pub book market? Are you more or less likely to read a book that has been self-published? Do you even notice/care if a book is self-published?
   

About the Author