Season For Desire (25 page)

“I’ll give it my all, though whether in England or America, we won’t be a wealthy pair,” Giles warned. “I know you say you don’t mind, but we’ve just seen your sister wearing a fortune in silver silk.”

She waved a hand. “You forget about my dowry. It won’t yield income enough for a life in London society, but it will keep us comfortable. Think of yourself as my courtesan.”

He choked. She grinned.

“It would be my honor,” he said, “to see to your pleasure. Oh, damn—we’re going to have to send the carriage around again. I’m in no fit state to climb out.”

Audrina laughed. “And to think, when we first met, you said you were the end of my adventure.”

He pressed a kiss to her lips, one full of tenderness and desire. “And so I shall be. But I hope for now, and for many years to come, that we’ll share a new one together.”

Japanese artifacts would have been rarities in Regency England, because until the 1850s, Japan was almost completely closed to Western trade. But through Dejima, an outpost in the port of Nagasaki, Dutch merchants—such as those in Lady Beatrix’s background—were permitted to trade with the Japanese on a closely monitored basis.

In reality, the type of Japanese puzzle box that plays such a significant role in this story—the
himitsu-bako
(“secret box”)—didn’t develop as an art form until about a century after Lady Beatrix’s puzzle box made its way westward. But certainly a gifted artisan could have made a puzzle box in an earlier year. Historical romance characters often benefit from the
possible
, which gives much more scope for storytelling than the
likely
or the
everyday
.

A few medical notes: The term
arthritis
has been in use for joint pain since the 1500s, though it’s not likely a Regency physician would have been able to distinguish between different types. Lady Beatrix—and her sister, Lady Fontaine—suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that can strike at any age. Giles fears he has inherited that tendency, but his own joint pain is due to something many computer users are familiar with: carpal tunnel syndrome. The symptoms can mimic those of arthritis, but unlike his mother, Giles would have been able to make a complete recovery with rest and care.

On a more festive note, Regency Christmases were simple compared to the elaborate celebrations of the Victorian era (not to mention today). The tradition of Christmas trees hadn’t yet begun, but perennial favorites such as carols, puddings, evergreen garlands, and—of course!—mistletoe were all part of the holiday observances at the time. Other practices have gone by the wayside; for example, the huge Christmas pie of a half-dozen meats that Mrs. Booth proudly prepared. You can find a historic recipe for that pie, along with free stories and other short reads, on the Extras page of my website at theresaromain.com.

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Copyright © 2014 by Theresa St. Romain

 

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ISBN: 978-1-4201-3245-8

First Electronic Edition: October 2014
eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-3246-5
eISBN-10: 1-4201-3246-6