The Courteous Cad (40 page)
Authors: Catherine Palmer
6. Prudence and William are quick to act on their physical attraction to each other. How does this affect their relationship as time passes? Might they have handled this better? How?
7. Describe William’s relationship with his brother Randolph. How does each rely on the other?
8. What was Prudence’s view of morality at the beginning of the book? When William speaks of “gray” shades, what does he mean? How do their positions change and shift? How do you view the world?
9. Does God truly love people who make such terrible mistakes as William made? What if these wrong things are not mere mistakes but are outright, intentional sins? Can God forgive them? How does reading Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus in John 3 affect William and Prudence?
10. Here are several Bible passages that speak about sin, forgiveness, and new life in Jesus Christ. Read them and decide what you believe God is trying to say to you about this subject.
The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?(Jeremiah 17:9)
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:8-9)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is
eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 6:23)
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. (Acts 3:19)
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:22)
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!(2 Corinthians 5:17)
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved
privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and
joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.(Romans 5:1-2)
We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. (1 John 5:18)
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:1-2)
Do you think you are perfect—or in need of forgiveness and new life? Why don’t you ask God to forgive you right now— and then help you to follow Him more closely? You’ll be amazed at the changes!
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your patience as you awaited the tale of William Sherbourne and Prudence Watson. I hope you’ve been along for all six books that feature characters you have met again in this novel. If not, you’ll meet my “country” folk (the Sherbourne family and their friends) in
English Ivy
,
Wild Heather
, and
Sweet Violet
. Some of them also appear in the novella
A Victorian Christmas Rose
. And my “city” aristocrats (Prudence and her family and friends) appear in
The Affectionate Adversary
and
The Bachelor’s Bargain
. It was such fun for me to bring them all together in
The Courteous Cad
.
And what lessons our courteous cad has learned. Facing our wrongdoings, and learning to view them as God views them, is a challenge for all of us. Both William and Prudence have strong views about morality when they meet, but it isn’t long before they completely reverse themselves. And most important, William learns that no sin is beyond God’s forgiving grace.
If you haven’t taken a close look at yourself lately, give it a try. We all need to remember that—like William and Prudence—we are works in progress. We may reverse our opinions, make serious mistakes, commit outright sin, and try to cope with a guilty conscience. But the Holy Spirit waits to transform each of us into a new creature. Pray now that His work in your heart will be profoundly life changing.
If this is your first introduction to the Regency period, you may be wondering what it was all about and why it fascinates me so. Please visit my Web site at
catherinepalmer.com
to step further into this wonderful world of lords and ladies, tea parties and pirates, grand manor houses and wee cottages, and of course, true love!
Blessings,
Catherine Palmer
Catherine Palmer’s first book was published in 1988, and since then she has published more than fifty books. Total sales of her books are more than two million copies.
Catherine was awarded the Career Achievement Award for inspirational romance by magazine. Catherine’s novels
Romantic Times BookClub Sunrise Song
,
The Happy Room
, and
A Dangerous Silence
are CBA best sellers. Her book
A Touch of Betrayal
won the Christy Award for romance, and
Wild Heather
was a finalist for the Christy Award.
Catherine lives in Atlanta with her husband, Tim, where they are active in ministry to refugees and immigrants. You can learn more about their work by visiting
www.palmermissions.blogspot.com
.
The Indian Ocean
April 1814
Through the salty mist that blurred the lens of his spyglass, Charles Locke watched the pirate ship draw near. A large, stout vessel, it boasted thirty guns and more than a hundred hands.
For two days, the captain of the privately owned clipper on which Charles sailed had taken pains to elude the pursuers, tacking first to the south and then heading due west toward the mainland of the African continent. His efforts were to no avail. The pirates bore down on the ing ground.
Tintagel
, hounding their prey on the waters of the Indian Ocean—their familiar hunt
“Have ye arms, Mr. Locke?” One of the ship’s boys joined Charles at the rail. A ragged, scrawny lad of twelve, Danny Martin had attached himself to Charles early in the voyage—polishing his boots, laundering his shirts, bringing down a tray of tea in exchange for a few coins.
Charles enjoyed the young orphan’s company. From this child—who made the
Tintagel
his home and the life of a sea captain his dream—he had learned much about the ocean, her ships, and the world’s ports of call.
“We be in range of the pirates’ cannons now,” Danny declared, his gray eyes earnest. “It cannot be long afore they attack. The cap’n bids me ask what means of protection ye have, sir.”
“Nothing more than a pistol,” Charles told the boy. “Captain Heald knows I am a merchant, not a soldier. Yet I am a fair shot and I can handle a sword. Tell him I shall be happy to—”
“Take these.” Danny handed him a brace of pistols and a small dagger. “They be from the cap’n’s own closet. He says ye must do your best with them, sir, for he has no others to spare.”
“But our ship’s guns outnumber theirs, and the
Tintagel
is larger. Surely we can defeat such untrained savages.”
The lad’s narrow face grew solemn as he studied the approaching vessel. “The nin’. We’ll be thankin’ God if we come out of this alive.”
Tintagel
be no warship, Mr. Locke. We have fewer hands on board, and them chaps be pirates from the Malabar Coast of India—the most fearsome of all. They ply the waters from their homeland southwest to Madagascar, north to the Gulf of Aden, and back to India again. They’ve not had formal trainin’ at the Royal Naval Academy, no, but they be masters at fightin’, sailin’, and sin
His anxiety increasing, Charles thought of the chest of gold coins secured with locks and seals in the bowels of the
Tintagel
. Charles’s father had labored many years as the steward of a grand estate in Devon, and much of that gold had been his reward. Though loyal to a fault and greatly admired by the duke who was his employer, James Locke had little respect for the man. He had considered the duke uncouth, immoral, and unworthy of the lofty rank to which aristocratic lineage had elevated him.
But James had worked in silence and had kept his opinions to himself. Upon quitting his position at last, he had combined a lifetime of frugal investments and carefully hoarded funds with the substantial sum that the duke had settled upon him at retirement. This total he had turned into the gold coin with which he intended to build the foundation for all his hopes and dreams. And James had entrusted the gold to his only son, Charles.
Together, they had conceived of an enterprise that they believed would surely ensure the family’s financial well-being for generations to come. Never again would a Locke labor under the charge of some slothful, profligate, pompous, and fatheaded aristocrat. Charles was to take the gold to China and purchase chests of the finest teas available. During his absence, his father would secure a warehouse in London from which to trade the tea. Both men would labor to recruit investors, for they intended one day to own a merchant ship, a tea estate in China, and a thriving business in London.
Pirates?
Such a calamity had never entered their minds. Charles and his father had plotted out each move they must make to ensure success. They factored in every risk imaginable and chose to trust the Almighty. It was perilous to invest all their money in one product, they had acknowledged. Most traders carried manufactured goods, gunpowder, shot, and cannons to Oriental ports. They returned with silks, muslins, ivory, spices, sandalwoods, and other exotic products.
But Locke & Son, Ltd., would build an empire on tea. Tea alone. For what Englishman could start his day without a pot of the hearty brew? What Englishwoman would consider welcoming callers unless she laid out her finest china, silver, lace, and, of course, the best tea she could afford? From the vegetable mongers in the markets to King George himself, every soul in the realm drank several pots a day of the welcome amber liquid. Who better to provide it for them than James and Charles Locke?
Charles gritted his teeth now as the
Tintagel
’s captain barked out orders in preparation for battle. The clipper’s hands raced back and forth, arranging the guns in batteries on both sides of the vessel. Although the cannons could only be aimed straight ahead, they were deadly. Divided by size, the small-caliber guns fired eight-pound balls. The large-caliber weapons launched twenty-four-pound shot.
“Look, sir; she be pullin’ broadside of us to attack!” young Danny told Charles as the pirate ship tacked into position. His voice rang with excitement and fear as he pointed a skinny arm at the battery of cannons facing the
Tintagel
. “The waves be high, and they will miss with some of their shot. We shall miss too. I doubt we can outlast them, sir.” Danny’s gray eyes met his. “Save your weapons until they board us, Mr. Locke.”
“You speak of our defeat as a foregone conclusion,” Charles called out as Danny started away.
“Now be the time to address your Maker, sir, for ye may soon be standin’ afore the gates of glory!”
