The Lost Love of a Soldier out July 17th

Spoiler Alert

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If you have not read The Illicit Love of a Courtesan and The Scandalous Love of a Duke you may NOT want to read this post! I am sharing some of the story of the prequel which was told in The Illicit Love of a Courtesan, it will spoil the twists in the first book if you read this!

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I know there was one review posted on amazon.com from someone who did not enjoy John’s soul searching in The Scandalous Love of a Duke, but if you read my books, you really need to expect to meet raw and realistic characters, in the same way no courtesan would have breezed through their life without bitter regrets and anger, as I shared in Harriette Wilson real life story on this blog. Harriette’s record of life in Regency times is one of the things I use as an inspiration for developing my authentic stories, so that may help you to guess what you will get. The inspiration for the Scandalous Love of a Duke came from the soul searching journeys of two princes Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales (1707-1751) who was separated form his parents in his youth and grew up angry and hating his father, and the current Prince of Wales, William, who underwent his soul searching over his mother’s death much more quietly, and expressed it with a desire to avoid state life and live a normal life, which he has found with Katherine.

So in The Scandalous Love of a Duke, I think it is absolutely true to the character’s situation that John battles with an extreme desire to understand his past, his mother’s absence and discover the father he has never known…

The Scandalous Love of a Duke

John’s Katherine says to him…

“…I had no parents, as you had no father. There are things in your life I can understand more than anyone else, John.”

He sighed, and then suddenly there was that soul-deep window in his eyes again. “I had no mother either, Katherine, not until I was ten, and no one will tell me where she was.” But then, almost instantly, as though he regretted saying it, his gaze shuttered and his body stiffened, and he sucked on his cigar before rising and turning and throwing the thing out into the darkness.

“You can trust me, John,” she whispered. “I promise.”

Once the ladies had left the table, John decided to progress that aim and he leaned towards his uncle, Richard, “I was recently asked something about my past which I couldn’t answer. I know my mother is closer to Aunt Penny than anyone else. Do you know how I came to live with my grandfather? I cannot recall, I was obviously too young to remember.”

His voice had been as nonchalant as he could make it and yet he saw his hand shaking when he moved to lift the glass of port Finch had poured.

Richard’s eyes widened as he looked back at John and there was a hint of wariness in his expression.

How many of the family knew John’s mother’s secret? He would guess Richard did.

“You know your mother and father eloped?”

No, he had not even known that.

“You did not,” Richard clarified, looking harder at John as John felt his stomach fall like a heavy stone.

He had not locked his expression hard enough, Richard had seen the response. All John’s facial muscles stiffened.

“It is not my place to tell you,” Richard continued, sounding uncomfortable. “The story must come from your mother not me, John.”

But Richard knew it. Who else then?

John’s eyes scanned the men left in the room as Richard progressed. “But I will tell you that your grandfather disowned her when she ran away to marry your father. Of course, it was before I married your aunt, but I know the Duke went to fetch you after your birth. He wished to protect you, John.”

“From what?”

“I cannot say. This is your mother’s story. Ask her.”

John’s gaze fell to his glass of port. “I have done. She will not speak.”

“Well, that is her choice. But remind her you are not a child anymore.”

When John looked at his uncle, Richard continued, “It was not a good time, John. It will take courage for her to recall it. And you will have to show her some understanding if you expect her to talk to you about it, and that is a quality I do not think comes naturally to you now.”

With his glass of dessert wine half covering his lips so no one else could see his words, John asked, “Why did you not tell me that you and my father eloped?”

Her gaze flew up to his, and her skin paled, if that were possible, because it was already alabaster.

“Who told you that?”

“Richard. There is no harm in me knowing it, surely?”

“No, John, there is no harm, but it is also unimportant. What difference does it make?”

“Then why not tell me?”

“Because—”

“Richard also told me Grandfather took me from you after I was born. Why would he do that?”

Her gaze skimmed across John’s face. “John…” She took a breath.

“Why did you never tell me?”

“Because you knew it, you were with him and you knew I wanted you with me.”

“Did I?”

Her forehead furrowed. “John? I loved you. Do you not remember me writing to you? I wanted you back but your grandfather would not let you go…”

“Why?”

Her expression fell.

“Let it be, John,” she whispered after a moment. “Please. It does not matter. It is in the past.”

“It matters to me…”

I am such a complete sad case, I want John to be able to read his father’s story… Yep, these characters really live in my mind, they are real there 😉 absolutely!

Click on the cover in the side bar to buy The Lost Love of a Soldier

Go to the index

For

the story of the real courtesan who inspired The Illicit Love of a Courtesan,
another free short story, about characters from book #2, A Lord’s Scandalous Love,
the prequel excerpts for book #3 The Scandalous Love of a Duke

Jane Lark is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional Historical and New Adult Romance stories, and the author of a No.1 bestselling Historical Romance novel in America, ‘The Illicit Love of a Courtesan’.

Click here to find out more about Jane’s books, and see Jane’s website www.janelark.co.uk to learn more about Jane. Or click ‘like’ on Jane’s Facebook page to see photo’s and learn historical facts from the Georgian, Regency and Victorian eras, which Jane publishes there. You can also follow Jane on twitter at @janelark

Jane’s books can be ordered from most booksellers in paperback

Capturing The Earl’s Love Part Twelve ~ A Historical Romance Story

A #free short story… I’ll be telling it here, and it can also now be downloaded from Amazon.

Capturing the Earl’s Love

A Historical Romance story

Part Three

Part Seven

Part Eight

Part Nine

Part Ten

Part Eleven

Part Twelve

Meredith felt as though they had just run across a bridge into each other’s arms, as though they were not distant anymore. He had smiled at her, and looked at her, and she was now truly his wife. It had been painful at first, but after that it had been wonderful.

“Lord Morton,” she whispered.

His body immediately stiffened and he lifted off of her.

She didn’t like losing him. She wanted to hold on to him and never let him go.

“Here.” He lifted a corner of the crumpled covers, obviously implying she should slip beneath.

When she had, he bent, picked up her nightgown and then handed it to her.

Her fingers shook when she took it.

“Thank you,” he said, before bending to retrieve his dressing gown. Then he turned away, putting it on as he did so, and afterward, he walked about the room and blew the candles out, all except for the last, which he picked up, and took with him as he left the room. She did not know what to think.

Had she done something to displease him?

Rupert sat at the breakfast table, scanning the papers. Rowena was with him; she was reading a letter which had just been delivered. There were another three dozen white roses in the hall.

He turned the page of the paper. His announcement was there, small and almost hidden. The Earl of Morton wed Miss Meredith Divine… He had no wish to herald his marriage. He turned the page.

He’d wanted a comfortable marriage – that, he knew, he would have to fight to obtain. He’d also wanted a comfortable marriage bed – that, he now knew, he would never have. He would have far more in his bed.

Clearly there had been no woman in Meredith’s life to tell her she ought to lie still and not move, while a man took his pleasure. Well, Amen, and thank God, to that. He had married a delicious, sultry hoyden. He smiled, still looking at the paper, although no longer reading it, as memories slipped through his head.

He had not been able to sleep after his exertions last night. He’d lain awake longing to go back for a second course, and wishing he had not left her bed.

He would go back tonight.

Meredith came into the room, and he instantly stood, looking at her and nodding slightly. “Good morning, Meredith.”

Her eyes focused on his and she gave him that smile, the one which sought to please. The one which had annoyed him for so many months. A warm sensation gripped in his chest.

Last night he’d had to direct her to sit at the far end of the table when she would have taken a seat near him. This morning he beckoned her forward. It would do no harm in the mornings. Her lips parted, her smile broadening.

The warmth, which had blossomed in his chest when she came in, tightened its grip, and left him feeling short of breath.

“Sit here, Meredith; we may be informal in the mornings.”

A footman drew out a chair, and once she was seated, the man poured her chocolate.

Rupert’s heart thumped oddly as he remembered the body beneath her clothes, and how last night it had responded so beautifully to him.

Yes, he had been attracted to her physically, for a long time, yet he’d denied it. The charms he’d felt her weaving about him had not been cast by her, but by his own lust.

Another footman offered to fill her plate.

“How are you?” Rupert asked. Her head, which had been bent, now lifted and her gaze met his, that lovely vivid blue. “Did you sleep well?”

She seemed paler than normal and she looked tired. Perhaps her conscience – if she had one – had been bothering her. It should be bothering her… The girl had tricked him into marrying her. Yet today, he was far less angry about the whole debacle.

“Yes, thank you, Lord Morton.”

“There is little point in you calling me that, now. You must call me, Rupert, Meredith.”

She blushed, then glanced at Rowena, who only now lifted her gaze from her letter, and put it aside. Rowena did not speak, though. She merely glanced at her former friend, before picking up her cutlery and starting her breakfast.

Rupert picked up the paper and passed it to Meredith. “My announcement is in here.” Then he rose, having finished eating. He would go to Jackson’s, and then dine at White’s, before it was the hour to go to the House of Lords.

He glanced at Rowena. “I have asked Ellen to take you and Meredith shopping today.”

Rowena looked up, and gave him the sympathetic smile she’d been bestowing on him ever since Meredith had played her ace. Rowena felt guilty, whether her friend did or not. She had been apologising constantly during the last couple of days; her look suggested another.

He smiled back. Welcome or not, intended or not, Meredith was to live with them now and they must make the best of it. Rowena would have to learn to forgive, as he had to learn to accept. Since last night though, he thought it might be easier than he’d expected to accept his new fate.

He glanced at Meredith again. She stood, as though to speak or to do something, but then appeared to not know what…

He left.

Capturing The Earl’s Love is the story of two of the secondary characters from the 1st book in

the Marlow Intrigues Series

‘The Illicit Love of a Courtesan’

The Lost Love of Soldier

The prequel to The Illicit Love of a Courtesan

is available to pre-order

Go to the index

For

the story of the real courtesan who inspired The Illicit Love of a Courtesan,
another free short story, about characters from book #2, A Lord’s Scandalous Love,
the prequel excerpts for book #3 The Scandalous Love of a Duke