I tried my best to recreate Barbara's vibrant personality from contemporary accounts of her life. I'll never forget the first time I read one of her early biographies, as a college student in the library at UC Irvine. The book, almost 300 years old, was much too valuable and brittle for them to lend out, but (unbelievably!) they did let me touch and read it. I remember my hands shaking—I found it so incredible that someone's words had come down to me through all that time. Years have passed, and I now have several very old books in my own library, but I still touch them reverently—such is the power and endurance of the written word.
Barbara Palmer was not the king’s only mistress, though she presented him with more children than any other. He eventually acknowledged nine sons and five daughters, and it's assumed that he had more. Sadly, Queen Catharine never did bear Charles any legitimate offspring, but nearly four centuries later, a descendant of his is poised to sit on the throne: Princess Diana's sons are descended from Charles II and Barbara, through their son Charles Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, born in 1663.
As for Frances Stewart, the gorgeous but empty-headed courtier that Barbara and Colin were gossiping about, Charles decided to forgive her for marrying the Duke of Richmond. Though he did eventually succeed in wooing her as well, shortly thereafter she fell ill of smallpox, and the resulting facial disfigurement seems to have cooled Charles's passions. Before Frances succumbed to the dreaded disease, Charles's sister described her as "the prettiest girl in the world," and Charles immortalized that famous beauty when he had her pose as Britannia: Frances Stewart’s face and torso still grace English coins.
Cainewood Castle is loosely modeled on Arundel Castle in West Sussex. It has been home to the Dukes of Norfolk and their family, the Fitzalan Howards, since 1243, save for a short period during the Civil War. Although the family still resides there, portions of their magnificent home are open to visitors and more than worth a detour, should you ever find yourself in the area.
Greystone was inspired by Amberley Castle, also in West Sussex. Charles II visited the castle in 1651 and 1685. The then tenant, Sir John Brisco, commemorated the second visit by commissioning a mural of Charles and Queen Catharine, which can still be seen in the Queen's Room, now a gourmet restaurant. The castle has passed through many hands and is now run as a luxurious country house hotel. The walls exude the spirit of dreams and legends, and a stay there is the stuff memories are made of, well worth the splurge.
For their London town house, the Chases have borrowed Lindsey House bordering Lincoln's Inn Fields. Attributed to the esteemed architect Inigo Jones, it is the only original house left in the square. The house takes its name from Robert, third Earl of Lindsey, who purchased the property in the 1660s from the family of Sir Theodore Mayerne, who had been doctor to James I and Charles I. There have been various distinguished occupants since, including James Whistler, who painted the famous portrait of his mother there.
I hope you enjoyed The Earl’s Unsuitable Bride! Next up is Jason’s story in The Marquess’s Scottish Bride. Please read on for an excerpt as well as more bonus material!
Always,
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LAUREN & DEVON’S NEXT BOOK IS…
The Marquess’s Scottish Bride
The Chase Brides
Book Two
Jason Chase, the Marquess of Cainewood, doesn’t know the first thing about hunting outlaws, but he won’t let that stop him from bringing a murderer to justice. Disguised as a commoner, he takes to the road, where he crosses paths with a hapless Scottish lad—who turns out to be a lovely Scottish lass, and none other than the renowned bounty hunter Emerald MacCallum. Realizing they're after the same man and fearing Emerald may be in over her head, Jason resolves to keep her close…
But all Caithren Leslie wants is to be as far away from her new “protector” as possible. No matter how many times she informs him she’s just an ordinary country girl traveling to see her brother—and definitely not some Emerald woman pursuing a dangerous outlaw—the pigheaded Englishman will not see sense. The road is perilous, but accepting Jason’s protection may mean jeopardizing her urgent mission. Not to mention her sanity, her personal property, and worst of all, her heart.
Read an excerpt…
Chichester, England
August 1, 1667
“JASON, YOU cannot mean to kill him.”
Jason Chase stopped short and wrenched out of Ford’s grasp. “Of course I don’t. But I’ll bring him to justice if it’s the last thing I do.”
“I’ve never seen you like this—”
“Because I’ve never seen anything like sweet little Mary lying still as death. Or the look on her mother’s bruised face as she chanted Geoffrey Gothard’s name over and over.” Trembling with rage, Jason’s hand came up to smooth his slim black mustache. “My villagers.” He met his brother’s gaze with his own. “My responsibility.”
“You’ve plastered the kingdom with broadsides.” Ford’s blue eyes looked puzzled, as though he were unsure how to take this new side of his oldest sibling. “The reward will bring him in.”
“I’ll be satisfied to bring him in myself,” Jason said with more confidence than he felt.
They turned and continued down East Street to where Chichester’s vaulted Market Cross sat
