But most controversial of all, the Puritans regarded Christmas as a wasteful, “popish” festival that threatened core Christian beliefs. Nowhere, they said, did the Bible claim God wanted Christ’s birthday celebrated—and so they set about banning all activities relating to Christmas, including going to church on Christmas Day. Shops and markets were ordered to stay open on December 25, and everyone was expected to go about the day as if Christmas didn’t exist.
The government outlawed every last remnant of Christmas merrymaking. Christmas carols were banned. Christmas puddings were banned. Christmas decorations were banned. In London, soldiers were ordered to patrol the streets and take, by force if necessary, any food being cooked for a Christmas celebration. The smell of a goose roasting could bring wrath down upon a family.
Like Chrystabel’s family, however, many people continued to celebrate in secret. And in not-so-secret, too, especially as the years of Cromwell’s Protectorate went on. Semi-clandestine religious services were held on Christmas Day, and the secular elements of the holiday occurred more and more often. On Christmas Day in 1656, Members of Parliament were unhappy because they’d got little sleep the previous night due to the noise of the neighbors’ “preparations for this foolish day,” and because that morning they had seen “not a shop open, nor a creature stirring” in London. Many writers anonymously argued in print that it was proper to celebrate Christmas and that the government had no right to interfere.
At the Restoration in 1661, when King Charles II returned to claim his throne and all legislation from 1642-60 was declared null and void, Christmas was celebrated with much joy and wide popular support. And it’s been that way ever since.
On a much less serious subject: The oldest mulled wine recipes do not have orange or lemon or any other fruit in them. But many modern mulled wine recipes do. We like to think that someone like Joseph might have first tried adding those ingredients!
Most of the homes in our books are modeled on real places you can visit. Tremayne Castle was inspired by Thornbury Castle in Gloucestershire, which is twelve miles from the city of Bristol, just where Joseph’s castle is in this story.
Thornbury Castle was built during the reign of Henry VIII, by Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham. But he didn’t get to finish it, and he wasn’t able to enjoy it for long. At the time, Buckingham was one of few peers with substantial Plantagenet blood, and he felt he should be in line for the throne. After a disgruntled servant betrayed him to the king, he was arrested for treason, tried, and executed on Tower Hill. King Henry claimed the castle for himself and spent ten days there while on his honeymoon tour with Anne Boleyn. It remained royal property until the death of his daughter Mary I, when it was returned to the duke’s descendants.
The beautiful Church of St. Mary the Virgin is next door to Thornbury Castle, and there used to be a timber bridge connecting them. Although the bridge itself is long since gone, bits of evidence remain.
Is there a priest hole at Thornbury? No one knows for sure, but there are rumors there’s one to be found—and several secret panels have been discovered at Thornbury, so it doesn’t seem terribly unlikely. On the south side of the castle, part of the outer wall extends in a U-shape that’s divided down the middle into two rooms. Curiously, one room is larger than the other, and the suspicion is that there may be a priest hole in the blocked-off space. Thornbury also has a tunnel that starts by the former dungeon (now the wine cellar), runs beneath the courtyard, and comes up by the old castle well.
Thornbury Castle is now a luxurious hotel. Castle accommodations aren’t ever inexpensive, but Thornbury’s prices are more reasonable than most. If you’ve ever dreamed of staying at a castle, I highly recommend this one. It is absolutely gorgeous inside, and you might get to stay in Chrystabel’s bedroom with the curved oriel windows like I did!
I hope you enjoyed The Cavalier’s Christmas Bride! If you haven’t read the rest of our Chase Brides series, you might want to start with the three books about Chrystabel and Joseph’s daughters. The first one is The Viscount’s Wallflower Bride. Please read on for an excerpt.
And if you have read the rest of our Chase Brides series, you might want to read about descendants of the Chase family—in which case you should check out Alexandra, Book 1 in our Regency Chase Brides series. Please read on for an excerpt as well as more bonus material!
Always,
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READ ABOUT CHRYSTABEL & JOSEPH’S OLDEST DAUGHTER IN…
The Viscount’s Wallflower Bride
The Chase Brides
Book Five
Lady Violet Ashcroft grew up sheltered in the countryside, far from the dashing gentlemen of the court—and that’s how she likes it. Here on her family’s beautiful, quiet estate, she needn’t fight off suitors who are only after her sizable inheritance, or play second fiddle to her prettier younger sisters. Love and marriage aren’t for everyone, and sensible Violet would rather
