Fortunately, Valen, who must have read her mind, nudged her sharply in the ribs.
Elizabeth inhaled deeply and managed a smile. “I wish you both all the happiness in the world.” And for Robert’s sake, she meant every word. Elizabeth glanced at her twin, suddenly worried he had sacrificed himself as she had planned to do with Lord Horton. But an unfathomable glow of affection for his betrothed set Elizabeth’s mind at ease. He truly admires the girl. She smiled at her brother.
He announced, “We will have the banns read for the first time next Sunday. We hope to marry in a fortnight or two.”
“Lovely.” Lady Alameda pronounced and motioned toward the door. “I’m certain we have wearied Lord St. Evert. He must have his rest to recuperate. Let us retire to the great hall for some celebratory refreshments, tea cakes and champagne?”
No one seemed to notice that Elizabeth stayed behind. Lord Ransley was the last one to leave. “Bless you, my children.” He took a joyful backward look, nodded at them, and shuffled off down the hall.
The room fell awkwardly silent. Valen reached for her hand. “Why did you not tell me?”
“What?” she chuckled. “And miss out on that astonishing performance?”
“You might have spared me the embarrassment.”
“I have been giving you hints all week.”
“Those long heavy sighs?” A low rumble in his throat warned her of his skepticism. “I took those to mean any number of indecipherable sentiments. In future, kindly use an alphabet I might comprehend. If I had known a simple statement would have resolved the matter—”
“Clearly you preferred a more complicated solution.”
“You realize, of course, that I do.”
“Yes,” she nodded. “You have a very complex mind.”
“No.” He grinned quirking up his devilish dimples. “I do love you.”
“Oh.”
“So much so, I—” Valen glanced down at her fingers, toying with them. “When I thought I was dying, I could not bear the thought of never holding your hand again, never touching you. I regretted that I might never see the face of our son. Or…” He looked at her with such yearning Elizabeth’s soul flew without hesitation off the roof and melted quite happily into his.
“Elizabeth, marry me. I want you beside me when I wake up, and when I lie down—
Mythical creatures or not, marmots aren’t a particularly patient species. Elizabeth lunged at Valen and answered him with a flurry of scandalously warm kisses.
A Note From The Author
Dear Reader,
Scarlet O'Hara has always intrigued me, and I had great fun reading the Scarlet Pimpernel. So, I wondered what would happen if those two character types were thrust into their own story, thus Cut from the Same Cloth was born. As always, my work takes a bow to the incomparable Georgette Heyer, and also to the mother of romantic comedy, Jane Austen. I hope you have had as much fun reading Izzie and Valen’s story as I did writing it.
But what happened to . . . ?
I received numerous letters from readers asking what happened to Izzie’s father and older brother. Some readers inquired after the frail health of Lord Ransley. Other readers wanted to know how Robert and the title-hungry Miss Dunworthy fared after marriage. In response, I’ve written a short follow-up for those of you who would like to know what happened after the story ended.
An Afterword for Cut from the Same Cloth is available on my website click here or visit my Bookclub page. There you’ll find interesting tidbits about the Regency era, as well as in Kathleen’s blog.
KathleenBaldwin.com
Medical practices in the Regency era were a fascinating blend of burgeoning science and gruesome archaic practices. The use of leeches in Valen’s procedure is historically accurate. During the Napoleonic wars, both French and British surgeons attempted to stop bleeding and cure disease by bloodletting and applying leeches.
Conditions were dreadful for those wounded in battle. There were no nurses until the Crimean war. Wounded soldiers depended on, not medics, but the regiment musicians to pick them up and carry them off the field. Sometimes a regiment hired local peasants with carts to haul wounded soldiers to the doctor’s tent.
For more about medical practices during the Regency era, and, if you have the stomach for it, a look at some of their actual surgical equipment, visit Historical Extras on Kathleen’s website.
If you enjoyed reading this book, please lend your copy to a friend or recommend it to your readers’ group, and write a review!
Reviews help other readers discover your favorite books and helps to keep your favorite authors writing more books. If you write a review for this book please let Kathleen know. She would like to thank you personally.
Email: [email protected]
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Other Books By Kathleen Baldwin
My Notorious Aunt:
A Humorous Regency series
Lady Fiasco
Mistaken Kiss
Cut from the Same Cloth
The Terrible Sisters (coming this fall)
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An Exciting new Alternate History from TorTeen/Macmillan
(A Spy School for Young Ladies amidst Jane Austen’s High Society)
A School for Unusual Girls
Exile for Dreamers
Refuge for Masterminds
Harbor for the Nightingale
Sanctuary for Seers (coming next Summer)
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A light-hearted Regency Novella
The Highwayman Came Waltzing
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Contemporary Teen Fantasy
Diary of a Teenage Fairy Godmother
Previews ahead…
A School for Unusual Girls
Book 1, Stranje House Novels
#1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot calls this romantic Regency adventure “completely original and totally engrossing.”
It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. Daughters of the beau monde who don’t fit high
