Sharing A Bed - Part 4

So, I wrote 16,000 words to the “Share A Bed” prompt on my trope bingo card.  That was…unexpected.  To present it in more manageable pieces, I divided it into four parts and the links to the other parts are here:  Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; and Part 4.

For those who care about such things, this is a new world, just a little sideways from this one.  It’s mid-July 1816.  The Battle of Waterloo was thirteen months ago, and this is The Year Without A Summer.

The ceremony itself was brief.  Major Hogan took an avuncular role and supported the bride, while Colonel Ross was best man.  Munro supplied a signet ring to act as the wedding band, and Harry Prescott held the bride's document portfolio throughout the ceremony.  The ceremony ended with Munro kissing Hester on the cheek and then on her bare hand, followed by a lot of handshaking and back slapping by their friends.  Afterwards, the Douglases took the newlyweds back to the manse to get the copies of their marriage lines while everyone else went back to the inn.  Hester found it all a little anticlimactic, but her name had changed, and that seemed an odd thing.

( Read more... )

Sharing A Bed - Part 3

So, I wrote 16,000 words to the “Share A Bed” prompt on my trope bingo card.  That was…unexpected.  To present it in more manageable pieces, I divided it into four parts and the links to the other parts are here:  Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; and Part 4.

For those who care about such things, this is a new world, just a little sideways from this one.  It’s mid-July 1816.  The Battle of Waterloo was thirteen months ago, and this is The Year Without A Summer.

Ross finally seemed to understand that he was intruding.  "I wrote down the parson's direction for you," he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Munro.  "I'll just go downstairs and let Hogan know that he can have the room to get dressed in, shall I?"

( Read more... )

Sharing A Bed - Part 2

So, I wrote 16,000 words to the “Share A Bed” prompt on my trope bingo card.  That was…unexpected.  To present it in more manageable pieces, I divided it into four parts and the links to the other parts are here:  Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; and Part 4.

For those who care about such things, this is a new world, just a little sideways from this one.  It’s mid-July 1816.  The Battle of Waterloo was thirteen months ago, and this is The Year Without A Summer.

At the stairs, Hester waited for a thin, elderly gentleman, impeccably dressed in black except for his snow-white cravat, to finish descending the stairs.  Having reached the floor, he unexpectedly turned to Hester and in a quiet, clear voice said, "I wish to complement you on your sword work, ma'am."

( Read more... )

Sharing A Bed - Part 1

So, I wrote 16,000 words to the “Share A Bed” prompt on my trope bingo card.  That was…unexpected.  To present it in more manageable pieces, I divided it into four parts and the links to the other parts are here:  Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; and Part 4.

For those who care about such things, this is a new world, just a little sideways from this one.  It’s mid-July 1816.  The Battle of Waterloo was thirteen months ago, and this is The Year Without A Summer.

Miss Hester Vanns was enjoying her evening.  Seven years of following the drum after she'd missed evacuation from Luggonia with her family by a mere hairsbreadth had left her with a wide acquaintance among the Army's officers, but very sparse connections here in her homeland.  Consequently, her day had looked up considerably when, on stopping for lunch and to rest her horse, she'd found three of her military friends already at The King's Stag in Marshlow breaking their own journey.  Ross and Munro were heading home to the Northern Marches, sharing company and the expenses of a carriage until their routes diverged.  Hogan, however, seemed to just be along for the ride - he was from the Western Isles and offered no reason for venturing into the Northern Marches except opportunity and wanderlust.

( Read more... )