Flora's Wish (61 page)

But for now all Lucas could think of was holding Flora in his arms. Of the happily ever after he would make certain this wonderful woman would have.

The Natchez Weekly Democrat

August 11, 1887

FLORA'S WISH COMES TRUE

Miss Flora Brimm of the Natchez Brimms was united in marriage with Mr. Lucas B. McMinn, inventor and former detective with the Pinkerton Agency. After a honeymoon trip to Paris, the couple will make their home at Brimmfield Plantation in Natchez.

And buried on the last page:

CRIMINAL ESCAPES FROM CHAIN GANG

Inmate William Tucker escaped police custody while being transported to the Angola Penitentiary to serve a five-year term for larceny and theft of property. The search for Tucker is ongoing.

T
hank you for allowing me to take you on a trip through one of my favorite parts of the world: the Southern United States. From New Orleans to Natchez, from Memphis to Mobile and beyond, there is just something about returning to the land of magnolias and the Mississippi River that slows this Southern girl's frantic pace to a more dignified stroll.

I credit this mind-set to the long line of Southern belles from which I descend. From my great-grandmother Viola McMinn to my grandmothers Dorris Simpson and Katie Aycock, I learned early on what it meant to be a lady of the Southern persuasion. The tradition continues in my mother, Bonnie Sue Miller, who faithfully took me to the Gates Library to feed my voracious need for the written word and who would never wear white after Labor Day. From the grit of these women comes the character of Millicent Meriwether Brimm. From the strength, intelligence, unaffected beauty, and good common sense of my own Southern Belle in Training, Hannah Y'Barbo, comes the essence of Millicent's granddaughter Flora Brimm. Thank you, ladies, for the inspiration on and off the page.

This book is also dedicated to my brother, Farris Miller, who endured life with three sisters and yet always managed to be the Southern gentleman Daddy taught him to be, despite all the grief we gave him. Lucas McMinn gets that from you.

In the writing of this novel, I took special care to visit most of the locations where the story was set, including the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs. While the greatest attention was taken in remaining accurate to the history of this lovely and grand establishment, I did take certain poetic license in several scenes. Foremost is the location of the ballroom, which in various reports was either on the topmost floor or on the bottom floor. Diagrams of the hotel show it to be on the ground floor, but currently there is a space on the fourth floor where it might have been. Owing to changes to the original blueprints as well as renovations over the years, I have chosen to place the ballroom in this tale on the fourth floor. This was a conscious choice that better showcased Flora Brimm's peculiar talent for nimbly traversing narrow walkways set at great heights. Any error or risk of mistake in this matter is mine alone.

Also, while there are now several lovely suites at the Crescent Hotel, an 1886 blueprint does not show this type of room. However, I imagined that Flora's imperious grandmother would settle for nothing less than a grand set of rooms on an upper floor with all the comforts and trimmings. Thus, this is what I gave her. What can an author do but listen when her character demands these things?

Though the popular myth of a writer's life might lead readers to believe that a book is written in solitary hours with only the author in attendance, nothing could be further from the truth. It truly does take a team to produce a novel, and I am blessed to work with some of the best individuals in the industry. A huge thanks to Kim Moore and the gang at Harvest House for making me feel so very welcome, and to Wendy Lawton, agent and friend, for her guidance down this publishing path.

Finally…and always…to my husband, Robert Turner, my Ephesians 3:20 man, for playing copy editor, chauffeur, eye candy, trip planner, bodyguard, roadie, photographer extraordinaire, and purveyor of Reese's cups in equal measure. Like Flora, I wished for happily ever after. In you, God allowed my wish to come true.

1. Flora's wish is to live happily ever after. At the beginning of the book, she sets a plan in motion she believes will make this wish come true, but she forgets to consult God on the matter. What is the result? Have you ever stepped out toward a goal without first taking stock of the path the Lord wants you to walk to get there? If so, what happened? If not, why not? What was that result?

2. Lucas McMinn wants revenge so badly he's willing to go outside the bounds of his job as a Pinkerton agent to find Will Tucker and bring him to justice. Lucas excuses this choice even as his conscience is eventually troubled by it. What did you do the last time you got one of those jabs that cause you to wonder if you're doing the right thing?

3. Will Tucker offered Flora what she thought she needed—a way to keep what she had and take care of those she loved. But Will's offer of marriage was not what it seemed. Have you been confronted with what you thought was the answer to a prayer only to find it wasn't God's best choice for you? How did this become apparent? What did you do?

4. Though Flora lost her mother, she has a grandmother who dearly loves her and takes on the role. Millicent Meriwether Brimm is a formidable woman who gives praise and correction in equal measure but always tempers both with deep love. Is there a person in your life, past or present, who serves in this role? What would you say to him or her if you were to write a note detailing what that meant to you?

5. Flora keeps a pink ribbon in her Bible to mark her favorite chapter in First Corinthians. What is your favorite verse, and do you have something special in your Bible to mark that place? What does that mean to you? What about the verse?

6. Grandfather Brimm wrote a special requirement into his will to control the people in his life long after he was gone. Are you guilty of trying to manipulate those you love to do as you wish? If you're not guilty of this, is there someone in your life who is? Have you turned this over to God to seek a remedy for it?

7. Flora's sister, Violet, is unable to live the life her family had hoped. Flora determines she will not miss out on a minute of what's going on and goes to extraordinary lengths to make that happen. Have you gone out of your way to do something special for someone who cannot offer thanks in return? If not, is there someone God has put in your life for this purpose? Think about what you can do and then do it.

8. Lucas McMinn became a Pinkerton agent because of something God allowed into his life that, at the time, was the worst thing he could imagine happening. But the Lord redeemed that awful thing and caused Lucas to use what came out of that for good. Do you have a similar story? Are you in that place now where you need to believe God will take you from this valley and cause what you've learned to place you on the mountaintops?

9. Lucas has a fondness for inventions. During the course of the story he uses a hat with a listening device, a pair of extra-vision glasses, a device shot from a gun that allows him to climb up the side of a building, and a precursor to a modern flashlight, among other things. If you had the power to invent one amazing thing, what would it be and what would you use it for?

10. Throughout the course of the book, Flora has a difficult time listening to Lucas and following his instructions. In almost every case, something happens to cause her to wish she had paid heed to his warnings or done as he asked. Does this resemble you in any way? Who do you wish you had listened to and why? What happened?

11. Flora mentions her preference for detective novels over her sister's preferred Jane Austen books. What is your preference in leisure-time reading material and why? Is there a book or author someone in your world absolutely adores that you need to give a second try?

12. Lucas had a healthy respect—bordering on fear—of lightning. Do you have something like that in your life? If so, what is it and why do you feel that way? Is it something you can give to God and have Him heal?

13. The book stops with Flora and Lucas living happily ever after. However, I have left other story lines unanswered. What do you think happened with Winthrop and Eudora? Were they able to get past Mr. Lennart's criminal behavior to find love? And what about Will Tucker? Do you think he's used this escape as a means to straighten out his life? What do you hope has happened?

14. Both Lucas and Flora have suffered the loss of loved ones. These losses have made them the people they are. What has happened in your life to make you who you are? How has that changed you?