Good Dukes Wear Black (29 page)
Read Good Dukes Wear Black Online
Authors: Manda Collins
“It's a girl!” he said with a grin. “Mama and baby are doing well. And can I be the first to say that my daughter has the best set of lungs in England!”
The quartet of onlookers shouted a huzzah and rushed over to hug and congratulate the new father, who quickly ushered them upstairs to Leonora's sitting room.
Inside, they found a nursemaid cradling the newest little Lisle, who was demonstrating her excellent lung capacity.
“Lads,” Freddy told the other two men, as Ophelia and Hermione rushed over to see the baby, “I don't think you know what love is until you've watched your own child being born. I don't know why every man doesn't demand it.”
“Lord Frederick,” said Dr. Simpson, London's most celebrated
accoucheur,
as he entered the sitting room, “I hope you will not go about preaching this nonsense to your fellow
ton
husbands. For if every man were as intrusive in the birthing chamber I'd be forced to leave my profession.”
“Have no fear, Dr. Simpson,” Hermione assured him after a pointed look in her husband's direction. “I do not think the ladies of the
ton
will be quite so keen to invite their husbands in as Leonora was.”
“Whatever you wish, my dear,” said Mainwaring, exchanging a relieved look with Trent. “I will follow your wishes in these matters since you are the one who will be doing the hard work.”
“Leonora is well, Dr. Simpson?” asked Ophelia from where she was holding the new baby, who had stopped crying just as soon as Ophelia picked her up, against her chest.
“She is indeed, your grace.” Dr. Simpson beamed. “Indeed, were it not for the unusual circumstance of Lord Frederick insisting upon being there for the birth, it would have been a routine matter.”
“She likes you,” Trent said, stepping up beside Ophelia to look down at the impossibly tiny thing in her arms. “You've got a natural talent, it would seem.”
Ophelia beamed up at him. “I hope so, for I mean to have a passel of these.”
“That many, eh?”
“Well, perhaps just a plethora.”
Unable to stop himself, Trent leaned down and kissed her.
“Don't do that in front of my child,” Freddy chided, coming forward to take the baby away from Ophelia. “Come, Leonora should be ready for visitors now.”
After ascertaining that it was indeed the case, he ushered the others into his wife's bedroom.
“Congratulations,” Ophelia said, moving to the bedside to take Leonora's hand.
She was pleased to see that her friend looked exhausted but overjoyed. And when she took the baby from Freddy, something about seeing their little trio together brought tears to Ophelia's eyes.
“Isn't she the most beautiful baby you've ever seen?” Leonora asked, beaming.
“By far,” Mainwaring said with a nod.
“In all my years,” agreed Trent.
“But not quite as beautiful as her mama,” Freddy said with a grin.
“I just wish Jonny were here to meet her,” Leonora said, tears springing to her eyes. Kissing the child on her tiny nose, she said, “He would have loved to meet you, my dear girl.”
“He'd have been proud,” Hermione said with a watery smile. “And surprised to find us all married off. But not disappointed, I think.”
“No,” Freddy agreed, exchanging a look with Mainwaring and Trent, who stood with their arms around their wives, in a semicircle around Leonora's bed.
“He'd have been happy,” Trent said with a grin. “Damned happy.”
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In 1829, Freeman Anderton's lawsuit against prominent alienist (psychiatrist in 19th-century speak) Dr. George Man Burrows for wrongful confinement (which Anderton won) revealed something to the British public that had not hitherto been common knowledge. Namely, that it was a common practice of many alienists to use unofficial “letters de cachet” to lend legitimacy to their attendants when they came to take away the person in question, solely to prevent those around the “lunatic” from interfering.
And, perhaps more disturbing, was the fact that these declarations of a person's lunacy were most often made without the physician ever having examined the patient.
In his defense against Anderton's suit, Burrows argued that it was often necessary for a physician to rely on the word of family members or close friends to determine a person's state of mind because “procrastination could end up in suicide or homicide in an urgent case” (Suzuki 53).
It doesn't take a devious mind to see the possibilities for corruption of this practice, and it's one of those possibilities that I write about in
Good Dukes Wear Black
. While there don't seem to be any cases similar to the one I describe in the book, where Dr. Hayes is persuaded to have women confined on the word of his own brother, it does seem to me to have been possible. And from there I wove my story.
If you'd like to read more about the treatment of madness in the 19th century and the ways in which alienists navigated the waters between the public and the domestic, I highly recommend
Madness at Home: The Psychiatrist, the Patient, and the Family in England, 1820â1860,
University of California Press, (2006) by Akihito Suzuki.
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Coming soon â¦
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Look for the next novel in
Manda Collins
's
Lords of Anarchy series
READY SET ROGUE
Available in January 2017
from St. Martin's Paperbacks
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Also by
Manda Collins
Novellas
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PRAISE FOR
MANDA COLLINS
'
S
DELECTABLE REGENCY NOVELS
A GOOD RAKE IS HARD TO FIND
“A fresh and promising start to the series.”
âPublishers Weekly
“An exciting mystery and a powerful love story!”
âFresh Fiction
“This book has fighting, fast driving, mystery, a super bad guy, and some sweet love.”
âRomance at Random
“Warmth, wit, wicked sensuality, and an intriguing whodunit take this story over the top.”
âRomance Junkies
WHY LORDS LOSE THEIR HEARTS
“This sweet and sensuous novel has an undercurrent of mystery that will keep readers riveted.”
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âPublishers Weekly
“Collins's tale blends intrigue and desire in a story that is an unusual and intriguing combination of chilling and sweet.”
âRT Book Reviews
“A suspense-filled tale,
Why Lords Lose Their Hearts
, the third book in author
Manda Collins
's Wicked Widows trilogy, is a witty, sensual historical romance that will captivate readers from the very beginning. Filled with warmth, clever dialogue, engaging characters, sizzling chemistry, mystery, danger, surprising plot twists, tender romance, and true love, this story is a delight.”
âRomance Junkies
“Fresh dialogue, suspense, revenge, a most unlikely villain, and of course, romance, make
Why Lords Lose Their Hearts
a definite must-read!”
âReader to Reader Reviews
WHY EARLS FALL IN LOVE
“With its shades of
I Know What You Did Last Summer
and strong gothic overtones, Collins's latest is a chill seeker's delight. Along with the surprising climax, readers will thoroughly enjoy the well-crafted characters, the charming setting, and the romance that adds spice to the drama.”
âRT Book Reviews
“Sparkling romance amid mystery.”
âPublishers Weekly
“Combining love, wit, warmth, suspense, intrigue, emotion, sensuality, interesting characters, romance, and plenty of danger, Ms. Collins has created another enthralling story.”
â
Romance Junkies
“Award-winning author
Manda Collins
brings sensual historical romance to a new level with wit, heat, and beautifully written detail, finely drawn characters, and a flair for fun.”
âExaminer.com
WHY DUKES SAY I DO
“Witty and smart, Collins's prose flows smoothly as she merges a charming, compassionate love story with gothic suspense ⦠Add strong pacing and depth of emotion, and there's no doubt this is a winner.”
âRT Book Reviews
(Top Pick, 4½ stars)
“Collins has a deft touch with characterization, and she expertly weaves a thrilling thread of danger throughout the story.
Why Dukes Say I Do
is highly recommended for readers who enjoy their historical romances with a generous soupçon of suspense.”
âReader to Reader Reviews
“
Manda Collins
pens a charming, romantic tale with
Why Dukes Say I Do
.”
âSingle Titles
“Totally engrossing, witty, and suspenseful.”
âTulsa Book Review
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Manda Collins
spent her teen years wishing she'd been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. When she's not writing, she's helping other people use books, as an academic librarian.
Visit her website at:
www.mandacollins.com
. Or sign up for email updates
here
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