Surrender the Stars (53 page)

"Goodness..." Lindsay breathed in disbelief. "It can't be—but it must! Is that a...
balloon?"

Ryan's eyes met Blake's over her head. "My wife possesses nimble powers of deduction, don't you think?"

The balloon was inside a roped-off area. Pulling Ryan along, Lindsay skirted it and saw that there were men on the other side, inflating the giant bag of silk with casks of hydrogen attached to hosepipes. The balloon was a gorgeous thing, its boat tethered to the ground. As it swelled to its full proportions, bright with vertical pink, white, and yellow stripes, Lindsay saw that they were bisected by a wide white sash that read, "Congratulations to Ryan and Lindsay Coleraine."

Blake put a hand on her shoulder. "I thought you might enjoy beginning your marriage this way. Ryan's learned to fly it and he's chosen a spot for you to land."

Lindsay was speechless as she looked from one man to the other. "We'll come down on the grounds of an estate near Mapledurham on the Berkshire border," Ryan explained. "It's not far and we need only follow the Thames south. Old friends of mine own the estate and are loaning us the house, and their servants, for tonight. Tomorrow we'll set out for Paris."

"I must be dreaming!" she breathed.

"It's an honor for me to make one of your dreams a reality, my dear," Blake said with feeling. "My brother will have to see to the rest of them."

Lindsay embraced the older man and kissed his cheek. "How glad I am that we found you, Blake!"

"I'll second that." Ryan smiled, shaking his hand.

"You two had better go now," Blake said. The balloon was fully inflated, cresting high above the treetops. The wedding guests stared in awe, then came forward to bid the newlyweds farewell.

Ryan had just lifted Lindsay into the blue-and-white boat and was stepping in himself when a man ran through the trees and called out, "Hey! Lindsay, is that you?" His voice was unmistakably American.

The crowd parted to let him through, and Ryan narrowed his eyes at a somewhat harried but unmistakably handsome young man. Devon and Andre Raveneau were embracing him, Mouette had begun to cry in apparent joy, and Lindsay was staring as if she didn't believe her eyes.

"Who's
that
?" Ryan demanded. "Not a spurned suitor from Pettipauge, I hope!"

The dark-haired man had turned from the Raveneaus and was walking toward the balloon, beaming. In wonderment, Lindsay exclaimed, "It's Nathan! My brother!"

"Wait, you can't get out, angel." Ryan put an arm around her. "They're ready to loose us from the moorings. Let him come to us."

Nathan Raveneau approached the boat, his blue eyes twinkling, and hugged his sister so hard she gasped, laughing. "Lindsay, what's going on?" he exclaimed. "I went to Grosvenor Square last night, not even knowing all of you were in London, and the Butters regaled me with a tale so incredible I was certain they were pulling my leg! Have you really gotten married? The sister I left in Connecticut last fall wouldn't even bat her eyelashes at a man!"

"Oh, Nathan, it's simply wonderful to see you! So much has happened since you left. This is Captain Ryan Coleraine, my husband!" She beamed as the two men shook hands.

"It's good to see you again, Ryan," Nathan said with a grin. "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you, Nathan." He looked down at Lindsay. "Your brother and I are already acquainted, although we were rarely in Pettipauge at the same time."

"How silly of me. Of course you must know each other. I never thought about it! Nathan, Ryan has been impersonating you these past few weeks. How fortuitous that you didn't appear before today! What would we have done?"

Coleraine smiled at the younger man. "I'm afraid that you may discover that you already have a reputation of sorts in London!"

Leaning forward, Lindsay gave her handsome brother another hug. "Mama and Papa will have to explain it all to you. I'll be back from Paris in a few weeks, but at the moment I'm afraid we must be off!"

"So I see..." Nathan kissed her cheek, then returned to join the rest of his family outside the enclosure.

The balloon was released from its moorings as Ryan expertly operated the cord attached to the valve that controlled their ascent. Fearlessly, Lindsay laughed with delight and waved to the crowd as the balloon rose slowly into the sky.

Soon, their family and friends were dots against the green expanse of Christ Church meadow. The wind was with them as they sailed over the dreaming spires of Oxford and the surrounding countryside, following the River Thames as it wound southward.

Lindsay leaned back against Ryan, loving the feel of his strong arms around her waist. They looked down as they floated over softly rolling countryside dotted with sheep and stone farmhouses and roads winding throughout like golden ribbons.

"This is the happiest moment of my life," Lindsay announced.

Ryan leaned around to kiss her, touching her tongue with his, then drew back to smile and to arch a suggestive eyebrow. "So far, you mean!"

Lindsay's heart swelled as she tasted him on her lips and considered that prospect. "Oh,
my..."

The End

Author's Note

The town of Essex, Connecticut, one of the jewels of New England, was not called Essex until 1854. In 1814, it was still known by its Indian name, Pettipauge (or Potapaug or Patapoug). Today, visitors to Essex will find the village much the same as I have described it in the pages of this book. Although I have moved from Connecticut to California, I love to visit Essex and spend a long, joyous evening at the Griswold Inn.

Another of my favorite places is the Turf Tavern in Oxford, England. When Ryan and Lindsay visited, it was known as the Spotted Cow. Visitors today can still reach this seven-century-old pub through a maze of twisting alleyways that seem to lead one back in time.

I hope that all of you enjoy reading
Surrender the Stars
as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it!

I'm having a ball this year, revisiting my characters from the past as I edit my backlist titles for release as eBooks. It was a joy to go straight from Andre & Devon's story in
Silver Storm
to Ryan & Lindsay's! Next, I'll be spending time with Nathan Raveneau in
Silver Sea
(previously titled
Barbados
). It's a wonderful tale set in Regency England and the West Indies, filled with humor, intrigue, swashbuckling, adventure, and – of course, romance!

Places and times may change but, thankfully, the common theme of a man and a woman growing through love is universal.

All my best,

Cynthia Wright, August 2011

Excerpt from

Caroline

Special Author's Cut Edition

Beauvisage Novel #1

by

Cynthia Wright

Chapter 1

One could hardly imagine a more perfect October day, for the autumn of 1783 had painted the Connecticut landscape in her most glorious colors. The low mountains were a riot of flaming oranges, reds, and yellows which contrasted sharply with the clear azure of the sky. The air had a clean chill to it, and Alexandre Beauvisage, winding his way between the trees astride a handsome stallion, felt very good indeed. He had been brimming with a rich euphoria for over a month now—ever since the final Peace Treaty had been signed in Paris. The last eight years of war had been long but victory made all the bloodshed and tragedy seem worthwhile. The cost of freedom had been high, but that shining prize belonged to America at last.

Granted, it had been two years since the British had laid down their arms to General Washington at Yorktown. Only the most sporadic fighting had occurred since then, and the majority of the American soldiers had been able to go home to their families long ago.

Alec grimaced when he thought back over his own life during the past two years. All through the Revolutionary War, he had only occasionally played the part of soldier; his had been a unique role tailored especially to his talents and background. He had been a mixture of spy and scout, given the trickiest and usually the most dangerous assignments. After Yorktown, Alec had been able to return to his home and business at intervals, but just as he would settle back into a normal pattern of life his services would be needed again.

"We simply can't trust anyone else to carry off this plan without being detected, Beauvisage. You are a master!" the officer in charge would declare. Alec had to admit that despite the terrible aspects of war, there was a certain thrill in the role he played. He had roamed the swamps of South Carolina with Frances Marion, captained a sleek privateer, and drunk cognac with Washington and Lafayette on the banks of the Hudson. He had been required to put his ingenuity and intelligence to full use, and the constant danger had been stimulating. Perhaps the return to full-time everyday life would prove boring?

A bright patch of color beneath a tree at the side of the trail caught Alec's attention, rousing him from his reverie. Gently, he brought his horse, Ivan, to a stop and dismounted, walking back to investigate. It appeared to be a packet of garments drawn hastily together inside a piece of bottle-green silk. He hunkered down among the crisp leaves, preparing to open the bundle, when a soft moan rose from the trees to his left. His head came up, instantly alert, and then he was off as lightly as a cat in the direction of the noise. Soon he spotted its source—a small form lying at the foot of an oak tree about twenty-five feet away. Cautiously, Alec drew a pistol from his belt and moved forward. From a distance, he perceived the figure to be that of a young boy, clad in ill-fitting gray breeches, a loose white work smock, and a green tricorn hat that seemed to cover his entire head. Drawing alongside the boy, he replaced his pistol and knelt down beside the still form. His dark brows came together at the sight of two suspicious shapes outlined against the loose shirt. Tentatively, Alec placed a hand over one of the mounds, which proved beyond a doubt to be a beautifully formed breast.