"Love is a Choice" by Gratiana Lovelace, 3/15/13 (Completed)

Ch. 27 (PG-13)--Christmas Holidays Reveal Surprises Part 1

 “Love is a Choice”, Ch. 27 (PG-13)--Christmas Holidays Reveal Surprises for the Extended and Growing Wingate Family & Friends Part 1, June 30, 2013 Gratiana Lovelace

(An original story by Gratiana Lovelace; All Rights Reserved)

[From time to time, I will illustrate my story with my dream cast of:  Richard Armitage as Lord Rafe Wingate, Carla Gugino as Lady Katharine Southwick Wingate, Lesley Nicol as Mrs. Plunkett, Emilie Francois as Anna Wingate, Mark Strong as Sir Collin MacGregor, Alan Bates as Lord Charles Wingate, Christian Bale as Stuart MacGregor, Daniel Day-Lewis as Sir Antony Southwick, Michelle Pfeiffer as Lady Charmaine Southwick, Catherine Deneuve as Lady Esmѐ Sinclair, Julian Sands as Sir Percival Southwick, Samantha Morton as Lady Lucinda Southwick, Raymond Coulthard as David Harriott, Rosamund Pike as  Fanny Miller, Brendan Coyle as Uncle Miller, Princess Adelaide as herself, and Princess Victoria as herself, and others, etc.]  [Story Logo 1abcd]

Author’s Mature Content Note:  “Love is a Choice” is a story of love and romance set in the early to mid 1800’s.  I like Regency sensibilities with regard to comedy of manners, but Romantic period modes of dress.   Ha!  As such there will be some passages in this story involving heartfelt love scenes (perhaps some R rated) and some passages involving highly dramatic moments.  I will label the maturity rating of those chapters accordingly.  Otherwise, the general rating for this story is PG or PG-13 due to some mature situations and topics.  If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide, then please do not read the chapters with those labels.  This is my disclaimer. 

Additional Disclaimer: The Wiki and other reference links I cite contain general information merely to indicate that a place, person, or artifact, etc.,  possibly existed.  Though I try to use real locations in England and I make reference to some historically complementary information whenever possible, the fictionalized history that I write about for these towns, towns folks, and areas in my story are mostly figments of my imagination and should not be taken as fact.

Author’s Recap from the previous installment:  The Autumn of 1826 had flown by with many letters exchanged between old and new friends.  The fourteen year old Sir Stuart MacGregor wrote to eleven year old Baroness Anna via his monthly correspondence with her Papa and his godfather, Lord Rafe.   And having learned of the financial difficulties of Lady Katharine’s friend Mrs. Cassandra Hatch was experiencing due to the treatment of her late husband Gerald Hatch’s family, Lady Katharine and Lord Rafe retained Mrs. Hatch as the estate agent for Lady Katharine’s Sea Grove Estate near her home in Maylandsea Essex.  And Lord Rafe also interceded  for Mrs. Hatch with her husband’s twenty-two year old nephew and heir, Robert Hatch--who was most amenable to settling a substantial sum of money on Mrs. Cassandra Hatch and pledging appropriate funds for a dowry for her baby Beatrice Hatch when she has need of it.  In fact, Mr. Robert Hatch invited Mrs. Cassandra Hatch to his home for the holidays and to hear him preach his first guest sermon as a newly ordained minister. The eighteen year old Mrs. Cassandra Hatch told Lady Katharine in a letter that she found Mr. Robert Hatch to be very agreeable, such that she positively gushed about his piercing eyes and his soothing tone of voice.  Hmmm.

“Love is a Choice”, Ch. 27 (PG-13):  Christmas Holidays Reveal Surprises for the Extended and Growing Wingate Family & Friends Part 1

In the middle of December 1826, most persons’ thoughts have turned toward the upcoming Christmas holidays--with special decorations and the exchanges of small gifts, in addition to the religious significance [(2)].  And the extended Wingate families and friends will join together to celebrate it at Dearing Manor.  Dearing Manor looks resplendent with touches of fresh fir wreaths and trimmings  on mantels, with  gold ribbons and balls interspersed throughout.  Though a Christmas tree has been chosen, they will wait to cut it down and bring it into the manor hall to decorate it after everyone has arrived.