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

Ch. 28 (PG-13)--Christmas Holidays Surprises, Part 2

"Love is a Choice", Ch. 28 (PG-13)--Christmas Holidays Reveal Surprises for the Extended and Growing Wingate Family & Friends Part 2, July 07, 2013 by 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, Princess Victoria as herself, Kirsten Dunst as Cassandra Hatch 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:  With everyone arriving at Dearing Manor by December 18th, 1826 for the Christmas holidays, the Wingates have a houseful. The eight months preganant with her third child Lady Louisa and Sir John Throckmorton and her family and pets are staying at the Manor--as are the MacGregors. However Sir Antony and Lady Charmaine Southwick are staying with Lord Rafe and Lady Katharine at the estates' Hunting Lodge.  And though Lady Katharine had been quite miserable in mistakenly thinking that her husband was having an affair in London because she could not get pregnant, the truth came out of him selling his bachelor townhome so that they could buy a new home together, as well as, his preventing her from becoming pregnant--when he had remembered to do so, wanting to have some shared time with his wife before their babies started coming.  All was made well, Lord Rafe and Lady Katharine made up--with him resolving to be a more attentive and considerate husband and she promising to share her worries with him.  The extended Wingate family and friends plan to meet up together for Morning Prayer Sunday services in the Dearing Manor Chapel this wintery cold December 19, 1826 morning, and then spend the morning trimming their Christmas tree.  But their plans will go awry--most unexpectedly and most joyfully.

"Love is a Choice", Ch. 28 (PG-13):  Christmas Reveals Surprises for the Extended and Growing Wingate Family & Friends Part 2

In the early morning hours of Sunday, December 19th around 3:00am, all are asleep in their beds at Dearing Manor.  Even the children's beasts are asleep again after Sir John Throckmorton--husband of the Wingate daughter Lady Louisa--had rounded them up to go outside and pee since Henry's puppy dog Raleigh and Lottie's kitten Lovey are not water tight.  Even the Wingate's Irish Setter Kelly had tagged along after walking out of Anna's room.  But now, Sir John pads wearily back to his guest bedchamber with his wife for some much needed rest. He is not going to get it.