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

Ch. 35 (PG-13): Courtship Uncertainties and Children Collide

"Love is a Choice", Ch. 35 (PG-13):  Courtship Uncertainties and Children Collide, August 20, 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, Lady Violet Henderson as Lady Leonora Wingate, Emilie Francois as the child Anna Wingate and Samantha Mathis as the young lady 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, King William IV and Queen Adelaide as themselves, Princess Victoria as herself, Kirsten Dunst as Cassandra Hatch, Matthew MacFadyen as Fr. Robert Hatch, Dominic Cooper as Algernon Percy Lord Lovaine, Rose Byrne as Lady Marjorie, 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:  Sixteen year old Anna's coming ball was a great success!  However, which suitor--or suitors--she will encourage is still yet to be determined. 

"Love is a Choice", Ch. 35 (PG-13):  Courtship Uncertainties and Children Collide

With Anna being secretly pleased to have received a marriage proposal--from Cadet Stuart MacGregor-- at her coming out ball last night, when her friend Lady Marjorie did not, Anna glows with the heady excitement of being also admired by Lieutenant David Harriott, and also by Algernon Percy Lord Lovaine who is heir  to the Duke of Northumberland.  With Anna's substantial 10,000 pound dowry [(2)], title, and connections she is much sought after as a bridal prize amongst some of the noble families of England for their second sons.  But Anna does not want to be a prize.  She wants to love and to be loved--like her Mama and Papa, Lord Rafe and Lady Katharine.

This Saturday morning after Anna's coming out ball, Lord Rafe and Lady Katharine langourously lay intertwined in their lovers' embrace side by side in their bed.  Their arms and legs are entangled and Lord Rafe's head lies lightly upon his wife Lady Katharine's breasts even as her chin rests on the top of her husband's head.  They are not quite fully clothed as such after their late night bedtime lovemaking.  But he is haphazardly wearing his nightpants and she is wearing her nightgown that they put back on as a concession to having regular interruptions from their little ones in the early morning hours.  This morning will be no exception.