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

Ch. 19 (PG-13): Saturday Luncheon Brings Reconciliation and Revelation

“Love is a Choice”, Ch. 19 (PG-13):  Saturday Luncheon Brings Southwick Sibling Reconciliation and Lord Rafe’s Revelation, May 5, 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, 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.

Author’s Recap from the previous installment:   Come Saturday morning--24 hours after Lady Charmaine had her small stroke--she continued to improve.  So much so, that she and her husband made love--gently--to Lady Esmѐ’s dismay, and the doctor’s dismay.   But Lady Charmaine’s left arm and leg weaknesses are still present, and her memory loss about the past eight years continues.   Their son Sir Percival and his wife Lady Lucinda arrive at the Southwick London home with their 10 month old baby Eliza and all are reconciled to Lady Charmaine.  Lady Esmѐ even gives her great granddaughter her pearl necklace--since Eliza would not let go of it anyway.   Lord Rafe and Lady Katharine earlier that morning shared their news about Anna with Sir Antony, who advised them to wait to mention her to Lady Charmaine until after his son Percival arrived. However, Sir Antony graciously included Anna in the invitation to the Wingate’s to join them for tea this Saturday afternoon--though, it is not likely that Lady Charmaine will leave her sick bed for luncheon or tea since her Saturday morning was very tiring for her.  And Sir Antony will stay by her side after their morning nap.  But the two young couples and Eliza will have luncheon together.  And perhaps, Lord Rafe will share his news of his daughter Anna.

“Love is a Choice”, Ch. 19 (PG-13):  Saturday Luncheon Brings Southwick Sibling Reconciliation and Lord Rafe’s Revelation

While awaiting for Lady Lucinda to return from tending to baby Eliza’s diapering needs, Lady Katharine welcomes her brother Sir Percival to the small family dining room for luncheon with her husband Lord Rafe.  It is the first time that the two siblings will have time for an extended period of catching up with each other.  And it is a time for the new in-laws--brothers and sisters-- to start to get to know each other.  Sir Percival walks into the small dining room where he sees his sister Lady Katharine and her husband Lord Rafe whispering to each other tete a tete--though Sir Percival cannot hear what they are saying.

Lady Katharine:  Whispering.  “Rafe, if Anna is to visit for tea today, we should really tell Perce and Lucy about her.”

Lord Rafe:  Whispering back.  “I agree.  But let us see if an opportunity presents itself naturally to reveal this  news.”  She nods.  “Ah! Here is your brother now.”  They both look up at Sir Percival entering the room.