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

Ch. 25 (R)--Just Desserts, Just Rewards, and Just-ice

“Love is a Choice”, Ch. 25 (R)--Just Desserts, Just Rewards, and Just-ice, June 17, 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, 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:  Anna’s Mama’s body was exhumed and transferred to Dearing Manor’s Wingate family cemetery, with proper funeral and burial rites.  It was a sad time for all.  Made more so because Anna’s Mama’s Fanny Miller’s death was revealed to be caused by arsenic poisoning from the mine water wells owned by an absentee landlord, Lord Montgrieve. Sir Collin MacGregor investigated and found that several dozen people had died or were ill from six villages due to the negligence of the mine owner in not informing the citizens of the dangerous tainted water in mine water wells.  So Fanny’s Miller’s and the other deaths were heartbreakingly preventable.  As a magistrate, Sir Collin informed the Crown and a formal investigation is underway.

         “Love is a Choice”, Ch. 25 (R)--Just Desserts, Just Rewards, and Just_ice

With Anna returning to Dearing Manor and to her Grandmama’s care--whilst her Papa Lord Rafe and his wife Lady Katharine take up formal residence at the Wingate Hunting Lodge [(2) right] to be near Anna--Anna’s life begins to have a comfortably predictable pattern of new family togetherness and small social forays.  Anna has breakfast and quiet ladylike mornings doing needlepoint with Grandmama--while newlywed lovebirds Lord Rafe and Lady Katharine enjoy lingering in their bed chamber as they share their love and tenderness together.  Then there is a swap midday as Anna spends time with her Papa and Lady Katharine for luncheon and activities such as riding lessons or exploring the local villages and countrysides in the afternoons.  Anna especially likes helping Lady Katharine make up and deliver the food baskets for those tenants who are ill or infirm. Anna’s Mama Fanny always had a soft heart for their former neighbors and would give away special pastries to brighten another’s day. Then the Wingate family all meets up for dinner at Dearing Manor.