“As brief as possible, I should hope,” he replied, extending an arm.
No matter who Noble Rynallt was, his polite manner communicated that he had all in hand. Yet it failed to give her the slightest ease.
“As I rode in I noticed your coach waiting,” he remarked as he led her down the front steps, past the butler to the mounting block. “I’ll ride alongside on my horse.”
Behind them the foyer’s grandfather clock tolled one too many times. The ball had begun. Lord Dunmore hated latecomers.
They’d be fashionably tardy, at best.
Acknowledgments
Where do I even begin?
People often ask me how to write a book, and I honestly tell them I don’t know. It’s a gift. What I do know is that my publisher, Baker Publishing Group, is extraordinary, from editorial to cover design to marketing and sales, and dedicated to bringing the most edifying fiction to readers. I’m always amazed to be part of that extraordinary process, and it’s a pleasure to give a shout-out to the people who make my books better.
My agent, Janet Grant, a shining light in the industry. Andrea Doering, with her huge heart for readers. Jessica English, a wordsmith deserving of her name who, with an unswerving eye for detail, helps polish a book till print. The proofreaders, who catch every little error (or most). And my amazing marketing team, headed by Michele Misiak and publicist Karen Steele, to the sales reps and book retailers who give a book a place in a noisy world. And last but not least, Laura Klynstra, senior art director, who captured the mood and essence of A Heart Adrift with an exceptional cover.
A shout-out to my dear author friends, especially the irrepressible Pepper Basham, and fellow travelers who continually inspire me and make time spent on our Facebook group page “The Armchair Traveler” so much fun. Please join us!
Last but not least, a book would just sit on the shelf without readers and all those who share their love of reading through social media, reviews, gracious comments, etc. Beautiful bookstagrams especially make my world go round. Heartfelt thanks for your reading time and all else you do!
Author Note
Who would have thought a lifelong love of chocolate would lead to a novel about a chocolatier? But not chocolate as we know it. As has been said, “The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.” And that includes chocolate. Though I am not a chocolate historian, I quickly became intrigued by just how those American colonists developed a taste for cocoa. As so often happened, Benjamin Franklin was ahead of the trend, selling chocolate from his print shop as early as 1735. Even George and Martha Washington drank it as a favorite beverage. If you’re wanting to learn more, Colonial Williamsburg is a wonderful resource both on-site and online for chocolate history, and if you crave a taste of historic chocolate, then American Heritage Chocolate might be a good start.
It’s such a pleasure to set a novel in the richly historic area of Yorktown, which was once York, Virginia. Though it’s hard to imagine what it must have been like in its heyday, one English traveler leaves us with a compelling impression from a letter published in the London Magazine in 1764: “Yorktown makes no inconsiderable figure. You perceive a great air of opulence amongst the inhabitants who have, some of them, built themselves houses equal in magnificence to many of our superb ones at St. James, as those of Mr. Lightfoot, Nelson, etc.”
Today Yorktown is quieter but surely just as beautiful as it was then. The Hornsby House Inn’s gracious hospitality and water views and York’s wonderful museums make it come alive. Though Indigo Island is entirely fictitious, there are many islands that exist like it, including the historic Chincoteague with its wild ponies, which inspired me as I wrote this novel.
Ever since I was a child and watched The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (there’s a novel too!), I’ve had a fondness for sea captains and an outright fascination for pirates. Of all my research materials, Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail by W. Jeffrey Bolster stands out as both compelling and educational, opening a door on a world unknown to many. Privateers such as Captain Henri Lennox played a critical part in the American colonies achieving independence and the formation of the United States Navy—no small feat.
Women lighthouse keepers became increasingly common from the colonial period onward, some serving astonishingly long periods of time and proving entirely capable. Women Who Kept the Lights: An Illustrated History of Women Lighthouse Keepers by Mary Louise Clifford was a favorite resource of mine, as was The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Hazel Gaynor, a novel based on the life of England’s legendary Grace Darling.
I never imagined writing a book about smallpox in the midst of a pandemic, but doing so gave me better insight into the history of disease and made me very thankful for modern medicine. My dear friend Ginger Graham, to whom this book is dedicated, lost her life to COVID-19 as this book neared print, giving me a very personal window on grief in a health crisis. I realized anew that life continues its usual pace even though the hole in your heart is huge. Eternal reunions must be magnificent. I’m so thankful for the hope we have in Christ.
If you’ve read my other novels, then you know how much I love to tuck children, especially babies, into books. It’s fun to think of who or what Ruenna Cheverton might become when she grows up. Maybe she’ll have a novel of her own someday. There’s no doubt she’ll have a fondness for a certain island and chocolate!
If you’d like to stay connected, please visit my website at www.laurafrantz.net, where you can sign up for my seasonal newsletter and find me via social media. And I’d love to have you join us at “The Armchair Traveler,” a private Facebook page where we talk tea, travel, and books.
Till next time, happy reading!
Laura Frantz is a Christy Award and INSPY Award winner of thirteen novels, including Tidewater Bride, The Lacemaker, The Frontiersman’s Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Colonel’s Lady, and A Bound Heart. She loves to travel, garden, cook, and be in her office/library. When not at home in Kentucky, she and her husband live in Washington State. Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net.
Table of Contents
Cover
Endorsements
Half Title Page
Books by Laura Frantz
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40