Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Waterloo's heroes: men after our hearts in CHRISTMAS BELLES series! Debuts October 29

'Capture of the Eagle' by Royal Dragoons, 1815, Battle of Waterloo,
only capture of French Eagle by British cavalry.
By William Holmes Sullivan, 1898

Outfitting a Waterloo hero for my CHRISTMAS BELLES series I spent many hours combing pictures of Waterloo period memorabilia, diagrams and more!

Here are a few for your enjoyment. First, the Victorian era painting by William Holmes Sullivan of the 'Capture of the French Eagle' by the Royal Dragoons. A dashing scene, this depicts the impression Sullivan gave of the cavalry unit that brought home the only French Eagle from that famous battle at Waterloo in Belgium. This uniform is that of my hero in THE EARL'S WAGERED BRIDE, Book 1, of CHRISTMAS BELLES.  Here I imagine he looks like Luke Evans, but he is really Griffith Harlinger, Earl of Marsden! And yes, I really do have A Thing for Evans, so I show him to you in period and contemporary!
Luke Evans. Love the hair!

Luke Evans
Two friends travel with Griff from Paris to Brighton for the Christmas house party. One is Alastair Demerest, new Duke of Kingston,  Viscount Lowell, the hero of THE DUKE'S IMPETUOUS DARLING. This novella debuts in a box set with 5 other marvelous Regency authors. (I promise to post that book cover when it becomes available along with a buy link!)

Griff's other friend is Neville Vaughn, Viscount Bromley, a major in the Foot Guards, Coldstream Guards. Their uniform you see here too! Bromley is about to resign his commission and return home to his profitable estate. He hopes to take one of the charming Craymore sisters with him as his second wife! Look for him in THE VISCOUNT'S ONLY LOVE, BOOK 2. I imagine he resembles this charming man whom you know as actor Cillian Murphy.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in this series is a man who is charmingly handsome, in his mid-thirties, and is recently hired by the Countess of Marsden, Griff's widowed step-mama. Not only is Simms, the butler, (that's Octavian Simms please) droll, dapper and decidedly opinionated, but he spouts quotes of Shakespeare at any opportune moment. and like any self-respecting butler, he knows everyone everywhere, even the staff at Prinny's Royal Pavilion. And who, pray tell, represents Simms in our modern era? Why this super(b) man, of course. Another heart-throb, Henry Cavill! Just where did Simms acquire his marvelous education? And why, for heaven sakes, is he in service?

Cillian Murphy, or Neville Vaughn, Viscount Bromley
Henry Cavill or Octavian Simms,
Marsden Hall's butler




2nd Regiment of Foot Guards, 
Coldstream Guards
Uniforms

Uniforms of various Regiments,
Waterloo, 1815. Note #1 and #2 Dragoons.