#Mary Lancaster

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Captain’s Old Love by Mary Lancaster

One Night in Blackhaven #1

Introduction to a new series that has the potential for nine books or more just based on the siblings of one family. This was an easy, quick, somewhat predictable, feel-good, second chance romance that provides a happily ever after for the main characters.

What I liked:

* Antonia: widow, lady’s companion, loving mother to six-year-old Edward, never stopped loving Julius though she was upset he jilted her

* Julius: retired naval captain, war hero, scarred, loving brother, intelligent, knows the area, has brought his family together and is settling in, never stopped loving Antonia but hurt and wonders why Antonia jilted him

* Edward: young, precocious, bright, fun, active, likes Julius

* Julius’s siblings: there are eight of them that I won’t name but I have a feeling they will each have a book of their own

* Lord Linfield and his sister Miss Talbot:  he is a diplomat that knew Julius’s father and she travels with him

* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing

* That it was an easy read without any major insurmountable obstacles

What I didn’t like: * Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about what Antonia put up with from her parents, husband, brother-in-law and Dunnet

Did I like this book? It was okay

Would I read more in the series? Maybe

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

BLURB 

His dashing days are behind him – until an old flame dances back into his life. A hero of Trafalgar and many battle since, Captain Julius Vale, has retired from the Royal Navy and moved himself and all his siblings back to the family home near Blackhaven. Here, wounded and disillusioned, he seeks peace for himself, and happiness for his troubled brothers and sisters. He does not expect to encounter the woman who broke his heart ten years ago, and he certainly does not mean to make the mistake of falling for her again. Antonia, now an impoverished widow and mother, is the paid companion of eccentric spinster, Miss Talbot, who is taking a course of the Blackhaven waters. Meeting Julius again is a shock. So is the fact that he clearly blames her for their parting when it was he who sailed away without a word of goodbye. And yet after only one dance, she begins to feel alive … Amidst the tangle of anger, hurt and reigniting passion, they gradually realize the truth. But it seems that the same forces that parted them ten years ago are determined to do so again. Unless they are strong enough this time to trust in each other.

[sun-marie]

"Let's just enjoy our time together - however much we have."

[harrietlancaster]

Napping time 👶💤

Little Amanda often had trouble falling asleep...even after being fed, having a new diaper and being sung to all afternoon by Harriet. When she walked into the bedroom, to wake her sleeping husband, trying to ask for help, Amanda's chubby little arms reached out and her fussy little sounds turned into something coherent for the first time.

"Dada!"

Harriet's eyes went wide. Her first words!

And Harriet understood them so clearly. Amanda missed her dad! Of course! She just wanted to be close to him, snuggle up to him and feel his comforting warmth. Harriet lips curled into a smile as she gently kissed the girl's head, before letting her down on the mattress.

Straight away, Amy crawled to Sebastian and curled right on top of his back, her little fist holding tightly onto his shirt. It barely took a minute before her eyes were closed, her breathing slowed and her fussy sounds were turned into the smallest little hums.

Harriet couldn't help but watch this peaceful picture in front of her. She took in the little snores from her husband, the steady and synced breathing of them both and the soft shake of her daughter's curls. They have grown much darker since her birth and with every day passing by, she looked more and more like her father. She was just as curious and smart like Sebastian.

But the way she missed her dad, whenever he left the house or even just the room and immediately wanted to shower him with kisses the moment he was back...that was just like her mother.

They both loved Sebastian endlessly and they always would.

After giving both a soft kiss to their temple, Harriet left the room, chuckling to herself at the thought of telling Sebastian Amy's first words.

Okay, okay...I told myself I would post Harriet's and Sebastian's story more "chronologically" except for my lake drawing, buuuut...I wanted to draw dad!Seb so desperately, I had to do this first!

This is a heavily referenced artwork, because I'm definitely not an artist that can draw a body free hand 🤣 And also this is more in a modern style, because again...I'm not a highly experienced artist, so I stayed very close to the source material 🙈

I hope you still like it and can gush over dad!Seb with me! 💕

divider by @saradika

[tercessketchfield]

ROYALTY MEME | Granddaughters of Edward III & Philippa of Hainault (part one)

through their children: Lionel of Antwerp, John of Gaunt, and Isabella of England

[harryofderby]

Young Mary de Bohun and Henry V look quite similar to each other ( the former is from the Psalter of Mary de Bohun c. 1380 and the latter is from the Records of the Duchy of Lancaster c. 1402). I now adopt @heartofstanding 's headcanon in her fics about Harry resembling Mary the most amongst the Lancaster brothers.

[burtlancster]

Burt Lancaster and Mary Astor in Desert Fury, 1947.

[une-sanz-pluis]

It was Gaunt who arranged Henry's marriage. The object of his attentions was Mary, the co-heiress to Humphrey de Bohun, earl of Hereford, Essex and Northampton, who had died at the age of thirty in January 1373, leaving no sons, two underage daughters, and a very substantial inheritance. The elder daughter, Eleanor (born in 1366), was married to Gaunt's brother, Thomas of Woodstock, earl of Buckingham, probably in 1374. What now happened to Mary (born in 1369–70) was naturally a matter of considerable interest to Buckingham. As long as she remained single, the entire Bohun inheritance would fall to him; were she to marry, he would be obliged to share it with her husband. Inconveniently, other duties now deflected his attention. On 3 May 1380, he indented with the king and council to lead an expedition to Brittany with a retinue of 5,000 men. During the following two months he did what he could to ensure that the Bohun patrimony did not slip from his grasp during his absence: on 8 May he obtained a royal grant of the custody of Mary's share of the inheritance during her minority; on 22 June Eleanor came of age and Thomas performed his fealty to the king for his wife's share of the lands. Shortly before leaving he even took the precaution of bringing Mary to stay with her sister at Pleshey castle (Essex), where he arranged for her to be instructed by nuns with the intention that she should join the order of St Clare. According to Froissart, ‘the young lady seemed to incline to their doctrine, and thought not of marriage’. Hopeful of having ensured the integrity of his inheritance, Buckingham shipped his troops to Calais and, on 24 July 1380, set out with his army on a campaign from which he would not return for nine months. No sooner had he done so than Gaunt made his move. Three days after his brother's crossing, he secured a royal grant of Mary's marriage, ‘for marrying her to his son Henry’, and shortly after this induced her mother, Joan countess of Hereford, to spirit her away from Pleshey and take her to Arundel, where the young couple were rapidly betrothed. They were married on 5 February 1381 in a service held at Countess Joan's manor of Rochford (Essex). The connivance of the king and council, who would have been aware of the blow this inflicted on Buckingham, is a measure of the financial and political leverage Gaunt exercised in Richard II's minority government. Gaunt attended and presented Mary with a ruby, as well as paying for the festivities; Henry's sisters, Philippa and Elizabeth, each gave their new sister-in-law a goblet and ewer. The king and Edmund earl of Cambridge (Gaunt's younger, and Buckingham's older, brother) may also have been there, for ten royal minstrels and four of Cambridge's minstrels received gratuities from Gaunt for enlivening the proceedings. There was nothing hasty or clandestine about the wedding.

Chris Given-Wilson, Henry IV (Yale University Press, 2016)

[themidnightcircusshow]

You make one joke and suddenly you can't stop thinking of a gothic retelling of the Lancasters

[armoricaroyalty]

Previous | Chapter Start | Beginning | Next

author's note: welcome to the denouement! charles, as always, belongs to @the-lancasters

Transcript under the cut.

11:00 PM / August 6th, 2016

FREDERICK | Did we have to meet in the boathouse? It stinks in here. ROSALIND | Do you have to complain about everything? It's annoying. MARY | Enough. MARY | Roz, be nice. ROSALIND | [sighs] Fiiiiiine. ROSALIND | You two are the front page of The Shield on Sunday. Vance Marshall called me to ask for comment. EMILY | But how did it get out? Almost no one knew. ROSALIND | [offscreen] I'm having someone in Josie's office look into it. EMILY | Maybe it was a guess? Did you confirm the story to them? FREDERICK | [sighs] FREDERICK | When are they publishing it online? MARY | Sane time it hits the newstands, 6:30 AM. FREDERICK | Sh— Er, crap. That's not much time to prepare. EMILY | Prepare what? ROSALIND | Wardrobe, media training, press strategy— FREDERICK | Security. MARY | Em, does your building have a doorman? ROSALIND | You've got nothing to worry about. You're starting from a much stronger position than Vivi did, and look how quickly they came around on her! EMILY | Um, where is she? I'd like to talk to her, actually— ROSALIND | [offscreen] Oh, I asked her to make sure we weren't interrupted. VIVI | [sighs] CHARLES | Why the long face? VIVI | Charles! What are you doing out here? CHARLES | I was looking for you, actually. CHARLES | I'm glad I found you. I was starting to worry that I wouldn't have the chance to tell you how lovely you look tonight... VIVI | You know...I was warned to stay away from you. CHARLES | [amused] Oh? And will you, Vivi? CHARLES | ...because I'm not going to be able to stay away from you. VIVI | Charles, if someone sees us— CHARLES | Who cares? CHARLES | Everyone knows how your husband treats you. No one would blame you. VIVI | Charles... CHARLES | [softly] Don't make me beg, Vivi. ROSALIND | [offscreen] Vivi? ROSALIND | ...what's going on out here? CHARLES | Rosalind! There you are. ROSALIND | Good to see you, Charles. ROSALIND | [offscreen] I didn't know you'd be in town for the wedding. CHARLES | [offscreen] Josie didn't tell you? [conversation continues, indistinct. Mary gives Vivi A Look.] FREDERICK | [sighs] I hope you're ready for a lot more of this. EMILY | What do you mean? FREDERICK | All the bullshit. The briefings and the meetings and the pointless intrigues. What we're looking at right now is the rest of our lives. FREDERICK | ...you know, the news hasn't broken yet. If the royal life isn't what you want, what you really want....you've still got one last off-ramp. EMILY | Freddy... EMILY | You've been trying to scare me off the entire time we've been together, and it's not going to work. I'm committed. FREDERICK | Well...then I guess you're stuck with me. EMILY | [laughs] I guess I am.

[moviemosaics]

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, 2023

[lilakartoffelbrei]

Fun with family and friends

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Once Upon a Haunted Romance

An Historical Romance Collection

Ten haunted historical romance novellas collected in one volume are a perfect way to get to know new authors or spend time with the writings of already favorite authors. Whether you sit down to read the book straight through or read them spaced out over time you will be in for a treat as you find a haunting of one sort or another in this collection.

The stories include ghosts ranging from angry to helpful with some from the distant past and others more recently departed. I have listed the stories with the authors who wrote them below and have included a short note with the stories I completed reading.

Once Upon a Haunted Cave by Meara Platt – A house party that sees a Duke and his odious elderly aunt’s paid companion falling in love as they solved the mystery of the young female ghost in nearby caves.

Once Upon a Haunted Gardy by Chasity Bowlin

Once Upon an Enchanted Well by Mary Wine

Once Upon a Haunted Haven by Lexi Post: A widow ousted from her home with nothing but a haunted house she inherited will find true love with the assistance of her ghostly relative.

Once Upon a Haunted Romance by Mary Lancaster: Iwo people that have had difficult pasts find one another as a traveler is given shelter, provides protection, they fall in love with the blessing of the widow’s son and the ghost of her husband

Once Upon a Highland Mist by Maeve Greyson

Once Upon a Haunted Scottish Cottage: To inherit a Scottish cottage a set of terms must be fulfilled and in so doing a ghost assists a couple to find their happily ever after.

Once Upon a Haunted Hillfort by Mia Pride

Once Upon a Haunted Knight by Elisa Braden

Once Upon a Haunted Horn and Hoof by Elizabeth Rose: A secret recipe for whiskey, a ghost who cannot rest, and a sudden betrothal might or might not be enough to align to clans and see a ghost finally rest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

BLURB

When spooky manors and or ghostly coastlines call, this stunning collection of haunted Historical Romance novellas is sure to leave you breathless with ethereal, romantic tales… Welcome to ONCE UPON A HAUNTED ROMANCE anthology! Many of your favorite Historical Romance authors have come together for a collection of never-before published stories inspired by legendary hauntings in the British Isles. A derelict old castle? A spectral lady wandering the forests? These tales will give you a chill, a thrill, and have you reading them over and over. From the moors of Devon to the ballrooms of Regency London, and far north into the Scottish Highlands, these stories will bring you wistful dreams of legendary and haunting romance. You’ve never before experienced a collection like this by some of the very best authors in Historical Romance. Authors in this anthology Meara Platt Chasity Bowlin Mary Wine Lexi Post Mary Lancaster Maeve Greyson Sofie Darling Mia Pride Elisa Braden Elizabeth Rose Lock your doors, light your candle, and settle down to this smashing collection of darkly-tinged romantic stories with unforgettable heroes and magnificent ladies. Romance has never been so daring… or so haunting!

618 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 28, 2023

[sun-marie]

"I'm sorry, my love..."

Everyone had a rough time getting through the Survivor Trial on Kazuwari, but Aloth's hands getting crushed by a boulder hit Sabina particularly hard, seeing as he's a wizard and he kinda needs those :(

[downthetubes]

Haitian Slave Revolt graphic novel in the spotlight

Comic creators and creative partners Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee are heading to Lancaster this February to talk about their acclaimed graphic novel Toussaint L’Ouverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History

[musical-dreamcasts]

Six - Emily Rohm (she/they) as Jane Seymour, requested by @moth-loves-broadway

Birthday: Unknown

Birth Place: Unknown

Theatre credits include: Jane Doe (Ride the Cyclone), Marian Paroo (The Music Man), Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Mrs. Lancaster (Groundhog Day), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), Johanna Barker (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), Arminy/Understudy Julie Jordan (Carousel), Grace Farrell (Annie)

(Pictured on the right is Abby Mueller, who played the role in the first North American tour and Broadway productions)

Credits: Rob Riddle, Rebecca J Michelson

[ubetok00]