Highlighting Historical Romance with Justine Covington who describes the busy beginning of March 1815 in Britain
The first week in March 1815 was a busy one in Britain, and I used the events during this week to set up my debut book, His Lady to Protect.
Corn Law Riots
The Corn Laws were tariffs being debated in Parliament in the weeks leading up to Friday, March 10th, the day on which MPs voted. These laws, if passed, would impose a tax on “corn” (basically all cereal grains) imported from outside Britain. The purpose was to keep grain prices artificially high for domestic producers (mostly large land-owning gentry and aristocracy), first by blocking the import of cheap grain, then later by imposing steep tariffs that made it too expensive to import grain from abroad. In the week before the vote, rioters took to the streets of London, targeting homes of MPs in the West End who supported the bill. They also encircled Parliament, preventing members from entering, broke the windows in White’s and other shops along Piccadilly, and ransacked homes. The military was called in to quell the violence, and by Thursday evening, the city was on pins and needles. However, news from France, published in various papers on Friday, March 10th, shifted everyone’s focus from the Corn Laws.
The Return of Napoleon
Napoleon escaped Elba for his return to France on the evening of February 26, 1815. A fête, thrown by his mama and sister, Pauline, served as a distraction. He evaded a British naval blockade and made landfall near Gulf de Juan. What followed was a 20-day march to Paris with hardly any opposition. The British Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool, learned of Napoleon’s return on Wednesday, March 8th, and quickly informed Lord Castlereagh, who had been with Wellington in Vienna negotiating a peace treaty just a few weeks before. Whereas the British had been living with the promise of peace, they suddenly found themselves at war again.
The End of Battle in America
In addition to learning about Napoleon’s return, the British also got word (several weeks after the fact) about the naval loss at New Orleans, which was fought after the Treaty of Ghent was signed. This marked the definitive end of the War of 1812. For the Brits, this news came as a relief, as the war in the Americas had taxed an already strung-out army and navy. Now they could focus all of their attention on defeating Napoleon…again.
About the Book
His Lady to Protect (The Beggars Club: Book 1)
The cost of his redemption is trust. Her trust…
When Nate promises to protect his best friend’s little sister from her traitorous uncle, he knows it’s the least he can do to atone for his past sins. And if a marriage of convenience is the most efficient way to guarantee her safety? So be it. He’s ready for anything…except how quickly his lovely new bride would steal his heart…
Susannah never intended to marry the man who led her brother to his death. The fact that she once loved him? Irrelevant. She just can’t allow herself to trust him again. But it’s not long before she starts to wonder if there’s more to Nate than meets the eye. What if he’s not the villain she assumed he was? And if that’s the case…can her poor, beleaguered heart survive another inevitable fall?
Nate and Susannah have much to overcome if they have any hope of finding their way to happily ever after. But what if trust is simply a luxury neither can afford?
Buy His Lady to Protect to read the first in an exciting new series centered around six friends from Eton and set in the infamous Regency period.
Buy Link: https://books2read.com/b/hltp
About the Author
A lifelong history lover, Justine Covington used to play “Laura Ingalls Wilder” in her backyard as a girl, making corn cakes and other “pioneer” food in her sandbox. She fell in love with the Regency when her grandmother introduced her to Johanna Lindsey at age fourteen (thank you, Grandma!).
Fast-forward twenty-five years: after working as a technical writer and trainer for software companies, Justine decided it was time to write the Regency historicals she loves, rather than simply read them.
When not writing, Justine enjoys reading, playing games that make her mind work, and spending time with her family. She has an unhealthy addiction to office supply stores and calls the desert southwest home where she lives with her husband, children, and mini-Schnauzer Chewie.
Connect:
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19497188.Justine_Covington