A Gift of
Oranges
In Her Very
Major Christmas, the Joslin family's neighbor, the Squire, brings oranges to
the ladies as a gift. They're excited to receive these treats—and in
fact, the ladies believe that the citrus fruit might indicate some romantic
interest on the part of their botanically-inclined gentleman friend.
But which
lady has caught his interest? Rosalind, now living with her relatives by
marriage because she had nowhere else to go after her reckless husband died,
believes the Squire is holding a torch for the beautiful but faded Aunt
Clementine. However, it will take some effort to get crotchety old Sir Silas to
agree!
Why would
the Squire give a gift of oranges? Well, they're out of season, of course – in the
bleak midwinter, exotic tropical fruits were rare. The Squire is something of a
botanical enthusiast, so he's built an orangery.
An
orangery is a building especially designed for the cultivation of oranges,
lemons and other exotic tropical plants. Introduced in the 17th century, orangeries became very popular in the
1800s. An orangery has south-facing glass windows to capture the maximum
sunlight and a thick northern wall to protect against wind and cold. In the
wintertime, straw could be used for insulation.
In London,
an orangery or greenhouse might be so elegantly appointed – like
Queen Anne's beautiful orangery in Kensington Palace, which today is a lovely
restaurant – that it could be used for fashionable entertaining away
from the Court.
However,
by the Regency era, many fashionable residences had orangeries or greenhouses.
Orangeries were generally built with large, tall windows facing south to take
advantage of the maximum possible light. The north facing walls would be built
without windows in a very heavy solid brick, or occasionally with much smaller
windows to be able to keep the rooms warm. Straw was the main material used for
insulation. Some of the buildings could be intended as symbols of prestige,
while others, like the Squire's more modest structure, were places to store
tender plants like orange and lemon trees in tubs so that they would survive the
harsh winter weather.
Rosalind's
main interest in the oranges is what she can make with them! Oranges were made
into marmelades, the rinds were candied and used in fruit cakes and Christmas
pudding, and the juice used in orange shrub, orgeat (a sweet syrup flavored
with orange and almond) and mulled wines.
Do you
make a special holiday dish using oranges or lemons? Please share your
traditions with us!
Her Very
Major Christmas
By Saralee
Etter
Excerpt
It
was a devilish way to be welcomed into the family.
The
dark-haired woman had crept into the library, taken one look at him then
screamed and fainted dead away. He’d lunged toward her, hoping to catch
her before she crumpled to the floor. He didn’t quite
reach her in time.
Women
had screamed at the sight of his scarred face before but usually not until they’d gotten a
better look at him. Guiltily aware that her unconscious condition was his
fault, he gathered her up into his arms, meaning to place her on the sofa at
the far end of the room. If he moved fast enough he could put her down before
his marked visage caused her to faint again. She was a soft, sturdy little
thing with a pale face and dark hair that spilled over his arm.
He
only had time to carry her halfway to the sofa before he heard a furious
pounding of feet on the floorboards outside the library. The door to the
library burst open. Through the door came an elderly lady, followed by an old
man with a pair of dueling pistols, one in each hand.
“Unhand that female! Get back, you
fiend!” the old man shouted, waving the pistols.
Burdened
by the woman in his arms, the major froze as one of the weapons dipped
dangerously in his direction.
The
gun went off with a roar.
A
pistol ball whistled past his head and lodged in the wall near the window. The
lady shrieked.
The
old man looked astonished, turning the pistol around so he could squint down
the smoking barrel. “By Jove, I didn't even
touch the blasted trigger.”
Description
Blush sensuality level: This is a sweet romance (kisses only, no sexual
content).
Widowed Rosalind
Joslin is an extra female in her in-laws’ household. Longing
to prove she still has value, she uses her skills to make remedies and
medicinal preparations for the poor. She misses the warmth and sun of India
where she was raised but looks forward to her first real English Christmas with
holly and the traditional feast.
Major Harry Joslin
never expected his cousin’s death to thrust him into the unwanted
role of nobleman. Still recovering from the emotional and physical injuries
inflicted at Waterloo, he’s not ready for the demands of a new
position and his family’s pressure for him to marry a
debutante. His cousin’s widow is just another complication.
But it’s
the season of miracles and two wounded hearts may find love blooming in the
depths of a snowy Christmas day.
A Blush traditional
Regency romance from Ellora's Cave
ISBN 9781419993268
Saralee Etter
Saralee
Etter loves to read, and always knew that writing was the only career for her.
What could be better than to think up stories all day long? As a constant
day-dreamer, it seemed like the ideal occupation.
Sadly,
however, she couldn’t see a way to make a living writing
the romantic and exciting stories that filled her head. Instead, she wrote
other things: Newspaper articles, public relations releases, legal briefs.
Now
Saralee is beginning to share the stories that she has been dreaming about for
so long. They’re mostly light-hearted and fun. As a devoted armchair time-traveler, she
finds writing stories set during the English Regency period is the perfect way
to enjoy history, romance, and delightful adventures all at once.
