Hello Dear Readers

The models: Jam Murphy and Guy Macchia

Jam is the perfect Rory—blonde, beautiful and seemingly fragile, she does not allow her disability to define her. She is completely at ease with Dair, proud of his abilities as a brave war hero, and confident of his capacity for love, even if he isn’t completely sure-footed himself! A self-confessed nerd with an obsession for growing pineapples, Rory is unlike any woman Dair has encountered. And she’s been hiding in plain sight for most of his life.

Guy, like Dair, is swooningly handsome with a larger than life personality. He exudes Dair’s devil-may-care exterior but shows glimpses of a deeply sensitive nature. Dair is loyal to a fault, but does not suffer fools. While he comes across as a big hulking brute with more brawn than brain, he is in fact an astute observer and one of England’s Spymaster General’s best spies. He is also a romantic at heart.

Jam and Guy make a wonderful Rory and Dair.

The Setting

A secluded spot within the walled garden of the Chelsea Physic Garden features on the book cover.

Founded in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, the Chelsea Physic Garden is London’s oldest botanic garden. Established as a teaching garden, apothecaries and their apprentices came to study a variety of plant species for their medicinal properties. Apprentices were taught how to identify plants, which ones offered cures for various ills, and which plants were poisonous and could kill.

Today the garden contains a unique living collection of around 5,000 different edible, useful, and medicinal plants. A variety of these specimen plants and trees, such as the Acanthus plants, are showcased in the artwork from photos taken on my most recent visit to the Physic Garden in May 2019. Which just so happens to be the same month in which the book is set!

Rory is given the rare honor of visiting the garden, which was a male-only bastion in the 18th Century, because of her knowledge of pineapple growing and intense interest in botany. It is she who points out the olive tree, the largest outdoor fruiting olive tree in England. That olive tree is still there today (see photo below)! So is the statue of the garden’s benefactor, famous physician, naturalist, collector, and founder of the British Museum (and who is credited with creating drinking chocolate), Sir Hans Sloane.

The Costumes

Rory

As granddaughter of England’s Spymaster General, Rory has access to the best dressmakers and fabrics money can buy. Her disability may preclude her from dancing at balls, and she is a bit of a nerd with her interest in growing pineapples (an exotic fruit that was exceedingly difficult to propagate in the 18th Century), yet she still has a young woman’s interest in keeping up with the fashions. And so she wears a robe à la polonaise in pineapple (of course!) green and yellow striped silk with a pineapple yellow petticoat with ruffle trim, and matching hair ribbons.

It was during the final quarter of the 18th Century, that the striped robe à la polonaise became all the rage. The bodice of the gown was fitted to the back and arms, and cut away in front, called a zone front, with an infilled stomacher. The gown was often made of striped silk, with the under petticoat in a complementary solid color that had a ruffle trim around the bottom edge. The skirts of the gown were carefully drawn up at the back using silken looped cords. Two fabric covered buttons in the middle of the back at the waist secured these looped cords. The effect was to bunch up the striped outer gown like ruffled curtains on a window, allowing the ankle-length solid color petticoat beneath to show from behind as well as in front. And like the petticoat, the edges of the gown’s neckline and sleeves were adorned with finely pleated frills.

Rory’s Pineapple Reticule

You may have noticed in the artwork Rory’s walking stick, which she needs for mobility because of her disability. But did you notice her little pineapple bag? A gift from her nurse on her twenty-first birthday, and one of her prized possessions, Rory carried the reticule on her wedding day.

This little knitted pineapple purse is now one of my prized possessions too, and I cannot tell you enough just how cute it is! I went on an internet quest to track down someone who could make me a replica of the pineapple reticule in the Kyoto Costume Institute. And Kendra Ann of KnittyVet went above and beyond to create the most fabulous pineapple reticule for Rory. Take a closer look…

Dair

Those of you who have read Dair Devil know we do not meet Dair as a cavalry officer. When Dair and Rory have their unusual first encounter at the studio of artist George Romney, Dair has returned to civilian life. So why show him on the cover in his army uniform? Two reasons.

Firstly, the almost ten years Dair spends as a soldier shapes him as a person. He literally grows up in the army, going from unruly teenager (and a teen father at that!) to a leader of men and much admired war hero. As a cavalry officer of the 17th Light Dragoons (Lancers), Dair serves with distinction in the American Revolutionary War. He certainly lives up to the regimental motto “Death or Glory”. He sees action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he is mentioned in dispatches and promoted to Major. And at the Battle of Long Island he exhibits exceptional bravery—in the face of enemy fire he rescues a mother and her children from a burning house, and also leads a small expeditionary force under cover of darkness to free his commanding officer from captivity.

Secondly, Rory holds to a powerful childhood memory of the teenage Dair in his regimentals, come to take his leave of her brother (Dair’s best friend) before setting off to join the 17th Lancers, then stationed in Ireland. Over the years, she hears of his exploits and heroism from family and friends, and cannot but be a little in love with the war hero. So by putting Dair in his uniform I hope to convey the brave soldier Rory knows and falls in love with. Besides, who doesn’t admire a gentleman in his 18th Century regimentals? ;)

As for Dair’s lack of grooming on the cover—soldiers, and most particularly officers, were always clean shaven—it is a nod to the story, Rory teasing Dair about her indecision as to whether she prefers him with or without a beard…

The Roxton Jewelry Collection

Rory wears a gold plated pewter pineapple pendant on a black satin ribbon choker, and a pair of matching pineapple earrings. The Rory set is available for purchase from Kimberly Walters’ Etsy shop at the Sign of the Gray Horse. Profits from the sale of all Roxton Jewelry Collection items go to the upkeep of Kim’s rescue horses, which you can visit here: http://www.kwaltersatthesignofthegrayhorse.com/p/the-horses.html

Enjoy the behind-the-scenes video of the photoshoot

Creative Collaborators

Gene Mollica and Sasha Almazan, Gene Mollica Studio
Sprigleaf Pty Ltd
Rebecca Hatcher, Georgiana Courture
Kendra Ann, Knitty Vet
Cliff Witmyer, Fun-Ghoul Costume Co.
Kimberly Walters, At the Sign of the Gray Horse Reproduction and Historically Inspired Jewelry
Cyrus Wraith Walker

Until next time… Mary and Christopher’s Happily Ever After in Proud Mary.

Hugs

Dair Devil: A Georgian Historical Romance
Roxton Family Saga Book 3: Dair and Rory’s Happily Ever After

A mismatch made in heaven. War hero and heir to an earldom, Dair Fitzstuart enjoys the life of a reckless rogue. Rory Talbot, on the other hand, is a wallflower. She lives a quiet life cultivating pineapples. Dair and Rory's paths will surely never cross. Until one night they do, and everything turns upside down… 

RONE Award for Best Historical Novel (Post Medieval)
Chatelaine Award First in Category: Outstanding Works in Romantic Fiction
Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Medalist
B.R.A.G. Medallion award

References

Jam Murphy
Guy Macchia
Bella Agency headshot of Guy
Lucinda Brant’s personal photos at the Chelsea Physic Garden, May 2019
Rory’s gown made by Rebecca Hatcher of Georgian Couture
French brocaded silk taffeta open robe, 1780s
Gown of lustring striped in pale green, cream and two shades of purple, 1775
Striped Robe à la polonaise, 1775
Pineapple reticule in the Kyoto Costume Institute
17th Lancers first raised in 1759
History of the 17th Lancers
John Hale, Officer of the 17th Lancers
Captain Arthur Blake, 1769, Sir Joshua Reynolds
17th Light Dragoon: Battle of Cowpens on 17th January 1781 in the American Revolutionary War