Afterword
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Gareth’s and Fleur’s story as much as I did writing it.
The idea for Fleur’s background came to me when I was taking an online class offered by the Regency Fiction Writers group. The topic was “The Gentleman’s Drink” and one of the Regency era beverages covered was champagne. We learned about the Veuve Clicquot, a widow who persuaded her father-in-law to let her take over the running of the winery during the Napoleonic era in France. Her innovations spurred the development of champagne, and the Veuve Clicquot brand still prospers today. In fact, I just saw it for sale among the premium brands at our neighborhood Costco!
I’ve taken the liberty of making Fleur’s grandmother much older than the real Veuve, who was only thirty-eight in 1815. My story, and all of the characters in it, are of course entirely fictional.
This story first appeared in Under the Harvest Moon, a Bluestocking Belles with Friends Collection. Many thanks go to the participating Belles, Jude Knight, Rue Allyn, Cerise DeLand, Caroline Warfield, Elizabeth Ellen Carter and Sherry Ewing, as well as friends Collette Cameron and Mary Lancaster. The collection was a group effort of beta reading, and the insights of such skilled and experienced writers were invaluable. Special thanks go to the final editor, Jude Knight.
If you have time and you’re so inclined, please consider leaving a review at the bookseller of your choice. I would be immensely grateful!