Taming Lord Truist: Book 2 of the Strong Regency Women Duo
“The very first moment I beheld him, my heart was irrecoverably gone.” – Jane Austen
Miss Eleanor Wilder has admired Lord Augustus Truist since she was a young girl. He had once protected her from an older boy who had meant to strike her. Now, she requires his protection again: This time, it is from her guardian, a cousin who means to marry Eleanor off to a man more that twice Ella’s age in order to keep Eleanor’s fortune in the family. As she will soon be one and twenty, Eleanor must convince Lord Truist to marry her himself, rather than see all her fortune go to a ne’er-do-well.
Lord Truist must save his family from disgrace and a touch of poverty by marrying an heiress of whom his mother approves, but he finds repugnant. However, when Miss Wilder offers him her fortune with no strings attached—a marriage of convenience—how can he refuse? As his countess, the lady would have the protection she required, and he would have the freedom to enjoy his long-time mistress, Miss Sarah Darling, without complaints.
How was he to know that the new Lady Truist not only loved him but was quite perfect in ways he did not realize he required?
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When I first purchase the cover image for Taming Lord Truist, I asked the designer London Montgomery Covers for a few changes. I have used more than a dozen covers from this designer and highly recommend his work. For this one, though, I required a tweak. Though I liked the female model, there was a modern skyline at the bottom (think a New York City style skyline). Therefore, I asked that something from the Regency era be used instead. I also asked that the pierced earrings be removed, but earrings are not the topic of today’s post, but rather the Tower of London.
In my story, as a birthday celebration, Lord August Truist takes his new wife to the Tower. Now, that might not sound so romantic, but, you see, Eleanor’s London experience is VERY limited. His brother and sister accompany them, and they all decided to be “London tourists,” not residents.
The Tower of London has stood for more than 900 years. It has served as a royal residence, a prison, a fort, and a tourist attraction. The last state prisoner to be held in the Tower, Rudolf Hess, the deputy leader of the Nazi Party, in May 1941. The last person to be executed in the Tower, Josef Jakobs, Nazi spy, shot by a firing squad on 15 August 1941. The last people to be held in the Tower, the Kray twins. They were members of organized crime syndicate and were arrested in 1968.
However, did you know that for more than 600 years there was a famous menagerie housed within the tower’s walls. It housed ostriches and elephants and lions and polar bears and many more exotic animals. The Constable of the Tower, no other than the Duke of Wellington, dispatched the Royal Menagerie from the Tower to an area of Regent’s Park in December 1831. The Menagerie closed for good in 1835, with many remaining animals sold to other zoos or travelling circuses.
Some amusing facts about the Tower of London and its exotic animals:
King John was the first ruler to bring animals to the Tower of London. He established a menagerie near the western entrance to the tower. That would have been around the year 1200.
Lion keepers were hired around 1210. These lions were said to be Barbary lions, which are now on the extinction list. The Barbary lion was a population of the lion subspecies Panthera leo leo. It was also called North African lion, Atlas lion and Egyptian lion. It lived in the mountains and deserts of the Maghreb of North Africa from Morocco to Egypt. It was eradicated following the spread of firearms and bounties for shooting lions.
The first lion keepers were employed around 1210. Henry III received three “leopards” from Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in an offer to strengthen diplomatic ties. These leopards were likely Barbary lions, for they were supposedly an homage to Richard III’s coat of arms.
Henry III “started” the Tower of London zoo. At that time, only the privileged guests were permitted to view the king’s collection of animals.
Edward I, in the 1270s, moved the menagerie to the front entrance of the Tower, so all those coming and going (including prisoners) received a large dose of fear at the paws of roaring lions and stamping elephants.
King Haakon IV of Norway sent Henry III a polar bear to join the other exotic animals at the Tower. Henry III was not best pleased to learn how expensive it was for the feed and care of a polar bear. Ordinary citizens were permitted access to view the polar bear as the animal was permitted to “fish” in the River Thames, and he was often viewed by people along the bank.
In 1255, an elephant was brought to London from the Holy Land and the Crusades. People were stunned to touch its rough skin/hide.
Henry III instituted a tax on Londoners so he might have a large “house” built to contain the elephant. Yet, the elephant did live to see the habitat created, for his foolish handlers did not realize an elephant is not a carnivore. Moreover, they gave it a gallon of wine wine to drink each day. After all, something belonging to the king could not be expected to drink plain water.
Hearing of the mismanagement of the first elephant, in 1623, the Spanish king. Philip IV, sent another elephant, but with strict instructions that the animal could only be given wine from September to April of each year.
Under Elizabeth I’s reign, people would be admitted free to the exhibit if they brought a dog or a cat to feed to the lion.
References:
Every Woman Dreams... 
I learn something new with each of your posts!
I do love the lilacs on the cover.
Thank you, Glory. I do like this tale and the flowers on the cover.
Happy Release Day, Regina!!
Many thanks.