A Romantic Setting

One of my favorite things about my new book, BEGUILING THE BEAUTY, is that a good bit of the story takes place during a transatlantic crossing, on a luxury ocean liner.  The year is 1896, the ship is the Rhodesia, based on the RMS Campania and the RMS Lucania, sister ships of the Cunard Lines which, at the time, were the titans of speed and elegance on the high seas.

Life on board is quite leisurely.  The gentlemen, in their smoking lounge, would wager on the ship’s progress for each day.  Starting at an expected average speed of, say, five hundred thirty-five knots, they would place their bets on how far under or over average the liner would travel in twenty-four hours.  The next morning, the actual distance the liner had covered would be posted, the gentlemen would settle their bets and start again.

Ladies, in their own lounges, wrote letters, read books, played card games, and made new friends among the passengers.  When weather permitted, everyone would stroll the decks and watch for dolphins.  By the time I am writing, transatlantic crossings were so short—usually less than a week—that few elaborate activities were planned.  But on longer routes, such as those going from London to Cape Town, passengers organized into teams—ladies vs gentlemen, single vs. married--and played cricket matches that lasted for days.  And perhaps there would even be a costume ball on the last night on the voyage to celebrate the imminent arrival at the port of destination.

For me, there is such romance to ocean travel, I can’t think of a more perfect place for a man and a woman to meet and fall in love than on a ship.  I’d love to hear your idea of a most romantic place to meet, whether in real life or in a story.  One commenter will receive a copy of BEGUILING THE BEAUTY.

        

BEGUILING THE BEAUTY:

When the Duke of Lexington meets the mysterious Baroness von Seidlitz-Hardenberg aboard a transatlantic ocean liner, he is fascinated. She is exactly what he has been searching for—a beautiful woman who interests and entices him. He falls hard and fast—and soon proposes marriage. 



And then she disappears without a trace… 



For in reality, the “baroness” is Venetia Easterbrook—a proper young widow who had her own vengeful reasons for instigating an affair with the duke. But the plan has backfired. Venetia has fallen in love with the man she despised—and there’s no telling what might happen when she is finally unmasked…

Sherry 

www.sherrythomas.com

***Sherry's winner is Karen H in NC!!  Please email me at totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing details!***