Marriage by Necessity Series:

I’m not going to post any spoilers, but I just figured out how this whole curse came to be.

I was originally thinking the story was going to head in a certain direction, but as I was writing a scene, I thought, “You know, instead of going this way, what about doing this other thing?” The other option is way better. I’m excited about it. I don’t know how many people will see it coming. Since it would spoil the book, I won’t give it away. I’m just hoping someone out there will be surprised. I’m sure some will figure it out before the “big reveal” moment.

One thing that has been a challenge about this book is working with a superstitious character who is obsessed with good and bad luck. I’ve been tying in the Regency and Victorian superstitions in with the plot. I’ve had to let quite a few ideas go because they didn’t fit with the superstitious stuff, and that has helped to shape the story. It’s why I had some trouble coming up with the origin of the curse and how things will play out. It’s not a fairy tale or fantasy, so I have to go with a logical explanation for everything. I think I got it all smoothed out.

I should issue a warning. I originally thought this book might be on the comedic side since the hero sees good and bad luck in just about everything. I had Don Knotts “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken” humor in mind when I started this book. But things didn’t go in that direction. This is actually turning into a more serious kind of story. It’s tone is similar to A Perilous Marriage. I have a feeling that Heiress of Misfortune will be the same way, even though I thought that was going to be funny, too. The more I think on the plot for Heiress of Misfortune, the less funny it gets. I don’t think these books are dark, but some people don’t like it when murder is involved in a romance, so I thought I’d just give everyone a heads up.

There is a secondary plot that I’m not sure will find an adequate resolution in The Cursed Earl. This is Book 2 in a series, and there are times when it takes more than one book to resolve a secondary plot. In this case, the secondary plot is the truth of Lord Edon’s past coming out. (Everyone is going to find out he wasn’t ever a rake.) Mr. Christopher Robinson tried to stop the truth from getting out, but it’s all over White’s. At the moment, the gentlemen in White’s are debating whether or not to revoke Lord Edon’s membership.

During the course of the debate, I was able to bring up the wager between Davenport and Pennella in His Reluctant Lady (Marriage by Scandal Series: Book 3). I later wrote about this wager in The Earl’s Secret Bargain (Marriage by Deceit Series: Book 1). Christopher was the one who blabbed it to Agatha in order to get into her good graces. She, in turn, reported it in the Tittletattle. That’s how London found out about it. It also caused a lot of trouble at White’s since the wager became null and voice. No one successfully pinned down who blabbed the wager (though we all know). I suspect Lord Edon might end up taking the blame for the wager being exposed, and as a result, he’ll be thrown out of White’s. In all of this, I see an unlikely ally coming to Lord Edon’s defense, and if that happens the way I think it will, that will be a lot of fun.

It’s possible that things won’t get resolved in Lord Edon’s favor in The Cursed Earl. We might have to wait until Heiress of Misfortune to resolve everything. What I do know is that everything will eventually work out for Lord Edon. I love Lord Edon. He and Christopher Robinson are my two favorite Regency characters. I can’t leave Lord Edon in a bad spot forever. Part of the happy ending of my books are making sure my favorite characters continue living their happily ever afters, and this includes their reputations. So even if things are not looking good for Lord Edon at the end of The Cursed Earl, it will by the end of Heiress of Misfortune.