The Boundary Stone
The Stockbridge Series # 1
By- Gail Avery Halverson
Genre- Historical Fiction/Romance
Bound since childhood to an arranged marriage with the restless and irresponsible heir of Houghton Hall, Viscount Miles Houghton; Lady Catherine Abbott, now grown, finds herself torn between duty to her family and her smoldering ambitions. Possessed of a nimble, curious mind, a love of science and the natural world, and a singular talent for illustration, Catherine desperately longs to accomplish something before she resigns herself to a loveless marriage and the idle, aristocratic whirl of parties and social gatherings within the confines of the palatial Houghton Hall.
Banished before his final year of medical training for pushing harder on the boundaries of scientific knowledge than any student at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, the mysterious and driven Simon McKensie has blurred the lines between research and criminality and must now choose between exile to the rural country village of Wells, or the hangman’s noose.
When the terrifying Great Plague of 1665 spreads from London to Wells, the town’s very existence is threatened and Catherine must confront her fears, her place in the world – and the burning passions she has long held inside.
Enjoy this excerpt from The Boundary Stone-
Catherine thought for a desperate moment. Surely something could be done. As with a tear in a stocking, flesh could be sewn. She was electrified by the very idea. She had read of such a thing in a book. Have I the nerve to try? Catherine wavered. Could it be as simple as making a decision, she thought? But Catherine was nothing if not decisive. She remembered Master Howell’s lessons. Trial and error, he taught. Scientific experimentation. Logical thought. It was occurring all around them, he said every day in his lessons, and in many fields of study, including medicine. Trial and error. She nearly spoke the words aloud. What is the most grievous consequence? She considered the possibilities. The maid could die. But, Gussie says that the maid will surely die, thus if I am wrong, the outcome will be the same, she thought. If I’m right, she may live. Decisive. I must be decisive, she thought to herself, as she watched the frightening, bright red pool of blood spreading ever wider. Her thoughts suddenly came into brilliant clarity.
About the Author-
GAIL HALVERSON is the playwright and composer of musical plays that have been performed for over 250,000 children since 2004. Writing for both theater and television, she holds a degree in English Literature and Communications from the University of California, Davis; and is currently at work on a television pilot for Double Trouble Productions, Inc. She lives in Northern California with her husband and son. The Boundary Stone is her first novel.
Links-
Twitter- https://twitter.com/gailhalv
Website- http://gailhalv.com/
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