I am greatly indebted to four books which gave me the background for my story: Wellington: The Years of the Sword, by Elizabeth Longford; A History of the Peninsular War by Charles Oman; Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon: 1807-1815 by Rory Muir; and The First Respectable Spy, the Life and Times of Colquhoun Grant, by C. Haswell.
The historical situation is accurate: The British troops did sit behind the Lines of Torres Vedras for months, waiting for Massena to make a move. At the same time, the question of a Regency was being debated back in England. It seemed plausible for my story to suggest that Massena might be receiving inside information, although there is no basis for this in fact.
I have taken the greatest liberties with Colquhoun Grant, since his scenes seem to suggest he spent more time behind a desk than he did on a horse! In fact, he was one of Wellington’s most indefatigable exploring officers.
I was also inspired by the Richard Sharpe stories, written by Bernard Cornwell and brought to the video screen by the BBC. I bought all of them and immersed myself in another fictional representation of the Peninsular War while I was writing.
Music is always an inspiration for me. To anyone who wishes to hear “A Red, Red Rose,” I recommend The Songs of Robert Burns sung by Andy Stewart, a Green Linnet CD. “Bonny Light Horseman,” sung by Eliza Carthy, is found on Troubadours of British Folk, Vol. 3 on Rhino Records.
This one is for my father, Major (ret.) John Aloysius Farrell, Pearl Harbor survivor and a man who has faced all of his life with great courage.
It is also dedicated to the memory of Leslie Baker, my “instant sister,” who gave me what Charlie gave to Val:
unconditional love.
Copyright © 1999 by Marjorie Farrell
Originally published by Topaz (ISBN 0451408179)
Electronically published in 2014 by Belgrave House/Regency
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This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.