TemptingJuliana (34 page)

Dear Readers,

In April 1815, Mount Tambora erupted on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, sending more ash into the air than any volcano in the last ten thousand years. Over the next year, the dust rose into the upper atmosphere and spread slowly across the planet, obscuring the sunlight to such an extent that extreme weather conditions prevailed in places halfway around the world. The growing season was plagued by a series of devastating cold waves that destroyed crops, greatly reducing the food supply and causing widespread famine. Snow fell in June, and 1816 came to be known as “The Year Without a Summer.”

The people of the time hadn’t the knowledge of our modern meteorologists, so they didn’t know why the weather was so cold. Countless absurd theories were proposed, including those expounded by the guests at the balls in
Tempting Juliana
. Although some people did indeed blame Benjamin Franklin’s lightning rods, had Franklin still been alive, he might have guessed the real reason. During a similar cold spell in 1784 caused by the great eruption of Mount Asama in Japan, Franklin wrote of a “constant fog over all Europe and a great part of North America,” speculating that the dust he observed
in the sky might be due to volcanic explosions or the breakup of meteorites.

In James’s time, smallpox was sometimes called the “Speckled Monster.” Throughout recorded history, it killed ten percent of the population. As a youngster, before being variolated (intentionally infected with smallpox as a preventative measure), Edward Jenner was “prepared” by being starved, purged, and bled, and afterward he was locked in a stable with other ailing boys until the disease had run its course. All in all, it was an experience he would never forget—one that later inspired him to experiment and discover that immunization with cowpox prevented smallpox. In 1801, after he pioneered vaccination, Jenner issued a pamphlet that ended with these words: “…the annihilation of the Small Pox, the most dreadful scourge of the human species, must be the final result of this practice.” Unfortunately, almost 180 years went by before his prophecy came to pass.

In
Tempting Juliana
, James was too optimistic in hoping smallpox vaccinations would soon be made compulsory. England didn’t pass such a law until 1853, and the World Health Organization (WHO) didn’t launch its campaign to conquer smallpox until 1967. At that time, there were fifteen million cases of smallpox each year. The WHO’s plan was to vaccinate everyone everywhere. Teams of vaccinators traveled the world to the remotest of communities.

The last documented case of smallpox occurred just eight years later, in 1975. After an anxious period of watching for new cases, in 1980 the WHO formally declared, “Smallpox is Dead!” Jenner’s dream had come true: The most feared disease of all time had been eradicated.

The Foundling Hospital was established in 1739 by Captain Thomas Coram, a childless shipwright concerned about the plight of unwanted babies in London. In his time, more than seventy-four percent of the poor children born in London died before they turned five, and the death rate for children put in workhouses was more than ninety percent. In contrast, the Foundling Hospital’s mortality rate was under thirty percent. If that
sounds high, remember that smallpox, measles, tuberculosis (consumption), and other diseases were endemic during this period. Most people did not reach old age.

In 1740, artist William Hogarth, an early Governor of the Hospital, donated the first painting to the Hospital and encouraged other artists to follow his example—and thus England’s first public art gallery was born. When the wealthy came to see the art or attend concerts given by another Governor, George Frideric Handel, they were encouraged to make charitable donations. Although there is no written record of anyone donating anything besides money, I like to think that the Governors would have been open to an idea like Juliana’s.

By 1954, the year the Hospital closed, it had served more than 27,000 children. Today you can visit the Foundling Museum in London, which is on the site of the original Hospital and contains artifacts as well as the art collection, displayed in fully restored interiors.

Most of the homes in my books are inspired by real places you can see. Stafford House, James’s home in St. James’s Place, is based on Spencer House, one of the great architectural landmarks of London. Built in the eighteenth century by John, 1st Earl Spencer (an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales), it was immediately recognized as a building of major importance. Should you ever find yourself in London, I highly recommend a visit. Its exquisite rooms have all been restored, and you will see many of the antiquities Amanda admired in this book. Spencer House is open to the public every Sunday except during January and August.

The Chases’ town house at 44 Berkeley Square has been described as “the finest terrace house of London.” It was designed in 1742 by William Kent for Lady Isabella Finch. Unfortunately, you cannot visit, because the building is currently being used as a private club. But if you go to Berkeley Square, you can see it from the outside—look for the blue door.

Cainewood Castle, where Juliana and James married, is loosely modeled on Arundel Castle in West Sussex. It has been home to the Dukes of Norfolk and their family, the Fitzalan-Howards, since 1243, save for a short period during the Civil War. Although the family still resides
there, portions of their magnificent home are open to visitors Sundays through Fridays from April to October.

To see pictures and learn more about the real places featured in
Tempting Juliana
, please visit my Web site at www.LaurenRoyal.com, where you can also enter a contest, sign up for my newsletter, and find modern versions of all the recipes in this book. If you try any of the recipes, I hope you’ll e-mail me at Lauren@Lauren Royal.com and tell me what you think!

If you missed Alexandra’s story, you can find it in
Lost in Temptation
, the first book in my Sweet Temptations trilogy. And for a chance to revisit Juliana and James, watch for my next Signet Eclipse novel, which will arrive in stores in fall 2007. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you! If you’d rather send a “real” letter than e-mail (I answer both!), write to P.O. Box 52932, Irvine, CA 92619, and please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, especially if you’d like me to send you an autographed bookmark and/or bookplate.

’Til next time,